Chapter 139

• Esther paced her lavishly decorated living room, her mind racing as the news of Damien’s engagement broke over her like cold water. Every carefully orchestrated plan, every ounce of manipulation she had employed over the years, trickled away like sand through her fingers. She stopped abruptly, her heart pounding, rage flooding her system as she processed the reality of it all. Charlotte. The name felt like a dagger, twisting deeper with each heartbeat.
• How dare he? How dare Damien dump her for someone like Charlotte? She could hardly comprehend the absurdity of it. She had spent years being the perfect girlfriend, putting on just the right amount of charm, and presenting herself as the ideal woman deserving of the Mitchell family legacy. This was her future she was talking about, her prospects of wealth and power, all slipping away because of one impulsive decision made by Damien. She had pictured it all—the lavish weddings, the stunning houses, the social standing—but now it was all dashed because he’d chosen Charlotte.
• She could feel her blood boiling, a visceral fury simmering just beneath the surface. This wasn’t just about love; this was about family, legacy, and what she was owed—a rightful place beside Damien. Sure, she had thought he was attractive and charming, but more than that, she saw the opportunity, the prestige. He was the golden ticket to a life she had always dreamed of, and Charlotte had swooped in like some thief in the night to take it away from her.