Love In Disguise: Rebirth of the Heiress
Chapter 62

Chapter 62: Chapter 62

Shit.

I tried to turn away, to keep my head down, but before I could make my escape, Joselle’s gaze locked onto me. Her eyes lit up with a glint of recognition, and she strolled over, her smile predatory.

"You..." she said slowly, a hint of something dangerous in her voice. "You’re the one from that night, aren’t you?"

My mind raced, but I kept my face blank. I forced a calm smile, feigning innocence. "I’m sorry, have we met?"

Her eyes narrowed, her gaze sharp as she studied me. "Don’t play coy," she murmured, a dangerous edge to her tone. "I never forget a voice."

Brianna’s interest was suddenly piqued, her gaze flicking between Joselle and me. "Wait, you two know each other?"

Joselle’s smirk grew, her eyes still locked on mine. "Not exactly. But she’s someone... worth watching, isn’t she?"

Brianna raised an eyebrow, glancing at me with renewed suspicion. "Oh, really? Well, color me interested."

I took a slow breath, forcing myself to stay calm. "Joselle, I’m not sure what you’re talking about, but I think you have the wrong person."

Joselle tilted her head, the smirk never leaving her lips. "Oh, I don’t think so," she said, voice low and taunting. "You’re the one who seemed awfully interested in Jason, weren’t you? The one who always comes to that club kissing and being with men."

Brianna’s mouth dropped before stretching into a smile.

Not the best moment, Kiara. Not at all.

"I think you’re confusing me with someone else," I replied evenly.

Brianna’s lips curled into a wicked smile, clearly enjoying the tension between us. "So, Kiara, now you’re stalking Jason Lincoln Cole? Is that what you’ve fallen to?"

Joselle chuckled, clearly enjoying herself. "Oh, she doesn’t have to stalk him. They seem to run into each other... often. Coincidence, isn’t it? Kiara...Bree, isn’t she the disowned daughter of your father?"

Bree nodded, ah so they were friends. Nice.

Joselle giggled, her voice dripping with condescension.

"Trying to secure yourself a rich daddy now, Kiara? Guess a so-called nobody like you needs all the help you can get."

Wow. She really does have a bad mouth different from the so called girl that seems to like attention from a man who doesn’t give two fucks about her.

Brianna let out a mocking laugh, adding, "A slut’s gotta do what a slut’s gotta do, I suppose."

"Now that’s a low blow. Not very girl’s girl like you try to portray." they raised an eyebrow.

"Oh I thought since you call yourselves feminists of your time you would be able to be worth it. Surprisingly you want to out a girl down because of a man. Isn’t that shameful?"

"Will you just shut up. Your words are stinking the place." Bree said.

I wanted to laugh at the way this felt like a bad highschool movie.

Before I could think better of it, I smirked, raising an eyebrow. "You have such a dirty mouth, Joselle. I guess it makes sense why he left you for a so-called nobody." I gave her a pointed look. "And for your information, the man you two are so obsessed with? He’s obsessed with me. Maybe you should keep him on a leash—looks like he’s starting to stray."

Brianna’s face turned crimson, her mouth dropping open in outrage. Joselle’s smug expression froze, the confidence in her eyes dimming just a bit as she took in my words.

"You... you’re nothing," Brianna stammered, clearly struggling to find her footing. "Don’t think for a second you’re anything more than a plaything."

I leaned in, lowering my voice, and gave her the sweetest smile. "Oh, honey, I think we both know who the ’plaything’ is here."

Joselle’s jaw clenched, her eyes flashing with barely restrained anger. For a split second, neither of them could find a retort, both of them standing there, visibly stunned. It was rare to see either of them at a loss for words, and I couldn’t help but savor the moment.

"Oh, and don’t worry," I added casually, turning to examine a nearby designer bag with the most uninterested expression I could muster. "I don’t need a rich daddy, Joselle. I am a rich mummy myself."

I blew her a kiss.

Brianna spluttered, her face twisting with disbelief as she struggled to come up with a response, but all she could manage was a glare that could’ve melted steel.

I turned away from them, my head held high, leaving them fuming behind me. I made my way over to another section of the store, admiring a sleek leather handbag and a pair of stilettos that caught my eye. As I glanced at the price tag, enjoying the feeling of knowing I could buy them if I wanted to, a shadow appeared in my peripheral vision.

"Excuse me, miss," a low voice said.

I turned to find two store guards standing next to me, their expressions stern, their eyes fixed on me.

"Yes?" I asked, my voice cool as I looked up at them.

"Would you mind coming with us for a moment?" one of them said, his tone polite but firm. "We’ve been informed that there’s... an issue."

I felt my stomach drop slightly, but I kept my expression calm. "An issue?"

"Yes, ma’am," the other guard replied, his tone low and firm. "A high-end customer has raised a concern. They’ve accused you of... stealing."

I blinked, genuinely taken aback. "Stealing?" I repeated, glancing between the two guards. "That’s ridiculous."

The guard didn’t flinch, his expression unyielding. "I’m afraid we’re going to need to search your things."

Brianna and Joselle were watching from across the store, arms crossed, their smug expressions practically glowing as they looked on, thoroughly enjoying themselves. I felt my jaw tighten, but I handed over my bag, wanting to get this nonsense over with.

One of the guards rummaged through it, his hands careful but thorough. He paused, pulling out a sleek wallet, shiny and unmistakably designer. It wasn’t mine.

"Miss, this wallet—this is one of our store’s items," he said, holding it up, his eyes narrowing. "It’s a high-ticket piece."

I stared, genuinely confused, then looked over to see Brianna and Joselle, both stifling laughter as they watched the scene unfold. Of course. This was all them, their latest petty stunt. It was almost laughable—almost.

The guard looked down at me with a mixture of suspicion and disgust. "This is a serious offense, you know. Our clients here are very particular, and theft..."

But the situation struck me as so absurd that I couldn’t help myself. I started laughing. The guards exchanged confused glances, clearly thrown off by my reaction.

"Something funny?" one of them asked, frowning.

"Yeah," I replied, fighting to stifle my laughter. "I mean, it’s funny that you think I’d come here, with the ankle bandage and all, just to pull off a petty theft."

The other guard’s eyes narrowed. "Ma’am, this isn’t a joke. You’ve been caught with a stolen item in your possession, and if you don’t cooperate, we’ll be forced to escort you out and ban you from ever coming to stores like this."

"Oh, I’ll cooperate." I held my hand out, gesturing for the wallet. "But first, I’d like to speak to your manager."

A few nearby shoppers turned to watch, their whispers growing louder.

"I heard she stole a five-figure worth of bag," one woman muttered.

"People just think they can walk in and take anything they want these days," another one scoffed.

I met the guard’s gaze squarely. "I want to see your manager."