Chapter 1

At my own engagement party, my fiancé walked in hand-in-hand with his little damsel in distress. He stood there, center stage, and announced he was calling the whole thing off.

Everett Ford looked me dead in the eye and said, "Serena, being with you is utterly suffocating."

"Only Lily gives me the kind of love I crave. She makes me feel like a living, breathing man, not just your puppet."

I actually laughed. The sheer audacity of it was hilarious.

Everything he owned, every penny in his pocket―it all came from the Sterling family. My family.

He wanted a grand romance? Fine.

He could go find it in the gutter.

My older brother, Silas, spoke first. "Anyone who dares to do business with the Fords is an official enemy of the Sterling family."

My younger brother, Leo, chimed in. "Mr. Thompson, Mr. Miller, if you keep taking Everett's calls, you'd better be prepared for the consequences."

My grandfather leaned on his cane, his voice cold. "Effective immediately, we are clawing back every resource we ever gave to the Fords."

1

Today was my twenty-sixth birthday. It was also supposed to be the night Everett Ford and I officially tied the knot.

But instead of a ring, Everett brought Lily Quinn to the gala.

I stood there, frozen, watching them whisper and touch like I wasn't even in the room. My heart felt like it was being squeezed by a cold hand.

Everett knew exactly how much I despised that woman.

I was the rising star of the tech world, a woman who had carved out her own empire. Lily, on the other hand, was mediocre at best.

She survived in this industry by using her face to land contracts. Of course, she wouldn't have lasted a month without my fiancé's secret help.

Everyone in New York knew about our history. Our families had arranged this marriage before we were even born.

But he didn't care about honor or reputation. He brought his mistress to the most important night of my life.

"Everett, what is she doing here?" I asked, my voice trembling with suppressed rage.

I didn't understand. Was he just trying to humiliate me, or was there more to this cruelty?

Everett didn't answer me. He just smirked and walked toward the stage, grabbing a microphone.

"Good evening, everyone. I'm Everett Ford, and as you know, tonight was meant to be my engagement to Serena Sterling."

"But before we begin, I have an announcement to make."

"Lily, honey, come up here."

Lily Quinn beamed, walking up the steps and physically pushing her way between Everett and me. She shoved me toward the corner of the stage.

They were even wearing matching outfits. This wasn't a mistake; it was a coordinated strike to erase me from my own life.

I stood there like a ghost at my own feast.

Lily grabbed his arm, looking up at him with those wide, innocent eyes.

Everett spoke into the mic again, his voice full of a joy he'd never shown me. "As you can see, Lily and I have committed ourselves to one another."

"This engagement was just an old-fashioned joke between our parents. It doesn't count, and tonight, I'm officially ending it."

"My future happiness is on the line. I refuse to be forced into marrying a woman I don't love."

"But Serena and I are fine. The Fords and the Sterlings will remain business allies, of course."

He said it all so casually, as if my feelings didn't exist. He didn't even consult me before blowing up my life in front of the city's elite.

This wasn't just a breakup. It was a slap in the face to the entire Sterling legacy.

The Sterlings were the wealthiest family in New York. If it weren't for me, the Ford family would have been bankrupt years ago.

But human nature is a fickle thing. Who would have thought they'd bite the hand that fed them so publicly?

My father's face turned a dangerous shade of red. He stood up so fast his chair flew backward.

Everett's mother saw the storm coming and tried to play peacemaker.

"Arthur, please, calm down. This is just a little drama between the kids. We shouldn't get involved."

"I promise you, the Ford-Sterling partnership is still rock solid."

"Who the hell do you think you're talking to?" my father roared. He didn't give her an inch.

He stormed onto the stage and stood behind me, a mountain of support.

"Don't you dare look down, Serena. Keep your head up. I'm right here, and no coward is going to bully you today."

"Since you want to talk business, Everett, let's be clear."

"You are going to pay for every single word you said tonight."

Everett went quiet. He was brave when he had a microphone, but he couldn't handle my father's glare.

"Arthur, you can't force love. Is this really how a man of your stature behaves?"

"The engagement is off, but we can still work together. Don't let your temper ruin a good deal."

"Besides, I truly love Lily. Just give us your blessing."

My father let out a dry, disgusted bark of a laugh. He'd dealt with vipers his whole life, but never one this shameless.

"Blessing? You're delusional."

"This is a Sterling event. What gives a stranger like you the right to propose on our stage?"

"The engagement is over. Fine. Now, we're going to continue with my daughter's birthday celebration."

"And as I recall, I didn't invite a single member of the Ford family to her birthday."

"You have five minutes to get out of my sight before I have security throw you into the street."

My father's presence was suffocating. He was a titan of industry, and when he spoke, people listened.

The Fords were trying to drag my name through the mud. My father, who treated me like a princess, wasn't about to let that slide.

The Sterlings were the top tier of the Manhattan elite. The Fords were nothing without us.

In less than five minutes, the Ford family had vanished. Not a single person stayed behind to defend them.

Everett's mother lingered at the door, looking desperate.

"Arthur, come on. We've known each other for decades."

"Honestly, I love Serena. I always have. And you used to say Everett was such a good, responsible man."

"How about this? Let Everett call you 'Dad' as a godson. We can keep everything the way it was."

Everett heard this and rushed back over, trying to grab my father's hand.

"She's right. I'll still look after you just like Serena does. You won't lose a son."

Lily Quinn, seeing an opening, slithered over too. "And I'll be like a daughter to you!"

I felt like I was going to throw up. Before I could speak, my father stepped in.

"Stay back, Serena. Let me handle these bottom-feeders."

"You people really have no shame, do you? Your math is bad if you think this ends well for you."

"The Sterling family doesn't forgive, and we definitely don't forget."

"Rose Ford, this is the son you raised? A boy who humiliates my daughter in public? Watch your back. You're about to find out what we're made of."

He didn't wait for a reply. He signaled the guards, and they were escorted out like common trash.

A moment later, my brothers arrived, having heard the news.

Silas looked at my tear-stained face and his eyes turned to ice.

"Serena, I told you that gold-digger was no good. You didn't believe me. Well, now you know."

"He brought his mistress to your party. I've added that to his tab."

"I'm going to make sure he can't get a job flipping burgers in this town."

I looked at Silas, feeling drained. "Maybe we should just let it go, Silas. It's over. There's no point in dragging this out."

"I just want them out of my life."

A heavy hand landed on my shoulder.

Silas looked at me with a mix of pity and frustration.

"Serena, why are you so soft-hearted? He gutted you in public, and you're just going to let him walk?"

He was right. I shouldn't want to let him go.

Our families were old friends, or so I thought. Our grandparents had been inseparable.

That's why the betrothal happened. We grew up together.

Back in college, when the Ford business was failing, Everett came to me crying. He begged me to save them.

I used every Sterling connection I had to prop them up. I built his foundation stone by stone.

When Everett said he didn't want to work for someone else, I used my own inheritance to start a tech company for him.

I gave him priority on every Sterling project. I gave him the world.

But I was the one with the talent. I became the tech prodigy, the 'it' girl of the industry.

Everett was just an empty suit who refused to put in the work.

I had given him my heart, my brain, and my money.

And he repaid me by turning me into a laughingstock.

I wanted him to pay, but part of me was just so tired. Why waste more energy on a man who didn't love me?

Silas saw me drifting off and snapped his fingers. "Serena! Pay attention. I'm talking to you."

My father stepped in immediately. "Leave her alone, Silas. Can't you see she's hurting? Lower your damn voice."

Silas rolled his eyes at me. "Look at you, looking all pathetic."

He pulled out his phone and made a call. "Hey, it's Silas. Spread the word. Anyone who signs a contract with Ford Tech is dead to the Sterlings."

"If anyone has a problem with that, tell them to come talk to me face-to-face."

I could hear the voices on the other end. Several CEOs were already pledging their loyalty.

"Don't worry, Silas. We've heard what that scumbag did. Consider him blacklisted."

"Ford Tech is finished. We're pulling out of our deals tonight."