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"But Mother," Hugo protested, "Luna doeshave talent! She played it right before our eyes last time—"
"'Petrushka,' you mean?" Matriarch Sterling cut him off, her tone dismissive. "Our Jasmine played that piece before she was even a month old. Doesn't that make it crystal clear what realtalent looks like? Isn't it time you faced reality?"
Murmurs rippled through the crowd.
"Before one month? Is she mad? Or is the world just insane?"
"Everyone knows Luna's practically a Sterling. Matriarch Sterling wouldn't prop up an outsider just to put down her own family. She must be telling the truth."
The whispers swirled, but on stage, Luna had turned her head sharply. Her wide eyes fixed on me, filled with confusion, disbelief, resentment, and a desperate questioning. She couldn't articulate what she doubted or questioned. But I knew. Her protagonist halo... I'd stolen it. The piece she was supposed to master at ten, influenced by my grinding presence, she'd somehow produced before her first birthday. Yet, she could never have dreamed that I, grinding from the womb, would slam the door shut on her musical genius path while she was still in diapers. The real kicker, though, was the lazy author – tossing her a plot-convenient, single-use "golden finger" to show off, then completely forgetting to integrate it... leaving Luna and her parents trapped in this delusion of grandeur.
Thinking she was a prodigy.
Only realizing it was a one-time cheat code after using it.
...
Though I stole the spotlight at the birthday bash, there was one major disappointment: my biological father, Lucian Sterling, hadn't shown up. My plan to snag a few of his hairs for a DNA test had to be postponed.
Just as I was racking my brain for another opportunity, Sylvia Sterling practically delivered it to me. Having been publicly humiliated at the party, she wasn't about to let it go. My mother was my only weak spot. So, after the party, I kept a close eye on Mom and quickly spotted the problem.
Mom was in love!
According to her, her new boyfriend was a wealthy heir surnamed Zhang she'd met at the party – charming yet commanding, generous, with impeccable education and family background, and he didn't mind her "baggage" (me). I didn't need to see their chat logs to know it was a meticulously crafted romance scam. But I didn't expose it. Instead, I asked her a simple question: "The Sterling family heir or this Zhang guy. Who would you choose?"
Mom didn't hesitate: "The Sterlings, obviously."
Good. Her brain wasn't completelyfried.
"Then listen to me. Delete this 'Zhang' guy. I guarantee you'll become Mrs. Lucian Sterling."
The next morning, during piano class, I was uncharacteristically distracted and hit a wrong note. After class, Aunt Lydia gently asked if something was bothering me.
Resting my chin on my hand, I sighed dramatically, putting on my best troubled face. "Mommy seems to be dating someone. She wants to find me a stepdad. That uncle said... girls playing piano is pointless. He said after today's lesson, I shouldn't come back anymore."
Aunt Lydia had been about to reassure me not to worry about adult matters, but the moment she heard "shouldn't come back," she panicked.
"Don't listen to him, Jasmine! A genius like you? You were bornfor the piano!" (I knew the truth: I was born to crush Luna Sterling, the doting novel's protagonist.)
I hung my head, feigning sadness. "But Mommy listens to everything he says now. She won't listen to anything I say... Unless... unless we can find my real daddy."
Seeing a glimmer of hope, Aunt Lydia didn't even question how I didn't know my own father. "That's no trouble at all!" she declared, plucking a hair from my head. "It's the age of big data! Finding family is just a DNA test. As long as your dad isn't some caveman or a wanted criminal, we'll find him in no time."
My eyes shone with feigned gratitude. "Thank you, Teacher!" (Let it be noted: YouSterlings pulled myhair. Youinsisted on the DNA test. Don't you dare call me or my mom scheming gold-diggers later
That very night, the Sterlings came for me.
In my past life, they'd also found me when I was eight, initiated by them. But back then, with the "heiress" Luna already installed, their welcome had been as lukewarm as adopting a stray cat. This time? The Sterlings practically mobilized the entire clan, ready to enshrine me as their precious treasure.
"I knewI felt a connection to this child!" Matriarch Sterling beamed. "The moment I saw her, I thought she looked like one of us! And she ismy granddaughter!"
"And to think a musical prodigy like Jasmine is my niece!" Aunt Lydia added, glowing. "Big brother's genes are truly something."
Lucian Sterling, my biological father, meeting me for the first time in this life, looked at me with a warmth absent in the past, thanks to Matriarch Sterling and Aunt Lydia's prior raving. Even his gaze towards my mother held a touch of gentle pity.
"You've both endured so much this past year."
My mother, finally processing the reality that she'd somehow bagged the Sterling heir, blushed and waved her hands dismissively. "Oh, no, not at all! This little one is so easy, she never gave me any trouble."
News of the Sterlings finding their true heiress spread quickly through high society. Matriarch Sterling wanted to throw another grand banquet to formally introduce me, but I declined.
Moving into the Sterling mansion didn't slow my grind. I channeled the knowledge and drive of two lifetimes into systematically winning over every Sterling family member. Playing chess with Bio-Dad. Golfing with Uncle. Discussing current affairs with Patriarch Sterling. I displayed exceptional talent in every arena, making my father wish he could take me to the office. But even if he could, I wouldn't have gone. I was simply too busy. Besides dedicating 4-5 hours daily to bonding with the Sterlings, I squeezed in at least an hour of physical training and four hours of studying. My days were so packed I practically sprinted to the bathroom.
This relentless pace continued until I was three.
