Stella's POV
After dinner, I went upstairs to pack my belongings.
The familiar scent still lingered in my old room, but everything else had changed. Lucy had shredded all my designer dresses—thousands of dollars' worth of fabric now lay scattered like confetti. The sight pained me more than I cared to admit.
"Looking for something?" Lucy leaned against the doorframe, toying with my pendant, a mocking smile on her face. "Oh right, there's nothing here that belongs to you anymore."
I bit my tongue and continued packing the few remaining items into a cardboard box. An old photograph caught my eye—it was taken when I first learned I was adopted, a picture of me with my grandmother. God, we both looked so uncomfortable.
"Must be hard," Lucy drawled, "coming back to clean up the remnants of your fake life."
"Not as hard as watching you try to imitate me," I retorted, carefully wrapping my mother's music box. "Still playing dress-up in my old clothes, Lucy?"
Her fingers dug into the doorframe. "These are my things now. My room. My family."
"Of course." I smiled sweetly. "But those dresses really don't suit you. They make your hips look huge."
Lucy's face turned crimson. "At least I don't have to sleep with a cripple to maintain my lifestyle."
Her jab at Adam made my blood boil, but I kept my voice steady. "Yeah, you're just draining Brian's accounts. How's that going?"
"You little—" Lucy took a step forward but then stopped abruptly. A sinister smile spread across her face. "Actually, since you're leaving, let me see you off."
There was something in her tone that set off alarm bells. Lucy only used that voice when she was planning something particularly nasty.
\---
I had just reached the courtyard when Lucy stormed out, furious.
"I have a sapphire brooch missing. Did you take it?" she demanded angrily.
It was evening, and neighbors were out for their post-dinner strolls. Several women turned to look at us.
"Mom, have you seen my sapphire brooch? The one from my birthday last year?"
Damn. I knew that innocent tone too well.
Anna's hand flew to her throat, her performance Oscar-worthy. "No, dear, what's wrong?"
"It's just..." Lucy's eyes filled with tears right on cue. "The last time I saw it was when Stella was in my room..."
The whispers started immediately:
"I knew there was something off about her..."
"These adopted kids..."
"And now she's married to that cripple man..."
Seeing those familiar faces from the social circle, I finally understood why Lucy had suddenly gone mad—she wanted to ruin my reputation through these ladies!
"We should check your box," Anna said firmly. "Just to be sure."
Before I could stop her, Lucy had already upended my box onto the ground. The music box shattered, and there, among my belongings, lay a sapphire brooch I had never seen before.
"Oh my God!" Lucy gasped. "Mom, isn't that—"
"My brooch!" Anna clutched her chest. "Stella, how could you?"
I stood there, my mind racing. This was clearly a setup, but how could I prove it?
"Lancaster's wife."
The room fell silent. Adam appeared in the doorway, looking murderous. My savior had arrived, and he looked incredibly handsome!
"Mr. Lancaster!" Anna's voice turned sugary sweet. "What a surprise—"
"Save it." Adam's voice could freeze fire. "You're accusing my wife of theft?"
Lucy stepped forward. "Uncle Adam, we didn't mean—"
"Uncle?" He laughed coldly. "Funny, I don't know you. But I do remember your family's furniture import contract. Taylor?"
"Yes, sir." Taylor produced a tablet. "Shall I contact legal to terminate the contract?"
John practically ran into the room. "Wait, Adam—"
"Wait?" Adam's smile was deadly. "Like you waited before accusing my wife in front of them?"
"The penalty fees alone would be substantial," Taylor added helpfully. "Not to mention the impact on your stock price."
John looked like he was about to faint. "We can discuss—"
"Can we?" Adam looked at me. "Ready to go?"
I nodded, my throat tight. As Taylor gathered my things, Adam's hand found mine.
"Oh, and Lucy?" Adam said as we left. "Next time you frame someone, don't use such an obvious fake."
\---
In the car, I finally exhaled the breath I'd been holding. Manhattan blurred past the window as I tried to process everything that had just happened.
"How did you know?" I finally asked.
"Someone was bullying my wife?" Adam squeezed my hand. "I have my sources."
"You mean Taylor?"
He actually laughed. "He might have overheard a few things."
I studied his face. "You didn't have to do that. Threaten to terminate their contract."
"Didn't I?" His eyes met mine. "They were trying to destroy your reputation. You think I'd stand by and do nothing?"
"I can handle it."
"I know." His thumb traced circles on my palm. "But you don't have to handle everything alone."
The impact of his words was greater than I expected. I thought of last night, how different things were now compared to our initial arrangement.
"Thank you," I whispered, leaning against his shoulder. There was a strange sense of security, a warmth in my heart.
His other hand stroked my hair. "No one can bully what's mine."
It should have sounded possessive. But somehow, for the first time, I felt protected.
\---
Lucy's POV
I watched their car disappear from sight, my nails digging into my palms.
"Bastard!" Dad was trembling with rage. "Lucy, you said he was just putting on a show—"
"I was wrong." The words tasted bitter. "He wasn't putting on a show at all."
He had effortlessly dismantled our plan... I had severely underestimated that man in the wheelchair. He had more power than anyone I knew.
"What do you mean, wrong?" Mom's voice turned sharp. "You said he was just a puppet!"
Dad slumped into a chair. "The penalty fees alone would bankrupt us. And our stock..."
"Maybe he's just bluffing," I said firmly.
Mom narrowed her eyes. "What if he's serious? Let that bitch and the cripple win?"
The fake brooch felt heavy in my pocket. It had been a perfect plan until Adam showed up.
Seeing the way he looked at Stella, as if he would destroy the world to protect her... This was no longer just about business. We had attacked someone he considered his.
I lowered my gaze, remaining silent.
If Adam was really just a pawn, could he have thrown around two billion dollars recently?
Even Brian's family suspected that Adam might be the president of another conglomerate.
But I wouldn't remind them of this. I didn't want to admit that I had handed Stella over to a powerful, wealthy, and handsome man.
Stella, just wait. Dad and Mom's love will always belong to me.