Chapter 19

"It's fine. I'll handle it," Daphne said, hanging up the phone. She looked around the now-empty house. Without the furniture, the place felt cavernous and cold. She could always buy new pieces; she could hire new staff. But she knew she'd never get the feeling of the house back once she moved out.

The first floor had already been stripped bare. Daphne climbed to the second floor, relieved to find the bedroom furniture still intact. At least there was a bed for tonight.

That night, she curled up under her meager belongings, trying to stay warm. Wilson hadn't even left her a blanket.

"Dream on if you think you and that homewrecker are taking over my house," she muttered.

She barely slept, tossing and turning until the first light of morning brought some warmth.

The next day, Daphne headed straight to the store. She bought everything—chairs, tables, bedding, and all the essentials—and arranged for delivery. Just as she finished, her phone buzzed. It was Sebastian.

"Mr. Turner, what can I do for you?" she said, mirroring his teasing tone.

"Last time, you told Wilson you'd endorse Turner Group. Is that still happening?" Sebastian asked with a smile.

Daphne paused, recalling the encounter. "Oh, that? I was just throwing Wilson off. You didn't take me seriously, did you?"

She thought for a moment. She remembered the time she and Sebastian ran into Wilson and Yvonne. Afraid Wilson would discover she was planning to talk to Sebastian about marriage, she'd used the endorsement as a diversion.

Daphne was well aware of her situation. Wilson wouldn't give her a single endorsement for one of his luxury brands, so how could she expect one from Sebastian for the entire Turner Group?

But to her surprise, Sebastian truly did intend it. He said, "You're my future wife. It makes perfect sense for you to represent Turner Group."

He said "future wife" so easily that Daphne's face heated up. "You can't be serious—"

Sebastian replied confidently, "I'm definitely serious. I'm not joking."

Daphne paused, her gaze dropping as she considered it. Wilson had recently made Yvonne the face of Story, a luxury brand under his company. Landing a Turner Group deal would one-up Yvonne and prove her meeting with Sebastian was purely professional.

"Alright. But since this is business, we'll handle it professionally. Let's do it by the book."

"Fair enough. I'll have the team send you the contract."

Daphne hung up and headed to Turner Group. It was her first visit to his office—a sleek, modern, twenty-story building.

She was escorted straight to the top floor, where Sebastian greeted her with a grin.

"The contract's ready. Take a look and sign if everything looks good."

These tasks were usually handled by Wendy and Ava, but this meeting was unexpected. Daphne didn't have time to call Ava, and Wendy was busy helping her find a new maid, so she had to handle it herself.

"Got it." Daphne didn't bother reading the contract. She flipped to the last page and signed it without hesitation.

"You really trust me, huh?" Sebastian teased, clearly pleased.

"Well, you said I'm your future wife. You wouldn't scam your own wife, would you?" she shot back, her face warming despite her composed demeanor.

Sebastian chuckled and picked up the desk phone. "We're good to go," he said into the receiver.

For the first time, Daphne saw a serious side of Sebastian. The playful charm was gone, replaced by sharp, focused professionalism.

As soon as she finished the paperwork, she called Ava.

"Ava, I just signed a deal to endorse Turner Group. Draft the announcement and coordinate with their team to finalize the details."

There was a pause. "Endorsement? Seriously?"

"I just sent you the contract. Check your inbox."

It didn't take long for the announcement to trend: #DaphneYeagerTurnerGroupDeal.

Daphne scrolled through the comments, a satisfied smile tugging at her lips. Almost all the feedback was positive.

Sebastian leaned back, grinning. "So, how's my future wife going to thank me?"

Chapter 20!!!

"I'll leave that up to you, Mr. Turner."

"How about starting with calling me 'darling'?"

Daphne nearly choked, grateful when her phone rang, saving her from answering. It was Wendy.

"Daphne, I've found you a maid. Do you want to head home to meet her?"

"You're a lifesaver, Wendy. I'm on my way."

With a quick goodbye to Sebastian, she rushed home, anxious to see how things were progressing.

When she arrived, Wendy's car was already parked outside.

"What's going on here?" Wendy asked, pointing to the workers still hauling things into the house.

Daphne quickly explained last night's events, recounting Wilson and Yvonne's shameless behavior.

"That's disgusting! What a pair of—ugh, I can't even say it!" Wendy fumed.

Daphne smirked. "And that's exactly why I'm not letting them win."

She led the new maid through the house, showing her around. By the time she was finished, her throat was dry. She went to pour herself some water, only to find the kettle empty.

Annoyed, she headed to the kitchen to fill it, but the faucet didn't work. "What the… Is the water shut off?"

Just then, the new maid approached her. "Ms. Yeager, the kitchen doesn't have running water."

A mover rushed in, looking worried. "Ms. Yeager, the lights aren't working either. Everything we just installed won't turn on."

Daphne froze. Of course, Wilson was still listed as the owner of the house. Cutting off the utilities would be easy for him. She hadn't thought of this.

She told them, "Wait here a moment. Let me find out what's going on." She called the water and power company. Her suspicions were confirmed.

"Apologies, Mrs. Farrell, but the account holder, Mr. Farrell, requested the shutoff. There's nothing we can do without his authorization," the representative explained.

Daphne's grip tightened on the phone until her knuckles turned white. "Got it."

Hanging up, she cursed under her breath. Wilson had officially hit a new low to steal her house for Yvonne.

"Bastard!"