Katelynn POV:
I took a deep breath, pushing down the anger that threatened to choke me. "Alden," I said, my voice calm, almost too calm. "The gala tonight. I want to come with you."
He paused, a flicker of surprise in his eyes before his mask of charm slipped back into place. "Of course, my love. But it' s a long night of dull speeches, a lot of business talk. I thought you preferred to avoid those things."
"Tonight feels different," I replied, my gaze unwavering. "I feel like I need to be there. Supporting you. Supporting… the foundation."
He hesitated for a beat too long. "Well, if you insist," he said, his tone a little stiff. "But stay by my side, Katelynn. It' s a very important night for the Stone family, and… for Gabriella."
His words confirmed my suspicions. He didn't want me there, not really. He wanted me tucked away, out of sight. But I had to be there. One last time. One last look at the stage where my life had been dismantled, piece by piece.
The grand ballroom of the Sterling Tower was a blur of glittering lights and muted conversations. Crystal chandeliers sparkled overhead, reflecting off the polished marble floors. Alden, as always, was at the center of it, radiating power and charm. And beside him, radiant in a shimmering gown, was Gabriella Butler.
She stood on the podium, bathed in the spotlight, her hand resting delicately on her slightly swollen belly. The crowd applauded wildly as Alden' s father, the patriarch of the Stone empire, praised her vision, her intellect, her groundbreaking work. "Gabriella Butler' s revolutionary cancer treatment formula," he boomed, "will change medicine forever. We are honored to welcome her to the board of the Sterling Medical Foundation."
My blood ran cold. Cancer treatment formula. Revolutionary. My project. My secret project.
I remembered the countless nights in my private lab, fueled by coffee and desperation, meticulously refining the complex molecular structures. The hopeful breakthroughs, the crushing failures, the long hours. This was my life' s work, my silent dedication. No one knew about it. Only Alden had access to my private lab server. He was the one who managed the system updates, the security protocols. He was the only one who could have known.
A giant screen above the stage flashed with scientific diagrams and a stylized image of the formula. It was identical. Every detail, every intricate bond. My formula. Stolen.
I watched, my heart hammering against my ribs, as Gabriella offered a demure smile, a hand placed protectively over her stomach. The crowd roared. They believed her. They believed it was hers.
Alden was there, too, in the front row, his eyes fixed on Gabriella with an intensity he' d never once shown me. He was beaming, a prideful, possessive gaze. He applauded louder than anyone, his joy sickeningly real.
He turned then, catching my eye, and walked towards me through the throng of well-wishers. "Isn' t she magnificent, Katelynn?" he said, his voice brimming with admiration as he took my arm. "Gabriella truly is a visionary."
I pulled my arm away, my composure cracking. "Visionary?" My voice was a choked whisper. "Alden, that' s my formula. My research. You know it is."
His smile vanished, replaced by a cold, hard stare. "Katelynn, don' t make a scene," he hissed, pulling me to a quieter corner. "Are you out of your mind? Jealousy is a terrible look on you. Gabriella is pregnant and fragile. How dare you accuse her?"
"Pregnant?" I scoffed, the word acidic on my tongue. "Is that what this is? Another one of her elaborate lies?"
His eyes narrowed to slits. "Watch your tone. Gabriella is carrying the future of the Stone family. Our strategic alliance depends on her well-being. If you breathe a word of this, if you try to expose her and ruin everything, I will personally see to it that your career is over. You will never work in biotech again. Do you understand?"
The words hit me harder than any physical blow. My career. The one thing I had left, the one thing that was truly mine. He was willing to destroy it. For her. He was the one who' d given her access, who' d stolen my life' s work. He' d fed it to her, just like he' d fed me those damn roses.
A wave of nausea washed over me. Not just for the betrayal, but for the chilling realization that my own love had blinded me to the monster I was sleeping next to. My mentor, Dr. Evans, who should have been here, who should have seen my progress – he was conspicuously absent. Had Alden silenced him too? Paid him off?
Gabriella, from the stage, caught my eye. She gave me a slow, predatory smile, then subtly raised her hand, adjusting the diamond tennis bracelet on her wrist. The diamonds glinted under the lights. It was the same design as a sketch I' d once shown Alden, a design I' d intended for a gift to myself after publishing my findings. A small, intimate detail. My design. On her wrist. It was a victory dance, a silent, cruel taunt.
In that moment, everything became terrifyingly clear. There was no hope of recovering anything. No pleading, no reasoning, no appeal to his conscience. It was all gone. My work. My love. My future. All sacrificed at the altar of Alden' s obsession.
But something shifted inside me. The despair hardened into a cold, diamond-sharp resolve. I wouldn't beg. I wouldn't fight on his terms. He stole my work, but he couldn't steal my mind. I had kept original, dated research data, locked away, untouched. A secret archive. An insurance policy I never thought I' d need.
I would expose them. Not with pleas, but with undeniable proof. And I would make sure he lost everything, just as I had lost everything. But first, I had to disappear. Make them think I was gone.
I looked back at Alden, forcing a placid expression onto my face. "You' re right," I said, my voice flat. "I' m sorry. I must be exhausted. It won' t happen again."
He looked relieved, patting my arm patronizingly. "That' s my sensible Katelynn. Come, let' s go congratulate Gabriella. She' ll be thrilled you' re here."
I let him lead me, a puppet on his string, towards the woman who had stolen my life. As he embraced Gabriella, whispering praises into her ear, I watched them, a strange, terrifying calm settling over me. They were celebrating their victory. But they had no idea. The game was about to change.
