pte

n a stark white, and the delicate pink furniture she had grown up with was gone. In its place was a cold,

ened, and her stomach churned. This room was the only memory of her mom that remained. Her dad had redecorated the ent

a redesign. It was erasure. Everything th

er voice echoing down the hall. It

nervously clutching the edge of her uniform. "

h the anger simmering beneath her words was hard to miss. Sh

darted around nervously. "It was... the new madam, miss.

us woman sitting downstairs in her glittering dress, acting like she owned t

he wants," Sarah stammered. "He said h

n take over her room, her space, her sanctuary. How could he? Did he have no respect for her? F

ny further and risk saying something she'd regret, Mia pointed toward the door. "Get out," she said curtly, her tone l

d from the room, her footstep

he dialed her father's number. It rang once, twice, and then went to voicemail. She red

ed. Her bed was probably sitting in some dusty storage room now, discarded like the rest of her t

here. Not over this. Her mother wouldn't want her to cry, she needs to be strong. For herself, for her mother.

t at least her clothes hadn't been thrown out, though they'd been shoved to the side, crammed in next to boxes o

....

s he stepped into his office and closed the door behind him, the weight of reality settled over him. He wal

alculated businessman. But no one, not his father, nor

ebellion against everything his father stood for. Jeremiah Sterling had built his empire on power and dominance, but Stefan wanted none of it. His mother, Diane, had been the only softness

e outside his window. His mind wasn't on the deal he had just c

eve it, not the marriage itself, but the sheer audacity of it. Mia had suggested the arrangement last night, and he'd agreed.

utdo the other, always locked in a battle for control. Stefan didn't know how or why it had started, and he didn't care. He had stopped caring about anything relat

n't love her, and she didn't love him, but they shared a mutual underst

m and efficient demeanor as steady as ever. Behind him was an older man ho

se said, stepping aside