The Paper Wife’s Empire novel Chapter 43

Kiki’s words snapped everyone back to reality.

Just moments ago, Ramona’s commanding presence had genuinely unsettled them. For a second, they’d almost believed she really was the Covington family heiress, throwing her weight around as if she owned the place.

But come on—how could that possibly be true?

“Oh, Ramona, give it a rest! Look at Tara, she’s so gullible, she actually bought your act!”

“What, is apologizing really that hard for you? You’re not even a real princess, but you sure act like you’ve got royal blood!”

This time, no one bothered to keep up the pretense of politeness. The comments grew sharper, the eye rolls more dramatic. It was as if Kiki had pulled back the curtain—only losers resorted to pretending, and apparently, Ramona was far more vain than anyone had realized.

But the taunts died in an instant. Tara’s phone suddenly rang.

“No way… Could it really be a call from the Covington Group?!”

Everyone crowded around, wide-eyed. Tara’s hands trembled as she answered, “Hello?”

A calm, deep male voice came through the speaker: “Good afternoon, is this Miss Tara from Sailcloud Tech? This is the Covington Group’s project team. We heard you’re interested in our new energy initiative. Could you come to our headquarters tomorrow morning for a meeting in Building D?”

“Y-Yes, absolutely! Thank you—thank you so much!”

Tara was so excited she could barely form a sentence.

She stared at Ramona in disbelief, clutching her phone as if she might wake up at any moment.

The entire room fell silent.

After a few seconds, Kiki lunged and snatched Tara’s phone.

“Tara, you went to drama school or something? Why would the Covington Group be calling you?”

“It’s really them! This is the official number from their website…”

Tara tried to explain, and someone quickly checked online—sure enough, the number was legit. One of the Covington Group’s official lines.

Now everyone turned to Ramona, uncertainty flickering in their eyes.

Wait… Could she really be the Covington heiress?

The classmates who’d just been mocking Ramona the loudest started to pale. Their knees went weak. Had they just picked the wrong side and crossed a real power player, all for Kiki’s sake?

Kiki looked as if she’d been struck by lightning. She stood there, comparing each digit of the number to the Covington Group’s website, veins standing out on her neck.

“Who would’ve guessed I’d witness a real-life heiress story? Man, I feel like I’ve won the lottery!”

“Ramona, you really kept this under wraps! Why didn’t you tell us sooner?”

“Oh, come on, Ramona. We were just kidding around before. We don’t even know Kiki that well. She’s just difficult, that’s all. Don’t let it get to you!”

The room came alive again, but this time everyone was clamoring to get closer to Ramona. Tara was all but shoved aside.

Kiki, meanwhile, was left standing alone. No matter what she said, nobody paid her any mind. Some even pushed her out of the way, eager to show support for Ramona.

“Kiki, you really are shameless. You turned the whole reunion upside down, bragged about knowing the Covington heiress… and didn’t even recognize her when she was standing right in front of you!”

“There’s no way Ramona is the Covington heiress!” Kiki was still shouting, demanding Ramona prove her identity.

“Whether I’m the Covington heiress or not doesn’t really matter,” Ramona finally said.

The room fell silent as she strode toward Kiki and, without warning, reached out her hand.

Kiki flinched, thinking Ramona was about to hit her, but Ramona merely picked up an old bag she’d left on the sofa behind her.