Chapter 4
I let out a small laugh.
"I want Edward to lose everything: his reputation, his name, all of it dragged through the mud," I said coldly.
Vincent Foster was a name everyone in the city knew. He was basically a living legend in our social circles.
He came back from Wallinton, a financial shark who kept things quiet but struck hard and fast when he wanted something.
It only took Vincent three years to build a business empire from scratch.
When it came to Vincent, the Sinclair family could only play second fiddle.
Even more importantly, he was the son of our family's closest ally, the one for whom my father always had the highest hopes.
But Vincent had been living abroad for years, so it had been ages since we last met.
I never wanted to drag Vincent into my personal drama.
But when Edward messed with my family, that was my last straw.
That night was the annual charity gala.
I made my entrance with my father, arm in arm.
In a split second, all the flashes turned our way.
Reporters rushed over, their microphones almost poking my father's face.
One of them asked, "Mr. Grant, are those financial documents online for real? Is the Grant Group dodging taxes?"
Another pressed, "Ms. Grant, rumor has it your engagement to Mr. Edward Sinclair is off. Was it because he found out about your family's financial mess?"
Someone else asked, "Is the Grant family about to go bankrupt?"
The questions just kept coming, each one more ruthless than the last.
My dad's face looked awful, but he held it together and didn't lose his temper.
Just then, Edward and Lily made their entrance.
Edward was dressed to the nines in a custom-tailored suit, looking like he owned the place.
Lily wore a flawless white evening gown, her arm linked with Edward's, a smug smile playing on her lips.
They strode right up to me, and Edward looked down at me with a superior air.
He asked, "Stella, have you thought it through yet?
"Just give me a nod, and I'll have these reporters gone in no time."
Lily jumped in, her voice dripping with fake concern.
She said, "Ms. Grant, Edward's only looking out for you. Don't be so stubborn."
I stared at their phony little act, just about to speak up and shut them down, when a cold, commanding voice rang out from behind us.
The voice snapped, "Since when do you get to boss around my VIPs?"
The crowd parted as Vincent strode in.
Vincent was dressed in a sharp black suit, his posture straight and his presence so powerful that no one dared meet his eyes.
He walked right up to me, slipped off his suit jacket, and draped it over my shoulders, shielding me from all those judgmental stares.
He leaned in and asked softly, "Are you cold?"
The whole room fell silent.
The reporters were so shocked that they forgot to even lift their cameras.
Edward's smug grin stuck awkwardly on his lips.
He stared at Vincent, looking like he couldn't believe his eyes, and stammered, "M-Mr. Foster? What are you doing here?"
Vincent didn't even bother to spare him a glance.
He picked up the microphone, his gaze sweeping the room. His voice wasn't loud, but it carried clearly to every corner.
Vincent said, "I've called you all here tonight to set the record straight on a few things.
"First, all those rumors about the Grant Group are nothing but malicious slander. My legal team has already gathered the evidence, and you'll all be getting a lawyer's letter tomorrow.
"Second, the Grant Group is my most important partner for the future. Anyone who messes with them is messing with me."
He paused, his gaze landing on me, a soft, almost doting smile on his lips.
He continued, "Third, and this is the most important thing, Stella Grant is the woman I'll protect with everything I have, for the rest of my life.
"Anyone who dares to make her suffer, even for a second, had better be ready to be wiped out by the Fosters."