She Left She Thrived She’s Worth Billions novel Chapter 554

She was certain she had him exactly where she wanted him.

Gabriel smiled, shifting his hands to pull her waist flush against him.

"Just the extraction protocol? Is such a trivial thing really worth offering yourself up on a silver platter?"

Aria pouted, expertly playing the victim as she shook her head.

"It's not trivial to me. Stellaris guards its tech like Fort Knox. Without it, how can I prove to my father that I'm better than Melanie? You grew up with a silver spoon in your mouth, Mr. Whitmore. You have no idea how vicious a family succession war can be..."

For once, Aria wasn't entirely acting. The resentment in her voice was raw and genuine.

She had spent her entire life feeling like Nathaniel Royce was fundamentally unfair.

So what if her mother had started as the other woman?

Sabrina Lowell was his legal, wedded wife now. And Aria was officially a Royce, the recognized second daughter of the family.

Yet, when it came down to executive titles and corporate equity, she was left with absolutely nothing.

Why did Melanie get everything just by right of blood?! They were both his daughters.

Her name was on the family registry. Nathaniel owed her equal treatment.

To the outside world, Nathaniel played the perfect, doting father. He had bankrolled her elite education, sent her abroad, and molded her into a sophisticated businesswoman.

For a long time, Aria had worn that privilege like a crown, convinced he was grooming her for greatness.

Her mother believed it, too.

From every conceivable angle, Nathaniel treated her ten times better than Melanie, whom they both considered a worthless failure.

But recently, the bitter truth had finally dawned on her.

She had been completely wrong.

"I'll let you know now, I like to play rough," he murmured smoothly. "I'm just worried you won't be able to keep up."

Reaching over, he grabbed a half-empty bottle of vodka and held it out to her.

"Drink the rest of this. Show me how sincere you really are."

Aria's stomach recoiled at the thought, but she knew she couldn't afford to disobey him now.

Gritting her teeth against the agonizing burn in her gut, she took the bottle and chugged the heavy liquor.

The glass bottle slipped from her fingers, thudding dully against the carpet. Aria swayed violently before collapsing onto the plush sofa, completely unconscious.

The heavy silence of the guest suite rushed back in. Gabriel casually adjusted his bathrobe, shedding the playboy persona in an instant. Looking toward the suite's private bedroom, he called out in an amused voice.

"You can come out now, Ms. Royce. She's out cold."

The bedroom door clicked open, and Melanie strolled out with poised, unhurried steps.