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“Yes, sir.” Matthew hung up.

Startled, he stared at the screen in disbelief. ‘What is going on?’ he wondered. ‘Mr. Vaughn treated that phone like a vault. It was so important to him. He was always careful not to damage or misplace it. And now he's broken it?’

***

The Montgomery Charity Gala was the most extravagant and important event of the year for anyone in the luxury car business. The Montgomerys were one of the top firms in the field, followed closely by the Donovans—Sienna’s family. With so many influential names attending, from politicians to celebrities and business moguls, it was set to be the most high-profile event of the season.

But the buzz that evening wasn’t about business deals or luxury cars.

The moment whispers spread that Adrian Vaughn was present at this event, everything else became background noise.

That alone flipped the energy of the event.

Adrian didn’t belong to this crowd—he owned a much higher tier. Compared to the Vaughn Empire, Montgomery and the rest were playing in sandboxes. People were stunned.

But oddly enough, no one had yet spotted Adrian. He hadn’t been seen once at the party.

Then the whispers rose again when Theo and Sienna arrived.

She wore the sheer white dress she had picked days ago at Max Mall, her beauty effortless and almost unreal. The soft fabric hugged her gently, flowing around her like a cloud. Theo stood tall beside her in a coffee-brown suit, calm and composed. Together, they looked picture perfect—like they had stepped out of a magazine.

Flashbulbs exploded as reporters swarmed them.

“I can’t believe this,” a woman murmured to her friend, drink in hand. “It’s been two years and I’ve never seen them argue even once.”

“Same here. I’m good at spotting cracks in relationships, but those two? Never even seen them frown at each other. It’s like they’re in some fairytale,” another replied.

“Last year, I asked Theo what he wanted me to gift them for their anniversary. You know what he said? ‘Ask my wife. She knows better than I do.’”

“He really listens to her, huh?”

“Never seen him complain. Honestly? I want that kind of man.”

The whispers got louder as Theo leaned in and kissed Sienna on the corner of her lips, his hand cradling her face so gently it made the cameras click nonstop. A soft, lingering press.

But not to Adrian.

To him, it was a blade.

In front of his eyes, Theo pulled away and Sienna smiled, bright, genuine. Her eyes lit up, just like they used to only for him two years ago.

Adrian’s steel eyes darkened as he watched them. His hand clenched into a fist so tight his knuckles turned white. He pressed it to his mouth just as a low, furious growl escaped him.

“Motherfucker.”

His teeth dug into his hand until a sharp sting of pain and a drop of blood brought him back to his senses. But he couldn’t stop watching.

‘It’s the same smile she used to have for me two years ago.’ His chest tightened. ‘But why does it look happier now?’

That’s when Sienna’s eyes roamed the room, they swept right past him—then returned, locking onto his gaze like a jolt of electricity.

Her breath hitched for a second.

Then, just as quickly, she looked away. Cold. Like she hadn’t seen him at all.

“Excuse me,” she leaned close to Theo’s ear. “I’ll be back in a bit. Just need the restroom.”

Without waiting, she turned and walked briskly away.