Share

The Many Faces of a Vengeful Heiress
The Many Faces of a Vengeful Heiress
Author: Good Night

Chapter 1

Author: Good Night
"Summer, look at me!" Rose Sanderson grabbed Summer Hartford by the hair, yanking the latter up from the ground. She forced Summer to stare at her.

Summer was as thin as a stick, her cheeks gaunt. In the deep of the winter, all she had on her was a thin layer of filthy mental institution patient robe. Like a zombie, she was unresponsive to Rose's actions.

Clearly, Rose was unhappy at Summer's lack of response. After six years of meticulous planning, she had finally crushed Summer. She would not be happy until she witnessed Summer in despair.

"You're dying. Don't you want to meet with Grandpa?" She flashed a malicious smile.

The mention of her grandfather finally elicited some response from Summer.

Rose clutched Summer's hair with a look of excitement and glee. She hauled Summer to the front of a curtain like she was dealing with the carcass of an animal. Then, she drew back the curtains.

Behind the curtain lay an emaciated old man with multiple tubes attached to his body. He seemed conscious, just unable to speak or move.

Tears welled up when he saw Summer—she was almost unrecognizable.

Summer stared at the old man in shock. Her hands wouldn't stop trembling. "Grandpa…"

Three years ago, Summer had a fallout with her grandfather, Henry Hartford, over her decision to marry Anthony Lawson. Little did she know that Anthony had been cheating on her with her cousin, Rose. The marriage was just a scheme to claim her stocks in Hartford Group.

On their wedding night, Summer was tricked into signing a stock transfer agreement by Anthony, whose attitude changed after that. When he got what he wanted, he sent her away to a mental institution.

Since then, she was reduced to Rose's punching bag and subjected to harsh torture for three long years.

Henry had always been a sprightly old man. Summer wasn't at all worried that someone might harm him.

Her heart twisted in pain, and tears streamed down her face. "What have you done to my grandpa?"

"Oh, nothing much. We regularly injected him with some chronic poison. That old thing really dotes on you. He knew he was taking in poison, but he allowed us to inject it in exchange for your safety." Rose cackled terrifyingly.

Summer felt her insides churn when what she feared came true.

"Rose, you took away my husband and everything I owned. You even tortured me for three years. Isn't that enough?

"Grandpa raised you. You are indebted to him. How could you do that to him?"

Summer's angry wails echoed in the space. She tried to raise a hand against Rose but was too frail to carry through.

Rose slapped her, sending her falling sideways.

"Are you calling me an ingrate now? If that old man had agreed to lend money to my dad, my dad wouldn't have been beaten to death by loan sharks! And I wouldn't have lost my family and become an orphan!" she said through gritted teeth.

"Your family fell apart because of your dad's gambling habits! Grandpa helped pay off his debts a few times—"

"Shut up!" Rose slapped Summer again with a clenched jaw.

Henry let out a scream and scrambled to get up. He looked worried and mad when Summer was bullied.

Seeing that, Rose grabbed Summer's hair again and dragged her before Henry. Snickering, she asked, "Hey, old thing, do you feel sorry for her? Let me tell you something. Six years ago, Summer Hartford wasn't gang-raped. I hired someone to stage those photos.

"Do you deeply regret your actions now? You did not believe in her, no matter how she explained herself. You were the one who pushed Summer to Anthony and me! It was all because of you she turned out the way she did today!"

Henry's eyes popped out of his head. Words could hurt more than knives sometimes.

Summer snapped back to stare at Rose in shock. "What did you say, Rose?"

"Dumbass! Do you still not get it? I was behind that incident six years ago!" Sounding smug and impudent, Rose barked, "As for Anthony… He had never loved you.

"He showed up in your life and was nice to you because he was part of the plan, too. From the start, he felt nothing but disgust for you."

"Impossible! That's impossible! You're lying!" Summer had always assumed Anthony was being honest when he stayed with her through her lowest point, and he had only cheated on her later.

She refused to believe that everything he did was preplanned.

Rose laughed maniacally when she achieved her goal of driving Summer to the brink. "Summer, didn't that bitch Phoebe Palmer warn you about me? It was all your fault for trusting me unconditionally. Did you know what that bitch said on her deathbed? She begged me to spare you!"

Summer's eyes widened in shock. "What did you just say? Is Phoebe… dead?"

Phoebe was the previous housekeeper at the Hartfords, who had raised Summer.

"What else? I couldn't spare her life when she wanted to tell Grandpa the truth, could I? Only the dead won't tell on me."

"Rose Sanderson!" Summer was utterly shattered.

In the past, Phoebe had repeatedly warned her to stay away from Rose, who was calculative. But she never believed in Phoebe's words, even getting mad at Phoebe at times.

Later, Rose claimed that Phoebe had returned to her hometown when Phoebe mysteriously went missing, and Summer took Rose's word for it.

It never occurred to her that Rose had taken Phoebe's life!

"Oh, don't forget your poor parents, who suffered early deaths!" Rose did not show any signs of stopping. She enjoyed watching Summer—once graceful and noble—being crushed under her feet in agony.

"Did you really think that car crash was an accident?"

Summer's crying came to an abrupt halt. Rose's rhetorical question struck her like lightning. A few weeks after news of the gang rape spread in society, her parents perished in a car accident.

Rose laughed uproariously. "Your parents were as dumb as you! When they found out I was behind your nudes, they did not go to the police right away. Instead, they called me to confront me about it!

"So, I shed a few tears over the phone and made up an excuse, telling them that I was blackmailed into taking those photos. And they believed me when I promised to turn myself in at the police station. The first thing after I hung up was to tamper with their car—"

"Rose, you're an animal!" Summer bellowed with all her might. She clutched Rose's arm with her bruised, wounded, and blood-stained hands.

Resentment surged in her eyes. In her torturous three years in the mental asylum, she thought she had seen the worst of Rose. She didn't expect it to be the tip of the iceberg.

In that moment, she had the urge to tear Rose apart, but she was too physically weak to do so.

"Summer Hartford, you're the reason Phoebe and your parents are dead!" Rose landed a kick on Summer's bony arm, causing it to fracture.

The agonizing pain flooded Summer, who let out a bloodcurdling scream.

Taking a step backward, Rose wiped the arm that Summer had clutched with disgust. "If you had taken Phoebe seriously, or maybe just been less cowardly, your parents wouldn't have kept the truth about me from you.

"At the very least, if you had listened to your grandpa and didn't marry Anthony, my plan wouldn't have succeeded!"

Her words were interrupted by the sudden beeping of the machine by Henry's bed. Panicking, Summer forgot about her fractured arm. She picked herself up from the ground and stumbled her way to Henry.

The unbearable truths, one after another, were too much to bear for Henry. His body convulsed violently.

Summer cried, "Grandpa, hang on! I'll get the doctor!"

She turned around, ready to beg Rose for help. Ego wasn't important to her. After all, Henry was her only family in this world. Rose could do anything to her, as long as she saved Henry's life.

Before she could say a word, Summer felt a cold, viscous liquid dripping down from the top of her head.

W-Was that gasoline?

Shocked, she realized that Rose was planning to burn her alive. She wasn't afraid of death. After three years of torture, death was a relief.

But she didn't want Henry to meet a horrific death because of her.

Trembling, she pleaded with Rose, "Rose, you can do anything to me! Just leave Grandpa out of it!"

Rose slowly wandered out of the room. On her way out, she turned her head around with mockery. "Summer, are you delusional? I want you destroyed! I want you to suffer when you die! You'll make headlines tomorrow. I can see it.

"'Heiress Escapes Asylum at Midnight, Sets Fire Killing Tycoon Grandfather in a Shocking Act of Passion.' Isn't that a wonderful headline?"

Her jeers sent Summer spiraling into despair. She finally realized the reason Rose had brought her out from the asylum to the hospital—to frame her for the arson that killed Henry!

"By the way, Mason has arrived downstairs. I'm surprised that a cold-blooded and cocky guy like him would have eyes for a slut like you.

"For you, he nearly offered Anthony and me half of his family business. But we can't have him around after you die—that's risky. Since he likes you so much, I shall grant his wish and let him die with you."

Mason Hunt?

Summer seemed taken aback. To her, Mason was practically a stranger. Not only that, he left a bad impression on her because he once attempted to forcefully acquire Hartford Group.

Why would he—

"Summer Hartford, don't be this dumb in your next life." Rose couldn't be bothered to speak more. Flicking the lighter, she stared at the dancing flame with an excited chuckle before chucking the lighter into the room.

Following an explosion, the room that was doused in gasoline erupted in flames—they licked Summer's skin, sending searing pain through her body. Heartbroken, she watched as flames engulfed Henry, who struggled in his bed.

"Rose Sanderson, I will return to you as a vengeful spirit and make you pay with your life. You and Anthony will regret it!" Summer's terrifying screams cut through the peace of the night at the hospital.

Moments later, a figure dashed into the room, worriedly calling out Summer's name and wrapping her writhing body in a hug.

She felt as though her insides were on fire.

"Leave! You'll get burned to your death!" she silently, helplessly screamed at Mason.

She didn't want to cause any more deaths. She wanted him to leave. But the man did not let go.

Right before she lost consciousness, she heard a soft whisper.

"I will never leave you alone again."

Related chapters

  • The Many Faces of a Vengeful Heiress   Chapter 2

    "No!"Summer jolted awake from the excruciating pain of being burned alive."What's wrong, Summer?"A familiar face loomed before her. Rose?Summer's eyes wavered. Something wasn't quite right. It had been years since she saw Rose looking barefaced and innocent.She scanned her surroundings quickly and froze. It seemed she had returned to the day before her 18th birthday—six years ago. On that day, Rose took her to a bar to celebrate her birthday.She stared down at her hands, expecting to see them wrinkled and wounded, only to find them looking fair and smooth.It dawned on her that she had traveled back to the start of her tragic life."I've gotten you a glass of lemonade from the bar. Take some lemonade. You'll feel better." Looking concerned, Rose handed Summer a drink.Summer stared at the drink as chills traveled down her spine. In her past life, she recalled blacking out after taking that drink.When she pieced together fragments of her memories, she recounted being

  • The Many Faces of a Vengeful Heiress   Chapter 3

    Summer hadn't expected to run into Mason right after she was reborn. The thought of Mason running into the fire to hug her at the final moments of her life made her chest tighten. Pain crashed through her body.Wait a minute. Did Mason walk past the bar street on that fateful night in her past life?She assumed he had heard about the incident because her nudes caused quite a stir back then. If Mason had already fallen in love with her at that time…A wave of pain rolled through her. She stopped herself from thinking further. The footsteps outside slowly receded.Letting out a relieved sigh, Mason loosened his grip on Summer's mouth. Gazing down with a frown, he removed her cap. "Ms. Hartford?"This was the second time Summer heard his voice. He had first addressed her in the fire, saying to her, "I will never leave you alone again."His voice was low and melodious, like an instrument.Staring up at Mason, all she could think of was Rose's cruel remarks during her final moments

  • The Many Faces of a Vengeful Heiress   Chapter 4

    Mason had put on a totally different demeanor by now. He looked intimidating and unapproachable. Anyone would freeze in his presence.Without taking a look at Summer, Mason barked a cold command at the man, "Send her home." Then, he entered a Maybach at the forefront of the motorcade.The inconsistency of his behavior confused Summer. Before this, he was cheerful and seductive around her. Why did he act like they were strangers now? Did he suffer from some sort of dissociative identity disorder?"Miss, mind sharing your home address?" the burly man respectfully inquired Summer.She politely turned him down. "It's fine. I'll get a cab home.""That won't do. Please have mercy on me and don't put me in a tight spot. I need to obey Mr. Hunt's orders. If I don't see you home safely, I might as well be damned!" The man put on a serious look.Feeling speechless, Summer deliberated for a bit before entering the car. Firstly, Mason would not harm her. Secondly, it was unsafe for a woman t

  • The Many Faces of a Vengeful Heiress   Chapter 5

    Rose received a call from Anthony when she was in the shower.Anthony's family was in the hardware supply business. Although he wasn't considered one of the wealthiest guys, he was at least good-looking and ambitious. Rose was quite fond of him and picked him to carry out her plan of taking over Hartford Group.His call sent her into panic mode. She knew him too well. He'd definitely turn up his nose at her if he found out she had been gang-raped!Rose decided to keep it a secret from Anthony. She quickly regained her composure and answered his call in a coquettish manner, "Anthony, have you found Summer?""She's back at the Hartford residence," he replied grimly. "I lost touch with that hooligan I hired."Of course, he couldn't get in touch with that hooligan because that guy had snapped his SIM card in half in front of Summer."How did that happen?" Rose's eyes were filled with shock. She thought she had spiked Summer's drink with a strong dosage. Summer couldn't have possibly

  • The Many Faces of a Vengeful Heiress   Chapter 6

    Kristen was an award-winning actress before she married Luke. People had described her looks in this way—heart-stopping and breathtakingly beautiful.Many lamented her decision to retire when she was at the peak of her career. She might be near her 50s, but she looked like she was in her late 20s."Mom, are you free today? I can't get in touch with Rose. Can you go with me to shop for a dress for my birthday party instead? I know you have great taste, and you'll definitely pick the best dress for me," Summer asked Kristen sweetly. She did not want to miss out on the chance to repair her relationship with Kristen.Kristen shot her a shocked expression. It had been a few years since Summer called her "Mom".Henry and Luke appeared stunned as well. Their eyes darted between the mother and daughter. Despite feeling awkward, Kristen agreed to the invitation with a grunt.In the past, Summer would have flown into a rage at Kristen's nonchalant attitude. However, she was excited to g

  • The Many Faces of a Vengeful Heiress   Chapter 7

    The birthday party was a luxurious and breathtaking affair. Everyone knew Henry very much doted on Summer, his only granddaughter. More than once, he had formally declared his intention to let her inherit Hartford Group.Thus, it went without saying that no expense was spared for her 18th birthday party, much to the envy of the many heiresses and socialites in attendance.Soon, the party began. When Summer appeared on Henry's arm, she instantly captivated everyone with her beauty. All eyes fell on her, and no one could tear their eyes away. She was far too beautiful.Some of the socialites who had met Summer on other occasions started whispering among themselves."That's Summer? Did she get some work done? She didn't look like that the last time I saw her!""I bet she got plastic surgery. She probably even bleached her skin, too. She definitely didn't look that fair the last time. Her skin was so dull and sallow-looking. Look at her now! Her skin looks flawless!""Where did she g

  • The Many Faces of a Vengeful Heiress   Chapter 8

    Once the guests were gone, Henry turned grim."What on earth is going on? Robin, find the person who changed Summer's birthday video at once. I don't care what the mastermind's goal is. I'll make whoever it is pay for ruining my precious Summer's 18th birthday party!""Yes, Mr. Hartford Senior!" Robin Cohen, a hulking man with a fearsome expression, replied.Henry had brought Robin back from a human trafficking ring over two decades ago. Apparently, Robin had been trained since childhood to be an assassin, but Henry took him in as a godson. Having grown up in such a harsh environment, Robin had a rather cold personality. He listened to no one but Henry and was loyal to him alone.Summer wasn't sure what happened to Robin in the previous lifetime, but had he been alive, he probably wouldn't have allowed anyone to torment Henry to that extent.Once Robin left, Henry looked over at Summer and saw the sorrowful expression on her face. He instinctively assumed she was worried about R

  • The Many Faces of a Vengeful Heiress   Chapter 9

    Rose felt as if she had somehow taken Summer's place. Everything Summer should've been suffering through right now was happening to her instead. She wanted nothing more than to rip Summer to pieces right now, but she couldn't.Her plan had failed, so she still needed to rely on the Hartfords to survive."Summer did nothing wrong. I understand how you feel, Rose, but when something like this occurs, it's best to uncover the truth and clear your name as soon as possible. Otherwise, who knows how many ridiculous rumors would've been spread by the time you got someone to verify the video?"Once that happens, who would be willing to believe you even if you have ironclad evidence to prove yourself?" Henry said solemnly.Rose turned ghostly pale, but she continued to plead, "I really don't want to let a stranger see that video, Mr. Hartford Senior! Please, I'm begging you! Please make the call and get the video back!"Summer eyed Rose calmly.On this night in the previous lifetime, Rose

Latest chapter

  • The Many Faces of a Vengeful Heiress   Chapter 208

    The call ended there.Saul glanced at the never-ending stream of traffic before he raised a hand and hailed a taxi.On the way, he felt a little unsettled. After some thought, he decided to call Summer.At that moment, Summer was scolding Mason for eating something he shouldn't. "I told you you can't eat these things! What kind of tyrant CEO has a mouth as greedy as yours?"Mason merely sat there obediently and let her lecture him. In truth, he wasn't actually craving those snacks. But Summer wasn't paying him any attention, so…When Summer saw Saul's call, she grabbed all the snacks from the small table and locked them up in her room before she answered it."What is it?" she asked.Saul felt a little comforted when he heard Summer's voice. "It's about your team. You're very capable, and you plan on expanding the company. The team I put together for you isn't bad, but they might not be enough in the long run."Summer nodded. "I've thought about that as well, but I don't have an

  • The Many Faces of a Vengeful Heiress   Chapter 207

    To Terrence, Saul was like a thick iron wall that would never let anyone enter. He had a face that was the envy of all and was surrounded by women since he was young. Yet, he hadn't even dated anyone even in his 20s.For a long time, Terrence had even suspected that Saul liked men.Saul looked at Terrence. "That's right. I want to spend my life with her. Terrence, the girl I like is absolutely one of a kind in this world."Terrence shrugged and said nothing.Saul left shortly after that.Terrence stretched and thought to himself that genes weren't always reliable.For instance, Saul's father was a complete playboy who made headlines every other day for his affairs back then. The man even seduced his own sister-in-law and his sister-in-law's younger sister.Yet, when it came to Saul, he was a hopeless romantic.As Terrence thought about it, his phone rang. It was the person he asked to help him look for Summer.Terrence answered and said, "If there's still no news, then there's

  • The Many Faces of a Vengeful Heiress   Chapter 206

    Who wouldn't want to ruffle that fluffy hair?"What are you looking at? You're allowed to mess up my hair, but I'm not?" Summer playfully raised a fist at him before getting up and mumbling as she headed next door.Mason sat at the dining table, gently touching the spot where Summer had just patted him. He couldn't hide the smile on his lips.There was no way he wouldn't allow it. In fact, he wanted nothing more than for her to do it more."Wait for me!" Mason quickly got up. He grabbed the milk that Summer hadn't finished and hurried after her.When Summer opened her computer, Saul was already waiting for her online."The internal test results are all within our estimations. The response to the promotional campaign has been great as well. I think that the final results will exceed your expectations," Saul said.Summer looked at the data that Sault sent over and was a bit surprised. She definitely didn't expect such a good response. "Saul, you definitely live up to your reputa

  • The Many Faces of a Vengeful Heiress   Chapter 205

    After a moment of hesitation, Summer decided to call Kristen.Kristen hadn't slept well the whole night. When she saw Summer's call, she hesitated for a moment before she picked up."Mom," Summer greeted.Kristen sighed. "Are you calling to ask about Rose?"Summer felt a bit helpless. "So, she really did go to you. I knew no one else would help her.""Summer, I know how much she's hurt you. I guarantee that this is the last time," Kristen said.Summer replied, "I understand. You shouldn't think too much about it. Her mother helped you a lot in the past. I understand it.""I already sent her away. She just boarded the plane. She said she won't be coming back," Kristen said."Let's hope so." Summer didn't really trust Rose's words.If only Rose was willing to live peacefully and stay with Anthony without causing trouble. Then, she could have lived a comfortable life thanks to the Hartford family."Summer…" Kristen seemed to have something she wanted to ask, but she stopped."W

  • The Many Faces of a Vengeful Heiress   Chapter 204

    "Janice, I've never been on the same side as Rose. She was kicked out of the Hartford family a long time ago, and I'm not some saint who would help someone trying to harm me. You're barking up the wrong tree," Summer replied coldly.Janice was clenching her teeth. "Summer! Don't be too pleased with yourself. I know you had a hand in this, too. I won't let Rose off, and I definitely won't let you off, either."Summer lowered her gaze and chuckled.Janice got even angrier when she heard that. "What are you laughing at?""Janice, you like Chandler, right?" Summer asked.Jancie did not respond."With things as they are, how do you still not realize what's important? If you don't shift your focus back to your family, your parents will probably have your marriage with Anthony finalized in the next few days," Summer said slowly.Janice froze in place.She had been fully focused on Rose the last few days. With her mind fully occupied by revenge, she didn't have the time to think about

  • The Many Faces of a Vengeful Heiress   Chapter 203

    Kristen looked at Rose coldly. "For two days, Janice used all of Power Construction's resources and still couldn't find you. Summer is not that capable.""Summer isn't that capable? Do you know who hacked into her birthday party and swapped my video on the screen? It was Summer! She's a very good hacker!" Rose said through gritted teeth."That's enough! I have no time for your nonsense. So what if my daughter is a hacker? If you just called me over for this, then speak no more. Even if Summer is a monster, she's still my daughter. She's my precious girl!" Kristen said impatiently.Rose had always thought that Kristen didn't like Summer. Even now, she was still trying to drive a wedge between the two of them.The moment Kristen said that Summer was her precious girl, Rose felt like a bucket of cold water had been dumped over her head.She lowered her gaze and let out a bitter laugh. "Aunt Kristen, I always thought that I was your precious girl.""Weren't you? Didn't I treat you we

  • The Many Faces of a Vengeful Heiress   Chapter 202

    Summer furrowed her brows. "Just try and harass my mom and see what happens."Rose gritted her teeth and said, "If you don't help me, then that's my only choice. My mom died indirectly because of her. She owes me for that. It's only natural that she should help me."Summer's expression grew colder.She thought of Rose's cruelty. She thought of those who died because of Rose in her past life. She thought of that gardener who had died not long ago.Even if Summer had crawled her way out of hell, killing someone still wasn't something she could do. But she could still use someone else to do it."Let me think about it." Summer lowered her gaze."I don't have that much time to wait!" Rose was frantic."I'll let you know by today," Summer answered."Good! I'll wait until nightfall. If you still haven't arranged anything by then, I'll go to Aunt Kristen!" Rose hung up after that.Summer glanced at the number on the screen and licked her teeth.After that, she quickly managed to trac

  • The Many Faces of a Vengeful Heiress   Chapter 201

    Summer picked up the watering can beside her and watered a potted plant in front of her. "Rose, you've changed so many numbers just to call me and curse at me. Are you really that free?""What grudge do you have against me? Why are you doing all of this to me?" Rose asked through gritted teeth.Summer didn't know what to say to that. Shouldn't she be the one asking Rose that?"I don't understand what you're saying. Aren't you just reaping what you sow? Nothing would have happened to you if you weren't scheming things in the first place," Summer said with a cold laugh."Janice is convinced that I worked with you to set her up now! She's sworn she'll make sure I die horribly!" Rose's voice seemed like it was about to break."Wasn't that just your and Anthony's plan? What does it have to do with me?" Summer didn't know if Rose was recording this or not, so she was careful not to expose anything.She continued, "I've looked at the trending topics lately. The two of you planned things

  • The Many Faces of a Vengeful Heiress   Chapter 200

    Mason was inside the shower, while Summer stood outside.The sound of rushing water could be heard.No matter how Summer stood, she felt incredibly awkward. Looking at Mason's figure through the frosted glass, his movements seemed slow and strained.Summer felt her heart ache. Couldn't he just endure a little longer? Why did he insist on a shower?After what felt like ages, Mason finally finished his shower.When he walked out wrapped in his towel, Summer's eyes widened for a moment before she turned her head away. "Let me make you something to eat. Come out after you put on your clothes."After that, Summer bolted out of the room.Mason chuckled to himself as she escaped. Yet, the movement tugged at his wound and caused him to hiss.In reality, he could have acted even more helpless. But he was worried he would annoy her if he pushed too much. He didn't want Summer to see him as too much of a burden, either. It was better to take things one step at a time.Meanwhile, Summer o

Scan code to read on App
DMCA.com Protection Status