Chapter 5 Chapter 5 Reckoning

The very first thing Emily Dawson did upon her return was to purge every photograph of Stella Dawson from the house.

Big or small, she couldn't stand the sight of that interloper lingering in the Dawson home.

The Dawsons had never warmed to that rebellious girl. Discovering she wasn't their biological daughter only hardened their hearts. They had even supported Emily when she boxed up and discarded Stella's belongings.

Emily hadn't even bothered to learn what she looked like.

Now, facing her for the first time, she was finally confronted with this so-called sister's appearance.

"So you're Stella, right." Emily forced a saccharine smile and approached, arm outstretched as if for an embrace.

She tried desperately to bury her envy beneath a facade of warmth.

But Stella smoothly sidestepped her reach. "We're not on a first-name basis."

Emily froze, her smile stiffening into a grimace.

"I'm no longer a Dawson. There's no need for the lady of the house to demean herself for an outsider."

The woman before her was breathtaking, her smile polite yet utterly detached.

Emily pursed her lips, maintaining the gentle tone. "Don't be like that, Stella. The Dawsons raised you all these years."

"And you and Mr. Sterling, you're still-"

"Oh, Alexander?" Stella interjected with a light, airy laugh. "He's my ex-husband now. Officially."

She casually stepped around Emily, avoiding any contact, and headed upstairs toward her former room.

Emily stood rooted to the spot, struggling to process the revelation.

Upstairs, a bedroom door creaked open. Laura Warner rushed out.

"Who was at the door?"

She scanned the area until Emily tilted her chin pointedly in Stella's direction.

"Mom, it's just Stella."

"Did Mr. Sterling come with her?"

"He did not."

Laura clicked her tongue, her disappointment palpable. "Then what good is her coming here?"

"I just heard her say Alexander is her ex. Did they actually get divorced?"

"So soon?" Laura's eyes widened in shock.

Emily's expression said it all-she was ecstatic. "Why not? Didn't Dad check yesterday? Alexander's been buried at the company, no travel in sight! She was lying all along!"

Their hushed whispers didn't reach Stella.

She stood inside the room, now converted into a storage closet, her gaze icy as she surveyed the jumbled mess.

They really couldn't wait to erase her.

As if they never expected her to cross this threshold again.

She let out a short, derisive laugh, then crouched to sift through the pile of discarded items. Soon, she retrieved her student ID.

Next, she moved to a corner, picked up a small black box, and opened it to reveal a necklace.

It was a simple string of wooden beads on a red cord, each bead intricately carved.

Stella tucked the necklace into her pocket, student ID in hand, and strolled out as if she owned the place.

Her footsteps, light as a cat's, carried her silently toward the entrance. Just as she opened the door-

"Oof!" Laura stumbled back in panic, losing her balance and landing hard on the floor.

She and Emily had been eavesdropping and were caught off guard by Stella's sudden exit.

Emily, startled, braced herself against the wall.

Stella gave a cold chuckle and regarded them calmly. "My, my. To what do I owe this... reception?"

"For an elder to be kneeling before me... it's a bit much, don't you think?"

"Mom! Are you okay? Let me help you up-should I call a doctor?" Emily rushed over, fussing over Laura with performative concern, a stark contrast to Stella's cool detachment.

Laura instantly bristled, pointing a trembling finger at Stella Dawson. Just as she was about to unleash her fury, Emily stepped forward to block her path.

"Stella, you didn't bring Mr. Sterling?" Emily chirped, smiling brightly. "Ever since the wedding, you haven't attended a single family dinner!"

"Yeah, well, we're divorced now-that particular obligation is void," Stella replied coolly.

Leaning against the doorframe, she dusted her hands off from the storage room. "Now that you're officially installed, this placeholder should make her exit. I won't be returning, and frankly, you can drop the pretense of civility."

"Divorced?!" Laura nearly shrieked, her eyes bulging. "What did you do to mess it up?"

She and Emily were stunned, clearly not anticipating this turn.

Laura frowned, shocked. "You had a little spat and just called it quits? How could you be so rash?"

"A matter this significant, and you don't inform your parents? What about the settlement?"

"Mr. Sterling must have given you something, right? Hand it over..."

"He's fully aware of the Dawson family circus," Stella cut in, her patience clearly spent. "He knows I'm not the real granddaughter. Whatever promises the old man extracted, they weren't meant for a stand-in like me."

"We're divorced. No money, no shares-don't waste your energy scheming."

That silenced Laura for a moment. She stared at Stella and snapped, "You got nothing? Then what use are you, showing up here?"

She rolled her eyes, not even attempting to hide her contempt.

Stella chuckled softly, tilting her chin toward Emily. "Why not? Mr. Sterling is still up for grabs. I'm just returning him to sender-if you're interested, go claim him."

"Just make sure she brings her ID. They can get the marriage certificate sorted straight away..."

Emily's face lit up with barely contained excitement.

"Truly?" she asked eagerly, wringing her hands.

Stella took a step back, grabbed a piece of paper and a pen from the room, scribbled down Alexander's address, and handed it over.

"There you go," said Stella with a smirk. "And don't forget to get that certificate, Mrs. Sterling."

"...You'd better not be playing games with me," Emily said warily, though her hand shot out to snatch the note.

Stella crossed her arms, gave a slight, mocking pout, then spun on her heel to head downstairs. "Do I strike you as someone who'd joke about him?"

"We're talking about Mr. Sterling. You think I'd bluff using his name?"

"Oh, almost forgot-he's got a meeting this afternoon, so you'd better hustle over there."

"My part here is done. I'm leaving."

And with that, she departed, not sparing a glance for Laura and Emily's gleeful celebration.

Emily darted into her room, the precious address clutched in her hand, while Laura retreated to her bedroom. Both were giddy, already picturing the glittering future as part of the Sterling dynasty.

Emily's head spun with visions of high society as the future Mrs. Sterling, while Laura practically glowed at the thought of announcing Alexander as her son-in-law-the envy of all.

As Stella stepped out of the villa, she spotted a family of five arguing vehemently with the security guards at the gate. They'd clearly made an effort to dress up, but their tacky fashion sense betrayed them.

"Hey! I'm her real father-how dare you block me!"

"That's right! She's my biological daughter!"

They had raised Emily, after all. Now that she was back with the Dawsons, they had come for the usurper.

No one seemed to realize Stella had always been merely a pawn.

She scoffed quietly and walked right past the commotion.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket. Unhurried, she pulled it out and answered.

On the other end, Kevin Porter's voice rang out, teasing as ever: "Stella, you're a bloody genius! Just got the paternity results back-turns out Emily's so-called parents aren't related to you at all. Zero genetic overlap."

"Wait, what? If Emily is their biological daughter, then what does that make you, Stella?"

"There's no accidental baby swap story here, is there?"

Stella narrowed her eyes, remaining silent for a beat. Kevin, sensing the shift, gradually lowered his voice.

After a pause, she finally said, "I'm starting to think. maybe the Dawsons aren't the only players who messed up. Perhaps another family is involved. Their real daughter could be living someone else's life right now."

"Wait, are you going to dig deeper?"

"If." She trailed off, pensive.

But Kevin jumped in again, "You know what just occurred to me? What if you turn out to be the long-lost daughter of the richest man in the capital?"

She blinked, surprised, then chuckled, playing along. "Why not aim for the stars? Let's start with the capital's wealthiest. Stranger things have happened."

"Alrighty, let me check. So, guess who topped that list last year?"

"Spit it out."

"Fine, it's Alexander Sterling. Stella, are you secretly his long-lost daughter?" Kevin cackled.

Stella rolled her eyes. "Oh, piss off."

She hung up promptly and flicked open the group chat that had been blowing up.

Someone was showing off-again: "Just acquired a private jet today. This is what substantial wealth looks like. Unlike poor little Stella, still counting pennies."

Stella's eye twitched. Her fingers flew over the keyboard as she replied with mock outrage: "Just you wait. This divorce will fund my new lifestyle. I'll buy TWO jets-one for travel, the other just to crash into your overinflated ego."

Her dramatic declaration instantly ignited the previously silent group chat.

"What?! Stella, since when are you divorced??"

"Oh my god, you finally dumped that iceberg?"

"Damn girl, power move!"

Then, a rarely active member suddenly dropped a message: "Send me the divorce papers. I'll unfreeze your bank card."

"Relax," Stella typed lazily, "the formal documents haven't arrived yet."

"Heh." That was his only reply.

She could practically picture his deadpan, smug face.

Feeling the need to reassure him, she added, "I'm making the call now to follow up. Give me a moment."

"Deal. The moment I see proof, the card is active. I'm practically broke waiting!"

"Haha, fine. Just hold tight."

After that, he went silent again.

The rest of the group kept buzzing with questions about the divorce details, while Stella exited the chat and called Jack Holden directly. With zero direct access to Alexander Sterling, his assistant was her only conduit.

She called Jack frequently to nag about the divorce. Her persistent badgering had undoubtedly cemented her image in Alexander's eyes. This time was no different.

Jack stared at the caller ID, frowning, his enthusiasm nonexistent. But his mind flashed back to the fierce woman at the club-was that really. Stella?

Distracted by the memory, he still answered, "Ms. Dawson."

"Hey, Jack," she said, her voice sweet. "Any progress on those divorce papers?"