Chapter 193

The morning sun barely pierced the curtains, casting a gentle, diffused light across the room. I stood in front of my closet, the

smell of my vintage dresses still lingering in the air. The funeral of Timothy's mother was only a few hours away, and I needed to

find an outfit suitable for the occasion.

My fingers trailed across the fabric of black dresses, each one holding its own memories. As I contemplated my choices, a knock

at the door startled me. It was too early for visitors, and I wasn’t expecting anyone. I glanced at the clock, wondering who it could

be at this hour.

I quickly crossed the room and opened the door, expecting to see a neighbor or perhaps even Timothy on the other side. But

instead, I found Stella standing on my doorstep, a cold, uninviting expression on her face. My heart sank at the sight of her, and I

felt a mix of anger and apprehension.

“Stella,” I said, my voice laced with annoyance, “what are you doing here?”

She didn’t seem fazed by my irritation as the swept past me and into my apartment. “I’ve come to talk, Evie,” she said, her tone

condescending. “It’s time we had a little chat.”

I closed the door behind her, my patience wearing thin. Stella had a way of stirring up trouble, and I didn’t need any additional

stress on the day of the funeral. “This is not a good time, Stella,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady. “We can talk later.”

Stella turned to face me, her piercing blue eyes locking onto mine. “I’m not here to cause trouble,” she said, her voice

deceptively calm. “In fact, I’m here to congratulate you.”

I furrowed my brows, taken aback by her unexpected words. “Congratulate me?” I asked, my tone skeptical. “For what?”

Stella’s lips curled into a cruel smile. “For ruining my life,” she said, her words dripping with bitterness. “You've done a stellar job

of that, Evie.”

I crossed my arms, unable to hide my frustration. “I don’t know what you're talking about, Stella. This has nothing to do with me.”

tinas

Stella took a step closer, her mouth set in a snarl. “Oh, but it does,” she said. “It absolutely does. You're the one who got into

Andy's head, convinced him to betray me, to humiliate me in front of everyone.”

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Chapter 193

The morning sun barely pierced the curtains, casting a gentle, diffused light across the room. I stood in front of my closet, the

smell of my vintage dresses still lingering in the air. The funeral of Timothy's mother was only a few hours away, and I needed to

find an outfit suitable for the occasion.

My fingers trailed across the fabric of black dresses, each one holding its own memories. As I contemplated my choices, a knock

at the door startled me. It was too early for visitors, and I wasn’t expecting anyone. I glanced at

the clock, wondering who it could be at this hour.

I quickly crossed the room and opened the door, expecting to see a neighbor or perhaps even Timothy on the other side. But

instead, I found Stella standing on my doorstep, a cold, uninviting expression on her face. My heart sank at the sight of her, and I

felt a mix of anger and apprehension.

“Stella,” I said, my voice laced with annoyance, “what are you doing here?”

She didn’t seem fazed by my irritation as she swept past me and into my apartment. “I’ve come to talk, Evie,” she said, her tone

condescending. “It’s time we had a little chat.”

I closed the door behind her, my patience wearing thin. Stella had a way of stirring up trouble, and I didn’t need any additional

stress on the day of the funeral. “This is not a good time, Stella,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady. “We can talk later.”

Stella turned to face me, her piercing blue eyes locking onto mine. “I’m not here to cause trouble,” she said, her voice

deceptively calm. “In fact, I’m here to congratulate you.”

I furrowed my brows, taken aback by her unexpected words. “Congratulate me?” I asked, my tone skeptical. “For

what?”

Stella curled into a cruel smile. “For ruining my life,” she said, her words dripping with bitterness. “You’ve

done a stellar job of that, Evie.”

I crossed my arms, unable to hide my frustration. “I don’t know what you're talking about, Stella. This has nothing to do with me.”

Stella took a step closer, her mouth set in a snarl. “Oh, but it does,” she said. “It absolutely does. You're the one who got into

Andy's head, convinced him to betray me, to humiliate me in front of everyone.”

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Chapter 193

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“I don’t know what you're talking about,” I repeated, my voice firm. “I have no control over Andy’s actions, and I wouldn’t have

encouraged him to do anything like that.”

Stella’s eyes narrowed as she studied me suspiciously. “You can deny it all you want, Evie, but I know you. You’ve always been

after what's mine.”

I shook my head, my frustration boiling over. “That’s not true, Stella. I've never wanted anything of yours. I’ve had my own life,

my own ambitions.”

She let out a sarcastic laugh. “Right. And now, what? You think you can have Timothy all to yourself? That you two can be happy

together?”

I felt a surge of anger rise within me, and I took a step closer to her. “At least I’m not using him for my own amusement, Stella.

You treated him, and probably even Andy, like toys, people you could discard when they no longer suited your interests.”

Stella’s face twisted into a sneer. “He was fun for a while, Evie, but he got clingy and annoying. I can’t stand that.”

I clenched my fists, struggling to maintain my composure. Stella’s callousness and complete lack of empathy were infuriating.

“You can’t treat people like that, Stella. You can’t use them and throw them away when you're done with them.”

Stella shrugged, as if my words were of no consequence. “It’s a dog—eat—dog world, Evie. You’d better get used to it.”

I took a deep breath, trying to calm the storm of emotions swirling within me. The last thing I needed was a confrontation with

Stella on the day of the funeral. “I think you should leave. I have to get ready for the funeral.”

Stella turned to face me, her cold, piercing eyes locking onto mine. “We're going to have this conversation, whether you like it or

not,” she replied, her tone unyielding. “I thought that giving Andy what he wanted would encourage him to help me secure the

estate.”

I couldn't hide my disbelief. “You thought that seducing him was the way to get what you wanted?” I asked, my voice filled with

disdain. “That’s cold—hearted, Stella.”

Stella shrugged, as if my judgment had no effect on her. “That’s business, Evie. It’s all about getting what your want, no matter

the cost.”

I crossed my arms, my anger mounting. “Business or not, you can’t just manipulate people’s feelings and use

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Chapter 193

them for your own gain. It’s wrong, Stella.”

She turned to me, her eyes blazing with determination. “I don’t care about the romantic side of things,” she admitted, her voice

surprisingly frank. “But I do care about getting the estate. And I intend to keep Timothy to myself.”

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Stella's ruthlessness knew no bounds, and I realized that she was willing to go to great

lengths to achieve her goals. “What about Timothy?” I asked, my voice low and filled with concern. “What if the paternity test

doesn’t turn out the way you expect it to?”

Stella’s expression remained confident, as if she had no doubts about the outcome. “It will,” she replied curtly, her voice laced

with certainty.

I pressed her further, my anger getting the better of me. “And if it doesn’t, Stella? What’s your plan then?”

She didn’t answer my question, instead turning away and heading towards the door. “I don’t have time for hypothetical scenarios,

Evie. I have things to do.”

She turned and headed towards the door. As she paused at the threshold, her parting words were laced with venom. “Don’t think

this is over, Evie. I'll get what’s rightfully mine.”

I watched her leave, the door clicking shut behind her. My mind was a whirlwind of emotions and questions. So Andy had leaked

the photos.

Perhaps meeting him that day really had gone through to him, though his actions were heavily destructive. Stella clearly didn’t

reciprocate his feelings, at least, she didn’t let on that she did.

Either way, I didn’t have the energy to deal with this kind of drama today. I had a funeral to get to, and I had to mentally prepare

myself accordingly.

With a heavy heart, I returned to my closet, choosing a black dress that looked simple yet elegant. After some time, it dawned on

me that Stella may show up to the funeral as well. If she had any dignity left, she would drop any indignation toward me for the

family’s sake.

I slipped into the dress and completed my attire with a pair of sensible black heels. The mirror reflected a somber, determined

woman, far from the mistress they'd believed me to be in the media. I could only imagine what kind of reaction I would get while

present, but I couldn’t let it get to me.

I just knew I needed to be there for Timothy.

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