My Mafia Family Chose the Fake Princess Over Me

I've always been lucky. I grew up in foster care, but every family I was placed with was either rich or powerful. Later, two of the wealthiest families around even took me in, both convinced I was their biological daughter. The first was the Kennedy family, an old aristocratic house. Their fake daughter, Sophia Kennedy, was an expert at framing people. Whenever she accused me of something, I'd happily take the blame, but my new parents never believed I'd done it. In the end, I got all the designer goods and even a share of the family profits. The second was the Percival family, a financial dynasty. Their fake daughter, Scarlett Percival, was a master at playing the victim. She played the victim, and I gave it right back. Somehow, every new piece of evidence ended up proving me right. My new parents felt so guilty that they gave me a trust fund and property after property. Two families claimed me as their long-lost daughter, and both times, I walked away unscathed. The two fake heiresses, however, ended up disgraced and ruined. The third time, a DNA test finally revealed the truth: I was the long-lost daughter of Don Bertoni. On my first night at the estate, Jennifer Bertoni—the girl who'd been living in my place for eighteen years—clutched her chest and collapsed at my feet, her face deathly pale. "Sis, I was born with an irregular heartbeat. I could drop dead at any moment." "I've been living your life, and that's on me. If you blame me for it, I'll go and die right now." My birth mother wrapped her arms protectively around Jennifer and glared at me. My brother, Adrian Bertoni, slammed his fist down on the coffee table, his eyes cold and vicious. "Jennifer's been sick her whole life. Can't you cut her some slack?" Even Bryce Sedgwick, the arms dealer I was engaged to, turned cold. "Upset Jennifer again, and the Bertonis can forget about this month's weapons deal. Consider it canceled." I crouched beside her and gently wiped the tears from her cheeks. "Don't be sill Chapter 1 I reached out to help Jennifer up. She suddenly fell backward. The pill bottle she'd been clutching hit the floor, sending pills scattering everywhere. "Sis... how... how could you say that to me..." "I already feel terrible for taking your place. I don't want anything from you, I swear... If you want me gone, just say the word." Jennifer's eyes filled with tears. She clutched her chest and gasped for breath as if she might pass out at any second. My birth mother, Lenora, rushed to Jennifer without a second thought, crouched beside her, and pulled her into her arms. "Jennifer, don't be scared. This is your home, and nobody can make you leave!" "Is your chest hurting? I'll get your medicine." "Where are your pills? Where did they—" Her eyes landed on the pills scattered across the floor. Then she looked up at me, her expression hardening with disgust. "Eloise, ever since you walked through that door, Jennifer has done nothing but bend over backward for you. Will you only be satisfied when she's dead?" "How did I end up with a daughter as cruel as you!" Adrian kept his cool. He sent a servant to fetch Jennifer's medicine from her room. But when he turned to me, his expression turned grim. "Eloise, what exactly are you trying to do?" "Jennifer's been sick since she was a kid. We've spent years protecting her, and the minute you get here, you start picking on her. You think being my sister means I won't hurt you?" I said nothing. Jennifer huddled in my mother's arms, trembling. If the situation weren't so ridiculous, I might've laughed. She cowered in my mother's arms like I might tear her apart, but the smug, calculating glint in her eyes gave her away. Jennifer had pulled it off. Just like that, she'd turned two members of my own family against me. Too bad for her, I'd seen this little act before. I was 13 when the Kennedy family took me in. Sophia had pulled the exact same trick. Sophia had taken things much further. She'd thrown herself down a flight of stairs and accused me of pushing her. I owned up to it on the spot. Whatever Sophia accused me of, I confessed without a fight. Then I'd cry harder than she did, swear I wanted nothing from her, and offer to leave on the spot. My adoptive parents never had the heart to blame me. Sophia was always the one who cracked first. She'd get so furious she'd jump to her feet and start screaming at me—completely forgetting she was supposed to be injured. Once the Kennedy family saw Sophia for who she really was, they showered me with gifts to make up for it—designer goods, a share of the family profits, you name it. At 15, I was taken in by the Percival family, a multinational financial dynasty. Scarlett Percival, their fake heiress, was an expert at playing the victim. The moment we met, she brought me everything she owned, tearfully insisting it should all have been mine. Now, Scarlett could act. She cried until her eyes were swollen. But when it came to playing the victim, Scarlett was no match for me. I'd spent years bouncing from one foster home to another. I made myself look even more helpless than she did. With both of us crying our eyes out, my adoptive parents had no idea who to believe. So they investigated the whole thing themselves. But I've always been lucky. Every piece of evidence they found worked in my favor. In the end, they set up a trust fund for me and transferred a portfolio of company shares into my name. Now, at 18, I'd landed with family number three: the Bertoni family. And Jennifer? She wasn't even in the same league as the other fake heiresses I'd dealt with. Honestly, I was bored. "Eloise." When I still didn't answer, Adrian called my name again, his voice turning cold. "Eloise, I don't care what you went through before you came here. None of it was Jennifer's fault. She was just a baby." "You don't get to punish her just because she feels guilty about what happened. Being a Bertoni may have gotten you through the door, but it doesn't mean you can do whatever you want." "If there's a next time, you're out of this house for good." Adrian was the underboss and heir apparent, known for being sharp and levelheaded. He'd been working alongside our father in the family business since he was 13 and had never once screwed up. And yet, one girl's pathetic little act had him completely fooled. What a joke. "Eloise, apologize to Jennifer." Bryce, my arms-dealer fiancé, spoke last, his expression hard. "Jennifer couldn't sleep for days after she found out about you. All she could think about was how to make things right. And this is how you treat her?" "Do you even realize Jennifer gave up her place so you could marry me? If she hadn't, you wouldn't even be my fiancée." "I won't marry someone this cruel. Apologize to Jennifer, or the engagement is over. Do it now." Bryce's expression hardened. He carried himself like a man used to giving orders and being obeyed. But after hearing all that, I felt absolutely nothing. Why would I? I'd never wanted to marry him in the first place. My adoptive fathers wouldn't have given a man like Bryce a second look, let alone considered him good enough for me. I didn't argue or get angry. I said casually, "End the engagement? Gladly. But let's get one thing straight—I'm dumping you." "And Jennifer isn't sick. She's wearing enough makeup to look the part. If you can't even see through a trick that obvious, maybe your father picked the wrong heir." "Mr. Sedgwick, you're not good enough for me." Chapter 2 The moment I finished, the room went dead silent. Everyone stared at me, wide-eyed, like they couldn't believe what they'd heard. Bryce tightened his grip on his phone, his knuckles turning white. Jennifer sobbed, her whole body trembling. "Sis... I'm not faking... I really feel awful..." "I only wore makeup so I'd look healthier when I welcomed you home... I never thought you'd take it the wrong way..." She made a show of trying to get up. "If you hate me that much... then I'll just go..." She let out a few feeble coughs. "I'll go somewhere far away... Even if I die, I won't bother any of you again." My mother's eyes were full of pain as she held Jennifer tightly and refused to let go. "Jennifer, I'm right here. Don't be scared. Nobody's going to hurt you." When she turned back to me, her face, so much like mine, was filled with resentment. "Eloise, what gives you the right to talk about Jennifer like that?" "You don't know her at all! She's been sick since she was little, and you have no idea what she's been through. All you care about is competing with her for attention." "Will you only be satisfied when you've driven her to her grave? I'm so disappointed in you." I gave a quiet laugh and sank onto the sofa, making myself comfortable. Honestly, nothing my birth mother said could get to me. During all those years in foster care, I'd longed for a mother's love. But I'd stopped wishing a long time ago. Every time I'd needed one, there'd been no one there. I'd learned to handle things on my own. Later, the Kennedy and Percival families took me in and gave me all the love I could ever want. My adoptive father Malcolm Kennedy wanted me to have power of my own. With his family's centuries of influence behind him, he secured me a title as the only countess in Asunia with any real authority. My other adoptive father, Victor Percival, had built me an entire business empire just to keep me happy. Compared to all that, the Bertonis' little family drama was almost laughable. "Since my own mother doesn't want me here and neither does anyone else, let's call this family reunion over." "It's not like I need you to be my family. Don't worry. I won't force my way into your lives." "The estate's a little out of the way, though, so I'll have to ask you for a ride out." My mother was stunned. Adrian's brow furrowed. It was hard to tell what he was feeling. My reaction was nothing like what they'd expected. I hadn't begged them to let me stay or tried to win them over. I hadn't even touched Jennifer. If anything, I'd acted like I couldn't care less about any of them. "Eloise, there's no need to say things like that." Adrian closed his eyes for a moment. He seemed tired. "You're family. Now that you're home, we're not going to send you away and make you fend for yourself again." "It's just that Jennifer can't handle stress because of her condition. To make sure you won't hurt her again..." As he spoke, he pulled out an agreement and slid it toward me. "Sign this. It'll give Jennifer some peace of mind—and keep you from causing any more trouble. You'll give up your share of the family fortune and sign it over to Jennifer." "You'll still be my sister. You'll still be a Bertoni. We will cover all your living expenses. You'll never have to worry about money." I flipped it open. Voluntarily. Give up. Transfer. Those words appeared more times than I could count. So they'd planned this from the very beginning. I was supposed to hand everything that was rightfully mine over to Jennifer. They acted as if simply being allowed through the door meant I should fall over myself with gratitude. Wanting anything more would be greedy. When I still didn't reach for the pen, Bryce's voice turned cold. "Think carefully, Eloise. The only reason I'm even marrying you is because you're a Bertoni." "If they throw you out, everyone we know will laugh at you. This is your only chance at a better life." I looked up at the room full of people waiting for me to sign, and suddenly I smiled. Malcolm had spent nearly a year begging and trying everything he could to convince me to take over the family fortune. Victor had showered me with gifts every day, trying to coax me into accepting a share of the family trust. And now my own mother and brother wanted me to sign away my share of the family fortune. "Eloise, if you don't want to sign, then don't..." "Adrian's just worried about me... I'm fine, really... Please stop fighting over me..." My mother tried to stop her, but Jennifer insisted on walking over to me anyway. "I don't care about the inheritance... I just want the three of us to get along... Eloise, can't you at least give us a chance..." By the end, she was choking back sobs again. The other three looked at me even more coldly, as if I'd done something terrible to her again. I gave her a mocking look. "Drop the act." "I'll sign. But I want another clause in there: from this moment on, I'm no longer a Bertoni. Whatever happens to this family after today has nothing to do with me." Neither Adrian nor my mother would agree to cut ties. Of course they weren't. Their biological daughter had been missing for 18 years, and they'd only just gotten her back. Disowning me now would make even them look heartless. More importantly, it would humiliate the family. In the end, we compromised. Adrian added a clause to the agreement. [Eloise bears no responsibility for any future crisis facing the Bertoni family. No member of the Bertoni family may ask her for help.] I still remember the look on his face as he wrote it. Pure contempt. But that didn't matter. I'd gotten what I wanted, and I signed my name without hesitating. Adrian and my mother didn't relax until they saw my name on the page. They thought they'd secured the best possible deal for Jennifer. They had no idea I'd gotten the better end of the deal. Chapter 3 The next morning, it wasn't even light out yet. The servants were already bustling all over the estate. The noise kept me from sleeping, so I gave up and got out of bed. When I opened my door, I found Adrian, my mother, and at least a dozen stylists and makeup artists crowded around Jennifer. She wore an elegant ivory velvet gown, her long chestnut hair cascading over her shoulders in soft waves. She looked like she'd stepped straight out of a fairy tale. "Jennifer, you look so beautiful today. I'm so proud of you." My mother slid a diamond hair clip into her hair. "You're the star of the party today, so relax. Just enjoy yourself for once. You don't always have to put everyone else first." Jennifer gave a shy smile. Then she looked up and saw me stepping out of my room. I was still in my pajamas. I hadn't even washed my face. "Eloise!" Jennifer gasped, gathered up her skirt, and hurried over. "Why aren't you dressed yet? Today's our debutante ball!" "Everyone who matters will be there tonight. You can't show up in your pajamas. You'll embarrass Mom and Adrian." My mother turned around, and the second she saw me, she frowned. "Eloise, are you doing this on purpose? Do you know what today is? Do you want everyone to think we abuse you?" I tilted my head and pointed at myself. "A debutante ball? Nobody told me." For a second, my mother had no answer, and her expression darkened even more. "It's your own debut! Even if no one told you, couldn't you have figured it out from everything going on around here?" "Can't you see everyone in this house is busy? We can't look after you every second of the day!" Apparently, that was all the excuse she needed to start scolding me again. "Hurry up and go change. The guests will be here any minute." As she spoke, she spotted a servant pushing a cart full of old gowns. "Lisa, stop." Lisa, one of the maids, stopped and asked politely, "Yes, ma'am. What can I do for you?" My mother looked at me impatiently. "Those are some of Jennifer's old gowns. They're a little dated, but they're still perfectly good. Pick one." I looked over. All I could see was a sea of white. I couldn't even make out the different styles. Then I looked at Jennifer's scrawny, stick-straight figure. Yeah, no. If I tried squeezing into one of her dresses, I'd probably burst the seams. I shook my head. "No, thanks. I brought my own gown." With that, I turned and went back into my room. My mother gritted her teeth in fury. "Ungrateful brat!" Just then, she saw Adrian coming back from a phone call. "Adrian, I can't handle that sister of yours anymore. She's dead set on humiliating us!" Adrian pinched the bridge of his nose, looking tired. "Maybe we should just let it go and explain things to everyone. She—" "Mom, Adrian, she must still be upset with me. Let me go in and talk to her." Jennifer cut Adrian off, grabbed a gown at random from the cart, and walked into my room. I heard the door open behind me and turned around, frowning instinctively. "Didn't anyone ever teach you to knock before walking into someone's room?" Jennifer's eyes welled up. "Eloise, I just wanted to..." Before she could finish, her gaze locked on the gown hanging from my clothes rack. It was a custom-made burgundy gown cut from heavy silk that draped beautifully, and the diamonds scattered across the skirt were priceless. She pulled herself together. Then she noticed the full set of pearl jewelry laid out on a tray beside it, and her breath caught. Jennifer recognized the pearls at once. Three years ago, a mystery buyer had paid 80 million dollars for them at auction. Now those same pearls had been made into a necklace, earrings, and a bracelet. Something vicious flashed in Jennifer's eyes. Then she clapped a hand over her mouth. "Eloise!" "How could you do something like this!" Her scream reached my mother and Adrian outside. They burst in right away. Adrian planted himself in front of Jennifer. My mother anxiously checked her over from head to toe. "What's wrong, sweetheart? Is Eloise picking on you?" Jennifer grabbed my mother's hand and bit her lip. "It's Eloise. There's no way she could afford that gown and jewelry on her own." "Mom, Adrian, I can't hide this from you anymore. Last night, I overheard Eloise talking to some much older man on the phone. She was flirting with him." "She must have gotten all this from him... in exchange for sleeping with him." Adrian stepped closer to examine them, his expression grim. "Even with all our money and connections, getting our hands on something like this wouldn't be easy." "Eloise, no matter how hard things got, you never should have stooped this low." Jennifer shook her head helplessly. "No, please don't blame her. This is all my fault. If I hadn't taken her place, maybe she never would've had to do something like this." "Eloise chose to stoop that low. None of this is your fault." My mother held her close, looking at me with nothing but disgust. "I'm giving you one day. That's it. End things with that old man immediately." I thought of my two adoptive fathers trying to look pitiful, and I refused flat out. "Can't do that." "Do you want the whole family humiliated right along with you?" My mother charged at me and raised her hand. Just before the slap could land, I dodged out of the way. My mother's face went red with rage. She ordered the servants to restrain me. Jennifer stepped in and caught her hand. "Mom, don't. The party's about to start. If you do this now, all the guests will find out. Let me try to talk to her again after the party." Adrian's expression softened a little. My mother patted her hand. "You're always the sensible one." Jennifer let out a helpless little sigh. "Getting rid of the gown and jewelry would draw too much attention. Why don't I wear them instead? Everyone knows how much you all spoil me. No one will question where they came from." I couldn't help laughing out loud. So that was it. All this drama, just because she wanted my gown and jewelry. After a few seconds of silence, Adrian said, "That works. Then it's settled." The look my mother gave me was full of disgust. "Who knows where you got those things? For all I know, you've already..." She didn't finish. She just glared at me hard. "Your sister is cleaning up your mess for you. You should be grateful to her!" I looked at the three people facing me. My birth mother looked at me like I was something dirty. My own brother wouldn't even spare me a glance. And my fake little sister was acting like she was doing me a huge favor by getting me out of trouble. I smiled and stepped aside. "Fine. If you want them, go ahead." Jennifer couldn't quite hide her greed as she hurried over to the gown. As she turned to leave, I called after her. "But remember this." "You were the one who asked to wear my gown and jewelry." Chapter 4 Corvo Manor. The Bertoni family's little princess was making her debut today, and the biggest names in high society had all turned out for the occasion, including members of the oldest noble families. My mother and Adrian walked on either side of Jennifer like knights guarding a princess. Adrian introduced Jennifer to the guests while my mother chatted away with the other aristocrats her age. Even during those conversations, she kept bringing up Jennifer. Not one person remembered me. The butler led me to a seat right next to the restrooms. "Miss Eloise, this is your seat." As if expecting me to object, he quickly added, "Mr. Bertoni arranged it himself. It's a big day, so please don't upset him." Then he hurried off, as if afraid I'd lose my temper with him. I looked at the completely empty table in front of me. The whole party felt pretty dull. Meanwhile, Jennifer stood at the center of the party. In her burgundy gown, she looked as dazzling as a rose in full bloom. The pearls in her necklace, earrings, and bracelet glowed softly. All the other girls her age were crowded around her. "Jennifer, this gown is so pretty. Who designed it?" Before Jennifer could answer, someone shrieked, "Jennifer, are those the pearls that sold for 80 million at auction three years ago?" "I can't believe your family bid anonymously. You're all so low-key." Jennifer just smiled. "I can't remember. My family gives me so much stuff." She didn't confirm how much the pearls were worth. But that one little "I can't remember" was enough to show how much her family spoiled her. They gave her so many gifts that she'd lost count. Just then, Bryce came up beside Jennifer, took the glass of red wine out of her hand as he always did, and smiled. "Jennifer doesn't handle alcohol well. I'll drink it for her." That set off another round of gasps. The girls all looked at her with envy. But not everyone was happy for her. Watching the two of them together, some of the girls could barely hide their jealousy. A few started whispering among themselves. "She's just a fake heiress. What's she so smug about?" "Where's the Bertoni family's real daughter, anyway?" They looked around and spotted me at the very edge of the room. "Jennifer, who's that over there? Why would anyone show up at your debut without even wearing a gown?" Jennifer followed their gaze and saw me. I raised an eyebrow and lifted my glass to her from across the room. Her smile froze for a split second. Then she turned back to them and said quietly, "She's the daughter of one of our servants. She begged Mom for ages to let her come, and Mom's too soft-hearted to say no." The girls frowned. "A servant's daughter thinks she belongs at a party with us?" "Jennifer, how could you agree to something so ridiculous? This is your debut." "Have someone throw her out already. If people find out we ate with lowlifes like her, it'll be humiliating!" The words were barely out of her mouth when the manor's front doors swung open. The butler pushed the doors wide and gave the new arrivals a deep, formal bow. "Please, come in." The whole manor, buzzing with conversation a moment ago, fell quiet all at once as every head turned toward the doors. After all, having the Bertoni family's butler personally greet a guest was no small gesture. None of the guests who had arrived so far had received that kind of respect from him. The butler cleared his throat. "Please welcome His Grace, the Duke of Kennedy, and renowned financier James Percival." The room erupted in shocked murmurs. Everyone stared in disbelief. Both men stood at the pinnacle of power and wealth. One was a duke respected even by the royal family; the other, one of the world's most powerful financiers. Either man's presence would have caused a stir. Seeing them arrive together was almost unheard of. Adrian was thrilled. For a mafia family like the Bertonis, danger was a way of life. Adrian had long wanted to take the family legitimate. If he could strike a deal with either of these men, that goal would finally be within reach. "Jennifer, how do you know these two?" "Never mind. Quick, come with me." He couldn't wait. He pulled Jennifer into the crowd, pushing his way toward Hugo and James. Bryce hurried after them. The crowd had the two men almost completely boxed in. If anyone managed even a brief exchange with either man, they'd have bragging rights for years. I stayed right where I was and didn't move an inch. Hugo looked cool and aloof, carrying the effortless authority of a man accustomed to power. James had a sharp, commanding presence, his expression tinged with casual arrogance. Neither man paid any attention to the aristocrats fawning over them. Adrian shoved his way through the crowd, not caring how it looked, and finally made it to them. "Your Grace, Mr. Percival, it's an honor. I'm Jennifer's brother and the Bertoni family's underboss. Thank you so much for coming to my sister's debut." Hugo looked at him and frowned. James scoffed and walked right past him without stopping, his eyes searching the room. Adrian hadn't expected that. For a moment, he forgot what he'd been about to say. Jennifer blushed and said softly, "Your Grace, Mr. Percival, I'm Jennifer Bertoni. I never imagined you'd come all this way for my debut. I'm truly honored." Hugo's gaze fell on Jennifer. The moment he saw her gown, his expression turned cold. James's eyes widened. Ignoring every rule of etiquette, he grabbed Jennifer, pulled her closer for a look, then shoved her aside. A murderous chill seemed to roll off both men. The guests who'd been fawning over them shuddered and quickly moved aside. The two most powerful men in the country crossed the room and headed straight for its most unremarkable corner. Without the slightest hesitation, they walked toward me, the girl Jennifer had called "a servant's daughter." As Hugo and James drew closer, every eye in the room followed them and landed on the very person everyone had wanted to throw out. Adrian froze. Bryce, who'd been about to step forward, stopped short. Jennifer stared, wide-eyed, like she couldn't believe it. Crash. The wine glass slipped from my mother's hand and shattered on the floor. But no one even looked at her. I leaned back in my chair, idly twirling a fountain pen in my fingers. Then I heard hurried footsteps. James ran up to me. The moment he saw me, all that menace vanished. His face broke into a huge smile. "Eloise! My little sister! I've finally found you!"