âSteph,â Steven called out.
âYes?â
âYouâre over it, right?â He stared into my eyes.
Feeling selfâconscious, I murmured, âYeahâ¦â
âForget about him, Steph. Heâs not worth it.â It was a strange thing for Steven to say.
1 looked at Steven in panic. Who was he talking about?
If I remembered it correctly, Stephany did have an exâboyfriend who was also an asshole. He was even worse than Michael. Was Steven talking about him?
I didnât try to explain and left with my head hanging low.
Stevenâs gaze was always deep and entrancing like a black hole. I didnât have the guts to look back.
âMrs. Lincoln, this jewelry and dress is from Mr. James. He said that you have to be the most outstanding person at the party tonight since youâre part of the Lincoln family now,â the nanny said with an envious expression as she walked into the room with an expensive customâmade gown and some jewelry.
I scoffed coldly. James never had any good intentions. Butter wouldnât melt in his mouth.
I looked closely at the gown and accessories. They were expensive, and just one necklace set cost upward of tens of millions.
I went to the mirror and began to freshen up simply.
âEveryone attending today is a very important figure. You really have to make sure you look your best so that Mr. Lincoln Senior wonât be embarrassed,â the nanny reminded me.
I knew how huge Ignatiusâ ego was, so I began to put a bit more effort into my appearance. I put on some makeup and wore the strapless gown that had been prepared for me.
The dress had an extremely low neckline, which only served to accentuate Stephanyâs already perfect figure.
I looked at my reflection. It honestly didnât seem farâfetched to call myself a modern Venus.
Stephanyâs beauty couldnât be argued with. She was so stunning that she stood out even in the entertainment industry.
âBeautiful,â the nanny couldnât help but utter.
My expression was bitter, though. The extremely low neckline exposed Jamesâ real sick intentions.
As expected, men were all animals, even if said man was wheelchairâbound.
Suddenly, a loud bout of applause came from the doorway. I turned to see James clapping from his wheelchair. âWow, I have to admit Dad has good taste. He never disappoints with his choices. How stunning. Simply breathtaking.â
His compliments made me want to throw up.
I looked at him cautiously and smiled. âThank you for the compliment, Uncle James.â
I I made sure to clarify our relationship so that he would finally get the hint.
Sadly, his heart wasnât in the right place to begin with.
James looked at the nanny and said, âYou can leave. I have something to tell her.â
The nanny hesitated for a moment, but she didnât dare to object. She left and even closed the door behind her.
I looked at him, still cautious. With a frown, I asked, âWhat do you have to tell me?â
âSteph, youâre a smart girl. You should know better than anyone who the real heir to the Lincoln family fortune is, right?â James stood up from his wheelchair and approached me.
I stared at him in shock. Wasnât he handicapped? Could he walk the whole time? What was he doing in a wheelchair, then? He might as well have just skipped right to lying in a coffin.
âUncle James, what are you trying to say? I donât get it.â I stepped back and away from him.
âYou donât deserve to have to be with a lunatic. If only Iâ¦â he trailed off and gritted his teeth as his eyes shone evilly. It was as if he was recalling a hateful memory.
James was infertile and weak. That was an ongoing joke among everyone in Oceanville.
I had heard Michael and the others laugh at James before, talking about how the Lincoln family was burdened by the sickly disappointment that was James. He had mistreated his body in his younger years and was now suffering the consequences of it. They joked that he would die because of women one day.
âSteph, once that kid is born, that lunatic will be useless. Dad doesnât have any other heirs. Iâm the only one left. If you join me, youâll be able to live out the rest of your days in luxury. Do you understand?â James was no longer trying to hide his true colors and laid everything out on the table.
He reached out in a wicked attempt to grab my dress.
I wanted to dodge his hand, but he caged me against the vanity.