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Her message was loud and clear—she hadn’t abandoned him.

"Theo might’ve lost everything," she said clearly, locking her gaze on the man who insulted him, “but he’s still a Montgomery. You think they’ll actually disown their only son?”

Her voice was sharp as steel.

She glanced around, her tone turning colder. “Let me make something clear. Even if he’s lost everything, he still has me. And my shares. I’m not going anywhere. And I don't take it lightly when someone mocks my husband."

The words sliced through the room. The men paled, their smirks gone. Their jobs didn’t feel so secure anymore. The men looked at one another in panic, realizing Theo could come back into power at any moment, and if he did, they’d be screwed.

"Do you think he knows our names?" one of them whispered as they hurried away.

"Shut up. You’re the one who started this mess over a damn salary raise as if Mr. Montgomery was the one blocking it.”

The three of them scrambled inside the building.

Outside, Sienna turned to Theo.

He gently pulled his arm away. His voice was calm but firm. "Sienna, I told you, I'm not accepting your help anymore. You don't need to give up your shares for me. No more sacrifices. Not for me. I don’t want you to pay the price for my mistakes.”

"Theo—" she started, but he stopped her, reaching out to lightly rub her arm.

"I was greedy," he interrupted, rubbing her arm gently. “I was too greedy from the start. I wanted the CEO position and I wanted Rosie, even when my family made it clear they’d never accept her. I thought I could have both.”

He let out a short, bitter laugh. It was the kind of laugh that carried years of stress and disappointment.

"Now I don’t care. I’ve made my choice."

"Rosie’s pregnant."

His voice softened with the weight of that truth.

"I’ll take care of her, no matter what I lose. If I have to choose between the company and my family, then I’ll protect the one I created. My child. My wife. I’m done trying to please everyone. It’s time I stood by my decisions.”

Sienna looked at him, worry deepening in her eyes.

They’d known each other since they were teens. Theo was the only child of the Montgomerys, their everything. And now? Now they had turned their backs on him.

‘This will break him,’ she thought, heart twisting. ‘He loves his parents. They love him too. Walking away from them will destroy him.’ She sighed. ‘It was never supposed to fall apart like this. And now with his parents furious and the company gone, how is he going to survive all this alone?’

"It’s okay," she said softly. "We’re partners, remember? Bestfriends. We’re supposed to share the pain too, not just happiness. You’re not alone in this.”

Theo smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes.

“Exactly why we need to end this deception, Sienna. We’re not going to keep pretending. This isn’t the life we were meant to live. This fake marriage, this act... It ends now."

***

Later that night, the tenth drink burned down Sienna’s throat, and her vision blurred. She blinked hard, trying to focus on the counter, but everything was hazy.

Her thoughts wouldn’t leave Theo.

“Theo’s probably suffering alone. And there’s nothing I can do without making things worse.”

Tears welled in her eyes, panic and helplessness gripping her chest.

Across the bar, Larry, surrounded by his friends, paused mid-laugh as his eyes landed on her. The smile on his face dropped. “Holy shit,” he muttered under his breath.

Without missing a beat, he pulled out his phone and sent a message.