Chapter 4

Humiliated in front of Vanessa, Ethan's face twisted into an ugly sneer.

"Alyssa, do you even hear yourself?"

I ignored him, pulled out my phone, and dialed 911 right in front of him.

Realizing I wasn't bluffing, Ethan lunged forward, snatched my phone, and smashed it onto the marble floor.

"Don't flatter yourself, Alyssa!" he barked. "Fine, let's break up! A penniless orphan like you really thinks she can do better than me?"

At that exact moment, a flock of Ethan's relatives marched into the lobby.

Seeing me in my wedding dress, they swarmed like vultures, shouting accusations about how I had humiliated their family.

"Ethan! You can't let this slide!" his aunt yelled. "This little brat made a fool out of our entire family today! If she doesn't give us an explanation, none of us are leaving!"

"Exactly! I warned you from the start," his mother chimed in, glaring at me with open disgust. "Orphans have nothing to lose, so they don't care about anyone else. She looks sweet on the outside, but she's nothing but bad luck!"

Just yesterday, his mother had been all smiles, buttering me up. Now she looked at me like I was dirt.

Through it all, Ethan didn't say a single word. He just stood there, shielding Vanessa behind his back.

They were the ones who cheated and humiliated me, yet I was the one being cornered and attacked.

My whole body shook with rage.

Talking reason to these people was impossible.

"This is my property," I said, my voice shaking with fury. "Ethan, get your family out of here right now. In five years, I never owed you anything. Let's at least keep what little dignity we have left."

Before the words completely left my mouth, Ethan's mother lunged forward and slapped me hard across the face.

Smack!

The force knocked me back two steps. My left cheek burned with sharp, throbbing pain.

His relatives cheered her on, screaming threats about how they were going to ruin my life.

The commotion brought over the building's security guard. I thought they might back down, but seeing that they had numbers, they didn't even flinch.

Ethan's aunt stepped forward and shoved the young guard back.

"My nephew owns this place! We're handling a family matter, so back off! What, are you sleeping with Alyssa too?"

The guard was fresh on the job and had clearly never dealt with such unhinged people. He stammered, unsure of what to do.

I stood there in sheer disbelief.

My father bought this penthouse for me. When the hell did Ethan become the owner?

"Enough!" I screamed, stepping right in front of Ethan.

"You know damn well who owns this place! Ethan, are you even a man?"

Losing face in front of Vanessa, Ethan balled his fists, looking like he was about to hit me himself.

Just then, a sleek black Maybach screeched to a halt outside the glass doors, and my father rushed in.

He had no idea what was happening, but he ran straight to my side, scanning me anxiously from head to toe.

"Sweetheart, are you okay?"

He was dressed in a bespoke Italian suit, radiating an aura of immense power and authority.

Hearing him call me "sweetheart," Ethan's aunt immediately shrieked.

"Aha! I knew it! No wonder you canceled the wedding so fast—you found yourself a sugar daddy!"

She sneered nastily. "I bet this penthouse was bought with your dirty money, too! Uncivilized little orphans really have no shame, do they?"

A terrifying darkness settled over my father's face.

He turned slowly, his voice dropping to a deadly chill.

"Who are you calling an uncivilized orphan?"

"Listen to me, old man," the aunt sneered, completely oblivious. "Women like her will do anything to climb the ladder! She was seducing you while planning a wedding with my nephew—"

Before she could finish her sentence, my father kicked her squarely in the stomach.

She crashed onto the floor with a loud groan.

At the same time, a dozen burly bodyguards in black suits flooded the lobby, instantly surrounding Ethan and his family.

The entire lobby fell dead silent.

The aunt, who had been barking seconds ago, instantly clamped her mouth shut, trembling as she stared at the wall of bodyguards.

"W-What are you doing?" she stammered. "I was just warning you not to get scammed!"

My father’s chest heaved with fury.

"Alyssa is my biological daughter!"