He Called Me a Gold Digger, But I’m the Billionaire Heiress

Everyone in our circle agreed on one thing. I was beautiful. Unfortunately, I was also hopeless when it came to love. My billionaire father knew that better than anyone, so he made one rule for me. I wasn’t allowed to marry a man unless he was willing to put five million dollars into a trust in my name before the wedding. “Five million isn’t much,” Dad told me. “I didn’t spend my whole life giving my daughter the best of everything just to watch her struggle with some broke guy.” Because of that, I never let myself fall too easily. Then I met Xander Shaw. When he pursued me, he did it so publicly that everyone in our social circle knew. And once we started dating, he gave me almost anything I asked for. For the first time, I relaxed. Xander was worth well over a billion dollars. Five million would be nothing to him. Dad would finally say yes. People joked that Xander was raising a pampered little princess who couldn’t survive without him. He only laughed. “What’s wrong with that? She can stay right beside me and depend on me for the rest of her life.” The night he proposed, fireworks lit up the bay until midnight. I was so happy that I told him about Dad’s five-million-dollar condition. The people around us suddenly went quiet. The tenderness disappeared from Xander’s face. “Five million is nothing to me, Sienna.” His voice turned cold. “But there’s a difference between me choosing to give it to you and you asking me for it. Understand?” Then his female best friend threw a stack of papers documenting my past in my face. She sneered. “I’ve seen plenty of women like you. You think being pretty means you can hook a billionaire and walk away rich?” Xander left with her. I stood alone in the cold for a long time. Then I wiped away my tears and refused the driver he had left behind for me. There was one thing Xander had apparently never understood. A woman who knows how to cling to someone also knows when to let go. And once I let go, I never reach back. Chapter 1 I waited all night. I checked my phone more times than I could count, but Xander never sent me another message. Instead, I came across a new post from his female best friend, Vanessa Lane. It was a photo of a table covered with food. Her caption read: 'Someone went to all this trouble. Lucky me.' I froze, my fingers tightening around my phone. I recognized those plates. I had picked them out myself. I’d had a sensitive stomach since I was a child, and I was also an incredibly picky eater. So Xander had hired a professional dietitian for me. Sometimes, the great CEO himself would even put on an apron and cook for me. Whenever I hovered around the kitchen, he would ruffle my hair and smile helplessly. “Sienna, you know you’re the only person in this world who gets to eat food I cooked myself, right?” He really had treated me well once. After I agreed to date him, he never let another woman into his home. But now, not only had he let Vanessa stay, he had cooked for her too. If everything had gone the way it was supposed to last night, Xander and I should have kissed beneath the fireworks after his proposal. Then we would have gone home hand in hand. So where had everything gone wrong? The next morning, I arrived at rehearsal with enormous dark circles under my eyes. Several of the younger women immediately crowded around me, practically glowing with excitement. “Sienna, that was a proposal last night, right? Mr. Shaw is insanely romantic. I heard fireworks like that can cost millions.” “Thanks to you, the whole city got a free show.” I lowered my head with a bitter smile. Last night, millions of people across the city had watched a beautiful fireworks display. But I, the woman it had supposedly been for, had seen none of it. I was distracted throughout the entire morning rehearsal. At lunch, someone glanced curiously toward the door. “Sienna, where’s your private dietitian? They’re late today.” I gave an awkward smile and avoided the question. Then I escaped into the lounge. Ever since I had suffered a stomach attack during rehearsal once, Xander had refused to let me eat whatever I wanted. No matter how busy he was, he always made sure my meals were arranged in advance. Breakfast. Lunch. Dinner. I had gotten so used to being taken care of that after only one day without it, the ache in my chest felt almost unbearable. I somehow made it through the rest of the day. But the moment I walked out of the rehearsal hall that evening, I stopped in my tracks. Xander was leaning against his car. He was smiling and waving goodbye to one of my coworkers, exactly the way he had countless times before when he came to pick me up. As if last night’s argument had never happened. As if he hadn’t been the one who left me standing alone in the cold. He opened the passenger door for me with practiced ease. Once we were inside, silence filled the small space. I hesitated, about to speak. Then his phone screen suddenly lit up. I glanced at it without thinking. And froze. Xander’s lock screen used to be a photo of me performing. Five years ago, when I had just turned eighteen, I became the youngest cellist ever accepted into one of the country’s most prestigious orchestras. At the time, Xander had just fallen out with his family and left home to start his own company. One day, he happened to pass by the concert hall. On a whim, he bought a ticket. That was when he took the photo. He once told me that the moment he saw me onstage, it felt as though something had struck him straight through the heart. Over the next five years, he changed phones countless times. But he never changed that old photo. Whenever I brought it up, Xander would actually look a little embarrassed. “Sienna,” he once told me, “you’re the moon I can never stop looking at.” Apparently noticing where I was looking, Xander glanced down at his phone. His expression didn’t change. “Sienna, I used to dream about you playing the cello.” He gave a faint laugh. “But now I hear you play every day, and honestly, it’s not that special anymore.” He lit a cigarette and cracked the window open. “Still, I do love you.” Then he placed a document in front of me. “Sign the prenup, and you can still become Mrs. Shaw.” Chapter 2 He tossed the thin stack of papers onto the seat beside me. The terms were laid out clearly in black and white. Our finances would remain completely separate before and after marriage. And if we ever divorced, I would walk away with nothing from him. Xander rested one hand on the steering wheel and glanced down at me. The man who had always been patient and gentle with me now looked at me with nothing but coldness in his eyes. I curled my fingers tightly into my palms and took a deep breath. “But my parents never signed a prenup when they got married.” Xander gave a quiet laugh. “Your dad, the teacher, and your mom, the accountant?” His tone was almost indulgent. “Sienna, they’re ordinary people who got married and built a life together. Of course they didn’t need one.” My breath caught. I stared at him in disbelief. “You investigated me?” My family had protected me carefully all these years. They had created an airtight background for me, so everyone believed that was really where I came from. I had planned to tell Xander the truth after I accepted his proposal. Xander admitted it without hesitation. “Vanessa looked into you. “She said you were never innocent from the start. That you were an ambitious gold digger with expensive tastes. “I didn’t believe her at first.” He paused. Then he looked at me and slowly shook his head. “Until last night, when the first thing you did was ask me for five million dollars.” My eyes began to sting. Then Xander reached over and gently wiped the corner of my eye. “Sienna, there’s a difference between knowing your worth and being greedy. “Do you have any idea how many women in this city would kill to become Mrs. Shaw?” I looked up at the little good-luck charm hanging in his car, the one we had picked out together. Memories of everything we had shared flooded back. I took a deep breath and made one last attempt. “Xander, five million dollars is my father’s only condition. “Anything else, I can agree to.” He let out a merciless laugh. “Sienna, you really think far too highly of yourself.” My face went pale. “Then we should break up.” His expression changed instantly. “So you’re not even going to pretend anymore?” “The second you realize you can’t get five million out of me, you want to break up?” He sneered. “What? Already eager to find your next rich guy?” I couldn’t stand listening to him insult me anymore. I turned and pulled open the car door. But Xander grabbed me and yanked me back. With red-rimmed eyes, he pinned me against the passenger seat. “Sienna, I gave you a chance. “You’re the one who didn’t want it. “So don’t come crying and begging me later.” Then he drove away. I walked alone through the cold wind until I had no tears left to cry. I took time off from the orchestra. Over the next two days, I gathered everything in my apartment that had anything to do with Xander. In the end, there wasn’t actually much. Just two small boxes. So why did it feel as though someone had carved half my heart out of my chest? I spent two days at home in a daze, crying until I had nothing left. On the third day, one of my colleagues from the orchestra called me in a panic. “Sienna, check social media right now. Is that post about you?” That was how I found out Vanessa had posted a long story online about Xander and me. Except she had twisted almost everything. In her version, I was a calculating gold digger who had gone after Xander for his money from the very beginning. She claimed I had constantly manipulated him into spending money on me and then flew into a rage when he finally saw through me. She never mentioned my name. But she didn’t need to. An orchestra. A cellist. A fireworks proposal. There were more than enough details for people online to figure out who I was. Soon, people started flooding Xander’s social media account, asking whether Vanessa’s story was true. Half an hour later, Xander liked her post. Chapter 3 From that day on, everyone looked at me differently. The colleagues who used to be warm and friendly now avoided me like the plague. Whenever I appeared, I could feel people staring and whispering from every direction. The ones who used to flatter me were suddenly the first to turn on me, each one eager to kick me while I was down. Some called me vain and materialistic. They said I had cultivated this sweet, innocent golden-girl image when I was actually wilder than anyone behind closed doors. Others said I wasn’t even that talented and questioned how I had ever become principal cellist. Maybe, they said, I had gotten that position the same way I tried to get everything else. Someone even dug up old photos from my previous performances. In one of them, my mentor had simply given me a bouquet of flowers. That was enough for people online to start claiming he had been my sugar daddy. I walked out of the concert hall with a pale face, only to be surrounded by a swarm of entertainment reporters. Microphones were shoved in front of me as questions came flying one after another. The orchestra director came over and tried to stop them. Instead, the reporters immediately swarmed him. They demanded to know whether he had personally protected me and made sure I became principal cellist. In the chaos, someone shoved me. I fell hard to the ground, and a heavy camera slammed onto my hand. Then the orchestra director’s face suddenly turned bright red. He clutched his chest and collapsed. I sat outside the emergency room with my hair in disarray and my eyes red, completely numb. It wasn’t until a passing nurse noticed my swollen, badly bruised hand that she pulled me aside to have it treated. But when I entered the exam room, I saw two familiar faces. Vanessa was sitting off to the side, waving dismissively. “Oh, come on. It’s just a tiny cut. You don’t have to make such a big deal out of it.” I froze and looked up. Xander was standing there as if nothing were wrong. Vanessa glanced at me with a mocking smile. “Well, look who it is. The famous cellist herself. “What’s wrong? Still haven’t found your next rich guy?” She laughed. “Then again, I guess it’s hard to find another idiot willing to hand over five million dollars.” Xander said nothing. His expression remained indifferent. He simply picked up Vanessa’s purse and patted her lightly on the head. “You done? If they’ve bandaged it, let’s go.” Then he walked right past me without so much as glancing in my direction. I looked down at my own hand. Several of my fingernails had been crushed so badly that blood had pooled beneath them. Xander used to treasure my hands more than anything. He always said they were a cellist’s hands. Precious. Too important to take even the slightest risk with. He had even held me in his arms and carefully filed my nails for me, one by one. Now the nurse tending to my injuries looked at me nervously. “Hand injuries really hurt, don’t they?” She glanced at my face. “You’re crying.” That was when the tears finally fell. “Yeah.” My voice broke. “It really hurts.” Fortunately, the orchestra director had received treatment in time and was going to be okay. But all of my performances were suspended. The sun was shining brightly when I left the hospital. Yet as I walked down the street, I felt cold all over. Then the assistant director called me, sounding excited. “Sienna, come to the Grand Meridian Hotel tonight. Our biggest sponsor wants to meet with you. “As for getting you back onstage, there’s plenty we can discuss.” I knew he had been working hard to help me these past few days. I couldn’t bring myself to reject his kindness. After hesitating for a long time, I finally agreed. But the moment I stepped into the private dining room at the hotel, I froze. Vanessa was seated at the head of the table. She looked at me with smug satisfaction. I took a deep breath and turned to leave. She immediately stopped me. “Don’t go.” She gestured around the room. “There are plenty of rich and powerful men here tonight. “Which one are you planning to target next?” Laughter erupted around the table. One man raised his glass and looked me up and down with undisguised lust. “Five million is a little steep. “But for someone like Ms. Hayes…” He grinned. “How about five thousand for one night? I’d happily pay that.” The room burst into laughter again. I couldn’t take it anymore. I turned and rushed out. Only to run straight into a familiar chest. Xander instinctively wiped the tears from my face. His expression was almost helpless. “You’re still as reckless as ever.” I pressed a hand against my chest. My voice trembled. “Did you tell them to do this to me?” He slowly straightened. Then he looked down at me. His next words were almost cruel. “I didn’t do anything. “Sienna, don’t you understand? “All I did was stop protecting you. “You were too sheltered when you were with me. “So sheltered that you never understood what the world is really like. “When you’re on top, everyone flatters you. “The second you fall, they’ll all rush over to kick you while you’re down.” Just like he always used to, he held out a hand to me. As though he expected me to throw myself into his arms the way I had before. “Sienna, stop being stubborn. “My offer still stands.” I slowly raised my head and met his eyes. The truth was, after spending all this time apart, I had already stopped dreaming about him. And now, I finally understood why Dad had insisted on that five-million-dollar condition. I spoke softly, enunciating every word. “Xander, I’ve figured it out.” A smile tugged at his lips. His eyes lit up. “We’re really over.” Chapter 4 Word that Xander and I had officially broken up spread quickly. People in our social circle were always quick to take sides. Once word got around that Xander had made his position clear, several major sponsors that had been working with the orchestra pulled their funding overnight. Our tour was suspended indefinitely. Our theater was shut down. Even our private performances and corporate bookings began falling through one after another. I tried reaching out to investors I had known before. But the moment they heard my name, they would make some vague excuse and quickly end the call. No one was willing to offend the Shaw family for my sake. Of course, there were still a few wealthy heirs bold enough to pursue me. But Vanessa seemed determined to make my life miserable. Almost every day, she would find some way to mock me in public or post some thinly veiled insult on social media. She called me a fake princess. A gold digger who had finally been exposed. She even demanded that I return every cent Xander had ever spent on me. Before long, the way those men looked at me began to change too. The harassing messages never stopped. ‘Sienna, if Mr. Shaw won’t give you five million, spend a month with me. I’ll give you fifty grand to play with.’ ‘Why are you still pretending to be some saint? Name your price.’ ‘Aren’t you just a gold digger? Tell me how much you want. If the price is right, I’ll take you.’ The messages made me sick. I didn’t reply to a single one. But I memorized every name. With all the free time I suddenly had, I sat down and calculated exactly how much Xander had spent on me over the years. The truth was, not much. I had barely ever touched the credit card he gave me. And whenever he bought me expensive gifts, I usually gave him something of similar value in return. Xander had simply been so extravagant whenever he showed his affection that everyone had gotten the wrong impression. As though I really were some helpless little clingvine living entirely off him. Then one day, the orchestra accepted a private performance aboard a luxury yacht. Many of the city’s wealthiest and most influential people were on board. Naturally, Xander and Vanessa were among them. My heart jolted when I saw them. I quickly looked away and focused on my cello. Halfway through the performance, a man reeking of alcohol staggered onto the stage. He was holding a glass of liquor and leering as he came far too close to my face. “Not bad, Ms. Hayes. “You play pretty well.” He shoved the glass toward me. “Come on. Drink this, and I’ll give you a nice fat tip.” The orchestra director hurried over with an apologetic smile, trying to coax him off the stage. Instead, that only seemed to provoke him. The man pulled a thick stack of cash from his pocket and threw it straight into my face. “Why are you pretending to be so classy? “You’re just a gold digger selling yourself to the highest bidder.” He sneered. “Name your price. “How much do I have to pay to get you to drink?” From the audience, Vanessa covered her mouth with one hand and laughed. “Mr. Carter, don’t be cheap.” “Ms. Hayes’s starting price is five million.” The entire room erupted in laughter. Xander sat among them, watching me being humiliated with an indifferent expression. From beginning to end, he didn’t say a word. Vanessa walked toward the stage with a glass in her hand. “Sienna, did you deliberately take this gig because you’re desperate to find your next rich guy?” She smiled mockingly. “Too bad everyone on this yacht already knows exactly what kind of woman you are.” Then she seemed to remember something. “Oh, right.” “I heard the heir to the Calloway family just came back from overseas, and he happens to be on board tonight.” Her smile widened. “Maybe he hasn’t heard about you yet. “Who knows? Maybe he really would pay five million just to buy you a drink.” Someone in the audience immediately laughed. “Keep dreaming.” “The Calloways are the richest family in the country. Their heir has met every kind of heiress and socialite imaginable.” “Why would he ever be interested in a notorious gold digger?” I kept my back perfectly straight. My hands slowly curled into fists. I gave Xander one final glance. Then I took a deep breath and was about to stand when a deep male voice came from behind me. “Five million for one drink?” A brief pause. “That’s not expensive.” “I’ll pay it.” The noisy yacht fell silent. Everyone turned toward the voice. A tall man stood at the top of the staircase leading down from the second deck, looking over the entire room. Then he lifted one hand toward me. “What are you waiting for, Sienna? “Come here.”