Chapter 3

3

"Holy shit, you lied to me! Where's the juicy scandal?"

"Are you kidding? Bennett White getting dumped on the spot isn't scandalous enough for you?"

"Who is this woman? Bennett is every girl's dream in this city, and she's acting like she's too good for him? Is she insane?"

The crowd of reporters who had just rushed in started gossiping, and the smart ones were already recording.

Bennett's face was livid. Even if the Sterling family was struggling, Stella was still an asset for his inheritance plans.

Thinking of his younger brother's terrifying business talent, Bennett swallowed his disgust. "All this talk just because you don't want to pay? Fine. After we marry, I'll give you a million a month for pocket money. Is that enough?"

Bennett raised an eyebrow, adding more conditions. "But after the wedding, you are stay out of my business."

A million? Lucian gave me a hundred million. He was treating me like a beggar.

From what I knew, Chloe's monthly allowance was three million.

The lack of love was glaringly obvious.

I was beyond frustrated. "Bennett, even if every other man on Earth died, I wouldn't marry you!"

Bennett's expression shifted through several stages of rage until his ego finally took over.

In a fit of fury, he swiped the pills onto the floor and crushed them with his boot. "Who the hell do you think you are? You think you're some goddess I'm begging to marry?"

"If your mother hadn't begged mine for this arrangement years ago, I wouldn't have even looked at a girl like you!"

"To tell you the truth, Lucian Vance's secretary called me this morning. We're signing a deal. When I'm at the top of the world, don't come crawling back!"

The reporters went wild.

"Mr. Vance? As in Lucian Vance, the king of New York?"

"The power balance in this city is about to shift. The White family is going to be untouchable."

"Is Stella Sterling crazy? She just destroyed her own future. I'm telling my staff to stay away from her family from now on."

I ignored everyone and stared at the crushed pills on the floor.

Months of hard work, gone in an instant.

I looked at Bennett with genuine pity.

To Lucian Vance, Bennett was an ant―the kind whose name he wouldn't even bother to remember.

The last time Lucian visited to check on the research, I had mentioned Bennett's name.

It was only because of me that Lucian even knew he existed.

Now that the medicine was destroyed, Bennett's good days were officially over.

I didn't bother talking to them anymore. I pulled out my phone and dialed Lucian's private number.

Lucian's voice was deep and clear. "Stella, what's wrong?"

"Lucian, I..."

Before I could finish, Chloe snatched the phone and smashed it onto the floor.

"Are you still acting at a time like this!"

Bennett looked at me with pure contempt and lifted his foot. "So I crushed a few of your little sugar pills. I'll pay you back."

"Is a million enough? Ten million? Fifty? I'll even buy this shitty lab from you! You're so low-class."

I let out a soft laugh.

"Bennett, you can't afford to pay for this."

The people in the room started laughing at me.

"Is there anything in this city the great Bennett White can't afford?"

Ignoring their stares, I noticed something. One single pill was still intact on the floor!

I scrambled toward it, trying to cover it with my body.

Chloe screamed, "You little bitch! That's mine!"