All Chapters of Illegitimate Daughter’s Payback: Revenge Is a Dish Best Served Cold: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

All eyes turned toward us. Leo, who was already nearby, quickly shrugged off his suit jacket and wrapped it around me. His face was stormy as he turned to Cindy and snapped, "Are you out of your mind?!"Cindy, clearly losing her composure, shot back, "You're the one who's crazy! Why are you defending this shameless woman?"I clutched the jacket tightly around myself, forcing a deep breath before smiling at the crowd. "I'm so sorry, everyone. There’s been a little incident with my dress. Please excuse me while I change."In the lounge, I had already prepared a simple, elegant light-gray gown. After changing, I didn't rush back to the banquet hall. Instead, I sat on the couch, adjusting my expression to something calm and composed while holding Leo’s suit jacket in my hands.It wasn’t long before there was a knock at the door. Leo walked in, looking uncomfortable. "Are you okay? Back there, I—""I'm fine," I interrupted, deliberately sniffing as I held out his jacket. "Thank you

Ben was swiftly fired from the company. Cindy, embarrassed and humiliated, hadn’t shown her face at work for days. In the meantime, I took over as the acting manager of the development department. While my salary didn’t increase, the position gave me real power within the company. My father seemed to notice my abilities. He started talking to me more and occasionally asked for my opinions on major decisions. These days, I had begun shadowing him on significant projects, doing everything I could to prove my value to the company and my father. I wanted him to understand the loss it would be for Heights Corp if I jumped ship to a competing company.I knew my time was limited. If George could uncover my true identity, it would be child’s play for Mary to figure it out. All it would take was Cindy running home and sobbing to her mother. Mary, with her sharp instincts, wouldn’t even need a private investigator to connect the dots. Sure enough, Mary came for me. She called me in

I wasn’t planning to look for Leo, but he came to find me instead. He looked much thinner than before. In his simple white shirt and jeans, he resembled a well-behaved college kid. Honestly, he wasn’t my type. He was too clean-cut, and his life was always smooth sailing. I’ve always thought he and I were from two different worlds. However, when he carefully pulled two concert tickets out of his pocket and handed them to me with hopeful eyes, my heart couldn’t help but melt. “Actually, I’m not really into jazz,” I said, making no move to take the tickets. His expression fell instantly, the little spark in his eyes fading away. “But if you’re willing to join me, how about we catch a movie instead?” I said, reaching out to take his hand.That’s how I started dating Leo, with my heart in it this time. I even gave him my old notebook filled with notes I’d made about him: his likes and dislikes, his interest in wine, golf rules, the origins of jazz and its key figures…

George and I went to the police station to give our statements. The police opened a case and started reviewing nearby surveillance footage to track the perpetrators. However, deep down, I knew this was a loss I’d have to swallow. It was also a stark reminder that Mary was ruthless. Years ago, she had used something as innocuous as an almond tart to quietly get rid of Xavier. If she could do it then, she could just as easily use the same dirty tricks to get rid of me now. If one attempt failed, there would be a second and a third. Now that I’d secured my position at Heights Corp, holding onto its most vital secrets, it was time to settle the score for the hatred that had burned inside me for seven long years. Since returning to this city, I hadn’t stopped searching for Georgina, the housekeeper who had worked for my father’s family all those years ago. My father had told me that after Xavier’s death, Mary had immediately dismissed her. Georgina’s real name was Christ

Two months later, I got the news that Leo and Cindy were getting married because Cindy was pregnant. I didn’t need much imagination to figure out what happened. That mother-daughter duo, who had spent years mocking my mom, ended up using tactics no better than hers. Well, maybe a little better. At least Cindy got to marry Leo. The wedding took place as planned. Half the company attended, and the reception was hosted at one of the luxury five-star hotels owned by Starline Corporation. It was extravagant and grand. I stayed in my office, flipping through the files my private investigator had gathered. Christine had been siphoning millions of dollars from Mary over the years. The words on the documents made my head ache. I closed the folder, grabbed my coffee, and stood by the floor-to-ceiling windows, staring at the cityscape outside. My mind wandered to a sunny memory of a man with a pure, warm smile repeatedly telling me he loved me. Saying I didn’t feel any regret