Bella felt a strange wave of déjà vu as she stepped into the grand hall with Leo’s hand resting firmly on her lower back. The chandeliers above glittered like falling stars, casting their golden glow across the crowd of well-dressed elites. Every corner was touched by wealth—buffet tables lined with silver trays, champagne towers gleaming, walls adorned with subtle yet expensive old-money décor.
She smiled faintly, her lips pulled into the polite mask she had practiced, greeting people who bowed or shook hands with Leo. Their voices blurred into each other, nas and titles rolling off like aningless sounds. She had seen many of them before—at the auction, at the eting event but tonight it felt heavier, as though every gaze was sharper, every whisper louder.
Her steps faltered when her eyes landed on a familiar figure.
A tall woman stood a few feet away, a glass of red wine poised delicately in her hand. Her laughter was light but cutting, the kind of laugh only the wealthy perfected. Bella’s chest tightened. That was her—the sa woman who had mocked her, belittled her at the important eting event when she had walked in beside Leo. The mory of that humiliation Suddenly stung fresh, and Bella instinctively looked down, hoping to avoid her sharp eyes.
But that wasn’t all.
Just a little further, standing where the light hit her perfectly, was Alexa. She was dressed in a gown of deep red satin, clinging to every curve, her dark hair silky and straight, her lips painted to match. She looked like a carefully crafted picture of elegance, her chin tilted high as though the room belonged to her. Bella’s breath hitched, an invisible weight pressing on her chest.
Then, on the other side, her eyes caught Jessica and Sam. They weren’t alone—Stella stood proudly between them in a fitted black gown, her perfect curls falling to her shoulders, a confident smirk painted across her face. Their presence together made Bella’s stomach knot.
It felt as though the walls were closing in, every direction pulling her into a mory of being humiliated, mocked, or threatened. Her fingers gripped her clutch tightly, her nails pressing into the leather. For a mont, she almost forgot to breathe.
The hall was stunning—crystal chandeliers, marble floors, gilded edges on every table but Bella didn’t see beauty. To her, it felt like a battlefield disguised as a ballroom, and she was standing in the middle of enemies wearing silk gowns and perfect smiles.
"Leo!" Soone important called him from across the hall, and Leo glanced at Bella with hesitation. He clearly didn’t want to leave her side, not in this crowd.
"I’ll be fine," Bella said quickly, forcing a small smile to reassure him. She didn’t want to look weak in front of everyone. After a mont, Leo gave her a firm nod and stepped away, heading toward the man in the corridor.
The mont he disappeared into the crowd, Bella felt the air around her shift. Her body stiffened when she saw Jessica and Stella approaching together. Sam had already broken off to talk with a business partner, leaving the two won free to focus their attention solely on her.
"Sister~~" Stella purred, her tone delicate, playful, yet dripping with venom. Her eyes glittered with malice as they scanned Bella up and down, lingering on the silver dress that shimred softly under the chandelier light.
Bella had never felt so uncomfortable in her entire life. It was as if Stella’s gaze could strip away her confidence, piece by piece.
"Bella!" Jessica’s voice rang out sweetly, though her smile was sharp. "I can’t believe you didn’t even co to greet . Sweetheart, I am your mother, no matter what. I know you’re angry, but you can’t ignore forever, right? After all, I gave birth to you with sooo much difficulty." She even lifted a hand to wipe at invisible tears, her tone syrupy and false.
Bella’s fingers tightened around her clutch. Her lips pressed into a thin line.
"Sister, you really are too much," Stella chid in, her voice loud enough to draw a few glances from nearby guests. "Mom misses you every single day, and you don’t even call her? You’ve even forbidden us from entering your house! How could you stoop so low, Bella?" Her smile widened in cruel delight, like a cat cornering its prey.
Bella tried to move, muttering a stiff, "I’m busy," as she attempted to walk away.
But Jessica chuckled, a sound that made Bella freeze in place. "Bella, I know you’re angry. But do you know who’s even angrier?" She tilted her head, her eyes gleaming. "Your uncle. He’s been missing you so much. He says once he sees you, he’ll hug you tightly, never let go..."
Bella’s blood turned to ice. Her breath hitched, panic clawing its way up her chest. mories she buried deep threatened to surface—the suffocating sll of alcohol, the heavy footsteps in the hallway, the cold dread of being trapped. Her skin crawled in disgust, her face paling as Stella leaned closer.
"He really is missing you," Stella whispered mockingly, her lips curling upward. "Why don’t you say sothing, sister? Don’t tell you’ve forgotten him?"
Bella’s throat tightened. Words refused to form.
Jessica’s laugh cut through the silence like a blade. "Oh, I see. You’re angry at , aren’t you? Because I married you off to Leo forcefully." She sighed, shaking her head with feigned guilt. "But Bella, dear, you have to understand... I love you. I can’t just watch you suffer with Leo. So don’t worry. I’ll prepare the divorce papers for you."
Bella’s eyes widened in shock.
Jessica’s smirk deepened, her voice sugar-coated poison. "Stella will replace you as Leo’s wife. She’s far more fitting. And you... you can co back and live with . Mother and perfect daughter, reunited at last."
Stella tilted her chin proudly, her eyes glinting with triumph, as if she had already won.
Bella’s heart pounded violently in her chest. Her vision blurred at the edges with rage and pain. For a mont, she felt the suffocating weight of her past, of her so-called "family" tightening around her like chains.
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