clutched my arm, pain radiating all the way to my fingertips as I forced myself upright.
A group of bodyguards in black had just burst in. They parted automatically for the man striding in behind them.
He walked straight up to Delilah, his voice low and concerned.
“What happened? I heard someone was giving you trouble. Who the hell had the guts?”
He stood well over six feet, sharp in a tailored suit, his features handsome in that cold, hard way that made people stare.
Delilah turned, locking eyes with me, smug and daring.
The man followed her gaze. When his eyes landed on me, they were detached–cool and quietly judging.
I swallowed the heat in my throat and tried to stay civil.
“You’re Cassian Sterling, right? I’m Seraphina Vale–your grandfather arranged for us to be engaged. I was the one who called you earlier. Ms. Monroe, she-”
“Shut up.”
His voice cut through mine like a blade, brows pinched in irritation.
“I don’t give a damn what happened.”
“I don’t care who you are. Just get on your knees and apologize to Delilah. Now.”
I was stunned.
This engagement–his family had pushed for it.
On paper, I was his fiancée. And now, without even asking what happened, he wanted me to kneel and apologize?
I laughed, a bitter huff.
“Mr. Sterling, maybe we don’t have a deep emotional connection. Maybe you’re more attached to Ms. Monroe. I get it. But at the very least, I’m still your fiancée. You owe me a shred of basic respect,”
“And let’s be honest here–she’s the one who crossed the line, not me. You didn’t even ask what happened. What gives
you the right to demand I apologize?”
Cassian raised a brow, eyes full of scorn and superiority.
“What gives me the right?” he sneered.
“How about the fact that you forced your way into the Sterling family?”
“If my grandfather hadn’t said I’d only inherit Sterling Industries if I married you, I wouldn’t have spared you a second
glance. You–some desperate girl from god–knows–where–disgust me.”
His eyes dropped to my mud–stained clothes and shoes, and he curled his lip in visible revulsion.
Chapter 2
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“You think marrying into the Sterlings gives you permission to bully the people I care about? Try upsetting Delilah again, and I’ll make damn sure you’re out of this family so fast you won’t know what hit you.”
I stared at him, incredulous.
“Mr. Sterling, let’s get one thing straight. I didn’t force this marriage-”
“Oh please,” Delilah cut in, laughing with triumph.
“Wait till Cass actually calls it off. Let’s see if you’re still acting tough when you’re begging to stay.”
“Marrying into the Sterlings is the best thing that could ever happen to a girl like you. You won’t dare back out.”
The two of them, side by side, looking down at me like they were tossing scraps to a beggar–it was almost laughable.
I smiled coldly.
“The Sterlings? You think that name means something to me? You think every woman in the world’s clawing her way to get into your family like it’s some golden ticket?”
From outside, the watching neighbors collectively gasped.
“She’s crazy, right? That’s the Sterlings she’s talking about!”
“Doesn’t she know they practically run Cedarcrest City? And she has the nerve to say they’re nothing?”
“Come on, who doesn’t want to marry Cassian Sterling? She already got the house, the ceremony’s planned–so what if
the decorations are weird? Just deal with it.”
“Yeah, let Delilah vent a little. Lock down the wedding first–then figure the rest out.”
Their voices swirled together, a mess of judgment and self–righteousness.
I stood there, stunned by how absurd it all was.
Yes, the Sterlings were rich. So what?
They built that empire on our research–on a tech license my lab handed out a decade ago.
Ten years ago, they secured a limited–term license on one of our patented systems. It turned their business into a rocket
overnight.
And now? That contract’s about to expire–just thirty days left.
No renewal, no empire. That’s how fragile their shine really is.
That’s why Augustus Sterling–the great patriarch himself–kept showing up at FARA, practically begging for a renewal.
He knew I was the project lead. He knew I was single.
So he started camping outside my office, all friendly smiles and “concerned grandfather” speeches. Always dropping hints about his brilliant, eligible grandson.
Chapter 2
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I didn’t bite.
So he went to my mother instead.
And she? She bought into the whole act–no questions asked.
Next thing I knew, she’d arranged the damn engagement behind my back, acting like she’d just won the lottery.
If we’re being honest, this marriage was supposed to be mutually beneficial.
From a strategic standpoint, a union like this would help stabilize the Sterlings‘ domestic investments, and my agency
wouldn’t mind securing another decade of research funding.
Everyone was watching, waiting to see if this alliance would hold.
But now?
The marriage Augustus fought so hard for-
His golden grandson was about to blow it all to hell.
These thoughts zipped through my mind in a flash. But to Cassian and Delilah, my silence looked like guilt.
Cassian stepped forward, impatient.
“Last chance. Kneel. Apologize to Delilah–or the wedding’s off.”
I looked up, met his gaze, and said calmly, clearly:
“Fine. Call off the wedding. I don’t need your charity.”
Chapter 2
