I also had an employment letter from Oceanic International naming me chief securities analyst—but that stayed in the bag. I wasn't about to drag professional business into this.
I held up the two credentials and looked Effie dead in the eye.
"Ms. Walker, I went to school in Westbridge State. Everyone knows what it takes to survive there."
"Six years I bled for a finance doctorate at one of the best institutions on the planet. I pull a seven-figure salary."
"Do you really think I'd take fifty thousand a month to look after a screaming infant around the clock while watching my back for men in the household with wandering hands?"
I said that last part on purpose—to make sure Effie understood exactly how little her nanny job was worth to me.
A man like Samuel Weiss, who lied as easily as he breathed? Only someone born rich and raised brainless would actually believe him.
Sure enough, Effie's eyes softened the moment she saw my two certificates.
Stupid as she was, even she had to understand what a Westbridge State doctorate was worth.
Her sharp gaze was swinging back toward Samuel when a woman burst through the crowd, slapped me three times across the face in rapid succession, and shrieked:
"June Delgado, have you lost your mind? Forging documents to con a tycoon's daughter!"
"When they catch you out, you'll drag our whole family straight to hell—do you even care?"
My cheek swelled instantly from the blows.
Five clear fingerprints stood out against the skin.
I looked hard at the woman in front of me and realized I had never seen her before in my life.
Holding my injured cheek, I kept my expression cold and gave her one warning.
"I don't know you. Apologize and compensate me right now, or my legal team will sue you into the ground."
The woman threw herself into hysterics.
"Heaven strike me down! How did I give birth to a wretch like you?"
"She'll lie to anyone! She won't even acknowledge her own mother!"
"Effie, Samuel—I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry! I didn't raise her right, this is my fault."
"However you want to punish her, go right ahead. I won't stop you. Better that than letting her keep running scams everywhere she goes!"
The room erupted. Sharp intakes of breath cut through the crowd on every side.
"She's a professional con artist?"
"Her own mother just said so. That settles it!"
"Good thing she showed up in time. We almost fell for it!"