Low-Key Heir Gets Dumped

On my birthday, I spent hours decorating a restaurant, ready to propose to Dolly Porter… until I happened to open a social feed.There, in a freshly posted video, my girlfriend was on stage in a nearly transparent skirt, wrapped around Steven Chase as they danced provocatively. A matching pair of couple rings gleamed on their fingers.I stared at the screen for a long time, my chest tightening with a cocktail of emotions. Just a week ago, I had collapsed from exhaustion while caring for her through a fever. The moment she recovered, she rushed to attend a concert with Steven. When I tried to stop her, she abandoned me—burning with fever, left alone in the pouring rain—while she drove off into the night and never came back.When I confronted her, she scoffed that I didn't even have a "real job," only ever tinkered with "worthless antiques," and shamelessly claimed she was doing it all to introduce me to something "respectable." Since then, we had been given each other the cold shou

Staring at the ornate carved door ahead, Dolly asked curiously, "What's this place?"Her voice caught the others' attention. When they learned it was the wine cellar, excitement rippled through the group, and they clamored to go inside.My heart tightened. That cellar held my sister's collection—rare wines she'd acquired from auctions all over the world. Alarmed, I stepped forward to stop them.But Steven was already keying in the code. With a soft click, the heavy door swung open.Three towering walls of wine came into view, arranged meticulously by vintage. Beside them, a marble tasting counter gleamed, lined with crystal decanters and fine wine glasses."Damn, Steven, you're too modest. You called this 'not big'? This cellar is massive!""Look at all these bottles. Every single one must cost a fortune!""Of course! Would Steven stock cheap wine? Think we'll be lucky enough to taste one?"Dolly's eyes glittered with delight."Steven, you're incredible. So many rare wines… no

There was a long, suffocating silence. The atmosphere was even heavier than when everyone had first learned Steven's true identity.Every pair of eyes, wide with disbelief, was fixed on me—everyone except Trish.No one knew how long the silence lasted until Dolly finally spoke up, "Wh-what? Brother?"I ignored her entirely and walked straight to Trish's side. "Trish, I thought they were your guests."The moment they saw how close we were, Steven's three friends snapped back to their senses."This has nothing to do with me! I never touched the bottle!""Nor me. Dolly smashed it.""That's right! It was Dolly, and she's the one who suggested framing your brother for it."With everyone turning against her, Dolly grew both furious and desperate. She shot me a pleading look, but I didn't even glance her way.So she turned on Steven, who had been shrinking into himself, and lashed out."Steven brought us here! He told us this winery was his; he's the one who led us into the cellar.