Chapter 13

Vanessa curled her lips into a faint smile. "Yeah, cash might be tricky, but I heard you've been stacking all kinds of pricey jewelry over the years..." On the way to the hospital earlier, she'd heard Xander mention how Chloe was totally doted on by John and Grace. Every birthday, she'd get insanely expensive gifts. Like just last year, she was gifted a bloodstone necklace-that thing's rare. The year before, it was some seriously high-value stocks... Vanessa knew there were certain black market circles where rare stuff could fetch crazy high prices, so naturally, she started eyeing Chloe's collection. Chloe's eyes turned red. She honestly didn't think Vanessa would come for her personal stuff. That bloodstone necklace especially-she'd only worn it once. Passing it over just like that? The thought alone made her stomach twist. Seeing Chloe biting her lip, clearly torn as hell, Vanessa folded her arms, kicked it up a notch, and said, "Yeah, sure, those pieces are fancy. But think about it-do they even come close to being the future Mrs. Hayes? I heard Peter's brother gave his wife a ruby necklace worth ten million for her birthday. Compared to that, what's five mil jewelry? Chump change." Chloe might be a bit slow, but she wasn't clueless. She knew Peter's net worth was out of her league, and marrying him was worth way more than a few million in jewels. "Fine. But you better stick to your word," Chloe said through gritted teeth. Vanessa gave her a lazy grin. "Of course. You bring me the goods, I give you what you want. Simple. Come find me when you're set." But the truth was, Vanessa didn't even know what the so-called token was or where the original body stashed it. That was a problem for future her. Back in her room, she tore through everything trying to find it. The room was cozy enough-Grace had clearly shelled out a lot to earn the original Vanessa's trust. Plenty of nice stuff laying around. Her wardrobe? All brand-name stuff, some with tags still on. The color choices though-yikes, all reds and greens. Her vanity drawers were full of gold and silver, but it was all the tacky, flashy kind. She picked up a gold chain as thick as her finger, lips twitching. The original Vanessa's taste... not exactly something you'd wanna brag about. Eyes scanning the room, trying to guess where the token might be hidden, the door suddenly burst open. In stormed Xander, looking like he could kill, slammed the door, locked it, and stepped right up to her. "Vanessa, what's going on between you and that guy?" His voice was tight with frustration. Just thinking about that guy's flirty tone had him wanting to crack his sister's head open to see if her brain was made of mush. Caught off guard by the look on Xander's face, Vanessa reflexively felt a bit guilty. She gave a dry laugh and said, "What? You believed whatever crap he said? You know your sister-charm magnet. Can't help it, suitors everywhere. Bit of a burden, really. Haha..." "Cut it out. Why did he make it sound like something actually happened? Did he get handsy with you?" Xander's tone was accusing, clearly pissed. "Come on, when has your sister ever let anyone get the upper hand? I do the messing around, okay?" Vanessa thought to herself, if sleeping with that hot guy counts as taking advantage, then sure, she came out on top. But she couldn't let Xander keep probing. Raising a finger to her lips, she hushed him with a soft "Shh," successfully diverting his attention. "I just scored a fat sum from that idiot Chloe, but she insists on Peter' engagement token. Any idea what that might be?" Xander thought for a moment, then dragged out a locked box from under Vanessa's bed. Like a magician, he produced a key, opened it, and took out a worn-out case. Inside was an old, yellowed piece of paper. "Here it is. Supposedly a marriage contract left behind by the late Mr. Hayes. It's proof you're engaged to Peter," Xander said with clear disdain, scoffing at the so-called token. Vanessa accepted it, and smirked with satisfaction. "Yeah, it's a beat-up piece of paper, but if I can trade it for five million, it's golden." While the siblings were chatting, Chloe was already outside, anxiously clutching a box. She knocked on the door and called out in a low voice, "Vanessa, are you ready?" She didn't dare speak too loudly in case Grace heard her and disapproved. Chloe was head over heels for Peter-if she couldn't marry him, she'd probably fall apart. Vanessa swung the door open. Chloe, leaning on the doorway, lost her footing and stumbled inside, nearly falling flat. Regaining her balance, she shot Vanessa a furious glare. "All set, I see," Vanessa said, raising a brow. "Didn't think you'd be so eager. You nearly sprinted through the door like you're in a track meet. Must really love him, huh? In that case, I'll force myself to part with it." Chloe handed over a box reluctantly, her fingers hesitating. "These are all the valuables I have-plus a check for one million. It's everything I've saved. Now hand it over." Vanessa had lived a life of luxury in her past, as the eldest daughter of the Livingston family before their fall. She barely glanced at the jewelry to determine most of it wasn't worth nearly what Chloe claimed-nothing close to five million. Pulling the box back behind her, she said coldly, "So, Chloe, you're telling me Peter's not even worth five million to you? If that's the case, maybe you don't deserve this token at all." Chloe's collection had some value-mainly the bloodstone necklace, with the rest being fairly average. Even with the check, it didn't come close to five million. "You're being unreasonable, Vanessa," Chloe said, gritting her teeth in frustration. Vanessa stayed cold. "You came to me wanting a deal. I'm just pushing back on the price. If you can't take it, the deal's off." The thought of Vanessa still clinging to Peter made Chloe nauseous. On impulse, she blocked her as she was about to leave. "Fine, fine! I've got some stocks too, I'll throw them in." Now that caught Vanessa's interest. She knew her way around the stock market and could easily tell which ones held value. Chloe's stocks were definitely worth something. Satisfied, she took everything and handed over the brittle marriage token with a careful, reluctant air, adding to Chloe's suspicion that Vanessa still had feelings for Peter. The second Chloe walked out, Vanessa dropped the lovesick act, grabbed Xander, and tugged him toward the door. "Where are we going in such a rush?" Xander asked, confused. "I managed to fool Chloe for now, but there's no way John and Grace won't catch on. We need to sell all this before they do," Vanessa answered evenly. Xander stared, stunned at how calm and decisive she was. He'd never realized his dreamy, clingy sister could be this sharp. His impression of her quietly started to shift.