He Turned Me Into His Favorite Revenge

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My childhood sweetheart, Julian Thorne, personally destroyed my father's casino empire.

I became his plaything, someone he used whenever he needed to vent his rage.

Thinking of my father still clinging to life in the ICU, I swallowed my pride. I put on the skimpy bunny girl lingerie and tried to please him.

When he slapped my thigh and ordered me to arch my back, I obeyed, choking down the humiliation.

Just bear it. My father needs the medical money to survive.

"You really are pathetic, begging like a cheap whore."

After the torturous intimacy ended, I asked him when he would wire the money.

Instead of answering, he got dressed and dragged me to a mega-yacht.

This yacht, The Luminary, was the custom eighteenth-birthday gift my father had built for me.

Now, it belonged to someone else.

Julian kicked me behind the knees, forcing me to the floor.

"Eva's shoes are dirty. Lick them clean, Stella, and I'll wire the cash."

Eva was the mistress he kept just to torment me.

I looked up at Julian.

He waited, as he always did, for me to scream, cry, and throw a tantrum.

But this time, I was just too tired.

Stella Vance POV

Atlantic City. The Luminary yacht.

A high-society charity gala was in full swing.

The glare from the crystal chandeliers made my eyes sting.

Dressed in an ill-fitting, cheap black dress, I stood stiffly in the darkest corner of the ballroom, holding a serving tray.

Once, I was the most dazzling princess of Atlantic City, the daughter of the Casino King.

This very yacht was my eighteenth-birthday gift from my father.

Now, the master of the ship had changed.

And I had fallen from the high-and-mighty heiress to the lowest server on board.

"Stella, Eva's shoelace is loose."

A deep, cold voice cut through the chatter, slamming into my eardrums with precision.

The entire ballroom went dead silent.

Every pair of eyes in Atlantic City's high society turned to me like poisoned arrows.

Those looks held mockery, pity, and the thrill of watching a train wreck.

My thin shoulders tensed.

I raised my head and looked across the crowd at the man sitting in the center booth.

Julian Thorne.

Once my father's most brilliant prodigy, and my childhood sweetheart.

Now, he was the king of Atlantic City, the man who had thrown my father into a prison hospital and swallowed the Vance family casino empire whole.

He leaned back on the velvet sofa, lazily swirling a glass of champagne.

Beside him sat a fragile-looking woman, Eva Sterling.

"Julian, don't do this. There are so many people here..." Eva murmured, her voice sweet and dripping with fake innocence, though a smug glint flashed in her eyes.

"She wants to do it," Julian said, his dark eyes locked onto me, completely ignoring Eva. A cruel smirk played on his lips. "Am I right, Miss Vance?"

I bit my lower lip so hard I tasted blood.

How could I want this?

I was Marcus Vance's daughter. My pride used to be higher than the heavens!

But my father was in the ICU, hooked up to a ventilator, and Julian held the plug to his medical fund.

"If you don't behave, I'll cut off your father's life support tomorrow." That was what he had whispered in my ear last night in the gentlest tone, delivering the most venomous threat.

I took a deep breath and set down my tray.

Under the gaze of a hundred elites, I walked toward the center of the hall, feeling like I was stepping on broken glass.

In those few yards, I walked over the shattered remains of my dignity.

I stopped in front of Eva and let my knees hit the cold marble floor.

Thud.

Whispers and muffled giggles erupted around us.

"Wow, she actually knelt..."

"A fallen peacock is worse than a chicken. She's not even worthy of polishing Eva's shoes now."

I blocked out the noise.

With trembling hands, I reached out and touched Eva's diamond-encrusted heels.

They were custom-made from Paris, a gift from Julian.

I tied the loose silk ribbon, my movements mechanical and numb.

There were no whips or physical blows, but this public stripping of my pride burned worse than a thousand cuts.

"It's done," I said, my voice dry and raspy.

I tried to stand, but Julian's long fingers gripped my chin, forcing my face up.

His eyes were like ice, devoid of any past warmth.

"Eva has a thing about germs. Your hands are dirty; you soiled her shoes," Julian said casually. "Wipe them with your dress."

My pupils dilated. I looked at him in disbelief.

"Julian, don't push me too far..." My voice shook, my eyes rimmed with red.

"Too far?" Julian sneered, leaning in so only I could hear. "When your father drove my mother to jump off that building, did he think about what was 'too far'? What you're feeling now isn't even a fraction of what I went through. Wipe them."

His voice carried absolute authority.

I closed my eyes, a tear slipping down my cheek.

I grabbed the hem of my cheap dress and slowly wiped the nonexistent dust off Eva's shoes.

At that moment, my heart died on this yacht that used to be mine.

Stella Vance POV

The Vance Estate, Atlantic City.

This place used to be my home. Now, it was my prison.

I curled up on the cold floor, my stomach cramping painfully.

I hadn't eaten a bite at the gala, and the emotional trauma had left me so weak that a strong breeze could have blown me away.

The door clicked open.

Julian walked in, bringing the chilly night air with him.

He loosened his tie and looked down at me with cold indifference.

"Get up," he commanded.

I didn't move. I didn't even have the strength to open my eyes.

Julian frowned, walked over, hauled me off the floor, and threw me onto the bed.

"Stop playing dead." He pulled a document from his coat and tossed it onto my face. "Sign it."

The sharp edge of the paper sliced my cheek, leaving a thin trail of blood.

I numbly picked up the paper. When I read the title, my blood ran cold.

Equity Transfer Agreement.

He wanted me to sign over the Rubik's Casino, the last and most symbolic property of the Vance family, to Eva Sterling for free.

"The Rubik is my mother's legacy." I snapped, my dead eyes finally flashing with anger. "Julian, you have already taken everything from the Vance family. Why do you have to steal the last memory of my mother?"

The Rubik's Casino was designed by my late mother. Every inch of it held my most precious memories.

Julian smiled at my rage.

He leaned down and gently tucked a stray lock of hair behind my ear, his touch so tender it felt mocking.

"Because Eva likes it," he whispered, each word piercing my heart. "Her birthday is next month. I think the Rubik makes a perfect gift."

"I won't sign!" I ripped the paper in half, my body trembling. "In your dreams, Julian!"

Julian didn't get angry.

He sat on the edge of the bed, his fingers trailing down my pale cheek.

"Stella, you're still so stubborn," he sighed, like a parent dealing with a spoiled child. "But what cards do you have left to play? Your braindead father in the ICU, or your ridiculous pride?"

My heart sank further with every word.

"The hospital called this afternoon. Your father's condition is worsening. He needs an expensive experimental drug," Julian whispered in my ear, his warm breath sending chills down my spine. "One hundred thousand dollars a shot. Stella, what do you think the hospital will do if I don't authorize the payment?"

I froze.

I stared at him, trying to find a trace of the boy who used to fight street punks just to protect me.

There was nothing.

The Julian Thorne in front of me was a monster.

"What do you want from me?" I closed my eyes in defeat, tears spilling over.

"I told you. Sign." Julian pulled an identical copy of the contract from his briefcase, along with a pen, and held them out to me.

No physical violence.

But he knew exactly where to strike to crush my soul.

I took the pen with trembling fingers.

The tip felt as heavy as lead.

I signed my name, burying my mother's last legacy with my own hands.

Julian took the paper, satisfied.

"See? That wasn't so hard." He adjusted his suit jacket to leave.

At the door, he paused without turning back. "Eva is visiting the Rubik tomorrow. As the former owner, you will be her tour guide. Don't make her unhappy."

The door slammed shut, plunging the room back into silence.

I hugged my knees and wept in the dark. My pride and my dignity had been ground into dust by his web of hatred.

Stella Vance POV

Late autumn in Atlantic City brought a massive storm.

I was sick.

With a fever of 103 degrees, I felt like I was burning alive, then shivering in ice.

In the vast estate, the maids ignored me.

Without Julian's permission, no one dared to call a doctor for the fallen princess of the Vance family.

As I drifted in and out of consciousness, a cool hand touched my forehead.

"Why is her fever so high?"

It was Julian's voice.

I forced my eyes open and saw him sitting by my bed, his brow furrowed with rare anxiety.

He brought a warm, wet towel and gently wiped my forehead and neck.

His touch was soft, just like it used to be years ago.

Back then, when I caught a cold from playing in the rain, he would stay by my bed all night, coaxing me to take my medicine.

"Julian..."

Delirious with fever, I clutched his sleeve, tears slipping from my eyes. "It hurts..."

Julian stiffened.

Looking at my pale, fragile face, the ice in his eyes seemed to crack.

He took my hand, his voice raspy. "The doctor is coming. Just hold on."

He pulled me into his arms, using his body heat to warm my shivering frame.

For a second, I thought I was back in the past.

I thought the Julian who loved me was still there.

I greedily clung to his warmth, a tiny spark of hope reigniting in my dead heart.

Maybe he still cared?

Maybe all this torture was just temporary anger?

Then, Julian's phone rang.

The custom ringtone was for Eva.

Julian let go of me instantly. He answered, his voice turning incredibly soft. "Eva, what's wrong?"

Eva's whimpering voice came through the receiver. "Julian, the thunder is so loud. I'm scared... Can you come over?"

Julian's expression tightened.

He looked down at me, shivering and feverish, but didn't hesitate to push me back onto the cold bed.

"Don't worry, I'm on my way."

He stood up, grabbed his coat, and headed for the door.

"Julian..." I woke up from my brief dream, looking at his back in despair. "Don't go... I'm really sick..."

He paused but didn't turn around.

"Eva has been terrified of storms since she was a kid. She has a heart condition; she can't handle shocks," he said coldly. "It's just a fever. You won't die. Take the medicine when the doctor gets here."

With that, he walked out.

A few minutes later, the butler walked in, expressionless. "Miss Vance, Mr. Thorne ordered the doctor to go to Miss Sterling's place instead. She needs the medical staff."

Not only did they take the doctor, but the butler also unplugged my only space heater, claiming "Miss Sterling's room is too cold."

I lay alone in the dark room, listening to the thunder rattle the windows.

My body was burning, but my heart was frozen solid.

That was Julian.

He excelled at giving you a taste of heaven just to drag you back to hell.

I grit my teeth, dragged myself to the bathroom, and poured a bucket of freezing water over my head.

The shock cleared my brain instantly.

I stared at the pale, broken woman in the mirror, a bitter laugh escaping my lips.

Stella Vance, what are you still wishing for?

He is not your Julian anymore.

From now on, my heart must be as cold as this water.

Stella Vance POV

It was the night of the annual Atlantic City Charity Gala.

Julian, as the new casino tycoon, made a grand entrance with Eva on his arm.

As his personal assistant, I was ordered to walk behind Eva, carrying her purse and serving her drinks.

The venue was packed with elites and flashing cameras.

I stood in the shadows, dressed in a plain, drab grey pantsuit.

I used to be the star of these events. Now, the people who used to flatter me looked at me with open disgust.

Halfway through the auction, a piece appeared on the big screen.

It was a sapphire necklace called "The Devil's Tear."

My breath hitched. I stared at the screen, my heart stopping.

It was my mother's necklace!

When the Vance family went bankrupt, our assets were seized, and this necklace was auctioned off.

I had searched for it for years, and now it was here.

"Starting bid, five million dollars," the auctioneer announced.

My heart hammered against my ribs.

I threw caution to the wind and rushed to Julian's side, my voice trembling. "Julian, please... bid on it. It's my mother's..."

I could throw away my dignity, but that necklace was my only connection to her.

Julian looked at my pleading face, a strange emotion flashing in his dark eyes.

"What are you offering in return?" he asked quietly.

"Anything! I'll do whatever you want. I'll be your slave... just please buy it," I sobbed, my eyes red.

Julian didn't answer, but he raised his paddle.

"Ten million."

The crowd gasped.

After a few rounds of bidding, Julian secured the necklace for a staggering thirty million dollars.

I watched the staff bring the velvet box over, my body shaking with relief.

I thought he still had a shred of humanity left.

I reached out to take the box.

But Julian bypassed my hand.

In front of everyone, he opened the box, took out the sapphire necklace, and draped it gently around Eva's neck.

"Eva, this color matches your dress perfectly," Julian smiled.

Eva touched the gems, shooting me a triumphant look. "Thank you, Julian. I love it."

My hand froze in the air. Something inside me snapped.

"Julian..." My face was ghostly pale. "You know very well that's..."

"It's just a necklace," Julian cut me off, his eyes devoid of warmth. "Stella, have you forgotten your place? You don't have the right to wear something this expensive."

Snickers erupted around us.

"Does she still think she's an heiress?"

"Seriously, look at her. She actually thought Mr. Thorne bought that for her."

Every whisper felt like a slap to my face.

But it didn't stop there.

Eva gasped as the necklace slipped from her neck and hit the floor.

"Oh no, I'm sorry, Julian. The clasp must be loose..." Eva stepped back in a panic, and her sharp stiletto heel came down right on the sapphire.

Crack.

The gem didn't shatter, but my heart did.

"My necklace!" I screamed, lunging forward to push Eva away.

Julian reacted instantly, pulling Eva into his arms and slapping me across the face, sending me crashing to the floor.

"Stella, have you lost your mind!" Julian roared.

"Julian, I'm scared. She looked like she wanted to kill me..." Eva whimpered in his chest.

Julian looked down at me as I clutched the soiled necklace on the floor, his face turning incredibly cold.

"You frightened Eva," he commanded. "Apologize."

I squeezed the necklace, my nails digging into my palms until they bled.

"She stepped on my mother's legacy... and you want me to apologize?" I looked up at him, my eyes bloodshot.

"I won't say it again," Julian's voice was flat. "Apologize, or your father's ventilator gets turned off tonight."

That threat. Always that threat.

I closed my eyes, feeling like a broken doll. Slowly, I dragged myself up and bowed deeply to Eva.

"I am sorry, Miss Sterling."

With those words, my soul shattered completely.

Stella Vance POV

My world had become an isolated island of despair.

Then Adrian Cole appeared, bringing a tiny spark of light to my ruined life.

Adrian was the most brilliant young lawyer in Atlantic City, and my childhood friend.

When the Vance family fell, he was in London handling a massive case. By the time he rushed back, everything was already over.

He managed to track me down in the Thorne estate, where I was kept as a maid.

Looking at me, a shell of the vibrant girl he once knew, Adrian's eyes filled with pain.

"Stella, I'm taking you away," he whispered, grabbing my hand in a quiet corner of the garden. "I have gathered evidence that Julian illegally rigged the bankruptcy to steal your family's assets. If we file a lawsuit..."

"It's no use, Adrian," I gasped, pulling my hand back as panic seized me. "You have to leave! If he finds you, he'll kill you!"

I knew Julian's methods too well. He was a psychopath.

"I'm not afraid!" Adrian's eyes were fierce. "Stella, you can't let him torture you like this. It will kill you!"

"Whether she dies or not is none of your business."

A chilling voice drifted from the shadows behind us.

My blood froze.

Julian stepped into the light, a lit cigarette between his fingers. Through the smoke, his handsome face looked terrifyingly twisted.

"Julian!" Adrian shielded me, glaring at him. "This is kidnapping! I will sue you until you have nothing left!"

Julian chuckled, a low, mocking sound.

He dropped his cigarette and crushed it under his leather shoe, stepping closer.

"Mr. Cole, you have a big mouth," Julian stopped in front of us, his gaze sliding over me like a snake. "Stella, is this your savior?"

He didn't throw a punch. He didn't even yell.

He simply pulled out his phone, dialed a number, and put it on speaker.

A panicked voice came through the line: "Mr. Thorne, it is done. Adrian Cole's license has been suspended, and the Fraud Unit has opened a case against him for fabricating evidence. His career in Atlantic City is over."

Adrian's face drained of color. "Julian, you bastard!"

Julian didn't even look at him. He kept his eyes on me.

"And that's not all," Julian continued smoothly. "The Cole family's latest real estate project just lost its funding. They will declare bankruptcy tomorrow morning. I wonder if Adrian's elderly father can survive that kind of heart attack?"

My body began to shake violently.

Julian didn't need to lay a finger on me to make my life hell.

He would destroy anyone who showed me kindness, leaving me completely isolated, forced to cling to him in despair.

"No..." I begged, grabbing Julian's sleeve. "Please, don't hurt Adrian. He's innocent!"

"Innocent?" Julian grabbed my chin, his eyes flashing with malice. "He touched what is mine. He has to pay."

He shoved me away and looked down at me coldly. "Want to save the Cole family? Want to keep his father alive? Fine. Tell him, right now, what kind of woman you really are."

My mind went blank.

I turned to look at Adrian, whose eyes were filled with shock and worry.

He was the only friend I had left in this world.

"Stella, don't listen to him. I don't care about the bankruptcy..." Adrian cried.

"Shut up!" I screamed, tears streaming down my face.

I forced the most venomous words out of my mouth, cutting myself deeper than anyone else.

"Adrian, who do you think you are? Do you really think I'd run away with you?" I laughed, though it sounded like a sob. "I'm Marcus Vance's daughter! I'm used to luxury. You're not even a lawyer anymore, and your family is broke. How are you going to support me?"

"Stella..." Adrian took a step back, devastated.

"I stay with Julian because he has money! He pays for my father's medical bills!" I closed my eyes, letting my heart tear to pieces. "Stop flattering yourself and get lost! I never want to see a loser like you again!"

Adrian's face was white.

He stared at the stranger standing before him. Finally, with a bitter laugh, he turned and stumbled away.

As his shadow disappeared, my strength left me, and I collapsed onto the grass.

Julian looked down at his masterpiece, satisfied.

He knelt and patted my head, like praising a good dog.

"Good girl, Stella. Remember, in your world, there is only room for me."

Stella Vance POV

I was pregnant.

Clutching the thin strip of paper, I hid in the bathroom stall, my body trembling.

This child was an accident.

It happened on a night when Julian came home drunk, pinning me to the sofa like a wild animal, taking me by force.

I should have hated this child.

But as my hand rested on my flat stomach, a surge of maternal instinct filled me.

This was my only blood relative left in the world, other than my dying father.

Maybe... this could be a turning point?

I thought naively.

Julian hated me, but this was his child.

Surely, he wouldn't destroy his own flesh and blood. If he knew, would he show mercy? Would he let my father and me go?

Clinging to this tiny hope, I tucked the test result into my pocket and walked toward Julian's study.

The door was slightly ajar.

As I raised my hand to knock, the voices from inside froze me in my tracks.

"Julian, the doctor said it's hard for me to get pregnant."

It was Eva, her voice dripping with tears. "If we don't have a child, your family will never let me marry you."

"Don't cry. He said it's hard, not impossible," Julian replied, his voice filled with a tenderness I hadn't heard in years.

"But... what if Stella gets pregnant?" Eva whispered, her voice laced with jealousy. "She lives with you, after all..."

Silence stretched in the study.

Those few seconds felt like a lifetime of torture.

Then, Julian's cold, lifeless voice pierced through the door, stabbing my heart.

"She doesn't deserve to."

With those words, he signed my death warrant.

"She's just a tool to keep her dying father in check, a toy for my revenge," Julian said flatly. "Even if she does get pregnant, I will never acknowledge it. The heir of the Thorne family will only come from you, Eva. A sinner's bloodline like hers would only produce a mistake."

Outside the door, I slapped a hand over my mouth to choke back a scream.

The test paper in my pocket felt like a branding iron, burning my skin.

A mistake.

To Julian, I was not just an enemy, but a piece of trash.

He had left absolutely no room for mercy.

And I had actually dreamed of using this child to awaken his conscience.

How pathetic of me.

I don't even remember how I walked back to my room.

Like a marionette with its strings cut, I sat on the cold floor from daybreak until night fell.

No tears came.

My heart had died.

When your last shred of hope is crushed, you can't even cry.

I slowly pulled out the test paper, tore it into tiny pieces, and threw it into the trash can.

Staring at the white scraps, my eyes went hollow and empty. But there was no hesitation left in me.

I would never tell Julian about this child.

I would never let this baby enter a world of hatred, only to be called a "mistake" by its own father.

I would take this secret and escape this hell.

Or take it with me to the grave.