Cassius watched Ste with a troubled expression. Ever since she''de back,


    he''d always felt there was something different about her-she wasn''t quite the same girl she''d been as a child.


    But now, seeing Ste act as if she were the bigger person even though she was clearly at fault, pretending to be magnanimous and unjustly wronged, he found himself genuinely stunned by her audacity.


    Did Ste really think everyone around her was a fool?


    Remington, on the other hand, hadn''t changed his expression in the slightest. From


    start to finish, Ste''s performance didn''t surprise him one bit.


    But Margaret—she was furious, practically shaking with anger at Ste''s little disy.


    She grabbed Ste''s arm, her jaw clenched tight. "What do you mean you''re apologizing on my behalf? I can apologize for myself! You were the mastermind— you''re the one who used me! Don''t you dare act like you''re meless, as if you''re just taking the fall for me."


    Margaret felt like aplete joke for ever thinking Ste was meek or easy to push around. She''d actually pitied Ste, believing she''d been taken advantage of by Lizetta.


    But now? Ste was nowhere near as innocent as she''d seemed. The way Ste had manipted her without her ever realizing-proved she was anything but helpless. There was no way Lizetta could have bullied Ste without Ste fighting back.


    For all Margaret knew, maybe Ste had even orchestrated the tragedy with Lizetta''s child. What a poisonous woman.


    "What do you mean, mastermind? Margaret, I only just found out you were the one spreading the videos and rumors—"


    "Oh, really?" Margaret cut her off with a sneer. "You had absolutely no idea?"


    "Of course," Ste replied, not a hint of hesitation or guilt in her voice.


    Margaret nodded slowly. "Alright, Ste. I hope you remember exactly what you''ve just said."


    A cold jolt of panic shot through Ste as Margaret spoke.


    Margaret pulled out her phone, scrolled quickly, and tapped a video before setting it down on the table for everyone to see.


    On the screen, Ste sat on the edge of Margaret''s sofa, the two of them sharing coffee and cake in the soft afternoon light.


    “Margaret, Remington keeps telling me to wait for him, but I''m almost thirty—I just don''t think I can hold on much longer..."


    "Remington says Lizetta''s still devastated after losing the baby, and her depression hasn''t improved. He doesn''t want to marry me now and risk upsetting her even more. Im so scared, Margaret Lizetta so beautiful-do you think


    Remington might fall for her all over


    again?"


    Ste stirred her coffee, her eyes dropping as she began to cry, her face etched with worry and sadness.


    "Ste, don''t think like that. You''ve


    put up with so much for Mr. Dashiell all these years. Didn''t you say he ever missed his own wedding toe rescue you? That''s proof enough-he cares about you more than anyone."


    “I know, I know, I think so too..... but nobody else sees it that way. If only everyone understood, like you do, then I wouldn''t be the butt of so many jokes..."


    "Wait-people are making fun of you? Who? What did they say?"


    "Oh, the usual. That I was gone for so many years and still have the nerve to think I can marry Remington."


    “Let''s not talk about that. I''ll tell you what I went golfing with my dad and Mr. Dashiell today. Mr. Dashiell told me himself—I''m the only one he wants as his future daughter-inw."


    "Really? Congrattions, that''s wonderful news!"


    Ste gave a little sigh. "If only it were that simple..."


    "But if Chairman Dashiell''s on your side, what are you worried about?"


    "It doesn''t matter if Mr. Dashiell agrees-if Remington doesn''t, it''s useless Remington just has too much of a sense of duty he cant let go of Lizetta. If only there were a way to force his hand..."


    The video ended with Ste''s forlorn sigh.


    Margaret''s eyes bored into Ste. "I have plenty more where that came from, Ms. West. Should I y them all for Mr. Dashiell and Mr. Sterling?"


    When Ste had been goading Margaret, she''d always chosen to do it in Margaret''s room, worried the staff might overhear.


    What she''d never expected was that Margaret had installed a hidden camera in her own bedroom, recording every conversation in both sight and sound.


    As Margaret bent down to grab her phone and y another clip, Ste lunged forward, snatching the phone from her hands and hurling it across the room in a panic.