My Fiancé Humiliated Me at a Gala, Not Knowing I Owned the Entire Estate
Previously: When Julian publicly humiliated his seemingly poor fiancée in front of the city's elite, he thought he was finally discarding her. He had no idea she was the true owner of the entire estate.
The Escalation
As I reached the grand mahogany doors of the foyer, ready to leave the Sterling family to their self-inflicted ruin, a cold voice stopped me in my tracks. Arthur Sterling, Julian's father and the ruthless patriarch of the family, stepped out of the shadows of the library. He held a glowing smartphone in his hand, a smug, victorious grin stretching across his weathered face. The commotion in the ballroom had spilled over, and the guests crowded the doorway, watching the drama unfold.
"You play a very dangerous game, Clara," Arthur sneered, stepping directly into my path. "Or should I call you Miss Vance?"
I kept my chin high, refusing to let him see the sudden spike of adrenaline in my veins. "Get out of my way, Arthur," I said, my voice steady. "Your family's lease on this estate is officially terminated."
Arthur laughed, a dry, grating sound. "You think owning this physical house gives you power? Your late father was a brilliant businessman, but he made one fatal mistake. He trusted my firm to manage the Vance family trust. Ten minutes ago, I authorized a clause in our management contract. Your family's entire liquid wealth has been frozen under suspicion of fraud. You are broke, Clara. You have a beautiful house, but you cannot even afford to pay the electricity bill."
Julian, nursing his reddened cheek, rushed to his father's side, his confidence instantly returning. "You slapped me!" he hissed. "You're going to jail, and then you'll be begging on the streets where you belong!"
Beatrice joined them, her eyes gleaming with malice as she whispered to the surrounding guests about my 'impending ruin.' I looked at the three of them, realizing the depth of their corruption. They had planned to strip me of my inheritance all along, using Julian's marriage proposal as a backdoor to my family's fortune. But they had underestimated my father's foresight, and more importantly, they had underestimated me.
”But they had underestimated my father's foresight, and more importantly, they had underestimated me.