Hearing Anastasia’s words, Juliet shot up from her seat. There was no way she was going to stand by while Anastasia disrespected her man. If Anastasia wanted to play dirty, she was ready to take it a step further.“Oh, so you think your family’s all pure and perfect? Why don’t you tell everyone how Grandma and Grandpa built the Stewart Empire? They didn’t do it by hard work; they did it by stealing—siphoning funds, to be exact!” Juliet’s voice was sharp, echoing through the room as the bombshell hit.Everyone froze, their shock evident. Emmanuella’s eyes widened, and even Anastasia, who was rarely caught off guard, stood still as if she had been slapped in the face. Her heart raced as she processed what she had just heard. Her entire life, she had believed in the integrity of the Stewart family. Her grandparents, especially, were always seen as hardworking, respected figures. The idea that they stole money?“Liar!” Anastasia’s voice cracked with anger, her fists clenched. “You’ll say

While Juliet and Michael were wrapped up in each other, exchanging kisses, Anastasia knew it was time for her to leave with Alex. Her heart felt heavy, weighed down by everything that had happened.But before she could go, she leaned in close to Emmanuella, whispering something into her ear. Emmanuella responded just as softly, sharing a moment that no one else could overhear. As curious as everyone might have been, no one knew what they said.Since Alex and Anastasia had driven Emmanuella to the gathering, she wasn’t ready to leave yet. Her boyfriend had arrived, and he would be the one taking her home.Now, it was just Alex and Anastasia in the car, and the silence between them felt thick with unspoken thoughts. Anastasia’s pulse quickened as she struggled to find the right words. Finally, after what felt like forever, she spoke.“Alex, why did you agree to that bet?” Her voice trembled, betraying the vulnerability she tried so hard to hide. “It was a trap—to break us up—and you wal