“Even if Chloe wasn’t my biological daughter, she’s still my only child—Kaia Hansen’s child.”
“All the assets I have—properties, stocks, funds, including my 20% stake in Johnson Group—I’m leaving it all to her.”
I let the words hang in the air for a moment before I turned back to Chloe, giving her a small smile. “So, Chloe, with that in mind, would you rather stay with me, or go with your dad and his… ‘real’ mother?”
My sharp, clever girl didn’t miss a beat. Her eyes lit up with understanding, and before anyone could react, she practically threw herself into my arms, nuzzling my arm as she cheerfully said,
“Dad’s got a brother now, and he’s not leaving me anything, so of course, I’m staying with Mom!”
That’s my girl. She didn’t just play the game—she owned it, using her own brand of reverse psychology.
When Brianna heard that I was ready to leave everything to Chloe, her eyes practically sparkled with greed. She knew exactly what I was worth. Just the real estate alone was enough to make anyone’s jaw drop, not to mention the 20% stake in Johnson Group—it was a literal goldmine.
Her greed was so transparent, it almost made me laugh.
She leaned in close to Gregory, whispering in his ear with urgency.
“When the old man passed, he split his 60% stake in Johnson Group into four—20% for Kaia, 20% for the old lady, 10% for Chloe, and 10% for you. If Kaia gives her shares to Chloe, and we can get Chloe’s shares later… we’ll have 40% of the company!”
She didn’t waste a single second. She was all about the bottom line.
“The key now is to get Kaia to give up her shares, leave with nothing, and bring Chloe over to our side.”
Gregory paused for a moment, clearly thinking it over. Brianna’s plan made perfect sense to him. He nodded slowly, the wheels turning in his head.
Then, like the actor he was, he stepped forward and turned on the fatherly charm, his voice soft as he addressed Chloe.
“Chloe, your brother has his own future to build. I’ll leave everything to you.”
He let that sink in, then added a catch. “But there’s one condition: we need to do a DNA test with Brianna. If the test proves you’re really her daughter, then you have to accept her as your mother and treat her like one.”
Chloe gave me a quick look, and I gave her the tiniest nod.
“Alright!” she said, without hesitation. But then, with a mischievous glint in her eye, she added her own condition.
“Before we do that DNA test, both you and Mom need to go with me to a notary and transfer all your assets to my name. Free of charge!”
I couldn’t help but silently applaud. This girl was sharp. She wasn’t just thinking ahead—she was thinking strategically.
Only assets in hand are real. Never trust empty promises.
