Stella’s smile widened.
"Ah, right. You not only slept with him, but you stole him... From his wife, from his daughter. Tsk, tsk... You really are a bad woman, Lana."
"Stop it!" Lana shouted, her voice rising with fury.
Lana stormed around the desk and lifted her hand high to slap Stella across the face.
But Stella didn’t flinch. She stood her ground, chin tilted, her eyes gleaming with fire.
"Go ahead," she said coldly. "Hit me. Show everyone exactly what kind of woman you are."
Lana’s hand hovered midair, trembling.
The slap that had been meant for Stella never landed. Her sharp, furious gaze shifted toward the doorway, only to freeze again.
Nearly the entire finance division was standing there, staring wide-eyed.
Some tried and failed to look busy. A few had their phones out, half-hidden behind folders or coffee mugs.
Lana’s face was drained of color.
"What are you all doing here?" she snapped, her voice rising in panic. "Go back to work! Now!"
Nobody moved.
Lana lost her temper for a moment, staring at them, just gasping at her.
"Delete everything you recorded!" she snapped. "If I see a single photo or video online, you’ll all lose your jobs!"
That sent a nervous ripple through the crowd.
A few people hesitated, pretending to delete something, but it was too late; half the office had already uploaded it to their stories.
Stella couldn’t help it. She burst out laughing. The sight of Lana’s panicked, red-faced fury was glorious to witness.
"Oh, Lana," she said between chuckles, stepping close enough that only Lana could hear her. "You can’t hide anymore. You’re fully exposed for what an evil bitch you are. Now... everyone knows you’re my father’s mistress."
Lana’s mouth opened, then closed again. No sound came out. Her jaw clenched, her nostrils flared, and her entire body shook with barely contained rage.
Stella just smiled.
But then, something unexpected happened.
Lana sat back down in her CFO chair, crossed her legs, and let out a deep, almost mocking laugh.
"So what?" she said, smirking up at Stella.
Stella blinked. But say nothing, waiting for her to say something.
"So what if I’m with your father? He likes me, Stella. He chose me over your old, stinking mother. You think you’re hurting me? Oh, please..."
She paused to stare at Stella with her proud smile.
"I don’t care what gossip you spread. No one will believe you, not without proof. And soon enough, your father will divorce your mother and marry me. Then what? You’ll have nothing. Because what? This company will be mine!"
The words were enough to make Stella laugh inwardly.
For a moment, she just stared at Lana pitifully. Then she slowly started to smile, a calm but dangerous smile that made Lana shift uneasily in her seat.
"Very well," Stella said softly, clapping her hands once. "You said what you said, and it was everything I needed to hear from you."
"What are you talking about?"
"You see..." Stella tilted her head, feigning innocence. "That little speech of yours? It was all caught on video."
Lana froze.
Stella tapped her phoenix brooch, the one glinting proudly on her chest.
"Live broadcast, sweetheart. Now, anyone with internet access can watch you..."
"No! You didn’t..."
"Oh, I did," Stella interrupted her. "Well, congratulations, Lana. You’ve just confessed to being my father’s mistress and admitted to fraud in front of half the company and everyone out there. I couldn’t have written a better ending myself."
Lana’s confidence shattered like glass. She grabbed her phone, fingers trembling, and started scrolling furiously.
Her heartbeat stopped when she saw articles on major websites.
[ Lana Scott, CFO and Mistress of William Walters, was exposed during a live confrontation. ]
[ Lana Scott has been having an affair with William Walters for a year, and they share a son. ]
[ William Walters, CEO of Walters Group, cheated on his wife. ]
The news started trending all over social media.
Thousands of shares.
Dozens of gossip headlines.
And a video thumbnail showing her, mid-scream, face twisted in rage.
"You...bitch..." Lana gasped, voice trembling. "Stella, what have you done?"
"What needed to be done," Stella said simply.
Then,
She reached into her coat pocket, pulled out a crisp white envelope, and placed it neatly on the desk.
"My resignation letter. Effective immediately."
Lana stared at the envelope as if it were a loaded weapon.
"You should open your news or social media app, by the way," Stella added casually as she turned toward the door. "The whole world knows who you are now. Congratulations on your fifteen minutes of fame...Or rather, infamous."
"Stella, wait! We can fix this..." Lana shot up from her chair.
But Stella didn’t even glance back.
"You can try," she said lightly, "but what is out there now is the truth about you...and you can’t delete the truth."
As she walked past the stunned employees, Stella lifted her chin high. Some tried to hide their smirks.
The others whispered behind their hands. One even muttered, "You’re amazing... Stella."
She didn’t stop until she reached her desk, where Sisca was waiting, wide-eyed.
"Holy crap, Stella," Sisca whispered. "You... Wow! You are really a badass! Hahaha. You nailed it!"
"Oh, yes," Stella said, grabbing her bag and slinging it over her shoulder. "And I enjoyed every second of it."
"You actually livestreamed her meltdown?"
Stella smiled, proud. She knew her sister had already filtered what they needed to show; only the critical things to silence Lana and their father.
"Yes, she asked for it. So I gave her..."
Sisca’s jaw dropped. "You’re insane."
"Maybe," Stella said with a wink, "but it’s a family trait."
With that, she started walking toward the elevator. Her phone buzzed, Evelyn’s text.
"Good job, little sister! Now, we will take another step. Get yourself ready for what’s about to come."
She sent a short reply, "Can’t wait!"
But just as she reached the elevator doors, she paused.
"Joseph Carter," she murmured under her breath.
Right. The COO had asked her to come by his office after she was done.