Chapter 485

Victoria Ashford knew something was wrong the moment she stepped through the gates. Penelope Ashford's sleek black Mercedes was parked in the driveway, meaning her half-sister had returned home.

Normally, Penelope would announce her presence with dramatic flair, ensuring the entire household knew of her arrival. This eerie silence was unnatural.

The quiet made Victoria's pulse quicken. As she pushed open the front door, a crystal vase came flying toward her face. She barely dodged in time, but the heavy base still struck her shoulder. Pain shot through her body as cold sweat beaded on her forehead.

Looking up, she saw them - Penelope and Reginald Ashford seated on the velvet sofa, their expressions glacial.

"You dare show your face here?" Penelope's voice dripped venom. "After the catastrophe you've caused?"

Victoria's blood ran cold. Her father's eyes held nothing but disgust.

Penelope advanced like a predator, her designer heels clicking against the marble. "We sent you to seduce Nathan Blackwood, not to humiliate our family!"

Victoria's knees trembled. The Ashford mansion's opulence suddenly felt like a gilded cage.

Penelope's perfectly manicured nails dug into Victoria's arm. "Haven't you spent your whole life dreaming of climbing the social ladder? Couldn't even keep a man interested? You're as useless as your gold-digging mother."

To high society, Penelope was the picture of elegance. Only Victoria saw this cruel side - the vicious half-sister who'd tormented her since childhood.

Reginald remained silent, his disapproval radiating like winter frost. He'd always treated Victoria as the family's dirty secret.

Victoria bit her lip until she tasted blood. How much did they know? Had news of her humiliating rejection spread already?

Penelope yanked Victoria's hair brutally. "Speak! Or are you too ashamed to explain how you single-handedly destroyed our biggest deal?"

Victoria's vision swam as Penelope shoved her to the floor. The impact sent fresh waves of pain through her body. She looked desperately toward Reginald, but found no mercy in his cold stare.

"Your sister speaks truth," Reginald finally said. "The Stanton Corporation took our half-year project because of you. Evelyn Sinclair made it clear - this was punishment for your behavior."

Victoria's breath caught. That night flashed through her mind - standing nearly naked before Nathan Blackwood, only to be dismissed like common trash. The memory burned as painfully as her father's contempt.

She curled into herself, sobbing. This life of luxury, even with its cruelties, was better than the poverty she'd escaped. Better to endure their abuse than return to being nobody.

"I tried everything," Victoria whispered through tears. "Nathan Blackwood wouldn't look at me. I couldn't—"

Penelope's laugh cut like broken glass. "Failing with Blackwood is one thing. But provoking Evelyn Sinclair? That stupidity cost us millions."

Victoria's stomach dropped. The weight of her failure pressed down until she could barely breathe. The Ashfords' wrath was only beginning, and she had nowhere left to hide.