Chapter 4

After a moment of silence, Edward shook his head, resolute. "You don't have what it takes to run Starlight Gallery. It's a big name in the art world, and it needs someone with real talent to handle it.

"I've already made up my mind. All the shares Sterling Holdings owns will be gifted to Evelyn. From now on, she'll hold 51% and officially become the chairperson."

He straightened his back, his voice firm, leaving no room for argument. "If you feel resentful, blame me. Evelyn had nothing to do with this decision."

My shoulders trembled so hard that I couldn't control them. I was crying and laughing all at once. "Sure, Edward. She can have my wedding and the gallery my mom left me. What else? To be the wife of yours? Why not?"

Suddenly, a stabbing pain shot through my stomach, and my throat burned with nausea.

"Elena!" Edward raised his voice. "I told you I would marry you, and I mean it."

Evelyn broke down sobbing. "Edward, it's all my fault. I was greedy for wanting things that were never mine. Please don't fight over me. I'll leave right now."

Gripping her dress tightly, she ran out the front door, crying her eyes out.

"Evelyn!" Edward called after her.

Without a second of hesitation, he jumped up and chased after her, without so much as a glance in my direction.

I couldn't hold on any longer. I bent over and retched violently, my stomach empty, only sour bile coming up. The world went black, and I collapsed hard onto the floor, losing consciousness.

*****

When I woke up in my bedroom, the art world media had already officially reported that Evelyn was now the new chairperson of Starlight Gallery.

Edward never understood. The money he put in back then was just a band-aid. The real reason Starlight Gallery made a name for itself in Occidentia was that I busted my ass for years, grinding day after day to make it happen.

Since the gallery wasn't mine anymore, I wasn't about to waste another ounce of effort on it. As soon as Philip and the senior artists and curators found out, they all quit together, handing in their resignations in solidarity.

Evelyn fought tooth and nail to snatch Starlight Gallery, but in the end, all she got was an empty shell.

Just as expected, the first overseas order Evelyn handled turned into a complete disaster. The client was Ryan, my mother's longtime friend.

Evelyn didn't have a single reliable person on her team. Her new hires knew nothing about the art business, and the entire oil painting order was a mess.

Ryan was frantic and pissed off. Once he figured out what happened, he called me up, practically begging me to step in and fix the mess.

I let out a long sigh. I couldn't bring myself to disappoint my mom's old friend.

When Ryan saw me, he couldn't hide how relieved he was. He made it clear that the only people he trusted at Starlight Gallery were the team I put together and me.

I pushed down the sour feeling inside me. "Thank you for trusting me. I'll check every issue with this order and make sure it's all sorted."

Ryan had originally planned to export a huge batch of oil paintings overseas, but Evelyn, trying to cut corners, secretly swapped in cheap, low-quality paint. Now, the entire order, worth a fortune, was on the verge of missing its deadline.

It only took me a glance at the finished pieces to spot the root of the problem. I started reaching out to my old high-quality paint suppliers and called up Philip and the old crew to work through the night and fix things.

Ryan stood at the gallery entrance, thanking me over and over. Just then, Edward strode out of a black sedan and grabbed my wrist in a tight grip. The pressure was so strong that a red mark instantly appeared on my skin.

"Elena, why are you setting Evelyn up behind her back?" Edward's eyes blazed with anger as he glared at me.

My mind went completely blank. I just couldn't believe he was actually saying this to me.

Edward shot a cold look at both Ryan and me. "I really underestimated how manipulative you could be."

I took a deep breath, trying to explain. "You've got it all wrong. Evelyn's team messed up and kept cutting corners. Ryan was desperate, so he came to me"

Edward squeezed my wrist even harder.

"All the old staff at the gallery follow your orders. You told them to quit all at once, leaving Evelyn with nobody she could rely on. Then you secretly contacted the suppliers and cut off the gallery's resources.

"Now Evelyn's so sick that she's stuck in bed! Elena, I never imagined you could be this cruel," Edward said, his eyes clouded with disappointment.

I clenched my jaw, every word clear and firm. "Believe me or not, that's your call. But I would never destroy the gallery my mother left me."

Edward reached out and gripped my chin tightly. "Still trying to talk your way out of it, huh?"

"Enough!" Ryan shouted, and the whole place went dead silent.

"I can vouch for her. Everything Elena said is true. I know her, and she's always been decent and honest. I won't let you talk about her like that!" Ryan said.

Edward's face softened for a second, and I took the chance to yank my hand free from his grip.

The air was thick with silence. We stared at each other, nothing left to say. I bit my lip until it bled, the metallic taste spreading in my mouth. Edward's lips twitched, like he was about to say sorry.

Then, a soft voice called from behind him. "Edward?"

Evelyn was being helped by a servant, her steps shaky as she made her way over.

Edward immediately turned and reached out to steady her.

"Elena, I'm not letting you leave the gallery for good," Edward said, his tone commanding. "Tomorrow, you're coming back to work."

Then he turned to Evelyn, his voice instantly gentle. "I told you to stay home and rest. Why did you come out without telling anyone?"

Edward gently held Evelyn as they left the gallery together, side by side.

The silence was suffocating. No one here knew I was actually Edward's fiancée—the one who'd stood by him for seven years, pouring my whole heart into loving him.

He never wanted to acknowledge me in public, and honestly, I was too tired to justify myself to anyone anymore.

After Ryan left, with worry written all over his face, I called Philip.

"Come back. We need you," I said.

Philip was silent for a moment and then replied in a low voice, "Alright, Ms. Carter. Whatever you decide, we're with you, no questions asked. Just don't keep putting yourself last, okay?"

Tears burned my eyes and dripped onto the phone screen. There was no way I could just sit back and watch my mom's legacy get ruined.

The way Edward looked at me before he left was a warning. He wasn't done with me yet. On the other end, Philip's sigh echoed through the phone, heavy and long.