My Stepmother Forced Me to Scrub Floors, But My Fiancé Owned Her Mansion

The Secret Deed

Robert stepped forward, completely ignoring Victoria as he knelt down on the wet marble to help Emily to her feet. He gently took the dirty rag from her hand, tossing it aside, and used his linen handkerchief to wipe her hands. The tenderness in his actions contrasted sharply with the icy glare he directed at Victoria when he stood back up.

"You think you can treat her like this in her own home?" Robert asked, his voice dangerously quiet.

Victoria tried to regain her composure, laughing nervously as she tightened her grip on her crystal glass. "Her home? Don't be ridiculous, Robert. This mansion belonged to my late husband, and it belongs to me now. You have no right to come into my house and make threats."

Robert slowly opened his leather portfolio and pulled out a thick stack of legal documents. He held them up, the official state seals gleaming under the foyer's grand chandelier.

"Your late husband mortgaged this estate to the absolute limit to fund your reckless spending," Robert revealed, his words cutting through the air like a knife. "He was drowning in debt when he passed. The bank foreclosed on this entire property three weeks ago."

Victoria's face drained of all color. "No... that's a lie. The lawyers said—"

"The lawyers work for me now," Robert interrupted coldly. "I bought the debt. I bought this mansion, your boutique shops, and every single asset you thought you owned. I was planning to present the deed to Emily today as a wedding gift, and we were going to let you live here out of respect for her father's memory. But that mercy ends today. You have one hour to pack your things and get out."

Desperate and cornered, Victoria's eyes darted around the room before landing on Emily. A wicked, desperate grin spread across her face. "You think you've won, Emily? If I leave, I'm taking your father's personal journals with me. One tap on my phone's remote security app, and the safe's incinerator will turn them to ash. Let me stay, or you lose your father forever!"