I Funded His Empire, He Married Someone Else

Chapter 3

That evening, I slid into the back of the Rolls-Royce.

By the time the car pulled up at the gates of The Vance estate, Victor was already there, one arm around Lily, both of them held back at the edge of the red carpet by security.

He was in a bespoke suit, tall and composed, features soft. If not for that Close Friends story last night, anyone looking at him would have thought him a perfectly respectable man, deeply in love.

Lily leaned into his chest, her face pale, my pink diamond glinting on her finger. When she saw me, a flicker of triumph shot through her eyes before she pitched her voice into something small and wounded.

"Victor, is Stella coming with us too?" she asked. "If she makes a scene, won't it hurt your chances of getting through the Vances' doors?"

Victor frowned in my direction and dropped his voice. "Stella, don't be difficult. This isn't a place for you. Go home and wait for me."

I sat inside the car and simply watched him.

He was genuinely afraid I might ruin his dignity. Afraid I'd be jealous, that I'd raise my voice, that I'd embarrass him in front of the Vances. What he wasn't afraid of, not for a second, was hurting me.

Lily walked over with reddened eyes and gave me a pitiful look.

"Stella, sweetie, please don't be angry with Victor. It's my fault. I'm the one who begged him to bring me. I know you've stood by him for years, but feelings aren't something you can bind to yourself through time alone. If you're upset, take it out on me, just don't make a scene here, okay?"

By the end, her tears were already spilling over.

The other guests waiting to enter turned to look. In just a few sentences, she'd nailed me to the ground as the pathetic, clingy joke.

Victor stepped forward at once to shield her, his expression cooling. "Stella, Lily isn't well. Stop provoking her."

I looked at him. "Victor, you still think I'm the one making trouble?"

He frowned as if humoring a difficult child. "Tonight is the Vances' gala, not somewhere you get to throw a tantrum. Go home first. When it's over, we'll sit down and talk properly."

I didn't answer. My eyes went to the invitation in his hand.

Victor noticed my gaze, and his face darkened further. He handed the card to the guard. "I'm Victor Thorne, CEO of Thorne Industries. We went public today. The Vances should be expecting me."

The guard didn't take it. He just glanced down at the card. "Mr. Thorne, this is an invitation to the outer lounge only. It doesn't grant access to the grand ballroom."

Victor's face went ashen. Lily's tears came harder.

"Victor, I'm sorry. It's all my fault. If I hadn't insisted on coming, no one would be looking down on you. Let's just go home. Really, getting to see the gates of the Vances' house was already more than enough for me."

The tenderness in Victor's eyes almost overflowed. He pulled her closer, voice low and hoarse but resolute. "Don't talk like that. You deserve the best. Even if I have to force my way in, tonight I'll make sure you see what it looks like inside."

Sitting in the car, I found the whole thing absurd.

The year he chased his first round of financing, he couldn't afford a proper suit. I was the one who sold my mother's watch to buy him his dignity. Now he stood at the Vances' gate accusing me of ruining his future.

The next moment, a guard hurried to my car, bent, and opened the door. "Ms. Vance, the elder Mr. Vance has been waiting for you."

The color drained visibly from Victor's face. Lily clutched at his arm, her voice barely more than a tremor. "Stella?"

I didn't get out. Through the half-lowered window, I looked at Victor.

"Mr. Thorne, weren't you the one saying this wasn't a place for me? Take a good look now. See exactly who doesn't belong here."

With that, I raised the window. The driver eased forward through security, and the guards on both sides bowed at 90 degrees in perfect unison. Victor stood frozen, staring at the tail of the car, and for the first time, panic broke across his face.