Three Systems Made the Fake Heiress Unstoppable

Chapter 4: Chapter 4: The Rescuer Was Brooke York?

”Tomorrow’s the weekend. You and your grandmother are to visit the York family and thank them properly.”

’The engagement contract still hasn’t been switched,’ Ethan Prescott thought. ’Maybe I can use this visit to get it done.’

”Alright.”

Thanks to a task from her Physical System, Chloe York had to wake up early to walk and rack up steps, even though there was no school today.

The moment she opened her door, she saw Brooke York, who had maintained a good routine ever since returning home.

”Chloe York, you seem to have gotten a bit smarter.” Brooke York’s gaze was scrutinizing. Ever since the competition yesterday, Chloe hadn’t flown into a rage, not even when Brooke had deliberately brought up her one-point score. She hadn’t thrown a tantrum like she usually did.

”I’ll take that as a compliment.”

”No matter how you change, don’t even think about taking what’s mine. After all, I’m the true heiress of the York family.”

”We’ll see.”

Watching Chloe York go downstairs, Brooke York narrowed her eyes.

At the breakfast table, Miles York ate and read the newspaper, while Alice Cole was placing food into a bowl at the empty seat beside her.

”Dad, Mom, good morning.”

Miles York glanced at Brooke York, nodded, and went back to his newspaper.

”Brooke, quickly, sit down. I had Mrs. Woods specially prepare bird’s nest soup for you this morning. You need to nourish yourself.”

”Thanks, Mom.”

”No need to be so polite with your own mother!”

”Where’s Chloe York? Why isn’t she down yet? Does she need a formal invitation for breakfast?” Alice Cole’s temper flared when she didn’t see Chloe at the dining table.

Hearing the growing resentment in Alice Cole’s voice, an almost imperceptible smirk touched Brooke York’s lips before quickly vanishing. ”Mom, I saw her leave early this morning. She must be in a bad mood. She probably went to hang out with her friends.”

”Hmph. All she does all day is mess around with that pack of scoundrels. You’d think someone who scored a one would have the decency to be embarrassed.”

”A one?” Miles York finally tore his eyes away from the newspaper. He’d never paid any mind to Chloe York’s grades, so this was the first he was hearing of it from Alice Cole.

”Yes. It’s utterly humiliating. When I thought she was our own, I figured if my own daughter scores a one, so be it. But now...” Alice Cole didn’t finish, but her meaning was clear: she was unwilling to tolerate being embarrassed by an outsider.

Brooke York didn’t say a word, quietly eating her bird’s nest soup.

”You didn’t find a tutor for her?”

”How could I not have? She’s already scared away so many of them. She’s just fundamentally unmanageable.”

”Dad, Mom, I’m finished. I’m going upstairs to study now.” Brooke York timed her interruption, wanting Miles York to notice how sensible she was.

”Alright, but don’t overdo it. Your health is what’s important.” Alice Cole was pained to see Brooke York push herself so hard with her studies.

”Okay.”

As she watched Brooke York walk upstairs, Alice Cole’s eyes filled with gratification. ”See? That’s what a daughter of mine, Alice Cole, should be like. She took first place on the mock exams; the top spot on the college entrance exams is surely hers as well.”

Miles York folded his newspaper and put it down. ”Brooke got first place?”

”That’s right. Even though she wasn’t raised with us, that child definitely inherited our superior genes.”

”Make sure she’s well-educated,” Miles York stated, setting his newspaper aside.

”You’re finished?” Alice asked.

”Yeah.”

”When do you think we should find a time to talk to the Prescott family about swapping the engagement contract? I can’t rest easy until it’s done.”

”We’ll see. The senior Prescotts aren’t back yet.”

”I don’t care. This marriage into the Prescott family belongs to my biological daughter, Brooke. Besides, you said it yourself: Chloe York is just a pawn to be used for our benefit.”

”I know.”

Unaware of any of this, Chloe York was busy circling the residential complex, racking up her step count.

Scholar System: [Host, you should be studying! That’s the only way I can issue learning tasks, and the only way you can accumulate Wisdom and Memory!]

Godly Rich System: [Host, why don’t you walk a bit further? I’ll find some people in need of help. You help them, and I’ll pay you. I’m just drowning in cash with nowhere to spend it, and I really want to give it to you!]

Physical System: [Both of you, stop fighting. In the host’s heart, I’m clearly the most important system. No amount of money or knowledge is better than a healthy body.]

Chloe York let the three systems bicker in her head as she continued her walk. The neighborhood was too quiet, and walking alone was boring anyway. Listening to their squabbling was, in its own way, a form of entertainment.

”Ma’am, we have visitors from the Prescott family.”

”What? Quickly, show them in.” Surprised by their visit, Alice Cole didn’t dare dawdle and stood up to head toward the entrance herself.

”Oh, my! Miss Prescott, you’ve returned!” Alice Cole exclaimed, her smile turning sycophantic the moment she saw the old matriarch.

Back when Mr. Prescott had an affair in his fifties, Miss Prescott, a woman of great integrity, divorced him on the spot and returned to her family’s home, not setting foot back here for over a decade.

”Hello, Miss Sheridan,” Ethan Prescott said in greeting.

”Ethan, you came too! Quickly, both of you, come in, come in!” Alice Cole ushered them inside while a servant followed with gift boxes.

Ethan Prescott helped Miss Prescott sit down.

”I hope we’re not intruding.”

”How could you be? It’s an honor to have you visit, Miss Prescott. Not an intrusion in the slightest.”

”I’ve come to thank your daughter. My blood sugar crashed while I was out yesterday, and if she hadn’t given me a yogurt drink, I’m afraid these old bones of mine would have given out right then and there.”

Alice hadn’t expected to hear this. Her smile widened. ”Oh, really? She came home and didn’t say a word about doing such a good deed. That girl is just too modest.”

”You and your husband have clearly raised her well!”

Hearing this, Alice Cole let her smile fall and sighed. ”It’s a shameful thing to admit, really. There was a mix-up when she was a baby, and she was raised in the countryside for more than ten years. We only just recently brought her home. But she doesn’t hold a hint of resentment. She has such a gentle, sweet temperament, she’s well-mannered and eloquent, and she has an exceptionally sharp mind. She just took first place in her latest exam!”

Alice Cole’s voice was filled with unconcealable pride as she spoke.

”I had no idea. For that girl to go through so much and still treat people with such kindness... that’s truly remarkable.” Miss Prescott found herself increasingly impressed with Chloe York.

”That’s what I’m saying. Bloodline really is what matters. The one we raised by our side is just not up to par.”

”Miss Sheridan, I’d like to switch the engagement contracts,” Ethan Prescott interjected.

”Your contract hasn’t been switched over yet?” Miss Prescott had assumed the documents were changed when the girls were returned to their rightful families.

”That’s right, it hasn’t been changed yet. My future in-laws are still abroad, you see, so they don’t know about this whole situation.”

”I see.”

’She thought back to Miles’s attitude that morning—he only cared about benefits. And Mr. and Mrs. Prescott had always been fond of the quirky Chloe York. Fearing things might get complicated, Alice Cole decided to pin her hopes on the matriarch.’ ”Miss Prescott, perhaps you could make the executive decision to switch the engagement?”

”That’s fine. After all, the engagement was always meant to be between those two. It’s just a matter of changing the names on the document.”

”Wonderful!” Alice Cole ordered, ”Mrs. Woods, go call the young lady downstairs.”

”Yes, ma’am.” Mrs. Woods headed upstairs to fetch her.

”I’ll go get the engagement contract. If you’ll both just wait a moment.” Alice Cole stood up and went to retrieve the document.