Chapter 3
1238 Words
Luminary Bar
"I'm sorry, Mrs. Volkov... your card has been declined."
Those words came out of the mouth of a male barista after he repeatedly swiped the American Express Black Card that Brella had given him. He finally returned the card to Brella with an awkward smile. Meanwhile, several people standing not far from Brella whispered among themselves while casting contemptuous glances at her.
Brella's fingers felt stiff as she took it. She breathed heavily as she glanced at the shiny black card before putting it back in her bag and sipping the rest of the Vermouth in her glass until it was empty.
"Just put it on William Volkov's bill," Brella replied flatly. Inside, Brella hissed. She knew very well who was behind freezing her card access.
Did William think that by cutting off her financial access, she would become desperate and crawl under his feet?
Brella's lips curled in disgust. After being embarrassed at the party, she didn't expect William to use such cheap tactics to force her to back down.
Brella could feel the intense stares of the other patrons as she walked away from the bar, followed by cynical whispers and mocking laughter.
Wherever she stepped, Brella felt her pride being trampled on, especially after the many posts about the incident at the party.
Was this what William wanted? Was that man now laughing as he enjoyed her downfall?
Behind her graceful steps and calm face... Brella repeatedly took slow breaths... suppressing her anger as deeply as possible... and soon a subtle smile returned to the corners of her lips.
Brella's footsteps formed a steady rhythm as her Louboutin stilettos touched the marble floor of the mansion.
Brella arrived at exactly 11 p.m. Her eyebrows furrowed when she entered and found the living room, which William usually kept dimly lit, now brightly lit.
The frown disappeared when she saw William sitting on the sofa. Brella walked towards him; it was a coincidence that William was there because Brella wanted to say something to him.
Before Brella reached William, she suddenly stopped when her eyes caught sight of a woman's bag next to William, a bag that looked familiar. It was none other than Arischa's bag.
Brella sighed irritably when her eyes caught sight of Arischa, who had just come down the stairs.
"William... sorry I'm late, I almost got lost after leaving your room." Arischa emphasized the word "room" while glancing at Brella. Brella gave Arischa a disgusted look, then turned to William, who was now smiling at Arischa.
"It's okay, Arischa... sit down," William said softly, patting the sofa next to him so that Arischa immediately sat down and leaned affectionately on William's shoulder.
Brella's facial muscles tensed. She snorted softly before speaking.
"William, I didn't know we were having guests this late."
Before William could answer, Arischa interrupted him with a feigned sad expression. "It seems like Brella doesn't like me being here. If that's the case... I'd better go home."
"Starting tonight, Arischa will be staying here. There are security issues at her apartment, and I don't want to take any chances," William replied sharply.
Brella felt a sudden bitterness in her throat. Her eyes burned with emotion that was beginning to overwhelm her. William's cheap tricks really hurt her ego, leaving her with anger that wanted to explode, and once again... she swallowed that anger.
"Then I'll adjust," Brella replied coldly and indifferently before turning toward the stairs, trying to salvage what little dignity she had left.
"One more thing, Brella..." William's deep voice stopped Brella in her tracks.
"Arischa needs a workroom on the second floor for her work while she's staying here," William said flatly.
Brella did not answer. The second floor had many rooms, and she did not care at all about Arischa's workspace. Ignoring the two of them, Brella continued on her way to her private workspace. It was a place she usually used to gather her thoughts.
When Brella arrived... her private workroom had been transformed, filled with Arischa's belongings. Brella stood frozen in the middle of the room, her eyes flashing darkly. William's actions had crossed the line of her patience.
Before Brella could turn around to protest, the shadows of two people appeared in the doorway. William stood with Arischa leaning affectionately on his arm.
"William... isn't this excessive? This room is mine, you know I need it," Brella's voice was full of emphasis, her eyes sharply glaring at William, then at Arischa, who was now pretending to be sad.
William's gaze hardened toward Brella. "I'm free to rearrange anything in this house, Brella. From now on, don't just walk into Arischa's room."
Arischa let go of William's arm. Her eyes began to well up as she took a step closer to Brella.
"Brella, I'm sorry, I'll tidy up my things now." Arischa's voice trembled, her fingers intertwined nervously.
Brella quickly looked away from Arischa, unwilling to watch the woman's bad acting any longer.
Arischa's gaze hardened when she got no response from Brella. After that, she turned to face William.
"William... maybe Brella is right. I don't deserve to be in this room. I can work at the dining table or anywhere else," Arischa muttered in a fragile voice.
A thin line formed on Brella's forehead when she saw William gently pat Arischa on the shoulder.
"Don't be silly, Arischa. This room is yours now. Don't let other people's selfish attitudes make you feel guilty."
Arischa nodded slightly, the corner of her eye glancing at Brella with a cynical look.
Brella lifted her chin slightly when William turned to her. She crossed her arms in front of her chest, her jaw tightening as she felt the man's hateful gaze.
"There's no need to prolong this, Brella. I'll ask Aunt Emma to arrange the back room for you. From now on, don't bother Arischa," William said emotionlessly.
The corners of Brella's lips lifted into a bitter smile as she realized she no longer had any place in this house. Her pride was completely shattered, but Brella refused to let them win and be happy at her expense.
The anger in her eyes slowly faded, replaced by a cold, emotionless gaze as she turned and walked out of the room calmly, leaving Arischa momentarily confused because she didn't get the emotional outburst she had expected.
It would be a lie to say that Brella didn't feel a sharp pain in her chest. It would be a lie to say that she wasn't angry. She just held it in as hard as she could and swallowed the pain like she always did.
When her bedroom door closed, her gaze was completely blank. For a long time, she just sat on the edge of the bed, staring straight at the window that showed the dark scenery outside.
Shortly after, she got up and grabbed her phone, her fingers moving to dial a number.
"Liam, activate the Golden Parachute clause in my name right now," she said softly when the call connected.
"And send the details of William's father's shady transactions to my personal tablet. I want a little drama for breakfast tomorrow morning."
- Writer
