Chapter 3

"I'm not being possessive, Ethan," I said, my voice level despite the tremor I felt inside. "I'm stating a fact. That center is a Sterling Media investment, earmarked as my birthday gift. You had no right to offer it to Bella, or anyone else, for her personal use before it was officially mine."

Ethan rolled his eyes. "Oh, please. It's not like we damaged it. Bella just had a few friends over, a very small, private viewing. You're making a mountain out of a molehill, as usual."

"As usual?" I repeated, the words tasting like ash. "So, my asserting ownership over what is mine is 'making a mountain out of a molehill'?"

Noah stepped forward, his fists clenching. "Bella is a sensitive soul, Avelia. All this... negativity from you is upsetting her. Can't you just be happy for her, for once?"

Happy for her? Happy that my supposed fiancé-candidate was using my future birthday gift to curry favor with another woman? Happy that he, and his two cronies, consistently valued her feelings above mine?

I took a deep breath. The upcoming shareholder meeting, my choice of Leonardo Kingsley – it all felt more right, more necessary, with every passing second.

"My decision is made," I said, turning to leave. "Father knows. There's nothing more to discuss with you three."

Ethan's voice, sharp and laced with disbelief, stopped me. "You actually went to your father? What did you tell him this time? That we were mean to you again?"

I didn't turn back. "I told him I've chosen my future husband."

A beat of silence. Then, Lucas's dry chuckle. "Oh, so you finally picked one of us? Who's the lucky victim? Ethan, I presume? Given your... fixation."

The condescension in his voice was palpable.

I finally turned, a cool smile on my face. "None of you, actually."

Their expressions shifted from mockery to confusion.

"I've decided to marry Leonardo Kingsley."

The name hung in the air. For a moment, there was stunned silence. Then, Noah burst out laughing. A harsh, derisive sound.

"Leonardo Kingsley? The cripple from California? The one who can't even get out of a wheelchair? You're marrying *him*?"

Ethan stared at me, his eyes narrowed. "Is this some kind of joke, Avelia? A way to make me jealous?"

Jealous? The thought was so absurd it was almost laughable.

"No joke, Ethan," I said calmly. "It's a strategic alliance. Kingsley Tech is a giant. Their reach on the West Coast, combined with Sterling Media's dominance here... it's a perfect match. For business."

"And what about... other things?" Noah sneered. "Or are you planning on a life of celibacy with your billionaire invalid?"

Bella, who had been silent, suddenly gasped, her eyes wide with faux horror. "Oh, Avelia! How could you? Marrying someone for... for money and power, when he's so... unfortunate. It's cruel!"

I looked at her, at the carefully crafted pity on her face. "And what you're doing, Bella, cozying up to my father's protégés, hoping one of them will elevate you? Is that any less cruel? Or just more... subtle?"

Her face paled. Ethan immediately stepped forward. "Leave Bella out of this. Your cynical choices are your own. Don't project them onto her."

"My father agrees with my choice," I stated, cutting him off. "He understands the value of a strong alliance. Something you three, apparently, never quite grasped about your own positions here."

I remembered my father's face when I'd laid out my reasoning. The initial shock, then the slow dawning of understanding, and finally, a grudging respect.

"Kingsley is powerful, yes," he'd said, tapping his pen on the desk. "Even with his... condition. And you're right, their tech combined with our media platforms... it could be revolutionary. And if he truly cannot... father children... then the Sterling line, through your children via other means, remains secure."

He hadn't liked it. The idea of his daughter marrying a man rumored to be impotent, a man in a wheelchair. But the cold, hard logic of business, of legacy, had won him over.

"He also can't usurp Sterling Media," I had added quietly. "Unlike some others who might see me merely as a stepping stone."

My father's eyes had sharpened at that, a flicker of understanding dawning. He knew, on some level, the dynamics between me and his chosen three. He just hadn't wanted to see it.

"They'll be removed from their positions at Sterling Media, of course," he'd said finally. "If you're not choosing any of them, their purpose here is... concluded."

A clean slate. A future unburdened by their disdain and Bella's manipulations. The thought was a balm to my weary soul.