Chapter 65

Lily Savigny's face turned deathly pale.

"Adrian, you knew all along?"

Adrian Roland leaned back on the sofa, eyes closed in exhaustion. "Does it even matter now?"

"At least..." Lily bit her lip. "At least you still wanted to marry me after learning the truth, right?"

Adrian gave a bitter, self-deprecating smile.

Marriage?

Once, he had looked forward to it with all his heart. But the recent flood of revelations had left him utterly disillusioned.

"Lily, I despise deception most of all."

"Adrian, I can explain! It was all just accidents—"

"Accidentally going to the rooftop?" Adrian cut her off sharply. "Accidentally arguing with Martha? Accidentally watching her fall? Accidentally framing Stella for it?"

Lily fell silent.

The manager standing nearby shifted uncomfortably. This was elite family drama he had no business hearing—especially when it involved a death.

"Mr. Roland, perhaps I should step out—"

Stella Valentine spoke up calmly. "Manager, I came for the job interview. Does this order still require my attention?"

The manager hesitated. "Well..."

He glanced nervously at Adrian.

"Change it to a single ring," Adrian said abruptly. "Two rings redesigned into one. Same price, but the design must meet my standards."

The manager nodded eagerly. "Of course! Then we'll have this designer—"

"Another day." Adrian stood and walked out without looking back.

Lily grabbed his arm in panic. "Adrian!"

He shook her off. "We both need space."

The conference room fell silent.

As Stella methodically gathered her materials, Lily suddenly lashed out. "Stella, are you satisfied now?"

Stella smiled faintly. "Quite the performance. Your acting has slipped."

"Don't get smug! Adrian only loves me!"

"What does that have to do with me?"

"Stop pretending to be noble! You just want to use your child to trap him!"

Stella rose, her gaze icy. "If he hadn't taken my child, I'd have preferred he never knew of their existence."

"You—"

The door swung open abruptly.

A young man strode in, frowning. "What's going on here?"

The manager hurried forward. "Mr. Valence, this is the designer here for the interview—"

Victor Valence raised a hand, cutting him off as he scrutinized Stella. "Here for the job?"

"Yes. I'm Stella Valentine."

He smirked. "A designer? I'd have guessed janitor."

The manager tried to explain. "Mr. Valence, she's Mr. Roland's ex. Having her here could—"

"Unnecessary." Victor's voice turned glacial. "This company runs on merit, not connections. Ex-girlfriend? Current girlfriend wouldn't make a difference if she's incompetent."

"But the company needs—"

"Enough!" Victor snapped. "If she's not gone in ten minutes, you're fired too."

The manager turned helplessly to Stella. "Miss Valentine, I'm sorry—"

"Wait." Stella took a deep breath. "Mr. Valence, I respect your commitment to quality. But Adrian and I are completely over. Give me a fair chance. If my designs don't measure up, I'll leave immediately."

Victor raised an eyebrow. "You're sure?"

"Let me try."

"You can't even dress yourself properly, yet want to design jewelry? Gemstones don't allow do-overs."

Stella glanced down at her simple outfit, puzzled.

"My appearance doesn't affect my skills."

Victor suddenly laughed. "Interesting. Nine tomorrow. Bring your portfolio."

Stella's eyes lit up. "Thank you, Mr. Valence!"

"Don't celebrate yet. I've fired top designers before."

"I know."

"Confident, are you?"

"No." Stella met his gaze squarely. "But I need this job. I'll prove myself."

"Money troubles?"

"Yes."

His eyes flicked to her faded clothes. "Obviously."

"My apologies. I'll dress appropriately tomorrow."

"More curious—someone this desperate might be tempted with our materials..."

Stella remained composed. "I only design. I don't handle physical inventory."

Victor studied her with newfound interest. "Fascinating. If the designs fail, we could always use another janitor."