Chapter 3

“You have to earn your living, Bella. Do you really think you can keep eating free meals, sleeping under a free roof, and living off my son while he’s breaking his back working to put food on the table?” Matilda snapped, her voice dripping with contempt.

I stared at her, stunned by the sheer arrogance in her words.

Every accusation pressed against my chest like a weight. My breathing grew shallow, my ribs tightening painfully as I fought to keep my emotions under control.

I took a slow, deep breath. I refused to give them the satisfaction of seeing me break.

With my jaw clenched, I slowly pushed myself to my feet. Pain shot through my injured leg and arm, nearly making me lose my balance, but I steadied myself and forced my trembling body upright.

Once I had composed myself, I lifted my eyes and looked directly at Ralph.

“So, what about the Conti project?”

My calm question instantly changed the atmosphere.

Ralph's expression flickered with surprise. Even Dawn frowned, clearly caught off guard by my unexpected question.

“How did you know about the Conti project?” Dawn demanded.

I didn't even spare her a glance. My eyes remained fixed on Ralph. I was waiting for his answer.

“What happened to the Conti project?” I repeated.

This time, there was no softness in my voice. It was a demand.

Ralph's brows furrowed as though he couldn't understand why I was suddenly asking about a business deal.

“Conti Corporation's requirements were nearly impossible for K-Line to meet, so I decided to let the project go,” he finally explained. Then, as though it were nothing worth mentioning, he added, “Besides, Dawn found us a much better partner—the Wright Group of Companies.”

He turned toward Dawn with unmistakable pride, as though he were praising her for accomplishing something extraordinary.

I remained silent. The Wright Group.

So, that was the source of their arrogance.

They thought they had found their savior in Dawn simply because she had the Wright Group standing behind her.

I watched Ralph and Dawn exchange those pleased, almost tender looks, as though they had already won. As though everything had finally fallen into place for them.

Meanwhile, I stood there struggling to steady my breathing.

Pain. Anger. Disappointment. Betrayal.

So many emotions crashed into me at once that I could no longer tell one from another.

But strangely, I didn't have the strength to fight anymore. I had reached my last straw.

“Well, then…” I murmured, forcing the words past the tightness in my throat.

“Good luck.” I turned around and slowly limped away.

Every step sent another jolt of pain through my injured leg, but I kept moving. I didn't care about the eyes following me or the whispers spreading around the room.

I simply wanted to leave.

“Bella…”

Leo's hesitant voice stopped me for a moment. He hurried after me, his expression filled with confusion and unease.

“I had no idea about any of this,” he whispered, glancing back at the others before looking at me. He seemed uncertain whether he should help me.

I looked at him. There was no anger in my eyes, nor did I beg for his sympathy.

“It's fine, Leo.” I took another painful step.

“But if you don't mind helping me get out of here, I'd appreciate it.”

“Of course.” He immediately stepped forward and carefully supported me, taking some of my weight as we began walking toward the exit.

“By the way, Bella…”

Matilda's voice followed us.

I didn't stop.

“Don't bother coming back home.” Her words were loud enough for everyone to hear.

“Dawn will be coming home with us tonight as Ralph's wife. And don't worry…” Her voice dripped with disdain.

“I'll make sure to throw your rubbish out first thing when we get home.”

A few murmurs rippled through the room.

“You can collect your things tomorrow.” She paused, then added with a cruel smile, “That is, if you can still find them in the trash.”

I kept walking. I didn’t turn around. Just like the two years I had spent with them, whatever I had left behind in that house had no value. It was nothing but rubbish—something I could casually throw away without a second thought.

The memories. The two years I had wasted desperately trying to earn a place in a family that had never wanted me.

The whispers behind me grew louder, spreading through the hall like a swarm of insects. I could feel their eyes following me, their murmurs twisting into another layer of humiliation as they watched me leave.

But humiliation was only a fraction of what I felt. Mostly, I was tired. Tired of pretending that their cruelty didn’t hurt.

I had reached my limit. And the moment I stepped out of that hall, I left everything behind.

“You can go back inside now, Leo. Thank you for helping me.”

A faint smile touched my lips as I looked at Leo.

“You can stay with us for a while, Bella. I can’t let you wander the streets tonight. Alice won’t mind taking care of you,” Leo offered gently.

I immediately shook my head.

“I’ll be fine, Leo. I don’t want to drag you into my mess. You’ve already helped me enough. Thank you.” I forced another reassuring smile. “I have somewhere to stay, so don’t worry.”

Leo studied me for a moment, clearly unconvinced. But when he realized I was serious, he could only sigh and nod.

“Call me or Alice if you need anything.” He hesitated as though he wanted to say more, then finally turned and walked away.

I watched his retreating figure until he disappeared from sight.

Only then did a vehicle pull up beside me. The window slowly rolled down.

“The wife being thrown out of the celebration while the mistress takes center stage.”

The voice from inside was calm, almost casual. Yet the words pierced me like a poisoned arrow.

I had expected mockery. Instead, I found none.

I turned toward the vehicle and met the familiar, unreadable gaze of Zachary Simon.

“I never expected Vice President Simon to be concerned,” I replied casually.

“I happened to witness the spectacle.” A faint smirk curved his lips. “And I couldn’t help but be curious.”

“Enjoyed it?” I raised an eyebrow.

“I didn’t.”

His immediate answer caught me off guard.

For a moment, our gazes remained locked. His face was as inscrutable as ever, giving me no clue what was actually going through his mind.

Then, after a long silence, he spoke again.

“Need a lift?”

“Yes.”.The answer left my lips before I could think twice. I opened the door and slipped into his car.

The moment I settled into the luxurious leather seat, exhaustion washed over me, I allowed myself to sink into the comfort instead of forcing myself to stand tall.

Zachary glanced at me from the corner of his eye.

“It never crossed my mind that I’d see this day,” he murmured, his voice laced with faint amusement.

“The Conti heiress accepting help from a Wright.”

Normally, I would have thrown a sharp retort back at him.

Tonight, I had nothing left. Not even the strength to argue. I simply leaned my head against the seat and closed my eyes. I allowed myself to breathe.

“In this foreign place…” I whispered weakly, my voice barely audible.

“I have no one except the man I was supposed to call my enemy.”

****tbc****