Signed, Sealed, Scandalous

Chapter 6

The next morning, Sophia Sterling woke to a rare quiet, the Kingsley brothers were gone.

She flicked on the TV without much thought, letting it fill the silence. But her fingers froze on the remote when Ethan Kingsley's face appeared on screen, live from a press conference.

"Mr. Kingsley," a reporter asked eagerly, "what inspired the name of your newest jewelry line, Lily?"

Ethan, dressed in a sharp, dark suit, gave a soft smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.

"'Lily' is named after someone very important to me. She's brought a lot of light into my life."

A wave of gasps and squeals rippled through the crowd.

Another reporter chimed in, eyes gleaming. "Is this a public confession? Are you and Lily… together? Word is, you're still single."

Sophia didn't wait to hear his answer. She changed the channel.

The screen lit up with footage from the Golden Rooster Awards.

"And this year's Best Actor goes to…" the host announced dramatically, "Liam Kingsley!"

Thunderous applause erupted.

It was his second major win, another historic moment for Liam, now the youngest actor to clinch two national titles.

He strolled onto the stage with effortless charm, his signature smile in place.

"I'm honored to receive this award," he began. "Of course, I want to thank the production team, my family, and, someone very special. Lily Wilson. She was my biggest source of strength during this project. This award belongs to her, too."

The audience roared with excitement.

Then, to everyone's surprise, Liam returned to the stage moments later, this time holding Lily's hand as if sealing his words with action.

Sophia's knuckles whitened around the remote. She hit the button again.

Now it was the finals of a global esports tournament. Tension crackled on screen. And then, victory. Noah Kingsley's team won by a landslide.

He stepped up with his crew to accept the trophy. Just as it hit his hands, he grinned straight into the camera, kissed the cup, and shouted:

"Lily! You see that? I did it! This is for you. You'll never be alone again, I swear I'll always protect you!"

Sophia didn't flinch this time. Just stared.

Then her phone buzzed on the couch beside her. A message lit up the screen, it was from Lily Wilson.

"Miss Sterling, looks like getting kicked out didn't hurt us at all. Surprised? You must be disappointed."

Below that were screenshots, each of the brothers, calling Lily's name on national television.

Sophia let out a dry laugh. Classic Lily.

She didn't bother replying.

Ding-dong.

The doorbell rang.

When she opened it, a sharply dressed young man stood on the front step, smiling politely.

"Good morning, Mrs. Pierce. I'm Zhang, Mr. Adrian Pierce's assistant. He asked me to take you to tour your new home. Are you free now?"

It took her a second to register what he said.

She nodded slowly. "Anything Adrian decides is fine by me."

But Zhang shook his head, firm but respectful. "Mr. Pierce said the Pierce family tradition gives the final word to the lady of the house. That's you now, Mrs. Pierce. It's your decision."

Sophia froze.

She'd grown up without a family. Even the Kingsleys, for all their shelter and grandeur, had never made her feel like she truly belonged.

And now, this?

For the first time in her life, she wasn't someone's guest.

She was home.

A quiet warmth unfurled in her chest as she nodded. "Let's go."