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Reborn to Trade the False Heir for the Silent Tech Titan
NovelMaster
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On the day of our engagement party, my stepsister, Chloe, drugged me and locked me in the lounge. By the time I woke up, she had already taken my place and secured an alliance with Ethan Vance, the go...
章節（4）
第1章
On the day of our engagement party, my stepsister, Chloe, drugged me and locked me in the lounge.
By the time I woke up, she had already taken my place and secured an alliance with Ethan Vance, the golden boy of the elite high-society circle.
When I burst into the ballroom, Ethan was sliding a diamond ring onto Chloe’s finger.
Seeing me, he froze for a second.
"Stella, what do you want? Name it, and it’s yours."
Back then, I forced Chloe to sign an agreement renouncing all her shares in the Moore family estate, threw a check at her, and told her to get out of the city.
Over the next few years, I cleared every obstacle in Ethan’s path, crushing his business rivals one by one.
Yet on the night of the gala celebrating his official takeover as Chairman of the Vance Corporation, he abandoned the party and raced to a private sanatorium on the outskirts of town.
When he learned she had died of an illness, his eyes turned bloodshot, and his hands locked tightly around my throat.
"It’s all your fault! If you hadn't forced her out, she wouldn't have died alone in that place!"
"You kept Chloe and me apart for years! You're going to pay for her life with yours!"
Ethan pushed me off the high-rise balcony with his own hands, sending me crashing down into a bloody, shattered mess.
When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day of the engagement party.
"Chloe! Who gave you the audacity?!"
The heavy lounge doors were kicked open. Through the giant monitors broadcasting the party's live feed, every single guest in the banquet hall watched Chloe lying in Ethan's arms, her clothes completely disheveled.
"Mr. Vance!"
Chloe tumbled out of Ethan's embrace onto the floor.
She stared in sheer disbelief at me, standing calm and composed right behind Ethan's grandfather, Old Mr. Vance.
Vicious hatred flared in her eyes instantly.
"You... how could you..."
In my past life, I cared too much about family reputation, so I only brought a few personal bodyguards to deal with it quietly.
Chloe had banked on that. As the eldest daughter of the Moore family, I had promised my late mother on her deathbed that I would take good care of my stepsister.
She was certain I would never dare cause a public scene.
What she never expected was that I would take this straight to the patriarch himself—the most powerful man in the Vance family.
"Smack!"
A vicious slap landed squarely across her face. Old Mr. Vance was shaking with such fury that his walking cane trembled against the carpet.
"A cheap, illegitimate child dares to pull a sordid scheme on my grandson at an engagement party?!"
"I arranged this marriage personally! Do you think my word means nothing, or do you simply have no respect for the Vance family?!"
Terrified out of her wits, Chloe couldn't utter a single syllable.
Suddenly, a hand pulled her behind him, shielding her completely.
Ethan dropped to his knees with a heavy thud. His gaze was sharp, clear, and devoid of the panicked confusion he had shown in our past life when his scheme was exposed.
"Grandfather, I forced myself on her! It had nothing to do with Chloe!"
"You—!"
Old Mr. Vance froze.
Even I was caught off guard.
Looking at the calm, calculated look in Ethan's eyes—a depth that didn't belong to his current age—the truth hit me.
He was reborn, too.
Right now, his eyes held only the fierce determination to protect the woman he loved, paired with a burning hatred toward me, the intruder.
Old Mr. Vance gritted his teeth.
"Move!"
One of the family bodyguards stepped forward, but Ethan snatched a fruit knife from the table and held the blade against his own throat.
"Grandfather, my mind is made up. If you touch Chloe, you'll be burying me right alongside her."
"You insolent brat!"
Old Mr. Vance's hands shook uncontrollably.
"Mr. Vance!"
I fell to my knees beside Ethan with a loud thud.
"Let Ethan marry Chloe!"
Old Mr. Vance snapped his head toward me in shock.
Ethan also frowned, his eyes filled with suspicion and confusion.
I lowered my head, my voice soft yet steady.
"Things have already reached this point. If I drag this out, the morning headlines will scream that the heir to the Vance Corporation was trapped by an illegitimate daughter."
"Tonight's announcement only stated an alliance between our two families. No one outside knows whether the Moore signature belongs to me or Chloe."
"She is still a Moore. If Ethan marries her, the Vance Corporation still gets our family's backing."
"And I, Stella Moore, will still work faithfully for you, Mr. Vance!"
A flicker of mocking disdain flashed across Ethan's eyes.
In his entire life, he had played countless people.
Only I had loved him with a devotion that bordered on madness.
Old Mr. Vance's eyes welled with moisture.
"Doing this... it's far too unfair to you. Your grandfather and I went through hell and back together. When my time comes, how could I face him in the afterlife?"
"My grandfather's spirit would understand that protecting the family's honor comes first."
Seeing my composed, compliant smile, Old Mr. Vance nearly broke down in tears.
Facing the bigger picture, this was undeniably the cleanest way out.
To compensate me, Old Mr. Vance transferred a block of founding shares in the Vance Corporation to my name, along with dozens of high-end luxury assets.
A triumphant smile finally crept back onto Ethan's face.
For the first time, he took the initiative to come find me.
"Thank you for stepping aside. Don't worry, I won't leave you hanging."
"Chloe and I just got engaged, so handing you an executive vice-president role right now wouldn't look right."
"Give it two months. Once the dust settles, I'll make you my special assistant. You can manage my daily affairs and schedule."
I pulled my hand out of his grip.
"No need."
"You're not going to help me?"
I nodded.
He chuckled aloud.
"Without your help, who else in the Vance Corporation do you think could possibly take that throne?"
I looked up into his eyes.
Sure enough, he knew full well that we were both reborn.
Yet even with a second chance at life, standing beside the chairman's desk in his grand blueprint was still Chloe.
"You don't need to worry about me, Mr. Vance."
I turned to leave.
His lazy voice drifted from behind me:
"You have two months to think it over."
I didn't need to think about anything.
I already had a new candidate.
So what if Ethan was the unstoppable titan of high finance in our past life?
In this life, whoever I chose to back would be the one to rule the corporate world.
Vance Corporation, R&D Division.
It was past eleven at night, and the man inside was still working overtime.
The department supervisor offered an apologetic smile.
"Ms. Moore, Director Vance is a total workaholic. Would you like to reschedule for another day?"
I shook my head.
If my grandfather were still alive and heard that I was planning to ally with Julian Vance, he would probably rise right out of his wheelchair in fury.
Everyone knew that among the grandsons of the Vance family, Julian was the least likely contender.
Aside from burying his head in technical development, he wouldn't even offer a single flattering word to please his grandfather.
Yet in my past life, the rival I feared the most had been Julian Vance.
I knew he possessed every ounce of potential needed to tear Ethan's empire down.
Fortunately for me back then, Ethan had framed him and forced him into exile overseas, so he never became my ultimate headache.
My fingers brushed against the worn, scratched lighter in my pocket, and I let out a soft sigh.
To be honest, if Ethan hadn't played the "hero saving the damsel in distress" back when we were teens, I would have bet everything on Julian from the start of the Vance succession battle.
As midnight drew near, steady footsteps finally echoed down the quiet hallway.
Learning why I was there, Julian raised an eyebrow.
"Ms. Moore wants to partner with me?"
I nodded.
"And help me take over the Vance Corporation?"
I nodded again.
He took off his suit jacket and slung it casually over the back of his chair.
"I share the Vance surname, but at the end of the day, I'm just an antisocial technical director. I'm hardly leadership material."
"Ms. Moore is known as a ruthless strategist in the venture capital scene. Since when did your standards drop so low?"
"You're 'not leadership material' only because you choose not to be, and because no one has backed you with full force. If I'm willing to go all-in... do you really want to watch the cousin who drove your mother into exile run the entire Vance empire?"
Julian's hand paused as he poured water into a glass.
He looked up, an intense, razor-sharp presence instantly bearing down on me.
"Speaking ill of the heir apparent—aren't you afraid I'm recording this conversation?"
I lifted my chin slightly.
"In high-stakes corporate warfare, who isn't putting their life on the line?"
A moment later, the glass met the wooden desk with a crisp click. I held his gaze without flinching.
"Director Vance, do you have the guts to take the bet?"
He leaned in close, his tall frame casting a shadow over me as his cool scent enveloped my senses.
"If you're not afraid of losing every last penny you own, be my guest."
"You said it yourself!"
I slapped a performance-based partnership agreement onto his desk. His breath hitched slightly.
第2章
Looking over the contract, which essentially bound my entire personal net worth to his success, Julian's brow furrowed.
He hated political infighting, and he hated being cornered into a high-stakes play even more.
Especially by a woman whose reputation was built on calculating every move.
"You venture capitalists truly never miss a beat. Your skill at manipulating people is impressive."
"Rest assured, Director Vance. Partner with me, and you won't regret it."
He cast a cold glance over me. As he brushed past my shoulder, the lighter in my pocket slipped out and hit the floor.
"Clatter!"
Before I could bend down, he beat me to it and picked it up.
"This is..."
Noticing the nearly faded engravings along the metal casing, he looked at me.
"You still keep this?"
I snatched it back hastily. "Don't laugh, Director Vance. This... is the most important thing I own."
For some reason, his brow twitched, and the annoyance from being pressured into a contract seemed to vanish into thin air.
I didn't tell him that his cousin had dropped this years ago while "saving" me.
I had been so foolish. Because of a single rescue, I gave Ethan my whole heart, keeping even the lighter he dropped as a cherished treasure to this very day.
"Mr. Miller," Julian called out, his tone noticeably less frosty.
"See Ms. Moore out."
His chief assistant stepped forward immediately to escort me.
Julian had an intense workload, and our alliance had been struck under mutual pressure.
I kept quiet about our deal to avoid rubbing him the wrong way.
And since he was considered the least threatening executive in the company, Old Mr. Vance wouldn't care who he associated with unless Julian brought it up himself.
Consequently, at the Vance Corporation's mid-year review summit, people were still gossiping about Ethan and Chloe's rushed yet lavish wedding.
Wanting to steer clear of the chatter, I slipped away to the rooftop garden, turning the lighter over in my fingers as I plotted my next moves.
Ethan, however, sought me out on his own.
"Your favorite Black Swan cake. I had a Michelin-starred pastry chef make it specially for you."
A sleek, luxurious bakery box was set down before me. Ethan stood beside me, studying my profile with an arrogant smirk.
"I've always wondered... why were you always so obsessed with me?"
"Ever since we were teenagers, you followed me around like a lost puppy. I couldn't shake you off even if I tried."
I stared at him as if watching a pitiful clown performing on stage.
"Why was I so obsessed with you?"
I let out a soft scoff, repeating his words.
"Probably because my brain was fried in my past life, and I was so blind that I mistook cheap gravel for a diamond."
The smug grin on Ethan's face froze instantly.
"Stella, you..."
"Me what?" I cut him off, my voice dropping to a glacial chill. "Mr. Vance, people need to move forward. No one wants to live in a dumpster forever. I wish you and Chloe a long, miserable eternity together."
His face flushed purple with rage, but when his eyes landed on the lighter I was mindlessly fidgeting with, his supreme arrogance flooded right back.
"Big talk. If you're so over me, why are you still clinging to that?"
He was entirely convinced that no matter how cold I acted, this lighter was undeniable proof that I still harbored lingering feelings for him.
I couldn't be bothered to explain.
In our past life, he stripped me of everything and threw me off a building.
In this life, I was going to ensure he tasted the agony of plummeting from the very pinnacle of success.
Instead of engaging with his taunts, I picked up the Black Swan cake box, holding it casually by the ribbon.
The corners of Ethan's lips curled up again, convinced that deep down, I couldn't bear to reject his "thoughtfulness."
I turned around just in time to see Julian's chief assistant walking down the corridor toward us.
"Mr. Miller," I called out.
"Ms. Moore." Miller nodded respectfully.
"Is Director Vance still working late?" I lifted the cake box slightly, flashing a polite smile. "Perfect timing. Consider this a late-night snack from me to him. Would you mind taking it up to his office?"
Miller was taken aback for a second, but he caught on quickly and took the box. "Of course. I'll hand it to him directly."
Behind me, every ounce of color drained from Ethan's face.
The flattering gesture he had so carefully orchestrated had been casually repurposed as a late-night snack for another man.
It was more humiliating than if I had smashed the cake directly into his face.
"Stella Moore, you're playing with fire!" he hissed through clenched teeth before storming off.
第3章
I knew this was only the opening move.
Given Ethan's vindictive nature, he would strike back at me soon enough.
Sure enough, three days later, an independent tech startup I had personally funded was hit with a massive public relations crisis.
Multiple media outlets released identical reports claiming that our flagship software contained a fatal security vulnerability. Overnight, the company's stock crashed, teetering on the edge of a trading suspension.
This was Ethan's handiwork.
He knew me inside out. He knew this venture was the very first enterprise I built after stepping away from the Moore family estate; it held immense personal significance to me.
He wanted to use this leverage to force my surrender, to show me that without him, I was nothing.
My assistant team's phones were ringing off the hook, everyone scrambling in pure panic.
Sitting behind my desk, I methodically compiled and analyzed every smear article and negative thread circulating online.
Right then, an unfamiliar number flashed on my screen.
I answered, and Julian's cool, steady voice came through the receiver:
"Trouble?"
"Just a minor headache," I replied.
"Ethan's tactics are as dirty and pathetic as ever," he noted, a trace of dry contempt in his tone. "Need a hand?"
"You're willing to step in, Director Vance?"
"Our partnership agreement is crystal clear. If you go under, I lose a fortune," he paused, adding casually, "Besides, I despise his smug face."
A smile touched my lips.
"Then I'll leave it in your capable hands, Director Vance."
"Come to my office. Bring every piece of raw data you have."
Laptop in hand, I pushed open the door to the top-floor office of the R&D department.
Julian stood before the massive floor-to-ceiling window, looking down at the glittering city lights below.
Hearing the door, he turned around. "Let's get to work."
That night, the two of us stayed alone in the deserted office. I mapped out the coordination paths, timestamps, and core arguments used by the paid smear campaign, while Julian's fingers flew across his keyboard, running raw data through a proprietary sentiment-tracking algorithm his team had just built.
His long fingers tapped away so fast they blurred against the keys.
The cool blue light of the monitors cast sharp shadows across his focused profile, lending him a striking, magnetic intensity.
For a second, I lost myself in the sight.
In my past life, my vision had been entirely clouded by Ethan. I had never realized that the Vance family harbored a man like this.
At four in the morning, Julian's hands stopped moving.
"Done."
He sent a comprehensive analytical dossier directly to my inbox.
The report laid out the entire crisis with absolute precision—the coordinated bot networks, the falsified user reviews, and the shadowy PR firm hired directly by Ethan.
The chain of evidence was airtight.
At daybreak, I had my communications team blast the dossier across all platforms and slapped Ethan's hired PR firm with a formal cease-and-desist and lawsuit.
Public opinion flipped in an instant.
Not only was my company cleared of all suspicion, but Ethan was also publicly reprimanded by the Vance Corporation board for engaging in illegal, anti-competitive practices.
It was our first joint battle, and we won it cleanly.
When I stepped out of Julian's office, dawn was just breaking across the skyline.
He leaned back in his chair, eyes closed, looking thoroughly exhausted.
I softened my footsteps and gently pulled the door shut behind me.
Inside the office, Julian slowly opened his eyes. His gaze fell upon the worn, scratched lighter I had absentmindedly left near the corner of his desk.
His memories drifted back to a stormy night years ago.
He had been driving when he spotted a girl in a high school uniform cornered by a group of thugs in an alley, soaking wet and trembling with fear.
He pulled over and chased the thugs off.
The girl had been terrified, crouching on the pavement with her arms wrapped around her knees, too afraid to even lift her head.
He had wanted to hand her a tissue, but after digging through his pockets, he only found a lighter. Hesitating for a second, he chose to turn and walk away instead.
In his haste, the lighter slipped from his coat pocket, falling silently into a puddle.
Moments later, his flashy cousin Ethan roared up in a sports car, showering the girl with dramatic concern and claiming full credit for the rescue.
From that night on, that girl—Stella Moore—became Ethan Vance's most devoted shadow.
第4章
Julian's finger tapped lightly against the desk, letting out a soft click.
He picked up the lighter, tracing the worn, faded engraving on its surface, his dark eyes clouded with unreadable emotion.
"So... you've had the wrong man this entire time."
Losing the first round completely shattered Ethan's complacency toward me.
He finally realized that I was no longer a pawn he could push around at will.
Embarrassed and enraged, he redirected his wrath straight at Julian.
He knew full well that tech minds like Julian cared about nothing more than their own research projects.
During an executive board meeting, Ethan suddenly proposed an early review of Julian's flagship initiative—the cutting-edge AI architecture codenamed "Project Genesis"—citing an "unsatisfactory return on R&D investment."
My heart skipped a beat.
In our past life, it was this very "Project Genesis" that cemented Julian's dominant status in the global tech sphere.
It was his life's work, and his sharpest weapon.
Ethan had clearly caught on to its immense value. He wasn't looking to review it; he was looking to steal it.
"I agree to the audit."
To everyone's shock, Julian was the first to speak, his expression calm and unbothered.
Ethan was startled, but quickly smirked. "I'm glad to see Director Vance being so reasonable. In three days, I will lead the audit team myself to review all raw, core data behind Project Genesis."
He deliberately emphasized the words "core data," the naked greed in his eyes impossible to hide.
After the meeting adjourned, Julian's team was in a state of panic.
Everyone knew Ethan was coming to sabotage them.
When I tracked down Julian, he was casually debugging code in the server room, as if nothing had happened.
"You're not worried?" I asked.
He looked up at me, his gaze deep and calm. "Worried about what? That he'll steal what's mine?"
A faint smirk touched his lips. "If he wants to take it, he needs to prove he has the capability first."
Three days later, the audit meeting convened right on schedule.
Flanked by his technical cronies, Ethan strolled into the R&D department's secured conference room with the swagger of a conqueror.
He had already planted an insider on Julian's team. An hour before the meeting, that mole had secretly forwarded the core source code of Project Genesis to Ethan's private email.
Now, all Ethan had to do was wait for the right moment to publicly accuse Julian of "gross negligence resulting in a catastrophic data breach," giving him the perfect excuse to seize full control of the project.
Halfway through the presentation, Ethan decided his moment had arrived.
He cleared his throat, cut Julian off mid-sentence, and slammed a folder onto the conference table.
"Director Vance, let's cut the fancy promises. Regarding the severe leak of Project Genesis's core proprietary data, what exactly is your explanation?"
The room erupted in whispers.
Every pair of eyes landed on Julian.
Julian didn't even spare the file a glance. Instead, he looked straight at me.
Catching his cue, I slowly rose from my seat, wearing an impeccably measured smile.