Your Gold Digger is Actually A True Heiress by Vera Fiore

Chapter 18

After taking photos, Asher handed back her phone, his expression carefully neutral. “You have a message”

“Ohp”

Thalia opened it, her face stiffening at Drake’s words. She knew message previews appeared automatically–Asher must have seen it.

She glanced back at him nervously, explaining, “My ex. We’ve broken up.”

“I see.” Asher’s expression remained impassive, his eyes unreadable.

“I’ve blocked him on everything else–forgot about his number.”

Thalia felt oddly flustered. She was twenty–five; having an ex–boyfriend was perfectly normal. Besides, she’d dated Drake before agreeing to the arrangement with Asher. She had nothing to feel guilty about.

Realizing this, she calmed herself. “I’ll block him now.”

She did so immediately, with Asher watching.

“Trust me,” she added, “once I agreed to our arrangement, any past relationships became exactly

that–past.”

Asher nodded, his dark eyes still inscrutable. But as Thalia turned away, the faintest smile played at his

lips.

After several days of exploring the city together, it was time to return to London.

She hadn’t told her family she was coming home, so no one from the Winters household was at the

airport.

Instead, Asher’s assistant met them with a black Rolls–Royce Cullinan.

“Shall I come in with you?” Asher asked as they pulled up to the Winters estate.

Thalia shook her head. “No need.”

“Alright.”

Sensing her reluctance,

did Thalia ring the bell. Three years ago, she’d left without her

of fifteen years, opened the door and froze. “Miss… Miss Thalia?

home?”

cracked with emotion.

as she nodded.

I’ll call your

“He’s not here?”

at the office. Your stepmother’s at Lucy’s school for a

exhaled in

them all–her stepmother, half–sister, and the father she’d

left it, immaculately maintained. Someone had clearly

daily.

showering, she heard Mrs. Clarke’s knock. “Miss Thalia? What would you like for

dinner?”

the door with a slight smile. “The usual,

Clarke beamed, genuinely

one to carry young Thalia in

daughter, Mrs. Clarke had stayed at Thalia’s hospital bedside

refused food in her grief, it was Mrs. Clarke who coaxed her to eat, who held her through the

Thalia might not have

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Gold Digger is Actually

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Chapter 18

Though she hadn’t spoken to her father in three years, she’d still called Mrs. Clarke on

Thalia handed her a beautifully wrapped package. “The finest tea from New York’s best

make some

head. “This is for you. I’ve had plenty. I wanted you to

“I couldn’t possibly-”

hands. “Please. After everything you’ve

offer.”

eyes welled

a small girl ran

much!” Eight–year–old Lucy Winters looked up at her half–sister,

had always adored Thalia, though Thalia remained distant. She couldn’t help

was innocent. Despite her complicated feelings about Victoria, Thalia couldn’t bring herself to be cruel