At that moment, Stella drew in a shaky breath, her lips parting as though the words themselves burned to leave her throat. Finally, she whispered, "Her name… her name is Cecilia. That's the lady who did this to me."
Immediately the room went still again as the name rolled off her tongue, heavy with both shame and fury. She clenched the bedsheet tightly, her eyes darting between her father and brother, bracing for their reaction.
Then her voice grew sharper as she tried to justify herself. "I first saw her yesterday at the event, the one where Mark was supposed to pick me as his new bride, his new girlfriend. That was when I laid eyes on her. She stormed into the party like she owned it, caused chaos, and from that moment, everything began to fall apart. And then again… again I saw her today. That was when the altercation started. She's the one who assaulted me."
Benedict's jaw flexed, his sharp gaze bore into his sister's eyes.
