The Fake Heiress's Mind-Reading

I stood at the gate of the Knights' Villa, clutching the embroidered box, my fingers clenched tightly. Before leaving, my father repeatedly reminded me that this visit was crucial for the cooperation on the Georges family medical project. He urged me to be patient and avoid any mishaps. Inside the box were grandmother's most treasured creamy jade bracelet and a century-old tea from ancient trees that my father had arranged to procure from Y City. This was my first time visiting the Knights. Beforehand, I specifically looked into Mrs. Knight's preferences and heard she favored antiques, so I brought the jade bracelet as a gift. As I pressed the doorbell, I instinctively smoothed my cream-colored suit dress — the most formal outfit in my wardrobe, yet still not quite as refined as the uniform worn by the Knights' servants. The door opened to reveal Wendy, the housekeeper. She wore a branded suit that made me pause; I had seen that exact style at the boutique last month, priced at 38,000 dollars—I had hesitated to buy it then. She glanced me up and down, her eyes lingering on my modest business dress. The corner of her mouth twitched as she said dismissively, "Miss George is here; please come in." As she stepped aside to let me pass, the icy jade bracelet on her wrist swung dizzyingly—clearly worth six figures. The living room was even more luxurious than I'd imagined, adorned with a painting by the renowned artist Mr. X, and a tea table carved from a single slab of black ebony. A girl in an apricot silk dress sat on the sofa, her hair styled in large waves, casually toying with the Knights' antique. She ran her fingernail along the pattern on the porcelain vase, as if utterly unconcerned about damaging it. "She is from the Georges?" She looked up at me, her eyes brimming with inexplicable hostility, her tone thick with contempt. Mrs. Knight emerged from the kitchen, still holding a towel, quickly smiling to ease the tension: "Michelle, this is Zuri, she's grown up with Sawyer like a sister." Zuri suddenly stood up and strode over to me, her gaze fixed unblinkingly on my embroidered box. "You're thinking that this jade bracelet is an antique; Mrs. Knight will definitely like it—it could help the Georges secure a firm partnership, so the Knights will entrust your side with the medical project." A jolt ran through me, and I instinctively hid the embroidered box behind my back. "How do you know what I'm thinking? This is just a customary meeting gift—nothing more." Before I could finish, Zuri suddenly snatched the embroidered box from me, raised her arm, and sharply slammed it onto the ground. The jade bracelet rolled out of the box and crashed onto the marble floor, shattering into two halves. The tea jar toppled to the side, spilling tea leaves everywhere; the dark green tea stems mixed with broken porcelain shards made for a particularly jarring sight. "Don't let this scheming trash soil the Knights' estate." Zuri clapped her hands as if discarding something worthless, then turned to Wendy and said, "Wendy, sweep up this rubbish and don't let it clutter the place." Wendy promptly replied, "Yes, I'll sweep it up right away. The Knights don't need this; Miss George had better take it back." I knelt down to pick up the broken pieces of the jade bracelet, and the sharp shard cut my fingertip. A drop of blood oozed out and fell onto the fragments. Mrs. Knight, seeing this, quickly said, "I'll fetch the first aid kit. Michelle, don't move—be careful not to cut yourself again." Just as she was about to turn, Wendy blocked her way. "Mrs. Knight, it's just a minor injury—no need to make a fuss; we don't want Zuri to get upset again." Mr. Knight emerged from the study and, seeing the mess on the floor, only frowned slightly and said indulgently, "Zuri, stop causing trouble—the guests are still here." "Dad! I'm not causing trouble!" Zuri suddenly raised her voice, her eyes instantly filling with tears. "I heard her cursing me in her mind, calling me an unwanted wild girl, and saying I'm clinging to the Knights and refusing to leave!" Mrs. Knight reached out to help me up, but the moment her hand touched my arm, Mr. Knight gave her a stern look. "Michelle, Zuri has been able to hear people's thoughts since she was a child. She even saved the Knights from disaster before. You should be more understanding and stop being so hard on her." Saved from disaster? Doubts filled my mind, but all I could do was endure the sharp pain in my fingertips as I slowly stood up and gathered the broken porcelain shards. At dinner, Sawyer Knight finally returned. He sat beside me and greeted me with a smile, just as before. I remembered he once said he liked braised spare ribs, so I used the serving chopsticks to place a piece in his bowl: "You said last time you wanted some—have a bit more." Before Sawyer could say anything, Zuri slammed the table with a bang. "You're deliberately flattering Sawyer! Trying to get him to speak for your family so the Knights will give the project to the Georges!" Sawyer frowned and explained on my behalf, "Dad, Michelle just remembered I like ribs; there's nothing more to it. Please don't misunderstand." Mr. Knight interrupted him, his expression darkening: "Sawyer! Don't be deceived by her superficial acts! She's an outsider—there's no way she genuinely remembers your preferences." Zuri immediately agreed: "Exactly! She clearly had this planned from the start—otherwise, how else would she know what you like to eat?" I gripped my chopsticks tightly, my nails almost cutting into my palm, realizing there was no point in staying any longer. "Mr. Knight, Mrs. Knight, since the Knights do not welcome me, I will take my leave now." I stood up and picked up the bag lying next to me. Mr. Knight did not stop me; he simply said coldly, "Miss George, the Knights do not welcome schemers. For any future cooperation, let your father handle it." Clutching my bag, I fought back tears as I walked out of the Knights' Villa. Just after getting into the car, a message from my assistant Yoder popped up: "Ms. George, you're trending." # The George heiress was rejected by the Knights, suspected of character flaws affecting cooperation. # "Someone even posted a photo of a broken jade bracelet, accusing you of trying to dismiss the Knights with cheap gifts." I opened the trending posts; the top one was an anonymous Knight employee's "revelation," claiming I was "devious, trying to curry favor with small gifts." The assistant sent another message: "The company's stock has begun to drop. I tried contacting the Knights' PR department, but they didn't pick up." The phone screen lit up, and as I stared at the shattered jade bracelet in the photo, a chill ran through me. There was something inexplicably eerie about the Knights, about Zuri, and about Wendy, who always stood up for Zuri.