True Heiress with Double Life

[Breaking News]

At approximately 22,18 tonight, a private jet lost contact mid-flight and crashed into the Pacific Ocean. It has been confirmed that the aircraft belonged to The Smith Family Consortium and was carrying three passengers and nine crew members at the time of the accident. Among them was Alex, the head of The Smith Family Consortium...

The news spread like wildfire, immediately topping the trending charts and remaining a heated topic.

Diana stared at her phone screen, exhaustion evident in her delicate features. Her lips were deathly pale, and her slightly curled fingers clenched so tightly that her pink fingertips turned icy white. Her hands trembled from the sheer force of her grip.

She struggled to suppress the turbulent emotions surging within her. Her gaze swept over the messy items on the table, and one by one, she gathered them up and carefully stowed them under the bed.

Half an hour later, Jackson rushed in, disregarding all formalities as he rudely shook her awake.

Choking back his sobs, he said,

"Madam, the news of Sir's accident has been confirmed... My deepest condolences."

Boom-

A bolt of purple-red lightning streaked across the night sky, piercing through the curtains and casting a blinding white glow on Diana's face. Her fair skin looked even paler and more ghostly under the light.

Her complexion was ghastly, dark circles under her eyes betraying her exhaustion. She still wore a thin white nightgown, her long, wavy hair cascading in soft disarray around her shoulders, adding a fragile beauty to her appearance.

Her youthful and delicate face was as exquisite as a limited-edition porcelain doll, her innocent demeanor stirring a strong protective instinct in others.

Her thick, raven-like lashes trembled, her fragile, pitiful form radiating helplessness. Her voice quivered as she spoke,

"Did they recover the body?"

Jackson, the chief secretary, felt his throat tighten.

He shook his head, trying to compose himself and responded in a professional tone,

"I've already contacted the rescue team to assist in recovering the victims' remains. However, it's hard to say when we will be able to find Sir's body."

He paused before reaching into his suit pocket and taking out an item wrapped in white cloth.

"Madam, this was left to you by Sir."

Diana turned her head slightly. Jackson had already pulled back the white cloth, revealing a white jade seal adorned with golden edges.

It was Alex's personal seal.

"According to the will, all of his assets, including The Smith Family Consortium, Shadow Pavilion, and all associated forces, will be inherited by you."

Diana bit her lip, her eyes flashing with a sharp glint as she reached out to take the seal.

After listening to Jackson's words, she lifted her head, her expression momentarily blank. A few seconds later, she finally heard her own voice, sounding utterly disbelieving,

"What... forces did you just mention?"

"Sir had already prepared a will when you married," Jackson stated solemnly, pulling out a document he had prepared in advance. "Sir's intention was for you to inherit all of his organizations and industries. This document contains the full details."

Diana accepted the file from his hands. The first page was Alex's handwritten will.

His elegant, charismatic script was unmistakable-she recognized it instantly.

The stack of papers that followed detailed Alex's entire empire.

As Diana flipped through them one by one, her usually graceful and composed demeanor faltered. For the first time in her two years of marriage, her mind went blank, and she almost ripped the pages apart in shock. A complex mix of emotions flashed across her stunning face, her expression slowly fracturing.

She never expected Alex to leave all of his power to her.

But even more shocking-she never realized how deep this man's secrets ran!

Shadow Pavilion, Nether Sky... even Asura Island belonged to him?!

Diana trembled, unsure whether it was out of fury or pure astonishment.

Two years of marriage, and she had never noticed a thing!

To Jackson, however, her trembling body and widened eyes seemed like a natural reaction of helplessness-a grieving widow, suddenly burdened with an immense responsibility, feeling utterly lost.

But now was not the time to panic. Handling Sir's passing was the most urgent priority.

He straightened his posture, his expression serious as he said,

"Madam, you must stay strong! My team and I will assist you in handling Sir's affairs, ensuring you successfully inherit everything."

Diana's long lashes fluttered, her almond-shaped eyes glistening with unshed tears. She whispered weakly,

"How... can I possibly shoulder all of this?"

She looked like a fragile white flower, trembling in the wind, as if she might collapse at any moment.

Jackson's heart softened.

"Madam, rest assured. We will handle everything. You only need to be a figurehead."

Diana's lowered gaze darkened slightly.

As expected, Alex wouldn't hand over everything so easily.

While she mocked him internally, she showed no emotion on her face. Instead, she maintained her heartbroken expression.

She lifted her gaze, tears spilling down like shattered pearls, her tear-drenched eyes radiating determination.

"Secretary Jackson, you must protect Alex's legacy!"

Jackson nodded solemnly. From this angle, he could see the tear droplets clinging to her dark lashes, shimmering in the dim light.

This accident had caught them completely off guard.

Had Alex not been so far-sighted, preparing everything in advance, Jackson wouldn't even know where to begin.

"Madam, it's late. You should get some rest."

Diana barely held back a yawn, but she forced herself to stay awake.

"Something this major just happened to Alex. How can I possibly sleep..." she covered her mouth, sobbing softly.

Two years of marriage had trained her to be stoic and unreadable, yet now, she openly wept in sorrow.

Seeing this, Jackson's eyes turned red, his nose stinging. Once again, he felt how deeply devoted Madam was to Sir.

He quietly stepped out, leaving her to grieve alone.

Diana locked the bedroom door and slowly walked inside.

The grief-stricken despair on her face faded like ripples on water.

She carefully put away the seal, then casually tossed the documents onto the bed before clicking her tongue,

"I never expected you to hide so much."

For the first time, Diana felt lucky about this marriage.

Three years ago, she was reunited with her biological parents, only to return home and discover an imposter had taken her place.

The moment she stepped in, Mrs. White warned her,

"Alice has been with us for eighteen years. Our bond won't change just because you're back."

Despite being the real heiress, she was treated like an outsider.

The elite circles mocked her, calling her an uneducated, talentless country girl-a useless vase.

Even Mrs. White eventually gave up on her, spewing cruel words, making her an outcast in her own home.

Heartbroken, Diana accepted Alex's proposal without hesitation.

From the outside, they seemed like a loving couple, but in reality, it was all an act.

On their wedding day, Alex set three rules.

Two years later, they still slept in separate rooms.

Now that Alex was dead, their contract marriage was over. She should have been happy to finally be free from the act-but instead, she had to inherit his empire.

Thinking of this, she felt even more thrilled.

Her gaze drifted to the plush doll beside her. She picked it up and tapped its head playfully, her voice tinged with amusement,

"Leaving everything to a so-called useless vase... Are you reckless, or just overly confident?"

Little did she know, her casual slap sent Alex-trapped in the doll's body-into utter shock once again.

Diana's stunning face kept enlarging, filling his entire vision.

Alex could clearly see her long, dense lashes, fluttering like a butterfly's delicate wings brushing against his cheek.

Yet, more shocking than Diana's breathtaking beauty at such close range was the situation at hand.

As Alex regained consciousness, he realized he was in Diana's room, his body trapped in darkness, unable to move.

He could hear her conversation with Jackson perfectly.

Though his vision was restricted, making it impossible to understand his surroundings, one thing was certain-he was dead. He had perished in the plane crash.

As for why his consciousness had awakened and how he ended up here, Alex had no clue.

All he knew was that he was trapped, unable to break free.

Diana propped her chin up, her delicate fingers tapping the forehead of a cotton doll. Her tone was both a sigh and a taunt,

"Alex, oh Alex, you held a position of power, yet you still fell into someone's trap."

She chuckled softly, "The revered head of The Smith family conglomerate, reduced to such an ending. What a pity."

The realistic sensation coursing through Alex gave him the illusion that she knew he was there.

As her words fell, the soul within the cotton doll tensed, staring unblinkingly at Diana, trying to read her mind.

The plane crash-it was indeed orchestrated by someone.

But Diana had been in the villa all along, so how did she know?

Before he could think further, a sudden weightlessness overtook him. His entire body sank into something soft.

Alex froze for a moment before realizing-Diana was holding him, and his face was pressed against her chest!

He resisted in his heart, but he couldn't fight back. He could only close his eyes and numb himself.

"Alex is dead. You can't be dressed so cheerfully either. Let's change your outfit."

Her gentle, sweet voice drifted above him, stirring something in his heart. But at the same time, Alex was perplexed-who was she talking to?

The soft touch disappeared, but before he could recover from the dizziness, an even greater shock hit him.

In the dressing mirror, staring back at him, was a cotton doll.

It wore a red bib over its chest, two silk ribbons tied around its wrists fluttering with movement. A solid gold safety lock shimmered under the light, and the elaborate decorations on its waist made it look like a wealth-bringing child deity.

Alex's brow twitched-this doll looked way too familiar.

Wasn't this the cotton doll Diana had made herself?!

Not long after they got married, Diana had approached him, saying she wanted to create a cotton doll in his likeness.

Even if he was away, she could use the doll to ease her longing.

At the time, Alex had teased her for being so naive, like a middle school girl who hadn't grown up. But he had agreed nonetheless.

He had heard that Diana had bought many outfits and accessories to dress up the doll.

But never in a million years did he expect this to be the style she chose!

Was this how she saw him in her mind?!

The face beneath the cotton doll cracked slightly, filled with disbelief.

Diana pinched the doll's waist, and the clear, slightly painful sensation confirmed to Alex-he was trapped inside this cotton doll.

At that moment, he wanted to die all over again.

And to make matters worse, Diana's slender, fair fingers playfully tugged at the doll's clothing, slowly undressing it.

The reflection in the mirror was utterly exposed.

For the first time in his life, Alex felt true shame.

He shut his eyes, refusing to face reality.

Diana picked out a proper black suit from a box beside the vanity, dressed the doll in it, and then lay back on the bed, holding him close.

The soft mattress gently bounced under them, and the warmth against his chest subtly shifted with her breathing.

This level of closeness was unprecedented.

Up close, her skin was flawless, as smooth as a freshly peeled egg, glowing like fine porcelain. Her full lips had a rosy tint, standing in stark contrast to her complexion.

Her almond-shaped eyes, clear and lively, lifted slightly, resembling a tranquil morning lake. Long, dark lashes fanned out, and a fleeting glimmer passed through her gaze-like a shooting star streaking across the night sky, fleeting yet dazzling.

Alex's breath hitched.

Diana had a bad reputation in high society, but her face was simply beyond reproach-undeniably beautiful.

"Are you really dead...?"

A soft murmur pulled Alex back to reality.

Tears shimmered in Diana's eyes, dampening her lashes.

To him, Diana had always been the gentle, fragile "white flower" type. She never complained, always played along with his act, and looked at him with admiration in front of others.

Though their marriage was cold and distant, as a contractual wife, Diana had been dutiful.

Only now did Alex realize-his so-called wife actually had some feelings for him.

At least she had a conscience.

Alex sneered.

He knew Diana wasn't grieving for him but dreading a return to a life of ostracization and mistreatment. Even so, there was a sliver of comfort in the thought.

Too many people had coveted his position.

That's why, when he married two years ago, Alex had planned everything in advance.

Even in the event of an accident, his people would protect his assets, ensuring they wouldn't fall into the wrong hands.

The key was having a legitimate heir.

And this delicate "white flower" in front of him was the perfect choice.

Diana, looking utterly exhausted, soon drifted into deep sleep.

Suddenly-

The bedside phone rang, vibrating incessantly.

Diana jolted awake, her long lashes trembling with irritation.

She turned over, grabbed her phone, and answered the call with barely concealed impatience.

"What do you want?"

It was a video call. On the screen, the person on the other end paled at the sight of Diana's exhausted face.

"You... you look like you've seen a ghost!"

The other woman sat in a traditionally styled room, a hairpin securing her hair in a loose bun, with wisps falling around her face.

She wore a sheer smoky-green shawl draped over her shoulders and arms. Beneath it, a white camisole adorned with an elegant magnolia flower complemented a pale blue pleated skirt.

The skirt looked like an ink painting, as if misted with the soft rains of Jiangnan, fading from light to dark in hazy layers-like a maiden stepping out of an ancient Chinese painting.

Her hair was slightly disheveled, suggesting she had just woken up.

Anna scrutinized Diana for a few seconds, clicking her tongue.

"Alex is dead, and you're so heartbroken you look like this? But that eye makeup is on point-you fooled even me. Teach me how you did it!"

Diana's face darkened. "It's not makeup."

Anna paused, then examined her closely, her voice carrying a tinge of disbelief.

"Pale complexion, blood deficiency, exhaustion... You, the pampered little golden canary, how did you end up like this?"

Diana didn't answer, but her gaze held a cold, dangerous edge.

"Why did you call me?"

Surprised by the sudden pressure in Diana's tone, Anna hesitated before grabbing another phone and playing the song Good Days.

"......"

Being pinned down by Diana, Alex was already frustrated, and now his anger flared up even more. He had half a mind to jump out of this body and punch someone.

After a long silence, Diana swept her dark eyes over him. Her profile was cold and sharp, her voice chillingly low. "You're that happy about me becoming a widow?"

The atmosphere instantly turned frigid, and not even the upbeat music playing on the phone could save it.

Anna swayed slightly. "Isn't it... supposed to be a good thing?"

That was the head of one of the top financial groups in the US, with a net worth of over 80 billion dollars!

Even just a fraction of that wealth would be enough to make Anna laugh for three days and nights like a lottery winner, living a life of luxury where even going downstairs would require an elevator ride of dozens of floors.

Diana closed her eyes briefly, a flash of ice-cold sharpness passing through them. Her delicate brows furrowed slightly. "Turn off the music."

It was too noisy.

Startled by her gaze, Anna abandoned her playful attitude and obediently paused the music.

With the sudden silence, Diana took a shallow breath, slowly closing her eyes again, visibly more relaxed.

Seeing that she was about to drift off to sleep again, Anna panicked and quickly brought up the real issue. "How can you still be in the mood to sleep? That Brown family woman is about to come after you!"

Diana opened her eyes in a daze. "Who?"

"Maya! Alex's rumored lover!" Seeing that Diana wasn't taking it seriously, Anna became even more anxious. "As soon as the news of Alex's accident came out, she made a big scene online. She's probably on her way back to the country right now!"

The Brown family was a scholarly aristocracy, with generations of ancestors serving as officials in the emperor's court. Though most of them held idle positions, it was still enough for them to boast about.

Their influence wasn't vast, but due to their deep historical heritage, they had managed to squeeze into New York City's upper circles.

Alex and Maya had known each other since childhood, growing up together as childhood sweethearts, their backgrounds a perfect match.

They were often described as a pair of talented and beautiful individuals, a match made in heaven.

But then Alex had married Diana-a daughter of a mid-tier wealthy family, raised in the countryside.

When the news broke, Maya had stormed into Alex's company in distress to confront him.

Yet, she had left in tears, humiliated and devastated, eventually choosing to leave the US to pursue her career abroad.

Some lamented that childhood sweethearts couldn't compete with a "fated encounter."

More people, however, questioned the legitimacy of this marriage.

Diana was deemed unworthy of Alex. Having gone missing as a child, she had no real connection to him, and their marriage couldn't possibly be based on love.

Moreover, everyone knew about the internal struggles within the Smith family. At the time, Mr. Old Smith's health was deteriorating rapidly, and he wasn't expected to last much longer. Many speculated that Alex had been forced into this marriage due to pressure from his uncles, as Diana couldn't provide him with any strategic advantage.

Hearing Maya's name, Diana's already troubled mood worsened. "Doesn't she have a fashion week coming up?"

Maya's expertise was in painting, and she had moved to Avalorosa, a city renowned for its artistic atmosphere and fashion influence. Within a year, she had launched her own fashion line to great success.

This led to the creation of her own brand, which was currently on the rise, making brand recognition crucial.

"She doesn't rely on design to survive-that's just a hobby," Anna explained. "Maya has gained considerable fame abroad, and now she's leveraging Alex's death as a hot topic. Her post trended on Twitter shortly after going live."

She sent over a screenshot of Maya's tweet. It had been posted just before 1,30 AM, less than ten minutes after news of Alex's accident broke.

It was a long, sentimental post, filled with expressions of grief and sorrow.

Diana skimmed through it-it was basically a dramatic declaration of how deep their bond had been, how devastated she was by his passing, a flood of overly affectionate words.

But one particular sentence caught Diana's attention,

"When he got married, I didn't want to put him in a difficult position, so I left the country alone. I never thought that because of that, I wouldn't get to see him one last time."

A subtle way of implying that Alex had been forced into the marriage.

Diana turned onto her side, resting half her face against a stuffed cotton doll, squinting as she scanned the comment section.

When she remained silent for too long, Anna grew impatient. "She's ruining your marriage's reputation-aren't you going to do something?"

Diana let out a disdainful chuckle. "He's already dead. How exactly is she going to ruin it?"

Anna warned her, "Public opinion is powerful. Alex's accident has shaken the entire US. With Maya bringing up your marriage at this time, people will blame you for breaking up a loving couple. You might even get doxxed."

Before, the criticism had only circulated among the elite circles, and even then, Diana had endured two full years of slander.

Now that it had reached the general public, it would be much harder to contain.

"Just suppress it," Diana said casually, half-closing her eyes.

"You mean..." Anna started to ask, but Diana had already hung up.

After some thought, Diana called Jackson, her voice already trembling with emotion. "Secretary Jackson... Alex worked so hard to maintain our marriage, and now that he's gone, someone is trying to destroy it..."

Her soft, muffled sobs came through the phone, the weak electric hum making them sound even more fragile.

She wasn't outright crying but was clearly struggling to hold back tears, barely containing herself. Jackson's heart softened immediately. "Madam, don't worry. I will take care of this matter as soon as possible."

After offering a few more words of comfort, he personally contacted Twitter's management to reduce the visibility of Maya's post, effectively removing it from the trending list.

Not stopping there, he also woke up the PR department manager in the middle of the night and had them release two tweets.

One was an official obituary, while the other was a firm warning,

*"The head of our financial group has passed away, and the entire Smith family is grieving his loss. We all deeply regret and respect this young and talented leader.

The spread of this news has sparked widespread discussion, but we issue this warning, The deceased deserve respect. We urge all netizens to be cautious with their words, to mourn properly, and to refrain from making personal remarks about our leader. Do not exploit his death for personal narratives. Please maintain the basic decency owed to the departed.

Lastly, may our leader rest in peace!"*

They didn't name names, but everyone knew exactly who this was aimed at.

The replies under Maya's tweet quickly shifted from condolences and shock over her relationship with Alex to skepticism and criticism.

"He's dead, and you're still saying his marriage wasn't voluntary? What kind of mindset is that?"

"They looked pretty happy together. Why are you claiming he didn't want to marry her?"

"Even the Smith family has stepped in to make a statement. We know what you're up to. If you don't want trouble, delete the tweet."

"Sis, I'm a master at this game too. I see right through your little tricks."

With the tide turning, Diana arched an eyebrow, feeling much better.

Watching the Twitter drama unfold, Anna sent a single message, "Didn't expect you to go for a direct confrontation."

She had assumed Diana would handle things behind the scenes, but instead, Diana had masterfully redirected the public's outrage onto Maya.