"Dad…? Why are you looking at me like that?" Before she could react…

SMACK!

A sharp slap echoed through the hall, sending her stumbling backward. A red mark immediately bloomed on her cheek like her name Rose.

The Party hall! The very same hall that had once been filled with prestige and luxury. Now stood frozen in shocked silence. Rose clutched her stinging cheek, her eyes widening in disbelief.

Her father… had just slapped her.

"I'LL TELL YOU WHY I'M LOOKING AT YOU!" Harold Winter roared, his voice hoarse with fury.

His hands shook, his chest heaving with uncontrollable rage.

"I WARNED YOU! I TOLD YOU TO STOP PLAYING AROUND AND JUST MARRY ALEX!" All the rage he had been holding was now finally coming out from his body.

"HE ADORED YOU! HE WOULD'VE GIVEN YOU EVERYTHING! BUT NO—YOU HAD TO KEEP HIM CHASING YOU LIKE A FOOL!"

Rose staggered, her ears ringing from the loud angry voice of his father and the slap that had done half the work.

"Dad, I—" She tried to speak for herself but Harold Winter wasn't finished.

"AND NOW LOOK AT US!" His eyes were bloodshot, his rage consuming him.

"YOU TOYED WITH HIM FOR YEARS—AND NOW HE DOESN'T WANT YOU ANYMORE! AND BECAUSE OF YOUR STUPID GAMES… DIGNITY— OUR FAMILY IS RUINED!"

His voice shook with bitterness, with regret, with unfiltered hatred toward her stupidity.

"Was your act worth it? Was pretending to be a pure, untouchable goddess WORTH DESTROYING OUR FAMILY?!"

Rose's knees buckled, her mind blanking out.

The sudden slap had left Rose stunned, her cheek burning from the impact. But more than the pain. It was the public humiliation that made her tremble with anger and disbelief.

"Dad! How could you yell at me like this?" she cried out, clutching her cheek, her eyes welling with unshed tears. Her voice trembled, but it still carried an undertone of defiance.

"I never liked Alex to begin with! He was the one who willingly out of his own will chased after me, throwing money at my feet like an obedient dog!" Tears escaped from her eyes as she continued.

"I never forced him to do anything—if he wanted to spoil me, how is that my fault?!" Her words, so brazen and unapologetic, sent a wave of murmurs through the banquet hall.

Yet! One voice stood out above the rest.

"Exactly! She's absolutely right!" The person speaking? None other than Ethan Carter. Despite being utterly humiliated moments ago, he still found himself nodding in agreement, his eyes filled with admiration.

"Rose is a goddess—of course men should worship her." A twisted grin formed on his lips. "It's Alex who's truly disgusting. A man who willingly becomes a lapdog should accept his fate. He had no right to take back what he gave."

It was clear. The so-called 'protagonist' had morals just as twisted as hers. Before Rose could even process Ethan's pathetic attempt at justifying her actions, a sharp, disdainful scoff reached her ears.

It came from her own mother, Lillian Winter. The older woman crossed her arms, her lips curled in disgust.

"You're really something, aren't you?" Lillian sneered. "Sure, Alex was doing that out of his own will… but do you think men will keep throwing money at you forever?"

"Even a dog expects a treat after doing tricks!"

Rose's eyes widened in shock, unable to believe what she was hearing. Her own mother was siding against her?!

Lillian shook her head, clearly exasperated. "Look at you. You've been acting like a damn princess, thinking you could keep leading Alex on forever." Her gaze turned icy cold.

"Do you even understand the situation we're in right now?" Her voice dropped to a chilling whisper.

"Without Alex, we're finished." Rose bit her lip, but before she could refute, her mother leaned in closer… And spoke words that made her heart clench in dread.

"You should've at least given him something. If you'd just let him have you once, he'd still be under your control." The Party hall fell silent. Even Ethan Carter, who had been nodding along a moment ago, froze in place.

But Lillian wasn't done. "Instead, you strung him along, keeping yourself 'pure' like you were some untouchable queen. Now, look what happened." Her tone was icy, ruthless.

"Alex is done with you. You lost your golden meal ticket, and because of you, our entire family is on the verge of collapse!" She clenched her fists, her expression twisted with rage.

"How does it feel, Rose? How does it feel knowing you're the reason your family is going down in flames?!" Rose staggered, her breath hitching in panic. She wanted to scream, to argue… But she couldn't.

Because deep down… she knew her mother was right. She had overplayed her hand. She had been so sure Alex would always crawl back to her, no matter what.

And now… Now, he had cut her off completely. And without him, she was nothing.

Harold Winter, who had been silent all this time, finally took a deep breath.

When he spoke, his voice was grim, unwavering. "There's only one way to fix this." His cold gaze landed directly on Rose.

"You need to make Alex forgive you." His words felt like an iron decree, each syllable pressing heavily against her chest. "Without his backing, our company is doomed. The Two Hundred Million Dollars he's demanding? That's just the beginning."

His fingers tightened into a fist, his expression dark.

"Rose, you need to go to Alex's house immediately. Do 'whatever' it takes to win him back." The implication in his words was clear. Nothing was off-limits.

Rose's stomach twisted. "I'm not going!" she protested, shaking her head violently. "He was just my lapdog! You want me to beg him now?!" Her voice cracked in desperation, but her father's expression remained cold and unmoved.

Lillian Winter stepped forward, her eyes gleaming with calculation. "You don't have a choice. If Alex still wants you, that's our only hope." Her lips curled into a cruel smirk.

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Bonus Chapters on: 300, 500, 700 Power Stones.

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(A/N: Next Chapter Soon! Some Golden tickets guys!!!)

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