If Rachel had to summarize her biggest wish after rebirth, it would be simple and shameless: she wanted money, a ridiculous amount of money, the kind that could buy her a villa, buy her peace, buy her freedom, and buy her the right to never bow her head to anyone ever again.
In her previous life, she had been an intern lawyer with endless overtime and miserable pay, and a struggling novelist whose royalties were so pitiful that even instant noodles felt like luxury.
She had worked hard, endured bullying, swallowed humiliation, and told herself that as long as she kept climbing, life would eventually reward her.
It never did.
So when she opened her eyes and realized she had been reborn, she nearly cried on the spot, because she truly believed fate had finally given her a chance to rewrite everything.
This time, she would live quietly.
This time, she would get rich.
This time, she would never touch trouble again.
Unfortunately…
Trouble found her first.
The moment she stepped out of the school gate, a dozen men in black coats blocked her path, standing shoulder-to-shoulder like an iron wall, their faces cold and their eyes sharp, as if they were waiting for her specifically.
Rachel's heart sank.
Before she could even turn around, the men parted slightly, and a young man stepped forward, tall and handsome in a dangerous way, with a face so cold it looked carved from stone and eyes so sharp they made people instinctively avoid looking at him.
He stared at her, expression indifferent.
"Young Miss," he said.
Rachel froze.
Young miss?
Who was he calling?
The man bowed slightly, his tone respectful but leaving no room for refusal.
"Please come with us. The organization has been leaderless for too long. Only you are qualified to inherit everything."
Rachel almost laughed from disbelief.
"Sir," she said quickly, "you've got the wrong person. I'm just an ordinary student. I don't know any organization, I don't know any gang leader, and I definitely don't want to inherit anything."
The man's gaze didn't move.
"You are not ordinary," he said calmly.
Rachel felt her scalp tighten.
In her previous life, she had dealt with criminal cases, and she knew exactly what happened to people who got tangled with gangs.
Anti-gang operations came in waves, and the so-called kings of the underworld often ended up executed, imprisoned, or dead in the streets.
She had just been reborn.
She didn't want to die again.
"I'm serious," she insisted, stepping back. "My surname is Moretti, I'm from the countryside, and my family is a mess. I have nothing to do with you people."
The cold man didn't argue.
Instead, he reached into his coat and pulled out a photo.
"Young Miss," he said. "This was found among the Boss's belongings."
Rachel hesitated, then took it.
The girl in the photo was seven or eight years old, cute and delicate, with bright eyes and soft features.
And the terrifying part was…
She looked a lot like Rachel.
Not identical, but close enough to make her stomach twist.
Rachel's lips twitched.
"This proves nothing," she said stiffly. "Lots of people look alike."
The man nodded.
"That is true."
Rachel exhaled slightly, but before she could relax, the man continued in the same calm tone.
"But the Boss's surname was Moretti as well."
Rachel's expression froze.
"No, no," she said quickly. "That's not what I meant. I'm saying my surname is Moretti, but that doesn't mean your Boss is my dad."
The man's eyes narrowed slightly.
"But you just said 'my dad' instead of father or parent. Strangers don't use such a word."
Rachel almost choked.
She wanted to slap herself.
She had walked straight into a verbal trap like an idiot.
Before she could explain again, one of the blond men behind them shifted forward, and the pressure instantly doubled, making her realize something even more terrifying.
They weren't asking.
They were informing.
At that moment, a young man passing by finally noticed the scene.
A girl surrounded by a dozen suspicious-looking foreigners in broad daylight.
His face filled with righteous anger, and he strode over, pointing dramatically.
"Let go of that girl!"
Rachel's eyes lit up.
Yes!
Help!
But before she could even feel hope, one blond thug glanced at him lazily. "Scram."
The righteous young man's courage evaporated instantly.
"Alright!"
He turned around and ran so fast he nearly tripped over himself.
Rachel stood there in silence.
Her last hope died quietly.
The cold man stepped closer again, his voice steady. "Young Miss. Please come with us."
Rachel clenched her fists.
She understood now that resisting directly was useless, so she forced herself to calm down, raise her chin, and stare into his eyes with the most arrogant expression she could fake.
"Fine," she said. "Let me ask you something first."
The man nodded. "Ask."
"Are you loyal to your Boss?" she asked slowly. "Will you betray him?"
The man's expression turned solemn.
"My life was saved by the Boss," he said firmly. "I will never betray him."
He glanced behind him.
"The brothers with me are the same."
Rachel's eyes narrowed. "Then if I give an order, will you listen?"
The man didn't hesitate. "If you are the Young Miss," he replied, "then yes."
Rachel nodded as if she had just made a serious decision.
"Alright," she said calmly. "Then I'm giving my first order."
The men's attention sharpened instantly.
"I declare the organization disbanded," she said decisively. "Starting today, you're all free. Leave."
Silence.
The air froze.
The blond men looked stunned, as if she had just slapped them across the face.
Even the cold man's eyelid twitched.
"Young Miss," he said slowly.
"Yes?" Rachel crossed her arms.
"We cannot disband," he said.
Rachel frowned. "Why not? Didn't you say you'd listen to me?"
For the first time, the cold man's expression wavered slightly, and his voice lowered.
"Because we have nowhere to go."
Rachel blinked. "What do you mean?"
The man exhaled.
"After the Boss died, the hall masters fought for power. The organization split. We lost. We were driven out."
He paused, then spoke in a heavier voice. "We came to find you because only you can reunite everything."
Rachel's heart sank.
So they weren't powerful bodyguards.
They were defeated strays.
And she, the so-called Young Miss, wasn't inheriting a throne.
She was inheriting a battlefield.
Her scalp went numb.
If she followed them back, she would be walking into a war she didn't understand, surrounded by enemies who would gladly kill her just to erase the Boss's bloodline.
She forced a smile.
"Alright," she said. "I understand."
Then she raised one finger, speaking in a calm tone that sounded like negotiation but was really survival.
"I'm a third-year high school student. My college entrance exam is in one month, and it's the most important thing in my life. If you want me to lead anything, then don't disturb me until the exam is over."
The blond men exchanged glances.
A chubby one scratched his head. "Young Miss… is school really that important?"
Rachel rolled her eyes.
"Knowledge changes destiny," she said coldly. "Also, what you're doing right now counts as provoking trouble. If I call the police, you'll all be detained."
The chubby one's eyes widened, then he looked strangely moved.
"Then why don't you call the police?" he asked. "Oh… I know. You can't bear to abandon us, right?"
Rachel: "…"
She didn't even bother responding.
She simply stared at them for a long moment, then sighed as if she had accepted her fate. "Fine," she said. "I won't drive you away."
The men's faces lit up instantly.
"But you must promise me," she continued sharply, "no trouble until my exam ends. After that, we'll talk."
The cold man nodded firmly. "Understood, Young Miss."
Rachel exhaled, thinking she had finally managed to control the situation.
But then the cold man stepped closer, his voice dropping low, and the chill in his eyes deepened into something dangerous.
"Young Miss," he said. "The enemy already knows we found you."
Rachel's blood turned cold.
"What?"
The man's gaze then sharpened. "They are coming."
And in that moment, Rachel finally realized something terrifying.
This wasn't a misunderstanding anymore.
This was her new life.
And whether she wanted it or not…
She had just become the Mafia Heiress.