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 , Ill introduce you to someone way better . Stephanie gave a tired nod . Ella expected Stephanie to lash out , but instead , she seemed strangely calm like the whole thing with Chris hadnt even fazed her . Ella pulled back , giving her a quick once over . When she noticed bloodstains on Stephanies clothes , her eyes widened . Wait , what ? Thats 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 . Theyre not mine . Ella blinked , confused . Whose is it , then ? Her voice was laced with concern . Stephanie replied coolly , Dont know . Maybe Olivias or Chriss . Ellas eyes went wide . What ? Stephanie , noticing the worry in her friends face , casually explained , Yeah . I taught Olivia and Chris a lesson . Ellas eyebrows twitched when she heard Stephanies 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 couldnt 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 couldnt hold back her anger . And she wasnt the one whod been betrayed . Ella had thought Stephanie would cry and whine about Olivia , but instead , she didnt shed a tear . Shed taken action and handled things herself . Ella didnt fully get how Stephanie had pulled it off , but she was glad to see her handling it so well . She knew Stephanie wasnt usually this fiery it was just that Olivia had a way of pushing her buttons , making her lose control . Ella glanced at her phone , a playful gleam in her eyes . Dont head upstairs just yet . Lets grab something to eat . Its already past noon . Stephanie nodded . You took the afternoon off ? Ella flashed a grin . Nuh , I left early . Still gotta to get back to work after lunch . 1/3 12:42 Sun , 2 Mar Chapter 5 ༥ ༣ 90 % I With Stephanies wedding coming up in just a week , and everything going on , Ella worried she might start overthinking things . They wandered around the street for a while before heading into a nearby restaurant . Stephanie struggled with her steak , poking at it as she muttered , Lets not get this next time . It doesnt taste that great . She wasnt a fan of bland food Ella knew that well . Ella , on the other hand , was devouring her meal , not even slowing down to chew properly . She mumbled between bites , I dont have time for that today , but Ill take you to a Mexican place next time . Lunch during the workday was usually quick and no nonsense for most people . Ella paused for a second , swallowed , then asked , So whats the plan with Chris ? At the mention of his name , Stephanies steak suddenly tasted even worse . She put down her knife and fork with a sigh , wiping her mouth before turning to Ella . Can you help me issue a statement ? I want to announce that were canceling the wedding . Ella froze . Her fork hovered in mid air as she processed the request . After a beat , she asked , Your families are okay with this ? She could hardly believe it . Just hours ago , Stephanie was dealing with Olivia , and now she was already making moves with the families ? Stephanie shrugged , the casualness in her voice at odds with the weight of what she was saying . I dont need their approval . Ella raised an eyebrow , surprised by the response . But after a moment of thought , she realized it made sense . That was the truth . They didnt need anyones approval . The engagement with Chris had never really been Stephanies choice in the first place . The Ashford family knew Olivia wasnt really the Hart familys biological daughter she was born to a maid , a secret theyd kept hidden for years . The Ashfords had wanted to call off the engagement from the start . But the Hart family had been desperate . They relied on the Ashfords for several major business deals , and losing that connection could be disastrous . So , Catlin and Chad Hart had quietly arranged everything with Stephanie . Two years ago , when Stephanie and Olivia had fallen out , Chris had unexpectedly stood by Stephanies side a major shift from his usual behavior . After Olivia was sent away , Chris had pampered Stephanie , treating her like she was the most important person in the world . Back then , Stephanie thought hed finally seen through Olivias true colors . But now , Chriss shift back toward Olivia made it crystal clear . Two years ago , he had been kind to her only to keep her close , in line . After all , Stephanie had sworn to put Olivia behind bars , and she had the evidence to make that happen . Ella immediately grasped the complexity of the situation and muttered under her breath , Hes a total jerk . 2/3 12:43 Sun , 2 Mar Chapter 5 90 % 5 She paused for a moment , a confused frown creasing her forehead . Wait , you knew exactly what kind of guy Chris was two ⚫ years ago , right ? So why the hell did you agree to get engaged to him ? And today … you went and tried on wedding dresses ? Were you really planning to marry him in a week ? Ellas voice was a mix of disbelief and frustration . Stephanie didnt answer right away . When Ella asked why , her gaze dropped , and for a brief moment , her eyes seemed to darken . Why ? Stephanie didnt really know . Maybe it was because they both had something to gain , or maybe they both had their own hidden agendas . In the end , Stephanie just waved her hand dismissively and muttered , Enough with this . Just make sure to include the pictures of him and Olivia at the hospital when you post the statement . Ella noticed that Stephanie wasnt in the mood to elaborate , so she let it go . What mattered more to her was how Stephanie felt about all of this . Once she realized that Stephanie wasnt as in love with Chris as everyone had assumed , her worries started to ease . Ella thought for a moment , then gave a determined nod . Alright , Ill post it right now . She grabbed her phone with purpose . Ella had once been a professional reporter for a major newspaper , and she still ran several accounts with millions of followers . The Ashford family was one of the top elite families in Long Harbor , so Chriss wedding had been under constant public scrutiny . Ella wasnt about to let this slip through her fingers . She carefully crafted the announcement , making sure to get every detail right . She knew that if she didnt handle this carefully , Stephanie could end up taking all the heat . Half an hour later , the internet exploded . The first story quickly took over the local headlines : The Hart familys adopted daughter returning , spotted with the Ashford heir at a hospital . Another one followed shortly after : Miss Hart announces cancellation of wedding to Mr. Ashford ! These two stories took over the local news , throwing the spotlight back on the scandal from two years ago the adopted daughter and the real heiress . People hadnt forgotten the drama , and now , it was being thrust back into the public eye . Discover our latest featured short drama reel. Watch now and enjoy the story!