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“Leave it to me,” Sienna said. “I’ll handle it.”

***

A few hours later, Adrian walked into a hotel with Matthew trailing behind him.

"Sir," Matthew said cautiously, "it’s odd that Rosie insisted you come in person to get the signed contract of Theo’s shares."

Adrian’s brow furrowed. "That girl used to be Theo’s secretary before he and Sienna got married. She doesn’t even have a degree from a decent university. For someone like that, she’s actually pretty smart."

Ignoring the nagging suspicion, Adrian entered the hotel suite. The moment he stepped inside and glanced around, Sienna stepped out from behind a corner and stood directly in front of him.

He froze.

That cold, emotionless mask he wore cracked within a second.

But her eyes were blazing.

"You don’t have any more lies to hide behind, Adrian?" Her voice was sharp, laced with fury. "There’s nothing left between us anymore. You made sure of that."

Her glare could have burned him to the ground.

Adrian was taken aback as he looked at Sienna, his eyes scanning her face. But then, as the shock passed, he walked closer to her. Looking at her face, he spoke with determination.

“I’m in love with you. I'll do whatever it takes to make sure you're safe and happy."

Before he could finish his sentence, a sharp slap echoed through the room, landing across his cheek.

The sting was immediate, but Adrian didn’t flinch. His jaw tightened, but he held his ground. His eyes, dark and intense, remained focused on her, absorbing the anger she threw at him.

"If it calms your anger, then slap me again," he said, his voice deathly calm. "You can hit me as much as you want if it makes you feel better."

Sienna scoffed, her face a mixture of fury and hurt.

“Do you really think that with your words, you can convince me that you’re a good man? That all your plans and everything you’ve done against me, without telling me, is for my good? And now you’re sacrificing yourself to let me hit you because I’m angry? You’ve ruined Montgomery business completely, even after I told you not to get in between me and Theo!”

Adrian’s face hardened, his jaw clenched so tight it looked like it might snap. "It had to be done!" he snapped, his voice a low growl. "Theo betrayed you, and you still blindly supported him, as if it doesn’t matter! I had to do it to get him out of your life for good. I won’t let him ruin you."

Sienna’s hands flew up in exasperation, her fury now fully unleashed. "It’s none of your goddamn business!" she cried out, her breath quickening.

Adrian’s chest tightened as he stepped closer, his presence overwhelming. "Everything about you is my business," he snapped, his tone rough with anger. He reached out, grabbing her by the shoulders and pulling her roughly against him. His hands were strong, possessive, but his touch wasn’t just about control. It was desperation. "If anyone tries to hurt you, they’ll have to go through me first. I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure you’re never hurt by anyone in this entire fucking world!"

She pushed against him with all her strength, her chest rising and falling with the force of her frustration.

"The person who’s hurt me the most is you!" she shouted, her voice breaking. "You’ve always been the one who hurts me the most. In the past, and now. You ruined me, Adrian. And now that things have come to this, I will never forgive you for what you’ve done to Theo. I’ll never forgive myself for bringing you back into my life and ruining Theo."

Sienna turned and stormed out of the room.

Adrian stayed rooted in place, his fists clenching as a pained expression crossed his face. The silence that followed was suffocating.

“Why don’t you understand what you mean to me?”

Just then, Matthew rushed into the room, a panicked look on his face.

“Mr. Vaughn, I just got the news that Ms. Donovan has arranged a press conference at this hotel’s press hall. She’s going to reveal everything about her life in a public announcement.” he paused, hesitating.

Adrian’s body stiffened, his heart pounding. "Where is she?" he demanded, his voice cold with urgency.

“Yes, sir. It will be in the press hall on the second floor,” Matthew replied, his voice tight with concern.