Vengeance With My White Knight by Maya Kensington

Chapter 5

Stephanie made her way back to Cloudridge Valley, the place that still felt like home.

As soon as she stepped into the elevator lobby, she spotted Ella sitting on the couch, looking up from her phone.

ཱ90%

0

When Ella saw her, she shot up and rushed over, pulling her into a hug. “Girl, all men are pigs. Tomorrow, I’ll introduce you to someone way better.”

Stephanie gave a tired nod. “Sure.”

Ella expected Stephanie to lash out, but instead, she seemed strangely calm–like the whole thing with Chris hadn’t even fazed her.

Ella pulled back, giving her a quick once–over. When she noticed bloodstains on Stephanie’s clothes, her eyes widened.

“Wait, what? That’s blood? Did you get hurt?” She rushed over to check.

Stephanie glanced down and saw a few spots of blood on her beige coat.

With a nonchalant smile, she shrugged. “Easy. They’re not mine.”

Ella blinked, confused. “Whose is it, then?” Her voice was laced with concern.

Stephanie replied coolly, “Don’t know. Maybe Olivia’s or Chris’s.”

Ella’s eyes went wide. “What?”

Stephanie, noticing the worry in her friend’s face, casually explained, “Yeah. I taught Olivia and Chris a lesson.”

Ella’s eyebrows twitched when she heard Stephanie’s calm response. She was in awe of how efficiently Stephanie had handled everything.

Ella had just run into Chris and Olivia at the hospital that morning and told Stephanie about it. Now, not even half a day had passed, and Stephanie had already dealt with them.

She couldn’t help giving her a thumbs–up.

A mischievous grin spread across her face as she teased, “I know a short fuse can get you in trouble, but when it comes to jerks like them, you need a temper like yours.”

What those two had done was outrageous–so much so that even Ella couldn’t hold back her anger. And she wasn’t the one who’d been betrayed.

Ella had thought Stephanie would cry and whine about Olivia, but instead, she didn’t shed a tear. She’d taken action and handled things herself.

off, but she was

Olivia had a

eyes. “Don’t head upstairs just

nodded. “You took

Still

1/3

2 Mar

Chapter 5

༥ ༣ 90%I

a week, and everything going on, Ella worried she

around the street for a while before heading into a nearby restaurant.

steak, poking at it as she muttered, “Let’s

wasn’t a fan of bland food–Ella knew

properly. She mumbled between bites, “I don’t have time for that today, but I’ll take you to a Mexican place next time.”

the workday was usually quick

paused for a second, swallowed, then asked, “So what’s the plan with Chris?”

mention of his name, Stephanie’s steak suddenly tasted even

Ella. “Can you help me issue a statement? I want to announce that we’re canceling the

fork hovered in mid–air as she processed the

beat, she asked, “Your

could hardly believe it. Just hours ago, Stephanie was dealing with

the casualness in her voice at odds with the weight of what she was saying. “I don’t need their approval.”

an eyebrow, surprised by the

of thought, she realized it made sense. That was

engagement with Chris had never really been Stephanie’s

biological daughter–she was born to a maid, a secret they’d kept hidden for years. The Ashfords had wanted to

family had been desperate.

the Ashfords for several major business deals, and losing that connection could be disastrous. So, Catlin and

Stephanie and Olivia had fallen out, Chris had unexpectedly stood by Stephanie’s side—a

had pampered Stephanie, treating her like

thought he’d finally seen through Olivia’s true colors.

Chris’s shift back toward

her only

had sworn to put Olivia behind bars, and she had the evidence

the situation and muttered under her breath,

2/3

Sun, 2 Mar