The Day I Walked Away My Empire Began novel Chapter 146

“But you don’t need to worry. What’s done is done, and I promise Shannon won’t be left with nothing.”

The message was obvious. Shannon could be Steven’s mistress, and the Heath family would make sure she was provided for. But if she was hoping to marry in and become Mrs. Heath for real? That was never going to happen.

Marian forced an awkward smile. “Of course, ma’am. You watched Shannon grow up. I know you wouldn’t mistreat her…”

—

The next day at Cedarbrook Hall, Lucie finally woke up after sleeping for what felt like forever. She lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, her mind blank. At this point, all she could do was cut her losses and move on.

If Steven had cheated just for the thrill of it, she would’ve hated him—thought of him as shallow and disgusting. However, the truth was messier. He was guilty, yes, but she could almost understand how it happened. If he hadn’t lied and tricked her into raising someone else’s child, she might have walked away gracefully, even wished him and his ex the best. But he’d gone too far. What he’d done was unforgivable.

Forget it, she told herself. There’s no point in thinking about it anymore. What matters now is getting out of this mess and not letting these toxic people drag her down any further.

With a deep breath, Lucie pushed every thought of Steven out of her mind. She got out of bed, washed up, and asked the staff to make her a big lunch. After she ate, she gathered up the paints she’d bought recently and headed to the antiques market.

—

At the office, Lucie called her assistants over. “Ruby, Jean, cancel everything for the next two weeks—meetings, events, all of it. Don’t let anyone bother me, no matter what.”

“Yes, Ms. Anderson.”

“Alright, you can go. Only come in if it’s absolutely urgent.”

This is going to be a huge project, she thought. At least two months of work. Better start with the research…

—

Meanwhile, Steven had been in the hospital for a week, slowly getting better. He’d spent the whole time trying to figure out a way to fix everything, but after seven days, he still hadn’t found a solution. He couldn’t bring himself to end his marriage, but the thought of letting Lucie go hurt just as much. And he couldn’t abandon Bria, not after everything she’d done for him.

Years ago, the Heath family almost fell apart. Steven’s father was too sick to run the company, so Steven had to step up, even though he was barely more than a kid. Nobody took him seriously, and everyone around him was waiting to pounce on what was left of the Heath legacy. The only way to survive was to be tougher and smarter than all of them.

It was Bria who had been there for him when things were darkest. She’d given him advice, gotten rid of his enemies, paved the way for him to take over. Half of what the Heath family had left was thanks to her. When someone tried to kill him, she’d risked her life to save him and ended up in a coma after being stabbed over thirty times. He owed her everything; he couldn’t just walk away.

Lost in thought, Steven’s phone rang. It was Bria. He took a breath to steady himself and answered, “Hey, Bria.”