Chapter 3
After our meeting, Assistant Lewis took me to the mall.
He said Mr. Quinn had instructed him to buy me some clothes and a new phone.
That was how I learned the older man’s name.
Cyrus Quinn.
According to Lewis, Cyrus had started his own business, opened a small company, and was currently expanding overseas. He rarely returned to the States.
A small company.
The second Lewis stepped away to answer a call, I secretly searched the name on my new phone.
Quinn Group.
I nearly dropped the device.
So this was his idea of a small company?
Cyrus Quinn’s net worth was greater than all the rich second-generation guys Stella liked to chase combined.
And that wasn’t even the most shocking part.
The man was devastatingly handsome.
Sharper, colder, and more striking than half the celebrities online.
The floating text flashed again.
It’s over. Now that Clare knows who he really is, she’ll never let go.
Clare, get lost. The older man belongs to Stella.
Don’t worry. The second he finds out Clare isn’t Stella, he’ll dump her.
The word dump snapped me back to reality.
That was true.
Sooner or later, Cyrus would come back looking for Stella.
Before that happened, I had to play the role of online girlfriend perfectly.
If I wanted Harvard, I had to hold on until I got there.
So I immediately pulled out my phone and sent Cyrus a flood of thanks and sweet messages.
I typed so fast that I accidentally sent one line before I could stop myself:
Thank you for supporting my education. When I start making money, I’ll definitely pay you back.
The second it went through, my blood ran cold.
I’m done for.
He’ll realize right away that I’m not Stella.
I’m going to lose everything before I even take the SAT.
Just as panic started to climb up my throat, Cyrus sent a voice message.
“Okay.”
That was it.
One word.
Low, calm, and impossibly attractive.
But I could tell from his tone that he was pleased.
When I got back to the dorm carrying shopping bags, Stella immediately came over.
“Who was that man who dropped you off this afternoon?” she asked. “Did he buy you all this?”
I paused for half a second.
“That was the online boyfriend you gave me.”
She frowned.
“What did you do while I was with him? He only gave me five thousand a month. Today he bought you all this?”
Good thing I had been prepared.
I quickly opened the bags and showed her everything inside.
“Look. It seems like a lot, but it’s all cheap. This T-shirt was only ninety-nine dollars. These jeans were one thirty-nine. Everything together is less than two thousand.”
Stella’s expression eased a little, but she still looked suspicious.
“Are you lying to me? I saw the car he was using. That thing costs over a million.”
My heart skipped, but I kept my face calm.
“It’s a company car. He’s just an assistant for someone important—a high-level employee. He probably borrows the boss’s car for errands.”
Only then did she truly relax.
“I knew it,” she said with a mocking laugh. “I thought he was actually rich. Still, even an assistant with your background would be hard for you to find. Since he spent so much money on you, shouldn’t you thank me? At least buy me dinner.”
I pretended not to hear the venom under her words.
“Sure,” I said. “What do you want to eat?”
Stella smiled. “Let me think about it. I’ll bring a few friends. You don’t mind, right?”
I nodded.
Within two hours, the entire girls’ dorm had heard that I was being supported by a stingy older man.
I didn’t care.
I’d be leaving soon anyway.