Chapter 208
Every single customer in the boutique had stopped what they were doing to watch the drama unfold.
Some were holding up their phones to record, while others watched with unconcealed excitement, desperate for the situation to escalate.
The sheer humiliation of her predicament finally crashed over Helena.
Her face flushed crimson, then drained to stark white. A thick vein pulsed furiously at her temple.
But she absolutely refused to back down. In front of all these elite onlookers, the proud matriarch of the Sterling family couldn’t afford to lose face.
“You’re spewing garbage!” she shrieked at the top of her lungs. “Celeste is Jarred’s sister! What absolute nonsense about a mistress! Wash your filthy mouth out!
Besides, your marriage with Jarred has been dead for ages. Both families know you’re getting divorced. The only thing missing is a piece of paper p>
“Missing a piece of paper means she’s still his wife,” Luna finally seized her chance to jump back into the fray, her tone merciless.
“And another thing, what kind of brother gets engaged to his own sister? The Sterling family has some seriously progressive traditions! Are you raising a daughter, or grooming a child bride for your son p>
The crowd erupted in a massive uproar of shocked gasps and gossip.
The onlookers shot Helena deeply suspicious, judgmental glares, making her feel as if her dignity was being dragged through the mud.
Celeste kept her eyes cast down, pressing her lips into a thin, tight line.
She put on a flawless performance of a bullied, tragically misunderstood victim.
But beneath her lowered lashes, her eyes boiled with toxic, unadulterated venom.
Helena was shaking uncontrollably. She pointed a trembling finger at Luna, completely lost for words, wanting nothing more than to flee the absolute disaster zone.
Gritting her teeth, she screamed at her bodyguards, “What are you idiots standing around for? Move p>
The men had just stepped forward when a sudden commotion broke out near the boutique’s entrance.
The massive crowd of onlookers parted as a small group pushed their way through. Leading the charge was a striking young woman.
She wore a sharp, custom-tailored black blazer, her dark hair swept up in a sleek updo. She looked like she had stepped straight off the cover of a high-fashion legal magazine.
Her commanding presence was so overwhelming that the crowd instinctively cleared a path for her.
A young female assistant trailed closely behind her, flanked by two massive, intimidating security guards.
The woman strode straight up to Sienna, offering a composed smile and her hand. “Ms. Sloan p>
A genuine smile finally touched Sienna’s lips. “Ms. Stanton, you’re here p>
Thea Stanton gave a slight nod. “Leave this to me. Feel free to continue your shopping p>
With that, she turned on her heel. Her razor-sharp gaze locked onto the ghastly pale faces of Helena and Celeste. “I am Thea Stanton, legal counsel representing Ms. Sienna Sloan.
On behalf of my client, I demand the immediate return of her fifty percent share of the marital assets you just spent. The total comes out to… forty-three point four million dollars.
I expect an immediate electronic transfer. If you fail to comply, I will be forced to contact the authorities and press charges p>
Staring at the brilliant, formidable lawyer standing in front of her, Celeste’s fingers dug viciously into her armrests.
Thea Stanton.
She knew exactly who this woman was.
No, she didn’t just know her. Over the past two years, Thea Stanton’s name had been whispered in awe across every elite social circle in the Capital.
As the final protégé of the nation’s top divorce litigator, she had been practicing for barely five years and had already amassed an undefeated record.
Just last month, she single-handedly orchestrated the globally publicized divorce settlement for a notorious casino tycoon’s fifth wife.
She had managed to secure a jaw-dropping payout that every other lawyer in the industry deemed utterly impossible.
All the money in the world couldn’t guarantee you could hire her.
How on earth did Sienna, a pathetic weakling who used to cling desperately to the Sterlings for survival, manage to hire someone of her caliber?
Unlike Celeste, Helena was completely ignorant of the elite legal world and had absolutely no idea who Thea was.
She only had one thought racing through her mind: She was not handing over a single cent.
“Don’t try to intimidate me!” Helena pointed aggressively at Thea’s face, her voice shrill. “Sienna, if you want to make a fool of yourself, go do it somewhere else!