Chapter 4

It was an enormous diamond ring.

The cut was flawless — it fractured the lobby lights into a thousand tiny shards of fire. And along the inside of the ring, engraved in clean letters, were two names.

Edward. Katherine.

The color drained from Julian's face. White, then gray, then a sickly green.

He couldn't stop staring at the ring. His lips trembled slightly.

"This… this isn't possible…"

Jessica hadn't read the engraving yet. She'd just watched Julian's face collapse.

She lunged forward and grabbed for my hand.

"Oh, please, Katherine — where'd you get a fake ring? Did you seriously think this little stunt would get Julian's attention?!"

Barbara crowded in beside her.

"Has to be a fake! What kind of woman would go this far just to claw her way up? What are you all standing around for — get her out of here!"

Julian reached out and pushed Jessica away from me. Hard.

Hard enough that she stumbled and fell.

"Julian—" Jessica stared up at him from the floor, disbelief all over her face.

He didn't look at her. With both hands trembling, he lifted my left hand and brought it close, eyes fixed on the names engraved inside the ring.

He read them for what felt like a full minute.

Then he looked up at me, and there was nothing in his expression but shock and complete bewilderment.

"You… you…" He couldn't get a sentence out.

I looked down at him, my voice cool.

"Can't read anymore?"

I stepped closer.

"Legally speaking, I'm your father's wife." I let that land. "Which means I'm your stepmother."

"So." I tilted my head. "Do you still want to throw me out?"

The lobby detonated.

The collective gasp was ten times louder than anything before it.

"She married Edward?!"

"The Edward Sterling? That ruthless, untouchable man?!"

"That's not possible — how is that possible?!"

Jessica, still on the floor, let out a shriek.

"That's a lie! Absolute lie! You're a fraud, Katherine! Where did you get that fake ring?! Why would Chairman Sterling ever look twice at a woman like you — some loveless, lonely nobody?!"

Barbara found her voice too.

"She's trying to sabotage Jessie's wedding! Showing up with a prop ring! You could go to prison for this!" She spun toward Julian. "Call the police! She's delusional!"

Julian didn't respond to either of them.

He pulled out his phone. His fingers were unsteady.

The lobby held its breath.

The call connected.

"Alfred…" Julian's voice came out dry and hollow. "Did my father… get married?"

Whatever Edward's personal assistant said on the other end, Julian's face went completely bloodless.

His hand dropped slowly to his side.

"It's true," he murmured.

"What?" Jessica scrambled up and grabbed his arm.

Julian turned to look at her. His eyes were unreadable — complex and faintly disgusted.

"She is, in fact, my father's lawfully wedded wife."

Jessica went rigid like someone had cut her strings.

Barbara's jaw went slack, her eyes wide and glassy.

I didn't have time to enjoy any of it. I pushed Julian out of my way.

"Move. If anything happens to my grandmother because of this, I will make every single one of you pay."

I shoved into the elevator and hit the top floor button.

As the doors closed, I heard the lobby erupt behind me — louder than anything that had come before.