Chapter 4

The fallout from the gala was immediate and chaotic. The high-society columns were ablaze with the news: the Anderson heiress was not marrying an upstart protégé but forging a dynastic alliance with the Texas Lesters. My public humiliation had been flipped into a stunning power play.

Ethan was panicked. He immediately started digging into Caleb Lester, desperate to find a weakness, some proof that I had made a foolish, emotional decision. What he found instead was terrifying for him. The rumors of Caleb' s decline were wildly exaggerated. The Lester family's influence in the energy sector was not just stable; it was expanding, quietly and ruthlessly. My choice wasn't just strategic; it was formidable.

My father, seeing the public reaction and the clear business logic, acted swiftly. He called a board meeting and formally announced Ethan's promotion to oversee the company's finances-a role Ethan had always coveted.

But there was a catch.

"You will report every financial decision, every projection, every major transaction, directly to Stella for approval," my father declared in front of the entire executive team. "Her strategic instincts have proven to be superior. From now on, she has the final say."

It was a slap in the face disguised as a promotion. He had the title, but I held the leash. The humiliation burned in Ethan' s eyes, but he had no choice but to accept.

His world was unraveling in other ways, too. A few days later, as Ethan was leaving the office late at night, he was stopped by one of the old security guards, a man named George who had worked for my family for over thirty years.

"Mr. Scott," George said, his voice heavy with a long-held burden. "I have to say something. I've kept quiet for too long."

"What is it, George?" Ethan asked, impatient.

"That day, five years ago. The bracelet," the old guard said, his eyes filled with regret. "I was on duty in the security monitoring room. I saw the whole thing."

Ethan froze.

"That intern, Maria... she waited for Miss Stella to be alone. She rehearsed her little speech in the hallway. And after Miss Stella took the bracelet, I saw her send a text message on her phone. A minute later, you and the other two gentlemen showed up." George shook his head slowly. "It was a setup, sir. From the very beginning. Miss Stella never did anything wrong. That girl played you all for fools."

The old guard' s words were simple, direct, and unshakable. The foundation of Ethan's righteous anger, the justification for five years of contempt, crumbled into dust. He was left standing in the empty lobby, the truth a cold, sickening weight in his stomach. He hadn't been protecting an innocent victim. He had been a pawn.