The words cut through the ambient murmur of the Ublento Art Museum like a whip. Paige’s voice was sharp, precise, and venom-laced, aimed solely at Ella. “Ella, don’t mistake your temporary victories for lasting triumph,” she hissed, each syllable weighed with deliberate malice. “You stole my rightful marriage, dragged my name through filth, destroyed my engagement celebration, and disrupted this show’s launch—but you cannot halt my ascension. Watch closely as I soar to stardom while you remain nothing but a forgotten stepping stone beneath my feet. When I stand bathed in adoration’s spotlight, you’ll writhe as the internet’s favorite mockery. Let’s see whom Kane chooses when the dust settles!”
Venom and ice crystallized in her glare, revealing a festering resentment she refused to relinqu
