The Day I Walked Away My Empire Began novel Chapter 83

He’d always refused to see her as anything more than a sister. If he ever found out she’d slept with a bodyguard—someone so far beneath their world—he’d probably want nothing to do with her ever again.

Steven was thrown off by the way she sobbed, his nerves a mess as he pulled her close, trying to comfort her. “Hey, what’s going on? Don’t do this to me. No matter what happens, I’ll always be here for you. Just tell me what’s wrong, okay?”

Cornered by his concern, Shannon had no choice but to lie. “It’s nothing, really. I was just thinking about leaving for abroad. The idea of not seeing you for so long… it just makes me sad.”

Steven let out a soft laugh, patting her gently on the shoulder. “Stop crying. If you miss me, you can come back anytime. And if I’ve got the time, I’ll come visit you, too.”

Shannon clung to him, crying even harder, like a kid desperate for someone to protect her.

“Alright, enough tears,” Steven said, his voice gentle. “Go wash your face. I’ll take you out for dinner. And if you need anything—clothes, whatever—just tell me, I’ll get it for you.”

She nodded, still hiccupping. Maybe going abroad for a while was the best thing. She needed to get her head straight, and she was scared the bodyguard would spill everything.

“Good girl. Go get changed,” Steven said, steering her toward her room.

After another round of tears, Shannon dragged herself to the bathroom to wash up and change. Once she was ready, Steven took her out for dinner, then treated her to a shopping spree for designer clothes and accessories. When they finished, he drove her home, handed her a plane ticket, and did his best to nudge her into leaving as soon as possible.

The next day, the internet exploded.

“Wow, they’re calling her the top homewrecker in New Amberton, and she looks like that? If she can land Steven Heath, then I’ve got a shot too!”

“I heard she grew up with the Heaths. You guys don’t get how thrilling that is.”

In the pictures, Shannon looked like a mess—hair tangled, face pale, eyes puffy. The camera had caught her at her absolute worst, twisting her features into something almost unrecognizable. In reality, she was soft and delicate, with an innocent charm, but compared to Lucie’s striking good looks, she barely stood a chance.

Steven woke up to all of it—his phone blowing up, news stories everywhere. For a moment, he just stared, stunned. He was the most powerful man in New Amberton. Normally, no one would dare post anything negative about him without his say-so. For a scandal like this to break out of nowhere? There was only one explanation: someone was coming after him, and they weren’t pulling any punches.