Part 3The Stutter Girl Who Became a Heiress

The very next day, three terrified families dragged their daughters into the Brown foyer to apologize.

Paul sat me down on the plush velvet sofa right beside him. His face was a mask of terrifying authority. He looked at the sweating parents and cleared his throat.

"Lily Brown is my youngest daughter. Whether she chooses to speak or not is irrelevant. When the time comes, she will receive an equal share of the Brown empire."

A collective gasp echoed through the room. My mother, sitting beside Paul, grabbed his hand in shock. Looking into her wide eyes, I realized he hadn't discussed this with her at all.

"Paul..." she whispered.

He just patted her hand, giving her a reassuring nod.

Children are terrible at hiding their emotions. The three bullies stared at me in pure horror, then shot desperate, questioning looks at Rowan and Abby, who were standing behind us.

I peeked over my shoulder at my new siblings. Their faces were an unreadable mix of shock and conflict. I quickly turned my head back around, pretending I hadn't seen a thing.

Paul offered Rowan and Abby a brief, unbothered glance before turning back to the guests. "I suggest you teach your children basic human decency. I refuse to let the future heirs of the Brown family associate with people of such low character."

The parents practically tripped over themselves, apologizing profusely and forcing their daughters to bow to me.

I knew these apologies were entirely fake, born out of fear of Paul's wealth, not genuine remorse. I also didn't want to push Rowan and Abby's buttons any further.

I looked up at Paul, patted my stomach, and forced out two words. "Hungry. Eat."

The guests and my siblings looked stunned. They really had thought I was entirely mute.

Paul gave a final, dismissive wave. "Lily will be attending Edenbridge Academy alongside her brother and sister. I expect her school life to remain peaceful and pleasant."

"See yourselves out."

Edenbridge Academy was the most prestigious prep school on the East Coast. It was an incubator for future CEOs, politicians, and socialites.

Because of how ruthlessly I was bullied in my old kindergarten, the thought of going to school terrified me. I sat in the back of the Maybach, completely miserable. But Paul used his billionaire leverage to bypass kindergarten entirely, dropping me straight into the first grade.

Standing outside my new classroom, my mother kissed my cheek. "Go on, sweetie. Don't be scared. Your father and I are right behind you, always."

When the homeroom teacher introduced me, she made a point to mention that I was a "quiet soul who preferred listening." She seated me next to the class president.

The class president was a girl with a sharp bob and massive, calculating eyes. She eagerly stuck her hand out. "Hi, I'm Dania."

I shook her hand and offered a polite, quiet smile.

All the teachers had been briefed on my condition. They never called on me to read aloud. During recess, because I was the new kid who didn't talk, no one really approached me.

I survived my first week in total, peaceful silence. My secret was safe.

"She is so quiet. She literally hasn't said a word all week."

"Have you ever even heard her voice?"

"I haven't. But I think Dania talked to her."

The only word I had spoken to Dania was a soft "thanks" when she handed me a pencil.

Because the elementary and high school divisions had different schedules, I rarely rode home with Rowan and Abby.

But on Friday, they unexpectedly showed up at the elementary wing to pick me up. I had no idea they were basically royalty at Edenbridge until I saw the way my classmates reacted.

"Oh my god, Rowan and Abby Brown are your siblings? Lily, why didn't you tell us?!"

"They say Rowan is going to be valedictorian again. And Abby is flying to Vienna next month for an international violin competition."

"They are literally the king and queen of the school. No wonder Lily is so pretty."

I looked exactly like my mother. It was the one thing I was fiercely proud of.