CHAPTER 3
1026 Words
Standing before my parents…
…was the Sullivan family.
For a moment, the world seemed to tilt.
I kept my expression calm, but inside, my emotions were a storm anger, fear, disbelief, and something deeper… something that still hurt.
My mother noticed first.
“Sweetheart, are you alright?”
“Yes,” I replied softly.
But my voice didn’t sound like mine.
My former father now just Mr. Sullivan stepped forward with a polite smile.
“Good evening, Mr. and Mrs. Blackwell. Congratulations on your daughter’s debut.”
Then his eyes landed on me.
“What a beautiful young lady. You resemble your mother very much and you have your father’s eyes.”
I resisted the urge to laugh. In this life, I truly did look like my mother, except my eyes were a bright, clear blue inherited from my father.
Mrs. Sullivan stepped closer, her smile tight.
“You’ve grown so well,” she said. “Soon you’ll be married and leave your parents’ home.”
She paused deliberately.
“Our son is also of age. Perhaps the two of you would make a good match.”
Ah.
So that was their goal.
My parents’ smiles stiffened, though they remained outwardly polite. The Blackwells and Sullivans had never been close not socially, not politically.
But I was the angriest of all.
In my past life, they treated me like nothing.
Now they dared to aim for me again?
I smiled sweetly.
“Really?” I said lightly. “But what about your first daughter? I heard she was far more capable than your son.”
The air changed instantly.
“What a pity she died,” I continued softly. “If she were alive, she might’ve led the family. Oh forgive me. I forgot. The Sullivan family has never allowed a woman to lead, have they?”
My smile didn’t waver.
“But times are changing. Not all daughters are useless and not all sons are worthy.”
Silence.
Then whispers.
Guests nearby began murmuring.
“I heard their first daughter was a genius…”
“Such a waste of talent…”
“The son can’t even compare…”
Each word was a slap across the Sullivan family’s faces.
Then Bastien Sterling’s calm voice cut through the noise.
“If I had known she was the one managing the Sullivan business back then,” he said casually, “I would have brought her into the Sterling family.”
Gasps spread across the hall.
The Sullivans looked like they’d swallowed poison.
Mrs. Sullivan lowered her head slightly, lips trembling as she muttered under her breath,
“Even in death she still haunts us.”
I heard it.
And for the first time in a long while…
My heart felt lighter.
I gave a graceful bow. “Thank you for attending my debut.”
Then I turned to my mother. “May I greet the other guests now?”
“Of course, Seraphina,” she said gently.
“Don’t overexert yourself,” my father added.
I smiled. “I’m not a child anymore.”
As I moved through the hall greeting guests, many praised me quietly.
“You handled that perfectly.”
“The Blackwell heir is not to be trifled with.”
“A tiger cub is still a tiger.”
Eventually, the social performance exhausted me. Smiling at allies and rivals alike was its own kind of battle.
I slipped out onto the balcony for fresh air.
The night breeze cooled my skin, but my thoughts drifted back to the Sullivans.
“What could possibly make tonight’s star sigh like that?”
I turned.
Bastien Sterling stood behind me, hands in his pockets, eyes reflecting the city lights.
“Just tired from greeting everyone,” I replied.
“You didn’t need to greet them all,” he said. “Just the important ones.”
I raised an eyebrow. “It’s called courtesy. I’m not as cold as you.”
The last part slipped out under my breath.
He chuckled.
Actually chuckled.
I stared at him, momentarily stunned. His hazel-green eyes softened when he laughed, and it made him look even more unfairly attractive.
“What are you doing out here?” I asked.
“Fresh air,” he said simply. Then after a pause, “It was truly nice meeting you tonight.”
“You too.”
His gaze sharpened slightly. “Do you have a personal grudge against the Sullivan family?”
I smiled calmly, though anger simmered beneath the surface.
“Of course not. Why would I hate people I don’t even know? I just dislike outdated traditions — especially the kind that ruin capable people.”
His eyes lingered on me.
He understood more than he showed.
And in that moment, I made a decision.
If I wanted to crush the Sullivan family completely
Having Bastien Sterling on my side would be very useful.
“Are you free sometime?” I asked. “Let me invite you to brunch.”
I blinked, surprised at my own boldness.
He looked amused. “I’ll check my schedule and contact you.”
We exchanged numbers.
“Goodnight, Bastien.”
He nodded once before heading back inside.
The moment I reentered the hall, Anneliese rushed toward me, eyes sparkling.
“Spill. Everything,” she demanded. “You and Bastien on the balcony? Are you two a thing already?! How did you even get him to smile??”
“It was nothing,” I said.
“With Bastien Sterling, it is NEVER nothing,” she shot back. “He doesn’t talk to people unless it’s business. And he was laughing with you.”
I sighed. “We just talked.”
She narrowed her eyes playfully. “Mhm. I’ll get the full story at school.”
Her brother Alaric appeared beside her. “We’re leaving.”
“Bye, Sera!” Anne said, hugging me quickly. “Don’t fall in love without me!”
I laughed as they left.
But as I looked across the glittering ballroom
I knew tonight had changed something.
The Sullivan family had seen me.
Bastien Sterling had noticed me.
And the game…
Had officially begun.
- Writer
