促銷資訊載入中...
They Chose The Real Princess Not Knowing I Am The Queen
Novelix
已完結
"I was raised to inherit Ashbourne Holdings, trained to lead alongside the heirs of New York’s most powerful families. My parents even handpicked three orphaned boys—Julian Prescott, Tristan Rhode...
章節（3）
第1章
As the sole designated heir to the Ashbourne family, everything I was taught had one purpose.
Preparing me to take over Ashbourne Holdings.
The people I grew up around were the heirs of New York’s old-money families and major financial empires.
My father, Richard Ashbourne, and my mother, Helena Ashbourne, had also selected three orphaned boys through the family foundation and placed them in the Ashbourne leadership program.
They were Julian Prescott, Tristan Rhodes, and Nolan Mercer.
The plan was simple.
On my twenty-eighth birthday, I would choose one of them to marry.
He would stand beside me and help me run Ashbourne Holdings.
Then Livia Ashbourne appeared at our door.
That was when my parents discovered that two babies had been switched at the hospital twenty-eight years earlier.
Overnight, I went from being the sole Ashbourne heir to a woman with no blood ties to the family.
Just as I was about to explain that the succession plan had not changed, I overheard Julian and the others talking outside the room.
“Now that Livia, their biological daughter, is back, is one of us still expected to marry Camille?”
Tristan gave a cold laugh.
“Of course not.”
“Livia is the real Ashbourne daughter.”
“Camille is just the child sent home with the wrong family. Sooner or later, she’ll be thrown out. Why would any of us marry her?”
Julian nodded.
“For old times’ sake, we could buy her an apartment on the Upper East Side.”
“One of us could keep her discreetly as a mistress and give her a monthly allowance. She’d have enough to live comfortably for the rest of her life.”
I quietly closed the door and abandoned any intention of explaining the truth.
What they failed to understand was that only the newly rich treated blood as the sole measure of succession.
Old-money families that had survived for generations chose their heirs based on ability.
Blood could give Livia the Ashbourne name.
It could not place her in the chairman’s seat.
If they could not understand something that simple, I would choose someone who truly understood power and loyalty.
Someone worthy of standing beside me when I took control of Ashbourne Holdings.
...
I turned away from the door and called a familiar number.
“From now on, you’ll assist me with the company and the family trust.”
There was no hesitation on the other end.
“Understood.”
Over the years, I had developed my own circle of trustworthy executives outside of Julian and the other two.
Elias Hartwell was the quietest among them.
He was also the most capable and the most reliable when it came to getting things done.
The next day, my parents arranged a joint board and family trust meeting that I was supposed to chair.
They intended to formally announce that I would remain the designated heir to Ashbourne Holdings.
Livia would receive a five-percent stake in the company’s common stock.
I arrived at Ashbourne Holdings’ Manhattan headquarters on time.
The moment I reached the conference room, two security officers stepped into my path.
“Ms. Ashbourne, Mr. Prescott has revoked your access to headquarters.”
“We can’t allow you into the conference room.”
I let out a quiet laugh.
The succession decision had not even been formally announced, yet Julian was already desperate to force me out of the company.
They appeared to have forgotten something.
When they were children living at a youth center supported by the Ashbourne Foundation, I was the one who selected them from dozens of candidates.
I arranged their education and training.
I brought them into Ashbourne Holdings and helped place them in the positions they held today.
Now they were using the power I had given them against me.
I did not waste time arguing with security.
I called Julian directly.
“Tell them to let me in.”
He clearly had not expected to hear from me.
“What are you doing at headquarters?”
“I’m here for the share transfer and the board meeting.”
The line went silent for a moment.
“Camille, today’s meeting is to announce to the directors and shareholders that Livia will be taking over Ashbourne Holdings.”
“You no longer have any connection to the Ashbourne family. There is no reason for you to attend.”
“Are you sure about that?”
Tristan took the phone from him.
“Camille, we aren’t trying to humiliate you.”
“Livia is the rightful Ashbourne heir.”
“Even if you dedicated twenty-eight years to this family, you need to accept that you don’t have Ashbourne blood.”
“Leave now, while you still have some dignity.”
He spoke as though everything had already been decided.
I glanced at the security camera above the hallway and smiled.
“So I’m supposed to thank the three of you for not throwing me out yourselves?”
Before he could respond, I heard Livia’s voice in the background.
“Julian, which dress do you think I should wear?”
“I’m still nervous. Will those directors and shareholders really listen to me?”
“Should I prepare some gifts so I can make a good first impression?”
Julian deliberately raised his voice.
“Only someone who doubts she deserves the position needs gifts to buy support.”
“Livia, you are the real Ashbourne daughter.”
“You could say nothing, and they would still have to obey you.”
I knew those words were meant for me.
I did not argue further.
I turned around, got into my car, and told the driver to leave headquarters.
I wanted to see how they planned to conduct a succession meeting without the person authorized to chair it.
The car had barely left the building when the board secretary called me.
His voice was strained with panic.
“Ms. Ashbourne, where are you?”
“The meeting is about to begin.”
“Without your authorization and signature, neither the share transfer nor the trust amendment can proceed.”
My voice remained calm.
“Julian revoked my access to headquarters.”
“If that is how he wants to handle this, let him chair the meeting.”
I ended the call.
Less than a minute later, a notice appeared on the company’s internal network.
[The share transfer and successor confirmation meeting scheduled for today has been postponed. A new date will be announced.]
第2章
After I ended the call, my assistant knocked politely on the office door.
“Ms. Ashbourne, it’s time for your follow-up appointment.”
“Have the jet prepared.”
He did not move.
He stood in front of me, visibly uncomfortable.
After a moment, he lowered his voice.
“Julian and the others took your private jet.”
“They said they were taking Livia to the Bahamas to help her relax.”
I frowned.
I had suffered from severe asthma since childhood.
To make it easier for me to fly to a specialist pulmonary center in Denver every month, my parents had purchased a private jet equipped for my medical needs.
Whenever Julian or the other two needed to travel urgently on company business, I had allowed them to use it.
Eventually, they began treating the jet as though it belonged to all four of us.
Now they had taken it without permission simply because they wanted to take Livia on vacation.
I opened the cabin’s security feed.
Livia was sitting between the three men, hesitation written across her face.
“We took Camille’s jet without asking. Are you sure she won’t be angry?”
“What if yesterday’s meeting was postponed for some other reason? Maybe she wasn’t trying to humiliate me.”
Julian looked at her with concern.
“You’re far too generous, Livia.”
“Even now, you’re still making excuses for her.”
“Camille never lets go of a grudge.”
“She resented us for having security keep her out of headquarters, so she deliberately made sure the meeting could not proceed. She wanted to humiliate you in front of every director.”
Tristan placed a blanket over Livia’s legs.
“You are the real Ashbourne daughter.”
“One day, everything this family owns will belong to you. That includes this jet.”
“You have nothing to feel guilty about.”
“If Camille decided to embarrass you in public, she can live with the consequences.”
“If she wants to see her doctor, she can book a commercial flight.”
Even though I had already lost faith in them, something still ached inside my chest.
They had worked beside me for ten years.
Together, we had survived hostile takeovers, coordinated attacks from competitors, and the most brutal project crises of our careers.
One of them had even been in a serious car accident on his way to a negotiation.
While he was being rushed into surgery, his only concern had been making sure the project did not collapse because of him.
I could not understand it.
Only a week earlier, they had still been checking on my health and reminding me to use my inhaler.
At the time, I had been worried that no matter which of them I chose to marry, I would hurt the other two.
I drew in a slow breath and activated the cabin intercom.
“It’s ten-thirty.”
“I want that jet turning back within thirty minutes.”
All four of them went still.
They looked up at the security camera.
Tristan spoke first.
“Camille, have you been watching us?”
The tightness in my chest was beginning to build.
I had no desire to argue with them.
“Julian, tell the pilot to turn the jet around immediately.”
“If he doesn’t, you will deal with the consequences.”
Julian laughed coldly.
“What authority do you think you still have over us?”
“You deliberately derailed the successor confirmation meeting yesterday and humiliated Livia in front of every director.”
“We’re taking her away from New York to deal with the mess you created.”
“When Livia officially takes over Ashbourne Holdings, don’t expect anyone to protect you.”
Livia’s eyes turned red.
“Forget it. Don’t fight because of me.”
“We can go back.”
Tristan immediately stood and placed his hand over the intercom switch.
“If Livia hadn’t stopped us yesterday, you would already have been stripped of every position and thrown out of the Ashbourne estate.”
“What makes you think you can still give us orders?”
I smiled coldly.
They thought Livia’s blood gave her control of the company automatically.
But she had never attended a board meeting.
She had never managed a company or learned how the Ashbourne family trust operated.
Handing the entire conglomerate to her would destroy everything my parents had spent decades building.
They were about to learn how little blood meant without power behind it.
I did not argue further.
I sent a message directly to the pilot.
[If they refuse to return, land on my private island in the Caribbean.]
第3章
Thirty minutes later, the jet landed on my private island.
The security feed showed the flight crew unloading all four sets of luggage and leaving them beside the runway without a word.
Julian’s expression darkened with rage.
“Livia is the true Ashbourne heir!”
“I’d like to see who dares leave us here!”
The crew ignored him.
They closed the cabin doors, and the jet was airborne again within minutes.
By the time the four of them finally returned to New York, their hair was disheveled and their clothes were covered in dust.
They looked as though they had spent the entire day being passed between airports and docks.
The moment Julian entered the Ashbourne estate, he pointed at me and shouted:
“Camille, have you lost your mind?”
“You nearly got Livia killed because you refuse to give up the succession!”
“We are calling Richard and Helena right now. You will be out of this family before the night is over.”
I was reviewing the financial reports for Ashbourne Holdings.
I did not even look up.
I pressed a button on my desk and connected the secure line to my parents.
“Go ahead.”
Before Julian could speak, my father’s voice came through the speaker.
“I already know what happened on the island.”
“They took your jet without permission. You had every right to decide how to handle it.”
He paused.
“But Livia is still my biological daughter.”
“Do not humiliate her in front of the other old-money families.”
My mother spoke next.
“The wedding will take place in three days.”
“At the ceremony, we will also announce who will inherit Ashbourne Holdings.”
Livia’s eyes lit up.
She nervously grabbed Julian’s hand.
“Three days?”
“Isn’t that too soon? I haven’t prepared anything.”
Julian patted the back of her hand.
As he comforted her, his eyes remained fixed on me.
“Everything was always supposed to belong to you.”
“Now your name and power are simply being returned to their rightful owner.”
I immediately understood.
They had misinterpreted my parents’ words.
They thought the wedding in three days was for Livia.
My assistant entered the room.
“Ms. Ashbourne, the venue has been prepared according to your instructions.”
Before he could finish, Livia snatched the wedding design portfolio from his hands.
She flipped through several pages and frowned.
“Camille, after all these years as an Ashbourne, how is your taste still this terrible?”
“I don’t like any of this.”
“Change everything.”
Julian turned toward my assistant.
“Revise it according to Livia’s instructions.”
My assistant instinctively looked at me.
“But Ms. Ashbourne…”
Julian cut him off.
“Mind how you address the Ashbourne heir.”
“The Ashbourne family has only one heir, and that is Livia.”
“You have this position because the Ashbourne family gave it to you.”
“I suggest you figure out whose orders you are supposed to follow.”
Livia tugged lightly at Julian’s sleeve and smiled at me.
“Camille, if you really like this design, I’ll be happy to pay for it when you get married someday.”
Tristan looked at her with affection and admiration.
When he turned toward me, there was only contempt.
“Camille, this isn’t open for discussion.”
“If you refuse to make the changes, none of us will speak for you when you’re thrown out of this family.”
In their eyes, blood was the only requirement for controlling Ashbourne Holdings.
It did not matter how capable I was.
It did not matter that most of the company’s important projects and assets passed through my hands.
To them, I was nothing more than an outsider who happened to work for the Ashbournes.
I looked at their smug expressions and nodded.
“Fine.”
My assistant stared at me in disbelief.
“Ms. Ashbourne?”
I did not look at him.
My eyes remained fixed on Livia.
“I promise this will be a wedding you remember for the rest of your life.”