"Lydia, I'll give you that. You'd go this far just to spite me? You think teaming up with Annie and hiring two guys to put on a show will scare me? Wake up. Looking like that, you think Dominic would ever want you?"

A sharp pain pierced my chest.

So this was how worthless I was in his eyes.

The two guards ignored his mockery completely.

The leader stepped forward again and repeated calmly, "Mr. Calloway, please release her. This is the godfather's order."

The muscles in Miles's face twitched. Of course he recognized them. They were Dominic's most elite personal guards, not people Annie could simply deploy at will.

Could it be... Dominic had truly stepped in?

Miles abruptly released my wrist.

"Fine. Very fine. Lydia, you've climbed up the ladder, huh? You really think Dominic would be serious about you? You're just a temporary amusement. Don't forget who gave you everything you have. Without me, how many days do you think you'd last? Your education. Your lifestyle. Those ridiculous dreams of yours. What would support them? Tell me."

He stepped closer, lowering his voice. "You really think you can smoothly claim what your dead father left you? Without me, you wouldn't be able to protect a single thing."

The pain spread from my chest to my fingertips. I was trembling with anger.

My father had seen him wrong.

How could trash like Miles ever deserve the trust and favor he'd been granted?

I took a deep breath and met his gaze without fear.

"Miles, I graduate next month. The trust fund and inheritance my father left me will automatically unlock once I turn twenty-two and complete my studies. They will be managed by an independent legal team and asset managers I designate. And if I remember correctly, Mr. Sinclair was one of the witnesses when my father arranged all of it."

I tilted my head and let out a soft scoff.

"So tell me, in what capacity do you think you can control my father's estate or interfere in my life after graduation?"

Miles's face turned ugly in an instant.

He had always known my father had left contingencies in place. He just hadn't expected them to be this airtight.

"You..." He faltered, anger flaring from humiliation.

I stopped looking at him and turned to the guards, giving a slight nod.

"Thank you. I appreciate your help."

The guards stepped back respectfully.

Miles shot me one last venomous glare.

He knew he wouldn't be taking me today.

If he pushed further, he would only humiliate himself and risk fully offending Dominic.

With a cold snort, he finally backed down and stormed out with his men, face livid.

"Wow, Lydia! That was incredible!"

Annie jumped up first and rushed over, grabbing my arm and shaking it excitedly.

"Did you see his face? He looked like he'd just bitten into something rotten! That was priceless! You actually talked back to him! And the inheritance thing, you should've used that against him a long time ago!"

She kept chattering, flushed with triumph, then suddenly noticed the two guards standing nearby.

Blinking, she leaned in and lowered her voice. "Godmother? That's what my dad's men are calling you? My dad's impressive. Full commitment to the act. Even the title was arranged. Look at how it scared that idiot Miles. But seriously, Lydia, if you actually ended up with my dad, that would be perfect. Miles wouldn't even be in the same league. My dad might be a little cold, but he's responsible, ridiculously good-looking, in amazing shape, and more capable than anyone I know. He's basically walking, talking security. If you became my stepmom, let's see who'd even dare try to bully you."

Her half-joking, half-serious words made my heart tighten. The heat that had just faded from my cheeks threatened to return.

I wanted to tell her this wasn't an act. It was real.

But the words stalled. Seeing Annie's pure excitement for me, and then catching my own disheveled reflection in the mirror, I swallowed everything back down.

"Annie, don't say things like that..." I lowered my head, avoiding her searching gaze, my voice barely above a whisper. "Mr. Sinclair... he just helped me out because of you."

"Really?" Annie tilted her head, unconvinced but not pressing further. "Whatever. Today's a major win. Come on, let's celebrate. Shower first, then I'm treating you to a huge meal. You deserve it."

Chapter 4

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