3
Before the three of us could even finish our conversation, Pedro’s parents, flanked by their smug, sharp-ton
gued daughter, marched up to me.
“Stella Sterling!” Pedro’s father jabbed a finger in my direction. “How could you just cancel the wedding on a
whim?”
I fought back the urge to roll my eyes. “Pedro was the one who walked out. I was merely respecting his deci
sion.”
His father puffed out his chest. “Young ladies are always so dramatic. Pedro left, so why didn’t you go after him? It’s easy for you to call off the wedding now, but when he’s upset later, you’ll be the one who has to
coax him back into a good mood.”
He then adopted a magnanimous tone. “How about this: you hand over that new energy project you’re man aging to your sister-in-law, and we’ll put in a good word for you with Pedro.”
At this, Pedro’s sister sneered. “Just one project isn’t enough to make up for upsetting my brother. Stella, tha villa of yours in the city center is quite nice. If you gift it to me, I’ll help you calm him down. Otherwise, you’ll just have to watch me call Lily my sister-in-law. I wonder how you’ll feel then.”
I looked at this arrogant, greedy family. There was a time when they were so insignificant they wouldn’t have dared to speak to me so directly. But now, thanks to my endless groveling for Pedro, they thought they could
order me around.
A humorless smile touched my lips. “Pedro and I have broken up, so you don’t need to worry about it. As for the project and the villa, I happen to like them both, so I’ll be keeping them.”
I let that sink in before delivering the final blow. “Furthermore, all Sterling family investments and partnershi-
Chapter 1
19:08
ps with the Lynn Corporation will be withdrawn by the end of the day. After all, we’re no longer connected.”
Their company, with its antiquated business model, was on the brink of collapse. If it weren’t for my family’s unconditional funding over the years, they would have gone bankrupt long ago.
Clearly, they had forgotten that.
Pedro’s father turned purple with rage. “You ungrateful brat! How dare you turn on us! Fine! Pull your funding! You just keep playing your games. But don’t come crawling back to us like a dog for help. This time, we won’t
be so soft.”
The Lynn family stormed off. As she left, Pedro’s sister shot me a venomous look. “You pathetic bootlicker Just wait. When you come begging, I won’t just want the project and the villa. I’ll make you kneel and lick my
shoes before I ever let my brother forgive you.”
I laughed coldly. “Then I suggest you get comfortable. You’ll be waiting a long time.”
My parents grabbed my hands, their faces etched with worry. “Stella, forget the project and the villa, but we will never allow you to lick anyone’s shoes. You’re our precious daughter, the girl we raised in the palm of ou
hands.”
Seeing their anguish, a wave of guilt washed over me. I had been such a fool, eroding their trust in me so
completely.
“Mom, Dad, don’t worry,” I promised again, my voice firm. “I will not go back to Pedro. And I will certainly never beg his family for anything. We are truly over.”
Their eyes held the same flicker of doubt as before.
But I knew they would believe me soon enough.
