Mistress Commission: 'Design Our Rings!' But Darling I'm Still His WIFE novel Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Every single pair of eyes locked onto me.

Shock, Confusion. Then rapidly shifting to embarrassment. Panic.

The smile froze on Julian’s face.

His arm, which had been wrapped around Chloe, dropped instinctively.

He stood there like he’d been nailed to the floor, his voice shaking.

“A–Amelia? I thought you were on that sketching trip?”

First time I’d ever seen him this rattled.

I stared straight into his eyes, searching for even a trace of guilt.

Chloe beside him froze for a second. Then, when she realized who exactly am I, her eyes filled with terror.

She instinctively shrank back behind Julian, her hand moving protectively over her stomach.

“Ms. Sterling? You… you…”

Clearly, she never imagined the wedding ring order would land in the actual wife’s hands.

Even less that his so–called “ex–wife” wasn’t in prison at all.

Julian’s mother’s glass slipped from her hand and shattered on the floor.

She shot to her feet, panic written all over her face.

I walked in slowly, scanning the room.

Taking in every single priceless expression.

The lively private dining room from moments ago, Now so quiet you could hear nervous swallowing.

“Looks like I came at a bad time?” My voice was eerily calm.

“Or maybe… exactly the right time?!”

I held up the delicate ring box in my hand and opened it gently.

Inside lay the engagement rings I’d designed according to Chloe’s specifications.

I turned my gaze to Chloe, my tone cold, laced with faint mockery.

“Ms. Bennett. Your rings.”

“Eternal love. Bellflower symbolism. Custom–designed by me. Satisfied?”

Chloe didn’t dare take them. She clutched Julian’s sleeve like her life depended on it.

Julian finally snapped out of his shock.

He stepped forward, forcing himself to look composed, his voice pleading.

“Amelia, whatever this is, let’s talk at home. Don’t make a scene here. Please, I’m begging you…”

“Home?”

I laughed like I’d just heard the funniest joke in the world, my gaze cutting straight through him.

“Which home? The one where you told me you loved me while secretly planning to leave me with nothing?”

Chapter 4

Before he could answer, Julian’s mother rushed over, guilt plastered across her face,

She reached for me. I coldly stepped back.

“Amelia! Amelia, sweetheart! It’s Mom… Mour’s fault! The Blackwoods failed you!”

Her voice cracked, loud enough for the whole room to hear.

Like she wanted everyone to witness her apology. Or maybe she was just trying to save face.

“But… but you have to understand Julian’s position! Understand us old folks!”

“You… you can’t have children anymore, but Julian’s the only son in the Blackwood family! We have this entire legacy, we can’t… we can’t let the bloodline end

here!”

As she spoke, her eyes drifted involuntarily toward Chloe’s stomach.

The longing in that gaze formed a brutal contrast to the “love” she once showed me.

Then she lowered her voice.

“Chloe… she’s carrying a boy! The doctor confirmed it! Amelia, once she has the baby, I’ll make them cut ties completely. I promise you.”

“Mom’s on your side. I know you’re hurting. Whatever compensation you want, we’ll give it to you. Just please, don’t make a scene. Let everyone save some

face…”

“Face?”

I rolled the word around in my mouth, the chill in my chest hardening into ice.

So all that warmth over the years? Worthless the second “bloodline” entered the picture.

Other relatives chimed in, voices overlapping.

Every word implied I was the one in the wrong.

Before I could respond, a sharp, furious voice rang out from the corner of the room.

“NOW you care about saving face?!”

Everyone turned. A young woman with short pink hair shot to her feet, shoving her chair back with a harsh screech.

Mia Blackwood. Julian’s cousin.

She’d always been blunt and bold, constantly lectured by the elders for her unconventional style.

But she and I? We got along just fine.

She stormed into the center of the room, her face flushed with anger.

“When Amelia’s family bailed the Blackwoods out, where was all this talk about ‘face‘?!”

“When your shitty project was about to tank, Julian, Amelia begged her dad for THREE days until the Sterlings invested more money! Back then, none of you gave a damn about bloodlines!”

“And you!” She whipped around to face his cousin. “Your beauty salon was bleeding money. Amelia used her own savings to cover your losses! How do you say that shit without your conscience eating you alive?! Oh wait–you don’t have one.”

“And you! You!” She pointed at several other relatives, who immediately shrank back. “Your kids‘ school admissions, job placements–who pulled strings for all of that? Amelia! And now you’re all ganging up to screw her over?! FUCKING UNGRATEFUL BASTARD!”

Mia’s rapid–fire accusations landed like slaps across every ungrateful face in the room.

The dining room fell silent again.

When she finished, her eyes were red. She grabbed my arm.

“Amelia, let’s go. These assholes aren’t worth your time. They don’t deserve you.”

Chapter 4

I patted the back of Mia’s hand, signaling her to calm down.

Then I turned my gaze back to Julian.

Julian Blackwood. Did you hear that?

My voice wasn’t loud, but it cut through the silence like a blade.

You. And your entire family. What you owe me isn’t just money. It’s loyalty. It’s trust. It’s years of my heart I gave to the wrong people.”

I tossed the ring box onto the table like it was trash.

“As for compensation?”

I let out a soft laugh. Cold. Empty.

“Don’t bother. I’ll take it back myself. With interest.”

With that, I pulled Mia along and turned to leave.

Chapter 3