After a year of business trips overshadowing our marriage, I guiltily planned an anniversary surprise—only to find our estate packed with guests. A crimson banner gleamed: “WELCOME THE NEWEST SUTTON HEIR!” Mom and Dad had a late miracle, I mused, until an unfamiliar guard barked: “No invitation, no entry. Get lost!” Then I saw him. My husband Trevor cradling a baby, kissing my spoiled adopted sister Jessica on the red carpet. My parents beamed at them. A bitter laugh tore from my throat. The “heir” wasn’t my sibling. It was my husband’s love child—and I’d just become a mother by betrayal. 1 "Hey! Stop right there!" The unfamiliar guard stepped in front of my car, his eyes dripping with disdain. "Who do you think you are, trying to barge in here? This is a private estate." "Now get this piece of junk out of the driveway before I have it towed!" I was baffled. My assistant, Sarah, looked equally confused. She rolled down the window. "Open the gate immediately," she said, her voice crisp. "And inform everyone that Ms. Sutton has returned." The guard looked at her as if she'd told the funniest joke in the world. He snorted, a look of pure contempt on his face. "You're Ms. Sutton? And I'm the King of England. Get out of here before I call the cops on you for trespassing." He waved a dismissive hand. "We're celebrating a happy occasion today. We don't have time for beggars like you." I was speechless, a hot flush of anger rising in my chest. This estate was my marital home. I'd been overseas for a year securing financing, and in my absence, they had hired this vulgar oaf? My brow furrowed. "You're fired," I said, my voice dangerously quiet. "The Sutton family does not employ people who judge others by their appearance." Sarah nodded, pulling out her phone. "I'm calling HR now. The guard at the suburban estate is to be terminated immediately. Find someone with a working pair of eyes. I don't want any more strays guarding the gate." The guard's face went rigid with panic. He lunged, snatching Sarah's phone and smashing it on the asphalt. "Don't push your luck, you crazy bitch! You really want to keep this act up?" he snarled, his face red with fury. He grabbed my car door. "This is the christening for President Sutton's daughter! You think you can waltz in here without an invitation, pretending to be some rich lady?" "Fire me? Ha! I'm about to have you arrested!" He yanked Sarah out of the car before she could react. She struggled against his grip. "What nonsense are you talking about? The president has been overseas! There is no child—" I shot out of the car and kicked the guard square in the gut. "Open your damn eyes and see who you're talking to!" He crumpled to the ground, clutching his stomach. "You bitch! You'll be the one in trouble for assault and impersonating Ms. Sutton!" He was so insistent, so utterly convinced I was an imposter, that a sliver of doubt crept into my mind. Just then, Sarah pointed toward the estate, her voice trembling. "Ma'am... Catherine... look. On the stage. Isn't that... isn't that Mr. Grant?" I followed her gaze. Inside, a massive outdoor screen was broadcasting the ceremony live. The stage was drowning in flowers, bathed in brilliant lights. And there he was: Trevor, my husband of one year, holding a baby. He pulled a woman into a possessive embrace. It was my sister, Jessica. She stood on her tiptoes to give him a lingering kiss. "Honey," she cooed, "you've worked so hard on our daughter's christening!" The sight of their intimacy sent a blaze of fury through me. Sarah gasped. "Ms. Sutton, why is Jessica with Mr. Grant?!" Her question was like gasoline on a fire. The green-eyed monster wasn't jealousy; it was the realization that my head was now home to a thriving forest of antlers. 2 The wind whipped around me, making the banner's golden letters dance mockingly. Each word was a slap in the face. It wasn't my parents adding to the family. It was my good-for-nothing adopted sister, the cuckoo in my nest, who had climbed into my husband's bed and made me a mother without my consent. The betrayal was one thing. But for her to dare to steal my very identity? I built this family's fortune. Sutton Enterprises was the culmination of years of my blood, sweat, and tears. I'm gone for one year, and I come back to find my position as President has been usurped? What was next? Would I be thrown out onto the street? This was intolerable. I kicked the groaning guard aside and barked at my assistant, "Sarah, get on your other phone. Call every single shareholder in the company. I want to see who dares to be so insolent to my face." Fifteen minutes later, a fleet of luxury cars streamed up the driveway. A crowd of familiar, powerful faces emerged. With Sarah at my side and a phalanx of the city's wealthiest investors surrounding me, I marched straight into my own home. This time, no one dared to stop me. The moment I entered the banquet hall, I saw her. Jessica, holding court, a triumphant smile on her face. Our formidable group immediately caught her attention. Her smile vanished. She slammed her champagne flute down and stormed toward us. "Who are you people? I didn't invite you! Get out of my house!" "Security! Get these lunatics out of here! Don't let them ruin my family's party!" The sheer arrogance of it. A year away, and she had certainly learned how to play the lady of the manor. Her words sent a ripple of outrage through the shareholders. I gave Sarah a look. She stepped forward, her voice ringing with authority. "I'd like to see anyone try." She gestured to the men and women behind me. "Open your eyes and see exactly who you're talking to." One of the shareholders, a grizzled veteran of the board, spoke up, his voice booming with anger. "Indeed! The audacity! We are the primary shareholders of Sutton Enterprises. We are here to celebrate the birth of President Sutton's child. And who are you to be barking orders at us?" "What President Sutton?" Jessica's face paled slightly. The shareholder scoffed. "The one and only heir, of course. The President of Sutton Enterprises, Catherine Sutton!" "Catherine Sutton? There's only one President Sutton, and that's me, Jessica Sutton!" A flicker of panic crossed her face, but it was quickly replaced by a smug confidence. "I don't know what game you're playing, but if you anger me, you're making an enemy of the entire Sutton corporation!" Then, her eyes finally focused on me in the center of the crowd. She let out a shriek. "You! How are you back?!" I met her gaze coolly. "Even a three-year-old knows that Catherine Sutton is the president. You claim the title, yet you don't even recognize the company's own shareholders. Don't you find that a little pathetic?" Her face flushed with anger and humiliation. "How do I know they're real shareholders and not just actors you hired? Catherine, you're just jealous of me!" A malicious smile touched her lips. "This is my daughter's christening. Did you bring all these people here to crash it? Too bad for you, dear sister. I'm the one in charge of this family now." I looked at her, a complex mix of anger and sorrow churning inside me. "Jessica, do Mom and Dad know you're doing this? Even if everyone else in this family recognizes you, our parents would never stand for this." 3 At the mention of our parents, a strange, knowing smile spread across Jessica's face. "Sister, I suggest you take a seat and have a drink. You wouldn't want to make a scene and embarrass yourself." My eyes turned cold. "The only person who will be embarrassed is you. Mom and Dad need to know about the stupid things you've done. Our family has standards. We don't tolerate vermin like you." "Whether you're tolerated or not," Jessica sneered, "is not up to you." "Mom and Dad are busy. It's best not to disturb them." "You mean you don't dare contact them," I shot back, my voice radiating cold fury. "Today, in front of every major shareholder, you are going to explain exactly what you think you're doing by impersonating me." My words ignited the crowd. Murmurs turned to angry shouts. All around us, people were pointing at Jessica, their faces masks of contempt. "Who allowed you to cause such a commotion here?" A deep voice cut through the noise. It was my husband, Trevor, a man I hadn't seen in a year. He held the baby in his arms, his face a thundercloud of rage as he pushed through the crowd. When he saw my face, he froze, pure panic flashing in his eyes. But then his gaze fell on Jessica, and it was as if he'd found his anchor. His composure returned in an instant. "My wife is the heart of this family," he announced, his voice cool and arrogant. "If you know what's good for you, you'll get out." He scanned the faces of the shareholders. "Together, my wife and I control thirty percent of this company. That makes her the president. Anyone who defies her is making an enemy of the entire Sutton family." He looked down his nose at us, radiating an air of untouchable superiority. The shareholders exchanged uneasy glances. No one had expected this. Sarah leaned in, whispering frantically. "Ma'am, Jessica only holds a five percent stake, and Mr. Grant has two percent. How could they possibly..." My face paled as the same question screamed through my mind. It was true. Even if Jessica had bought out some minor shareholders, there was no way she could have amassed thirty percent in such a short time... Unless... An alarm bell shrieked in my head, and a sudden, inexplicable dread seized me.
? Continue the story here ?? ? Download the "MotoNovel" app ? search for "393993", and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel