The Day I Walked Away My Empire Began novel Chapter 148

Steven’s frown just got deeper. “Enough. Don’t ever call anyone else Daddy, got it?”

“Oops, sorry, Daddy. I’ll remember. I only have one Daddy and one Mommy.” He hesitated, then added, “Hey, where’s Mommy? She hasn’t been home in days. I kinda miss her.”

The thing was, he never actually hated his mom. It was Marian who always whispered that his mom was some kind of evil witch. That’s why he started to resent her. But then his new dad told him Marian was the real witch, and that Aunt Shannon was just a sneaky fox trying to steal his dad away. It was enough to make him rethink everything about his mom.

Steven’s heart twisted in his chest. He couldn’t say a word.

—

At dinner, Miranda noticed how distracted he was. “Steven, what’s your plan now?”

“I don’t have one.”

“What’s really going on with you and Shannon?”

He looked up, annoyed. “What are you talking about?”

Miranda lowered her voice. “The other day… didn’t something happen between you two?”

Steven’s frown deepened. “You’re reading too much into it. There’s nothing going on.”

“I’m done.” He stood, ready to leave.

Miranda tried again, her voice gentle. “Steven, Lucie hasn’t been back in weeks. Are you really set on divorcing her? If you can avoid it, don’t go through with it. It’s fine to have a little fun outside, but you can’t just bring anyone home as your wife…”

He didn’t respond. He just walked out.

—

Another week slipped by. The only thing Steven could do was stall.

It’s soon September fourth.

His phone rang. Lucie was calling. His heart skipped.

He answered, a little breathless. “Hey, honey. You finally called…”

Lucie’s voice was cold and flat. “Steven, the court hearing is tomorrow. I expect you to show up.”

Her words hit him like a slap. He opened his mouth but couldn’t find anything to say.

“I have solid evidence now,” she said, her tone icy. “Enough to ruin your reputation. If you don’t want your dirty laundry aired for everyone to see, just sign the divorce papers tomorrow.”

His sudden appearance only made her angrier. “Steven, what do you want? How long are you planning to drag this out? This is pointless and cruel…”

Before she could finish, Steven’s eyes turned red. Suddenly, he pulled her into a hug, holding her tight and refusing to let go.

“What are you doing? Let go of me!”

He just held on tighter. “I just wanted to hold you one last time,” he whispered, his voice thick with emotion. He didn’t want to face reality, didn’t want to let go. He’d already made his choice, but part of him just wanted to stall for a little longer.

“Let go, Steven! You’re crossing the line…”

They were still struggling when a sharp, cold voice called out behind them. “Steven!”

He froze, arms falling away. Lucie turned to see a middle-aged woman pushing a wheelchair. Sitting in it was a woman, maybe in her late thirties, dressed in an elegant white dress, her short hair perfectly styled. She looked calm and self-assured, with a quiet strength that made everyone around her take notice. Time had left its mark on her face, but her beauty was still obvious.

Steven’s breath caught. “Bria… what are you doing here?”

Bria smiled faintly. “I couldn’t wait any longer, so I thought I’d surprise you.” Her cool, curious gaze drifted to Lucie.

She knew Steven was meeting his wife at court today. She’d come here just to see for herself the woman he claimed meant nothing to him.