Chapter 5

My voice shook with righteous fury as I interrogated him:

"Her career matters, but my reputation and future can be casually trampled on?!"

"I built my career brick by brick with my own hard work! My fans and my projects brought me here! You know how vicious the media is, yet you slandered me in front of everyone just to save yourselves. Were you trying to force me to commit suicide?!"

"Furthermore, when did the Henderson family or my studio ever agree to an arranged marriage with the Sterlings? I have never promised you anything! Our families haven't even had basic discussions about it! How dare you try to force this narrative on me?!"

"Just because I told you yesterday that I couldn't make it to the party, you thought you could play this sick game because I 'wouldn't be here' to defend myself!"

"You wanted to destroy me! Expect a lawsuit from my lawyers. I will see you in court!"

With that, I turned around to leave.

The whispers among the guests erupted instantly.

"Oh my god, Julian is disgusting... He got caught with a rookie and tried to use Chloe as a shield?"

"Chloe is so unlucky to be targeted by such a toxic, spoiled rich kid."

"Thank God she showed up tonight. Otherwise, the headlines tomorrow would have destroyed her, and she would have never been able to clear her name!"

Eleanor Thorne quickly held me, and I leaned onto her shoulder, letting fake tears slip down my face.

"If Mia hadn't forced me to come tonight... I... I would have been ruined forever!"

"They only did this because my parents are abroad. They think I'm easy to bully because I'm on my own!"

Julian held his bruised cheek, looking incredibly desperate.

"Chloe, why are you being so dramatic? Our families have so many business partnerships. Marriage is good for both of us... I admitted I was wrong! I only did it because I knew I was going to marry you anyway."

"Even if you had to take a little hit to your reputation temporarily, we would end up together. I would have made it up to you."

"But now you've ruined everything! How is Gemma supposed to show her face again?!"

I snapped my head back, cutting him off with icy disdain:

"You got caught in a trashy backseat scandal with your employee, tried to use my name to cover it up, and now you have the nerve to blame me?"

"Let me make this crystal clear, Julian Sterling: I will never, under any circumstances, have any relationship with you or Sterling Enterprises outside of basic, mandated business contracts! Stop dreaming!"

Victoria Sterling’s face turned completely cold. She stepped up, using her intimidating presence as a powerful business matriarch.

"Chloe, watch your words. High-society marriages and corporate partnerships are not something a young actress like you can simply dismiss on a whim."

She was trying to use her status and background to crush me.

But the moment she finished her threat, a powerful, booming voice echoed from the back of the crowd, shattering her intimidation:

"The Sterling family thinks they can humiliate my daughter just because we aren't in the country?!"