Chapter 1

Two months after Derek Prescott blindsided me with a breakup, I ran into him at the Alpha Xi annual formal at St. Jude University.

I'd been about to leave when Blair Covington—his new girlfriend and daughter of a Winthrop Holdings executive—waved me over with a smile that promised trouble.

The table was mid-round of Truth or Dare, everyone half-drunk and looking for blood.

Derek raised his champagne flute with theatrical flair, his arm draped around Blair—apparently his golden ticket to finally belonging.

"The smartest thing I ever did in my last relationship? Cutting loose the dead weight—some townie girl who was only dragging me down. Now I'm with someone who actually understands what it means to have standards."

Snickers rippled around the table. Every set of eyes swiveled toward me—the nobody ex-girlfriend with no family name to drop.

I didn't flinch. Just rattled the ice in my glass and gestured lazily for the game to continue.

When it was finally my turn, someone threw out a loaded question, voice dripping with fake sweetness: "So Cordelia, did you ever hide anything from your ex?"

"Actually, yes." I met Derek's eyes without blinking.

"Oh? What was it?"

"I hid where I really come from." My voice was flat, bored. "My family's old money. Serious old money."

---

Dead silence. Then the entire table burst into laughter.

"Oh my God, Cordelia, have you been binge-watching too many Hallmark movies while you were slinging lattes? Are you having a breakdown?"

"Sweetie, you need to stop. You still smell like a Starbucks apron."

I glanced down at my black velvet dress—no logos, no designer labels screaming for attention.

A bespoke piece from a Parisian atelier, three months of hand-stitching. To these trust fund babies, it might as well have come from a consignment shop.

Before I could respond, Derek's voice cut through the noise:

"Jesus, Cordelia. Two months and you're still this pathetic?"

"This is an invitation-only event. Everyone here comes from established families with real capital. You don't belong, and honestly? It's embarrassing watching you try to fit in."

I leaned back, utterly relaxed, and let my gaze settle on him with icy amusement:

"I'm not trying anything."

"And just so we're clear—if I hadn't personally signed off on the funding, how exactly do you think your little frat managed to book the Crown Jewel's penthouse ballroom? You think your shoestring budget covered this?"

Honestly, I hadn't even wanted to come tonight.

Seeing Derek again? Hard pass. And rubbing shoulders with these social climbers? Not exactly my idea of a good time.

But the fraternity president had carpet-bombed my trust fund's proxy inbox with a dozen emails, practically begging me to show up as "our most generous anonymous benefactor."

And now Derek—this scholarship fraud who'd only stayed in this frat because I'd anonymously covered his dues for two years—had the audacity to lecture me about belonging.

The same Derek who'd spent our entire relationship begging me to keep quiet about his work-study job at the library. Who'd lied to everyone about spending summers "yachting in the Hamptons" when he was actually bussing tables in Boston.

The hypocrisy was almost impressive.

Blair wasn't done. She leaned forward, eyes gleaming with vicious satisfaction:

"Okay, that's actually hilarious. This ballroom was reserved through my father's executive privileges at Winthrop Holdings. You had zero to do with it."

"Face it—you crashed this dinner to freeload. You don't even deserve to stand on these carpets."

More laughter. The stares turned colder, sharper.

I smoothed my skirt, completely unbothered, and let a faint smile cross my face:

"So I should be grateful to you? Is that what you're saying?"

Blair gestured grandly at the table—caviar, oysters, vintage champagne:

"Um, yeah. Obviously."

"Without Derek and me, would you ever taste Kaluga caviar? Or drink a 2008 Dom Pérignon?"

I tilted my head slightly, my smile widening just a fraction:

"Blair, you really need to get out more."

"This kind of catering? At my family's estate, we serve this to the groundskeepers. I wouldn't touch it."

The room exploded—mockery, disbelief, outright scorn.

"Oh my God, Cordelia, please stop embarrassing yourself! Without Blair's connections, security would've thrown you out at the lobby!"

"Seriously, if Derek hadn't taken pity on you, you wouldn't even be breathing the same air as us right now!"

"Just apologize to Blair and choke down your free champagne. At least you'll get something out of tonight you could actually afford!"

The insults kept coming. I didn't react.

Words were clearly wasted on them.

It was time to show them who really owned the ground they were standing on.

Derek approached, glass in hand, radiating smug superiority:

"You know why I ended things so fast? Because you're all talk, Cordelia. No substance."

"Drink this. Apologize to Blair. And I'll pretend this whole pathetic meltdown never happened."

I looked at him for a long moment—this pompous fraud standing in front of me, playing dress-up in a world he'd never actually belong to—and slowly rose from my seat.

My voice stayed calm, but it could've cut glass:

"Derek, I played along with your little charade for two years. I coddled your ego and pretended to be broke so you wouldn't feel small."

"Did you actually think I was still that girl?"

I didn't wait for him to respond. I pulled out a matte black card and placed it on the table. No numbers, no name—just a platinum insignia.

Then I snapped my fingers. Sharp. Clear. Final.

"Manager. Now."

A passing floor manager immediately altered course, approaching our table. The moment his eyes landed on the card, his posture stiffened.

"Right away, miss." He reached for the card with both hands, handling it like volatile material.

I swept my gaze across the table, voice low but unmistakable:

"Bring the private cellar list. Everything on this floor tonight goes on my personal account."

I paused, letting the words hang in the air.

"Call it charity."