Chapter 60

Stella'POV

"You can't be serious," Brian stammered, looking around for supp

ort from his social circle, but most of them suddenly found their

drinks very interesting. Sam's smile was pure satisfaction. "Brian, should I explain why yo

u're being kicked out? About how you pursued Stella for years in

college? How you practically camped outside her dorm and sent

flowers every day until she finally gave you a chance?"

Brian's face tuarned a deep shade of red. He shoved the manage

r aside roughly. "You don't know anything!"

"Really?" Sam retorted. "You imply that Stella can't let go of you, which is laughable because the one who has been obsessed is y

ou. Are you a narcissist?"

Lucy stepped forward, her designer heels wobbling slightly. "You

have no right to talk to him like that! Without your parents' trus

t fund, you are nothing!"

"How pathetic," Sam responded, inspecting her manicure. "Your o

nly-"

Before Sam could finish, Lucy lunged forward, but I was quícker. My

hand shot out, grabbing a fistful of her meticulously styled hair and

yanking her back. Lucy screamed, flailing her arms wildly. "You bitch!" Brian shouted, stepping towards me with his hand ra

ised. "Let her go now!"

Sam stood firmly between us. "Touch my friend, and you'll regret

it, Lancaster. I know your 'gentleman' act is just a facade,but hit

ting a woman? Even you should have some standards."

"Move aside," Brian roared. "This isn't your fight."

"When it involves Stella, it's always my fight," Sam replied, her ey

es narrowing dangerously. Brian's patience snapped. He grabbed Sam's arm roughly. In a blu

r of motion, Sam twisted free and landed a precise punch to his

head. Brian doubled over, gasping. Lucy broke free from my grip and lunged at Sam, her nails aimed

at her face. I intercepted her, grabbing her wrist and using her

momentum to fling her aside. Lucy stumbled into a nearby table, knocking over glasses. "You're all insane!" Brian gasped, straightening up. He looked to h

is friends, who were watching in shock. "What are you all standin

g around for? Help!"

Two of Brian's friends reluctantly stepped forward. The taller one

reached for me, but I was ready. Years of self-defense training kicked in, and I sidestepped his grasp, using his momentum to counterattack.Mystiletto heel struck his knee.sending

him crashing onto a table. "Brian," I said coldly, brushing a strand of hair from my face,"I sh

ould have done this three months ago when I caught you and Lu

cy together in the suite. At least then I would have had the satis

faction of teaching you both a lesson before ending things."

The revelation hit the room like a bomb. All eyes turned to Brian

and Lucy, who stood frozen. "Three months ago?" someone whispered. "But they only announc

ed their relationship last month..."

"She's lying!" Lucy stammered, but her flushed face betrayed her. Brian's friend-the one still standing-looked confused.

′′ ude,you sai

d Stella cheated on you..."

Things quickly deteriorated from there. Lucy lunged at me again, t

his time successfully scratching my arm with her nails.As Brian tri

ed to grab me from behind, Sam intercepted him.Within minutes, the VIP area descended into chaos. Tables overturned, champagne bottles shattered, and clothes tore

as the fight escalated. Security rushed in, but by then, I had alre

ady landed a solid kick to Brian's chest, sending him sprawling on

to a leather sofa. "Wait, is that Stella?" I heard someone exclaím. "The bookworm?

Where did she learn to fight like that?"

By the time the police arrived, Rouge's VIP area looked like a bat

tlefield. The fluorescent lights of the Manhattan police station made every

one look sickly. Our group-disheveled but still in evening attire-loo

ked out of place against the backdrop of common criminals and

weary officers. A seasoned officer, who had clearly seen it all in his twenty-year

career, looked at us with barely concealed amusement. "Alright, let's hear it," he sighed, holding a notepad. "What happe

ned? You're all adults from good families, yet you're brawling in

a nightclub like freshmen."

None of us spoke immediately. I noted with satisfaction that Lucy

's perfect hairstyle now resembled a bird's nest, and Brian's custo

m suit had a tear in the shoulder. Officer Rodriguez continued, "You realize this could have ended m

uch worse, right? The media will have a field day.'Manhattan Elit

e in Drunken Nightclub Brawl.' I'm sure your families will love tha

t headline."

Lucy finally broke the silence

Brian lunged across the table, but was immediately restrained by the Sam and me, mascara running down her cheeks. "They slandered

me and my boyfriend, then physically attacked us."

Sam rolled her eyes so dramatically I thought they might get stuc

k. "Slander? Since when is stating facts considered slander?"

"She's lying." Lucy insisted, turning to Brian for support. "They att

acked us unprovoked. Tell him, Brian!"

I leaned forward, my voice chillingly calm. "Was it slander when I

mentioned catching you and Brian together three months ago? W

hen I was still engaged to him? When you told everyone how mu

ch you missed your 'dear sister'?"

Lucy's mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water. "Or when Sam mentioned how Brian pursued me relentlessly in c

ollege? How he waited outside my classes? Sent flowers to my do

rm every day? Is that slander?" I continued, watching Lucy's face

crumble with each word. Brian finally intervened. "Stella, this is all my fault. Lucy had nothi

ng to do with it." His chivalry might have been touching if it wer

en't so transparently self-serving. "Really?" Sam drawled. "Are you suggesting you performed a solo

act in that suite? You must be quite the multitasker." "Enough!" the officer barked. "One more outburst like that,and you'l

l spend the night in a cell." He turned to his colleague

"Separate statements from each of them. I want this mess docum

ented before their lawyers arrive and spin everything."

\--- Within an hour, most of Brian's friends had been bailed out,their fa

mily's lawyers arriving with practiced efficiency. Brian and Lucy were

the last to leave, their lawyer negotiating reduced charges. As they

passed us in the hallway, Lucy's glare could have melted steel. "This isn't over," she hissed under her breath. Brian said nothing, but his expression promised retribution. I merely

smiled, which seemed to infuriate them even more. After they left, Sam turned to me with a sigh. "Well,that was more

excitement than I planned for tonight. Who should we call?"

I considered our options. Calling the Winston family was out of the

question-I'd rather spend the night in jail than give Anna and John another

opportunity to remind me of my"inferior" status. My grandmother was

too frail to handle this drama. There was really only one choice. "I'm calling Adam," I decided, pulling out my phone. After all.he

had just gotten out of my bed a few days ago, and I was his wi

fe. For the third time, I hovered my finger over Adam's contact.Twice, I had called, and both times it went straight to voicemail.With a

sigh, I put my phone away. "Are you sure you don't want to try someone else?" the officer a

sked, his tone not unkind. "It's fine," I replied,smoothing out the wrinkles in my dress.

′′ 7ll

wait."

Two officers chatted by the water cooler, their voices echoing in

the nearly empty station. "Have you heard about that Lancaster guy? The one in the wheel

chair?" one officer said, refilling his paper cup. "Iheard he showed

up at GT Group's European headquarters last week."

"Really?" his colleague responded. "My cousin was on security det

ail for that conference in Europe. He said the socialites were prac

tically lining up just to get a word with Mr. Lancaster."