Chapter 4 <fn4998> Read full story at find?novel</fn4998>


    The air in the ballroom turns to ice.


    Every guest stares at me. I watch confusion turn to shock as they recognize my face,


    Emma’s victory smile shatters.


    She shrinks behind Damon, fingers shaking as they clutch his sleeve.


    “Y-you… what are you doing here?”


    Lignore her. My eyes are locked on Damon.


    His pupils shrink.


    Panic flickers before his usual coldness takes over.


    He drops his arm from Emma’s waist, walking toward me with barely controlled fear in his voice.


    Nova? What… I told you to wait at home.”


    ‘Wait at home?”


    repeat the words, tilting my head at his familiar face.


    Wait for you to give away MY vineyard? Or wait for you to call me the fucking maid?”


    Damon’s face goes dark.


    After a moment, he seems to collect himself.


    He leans down, voice low and pleading. “Too many people here. This isn’t the ce.”


    Nova,e home with me.”


    We’ll talk there. I’ll exin everything.”


    He reaches for my wrist-that same practiced move he’s used to calm me down a thousand times.


    But I see that cheap stic cufflink. Smell her perfume on his clothes.


    My stomach turns.


    jerk back, dodging his touch.


    Exin?”


    Exin why you’re wearing our family’s enemy’s suit?”


    ‘Exin why you turned my brother’s gift into some present for your side piece?”


    ‘Or exin how fucking good it felt calling me the maid?”


    Damon’s face goes from pale to white.


    He clearly didn’t expect me to blow this up in public.


    The panic in his eyes is impossible to hide now.


    He grits his teeth, voice dropping to a whisper pressed against my ear:


    “Nova, cut this shit out!”


    You really gonna humiliate me in front of all these people? Juste with me. I’m fucking begging you.”


    Please?”


    He’s trying to use that old sweet tone to manipte me. It’s pathetic.


    I remember carrying him three blocks when thugs beat his ass on the street, finding him a doctor.


    When rivals stabbed him. I signed the life-or-death forms and camped outside surgery for three straight days.


    “Damon.” I look up at him, my stare cold as death.


    “You think there’s gonna be a ‘home’ after this?”


    All color drains from his face. He clearly didn’t expect me to be this ruthless.


    Nova, it has to be this way?”


    He’s practically snarling now. “Ten years together means nothing? I don’t even get a chance to exin?”


    Ten years?”


    I pull out a stack of documents and m them into his face.


    Papers scatter everywhere.


    The top sheet shows hotel records-him and Emma in the penthouse suite.


    Where were those ten years when you were screwing her while I was burning up with fever?”


    The documents knock his head to the side, veins bulging in his neck.


    Next second, he whips back around, and I see pure hatred in his eyes.


    Nova, then don’t me me for this.”


    Damon spins toward the crowd, voice booming:


    Everyone look! This woman isn’t Mrs. Hayes! She’s our fucking maid!”


    Her family was dirt poor when I took pity on her. Gave her food, clothes, a roof over her head as our servant!”


    He points right at my face, viciousness pouring out of him.


    But the bitch got greedy! Saw my sess and tried to crawl into my bed, even faked being my wife to scam people!”


    Emma immediately starts fake crying, hiding behind him.


    Damon, don’t be so harsh… Miss Sterling just got confused…”


    he peeks out to gauge the crowd’s reaction, eyes gleaming with triumph.


    Several of Damon’s buddies immediately jump in.


    That’s right! We all know!”


    This bitch is just a maid who thinks she can climb the socialdder!”


    Damon’s been way too nice to her, and she has the balls to cause drama here. Shameless!”


    The guests get louder, staring at me with disgust and contempt.


    People point and whisper.


    Someone hisses: “Total fraud. Looks normal but rotten inside.”


    Damon watches this unfold with a twisted smile.


    He steps closer, getting in my face, voice low enough that only I can hear:


    “Nova, be smart and get the fuck out. Or I’ll destroy you right here, right now. You’ll have nothing left.”


    Looking at his ugly, twisted face, 1 almostugh.


    The old estate manager is shaking with rage, pointing at Damon.


    “You ungrateful piece of shit!”


    “Miss Sterling begged her father to pull strings to save your ass from prison!”


    “She broke with her family for you, took a knife for you and nearly died! This is how you repay her?”


    Damon’s face goes from pale to red to pale again..


    He clearly didn’t expect his dirty past to get aired out in public, the viciousness in his eyes about to spill over.


    That’s when Emma, who’s been ying victim behind him, suddenly lifts her head.


    There’s pure poison in her eyes.


    She clutches Damon’s sleeve, voice trembling but words dripping with malice.


    “Damon… I know this sounds awful… but if Miss Sterling keeps causing problems, won’t she… won’t she ruin everything for you?”


    She pauses, like she’s gathering courage, then looks around at the guests.


    Her voice shakes but carries clearly.


    I heard your friends talking before… about dealing with backstabbing bitches like this… they usually… feed them to the shark…”