Chapter 226

Evelyn hesitated, her fingers tightening around her wine glass.

Margaret Dawson leaned forward, her voice dripping with false sweetness. "It doesn't have to be anything major, darling. Just a simple managerial role would suffice."

Her lips curled into a saccharine smile. "After all, we're family. You wouldn't deny your own sister an opportunity, would you?"

Evelyn's jaw clenched.

The sheer audacity. How dare Margaret waltz in here and demand an executive position? Before Evelyn could respond, Lucas Sterling let out a sharp, mocking laugh.

His voice cut through the tension like a blade. "Haven't you done enough damage to Uncle Charles's company? Now you want to leech off Sterling Corp too?" He smirked. "We don't tolerate parasites here."

Evelyn's lips twitched.

Well played, little brother. When had he learned to be so brutally eloquent?

Margaret's face turned to stone. Lucas's words had struck a nerve—too direct, too disrespectful.

She was accustomed to flaunting her self-proclaimed status as the "Second Lady of the Sterling family," basking in the unearned prestige. Everyone in their circles knew she was Charles Sterling's longtime mistress, but she carried herself like a legitimate wife.

"Lucas!" Margaret hissed. "How dare you speak to me like that? Genevieve is your cousin!"

Lucas pointed at Evelyn without hesitation. "She's my sister. You two? You're just background noise."

Margaret's face flushed crimson. She whirled toward Evelyn, desperation creeping into her voice. "Evelyn, you're in charge now. Surely arranging a position for Genevieve wouldn't be difficult?"

Evelyn took a slow sip of her wine, letting the silence stretch. Then she smiled—a cold, calculated curve of her lips.

"It's not impossible," she said lightly.

Margaret's shoulders relaxed—until Evelyn continued.

"Sterling Corp holds annual executive recruitment drives. If Genevieve truly has the qualifications, she's welcome to submit an application like everyone else."

The room went dead silent.

Margaret's nostrils flared. "Why the ridiculous formality? Just say the word! She's family—must you be so petty?"

Genevieve nodded eagerly, her doe eyes wide with feigned innocence. "Exactly! I only want to learn the business, Evelyn."

Evelyn's laugh was razor-sharp. "Business is learned at business school, Genevieve. Every position at Sterling Corp carries weight. Given your... limited skill set, I doubt you'd last a week."

Genevieve's face crumpled. She bit her lip, turning tearful eyes toward her mother.

Margaret looked like she'd been slapped. The sight almost made Evelyn laugh.

"You—!" Margaret's voice rose to a shrill pitch. "You're deliberately humiliating us! Don't forget, we're Stantons too!"

Her finger jabbed toward Evelyn. "You're the disgrace here, with your scandals plastered across every tabloid! Who do you think you are?"

The temperature in the room plummeted. Lucas set down his phone, his playful demeanor vanishing.

At that moment, William Sterling strode in—his expression dark. He'd clearly been listening from the hallway.

Seizing the opportunity, Margaret pounced. "William! Your children are beyond disrespectful! All I asked was a simple favor for Genevieve. Who do they think they are?"

William's face was thunderous. He'd heard enough.

His voice was ice. "This isn't some back-alley negotiation, Margaret. Watch your tongue."

Margaret flinched, her bravado crumbling. "W-We're family," she stammered. "Must everything be so formal?"

Genevieve rushed to intervene. "Uncle William, Mother didn't mean it like that—"

"Family?" William's laugh was brutal. "You're a mistress and her illegitimate child. That doesn't make you Sterlings."

The words landed like a guillotine.

Years ago, Charles's wife had fallen gravely ill after discovering his affair with Margaret. She never recovered.

William had severed ties with Charles afterward, only maintaining business connections out of necessity. He'd made one thing clear: if Charles ever married Margaret, he'd lose all rights to the Charleston branch.

So Margaret remained a mistress—for over a decade. Unacknowledged. Unwanted.

Yet she'd spent years masquerading as a Sterling, until today—when William ripped the facade away.

Genevieve's eyes welled with furious tears. "That's not fair! My parents have been together for years! You're the one who forced them to stay unmarried!"

William's gaze could have frozen hell. "Know your place. You don't speak unless spoken to."

The unspoken truth hung heavy:

In this world of old money and power, blood mattered.

And Genevieve Dawson would never be a Sterling.