She shook her head.
Looking at his bright, sunny face, she just shook her head again.
Lucas Hawthorne smiled.
“When you were ten, you went with your maternal grandfather to a party on the sea.
Do you remember a mischievous little boy who pushed you off the boat?”
It was as if a jolt of electricity shot through Selena Sinclair’s mind, sending her flashing back to that moment.
But her memory of it was a bit hazy; she couldn’t clearly recall the entire incident.
Later, it was Sylas Vaughn who had saved her.
She remembered it with perfect clarity.
The first thing she saw when she woke up was that boy’s handsome face and his deep eyes.
They were as beautiful as the stars in the night sky, a beacon guiding people through the vast darkness.
He was the light she had chased her entire life.
In the years that followed, she often accompanied her grandfather to the Vaughn Family’s estate.
It was the dream of her girlhood, and she would often hide in some corner of the Vaughn home to steal glances at him.
Later, her wish came true and she married him, but she never again saw that beautiful light in his eyes.
“Selena, that time…
I was the one who pulled you out of the sea.
I was afraid of getting into trouble, so after I saved you, I snuck away,” Lucas Hawthorne said, standing nearby with his hands in his pockets.
Hearing this, Selena froze for a long moment.
‘So the little rascal who nearly got me killed back then was actually the man standing in front of me.’
But he was also saying he was the one who saved her.
She found it a little hard to believe.
‘He wasn’t very big back then.
Where would he have gotten the strength to pull me ashore?’
‘If I had met him first instead of Sylas Vaughn, my life story might have been completely different.’
“Selena, I really don’t want you to resign.
However, the Sinclair Family’s affairs also need your attention.
How about this: I’ll let you take a leave of absence for a while.
Once you’ve thought it through and are sure you want to leave, then you can come see me.”
In an instant, Lucas Hawthorne had paced over and sat down on the sofa next to her.
He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his thighs and clasping his hands together as he considered the matter carefully.
She looked up at the man before her, at his radiant, sunny face, and felt a little conflicted.
After a moment’s thought, she said, “Mr.
Hawthorne, thank you, really.”
“Selena, by that logic, we’ve known each other for over a decade.
Since we go back so far, we’re old friends.
There’s no need to be so formal between friends.
Let’s just use our first names from now on.”
“Alright,” Selena replied faintly.
There was a strange sense of familiarity in his gaze that made her feel odd.
Selena awkwardly touched the back of her neck.
Lucas Hawthorne noticed her confusion and smiled.
“Selena, if there’s anything I can help with, you must let me know.”
“Mm!” She nodded.
…
After she left the office, she got a call from Sylas Vaughn.
Selena leaned against the corridor wall, casually tucking her hair behind her ear as she answered the call with a heavy heart.
“To thank you for that delightful divorce surprise you sent over, I’ve prepared a little gift in return.
What do you think?
Do you like it?”
At that moment, Sylas Vaughn was in a luxurious presidential suite.
Dressed in a white bathrobe, he had just emerged from the bathroom and was languidly sinking into the sofa in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows.
“Sylas Vaughn, if you’re only calling to gloat about your victory, there’s really no need.
After all, I was Mrs.
Vaughn for a full three years.
I can handle this little bit of pressure.”
“Is that so?” he sneered.
“What if I add a little something extra?
Like going after Vantage Group, for example?”
Selena’s heart clenched.
“Sylas Vaughn, I’m the one you hate.
This has nothing to do with Mr.
Hawthorne.
Besides, I’ve already left Vantage.
Can you please not drag innocent people into this?”
“What’s this?
I haven’t even started to make a move on Vantage, and you’re already rushing to their defense?”
He then stroked his chin, thought for a moment, and said, “I’ll give you a chance.
Why don’t you come back and beg me?
Perhaps I’ll let you off the hook, considering the three years you dedicated to the Vaughn Family.”
Selena gritted her teeth and said firmly, “Sylas Vaughn, what makes you think you can threaten me?
You must be very curious about what your grandfather said to me when I went to see him two days ago.”
Sylas Vaughn fell silent.
But Selena continued coldly, “Sylas Vaughn, if some ‘minor incident’ were to happen to the Sinclair Family, would you prefer your grandfather to enjoy his golden years in peace, or are you planning to anger the old man to death?”
Considering his grandfather was in the picture, he could serve as a check on Sylas.
Selena figured the Vaughn Family wouldn’t dare do anything too drastic to the Sinclair Family, so she used the old man as a shield.
Sylas Vaughn’s face instantly darkened.
“Selena Sinclair, I really underestimated you!” he said, the sound of him grinding his teeth palpable in his voice.
‘Right,’ he thought.
‘A woman who had been plotting a divorce for so long…
what wouldn’t she be capable of?’
‘But for her to actually dare to use my grandfather against me…’
Sylas Vaughn couldn’t help but sneer, “Selena Sinclair, you’ve really put a lot of effort into getting to my grandfather behind my back, haven’t you?
Well?
When did you become like this, not even willing to spare an old man?”
Selena said, “Sylas Vaughn, you never loved me, so I’m letting you have what you want.
Since you like Hannah Hayes, I’m backing out.
Why do you have to keep pushing me at every turn?”
“Sylas Vaughn, you can disregard our three years together, but since you’ve decided to sign the papers, then stop hounding me.
If you think you can threaten me, then go ahead and try.”
With that, before he could say another word, Selena hung up the phone.
Hearing the dial tone on the other end, a blaze of fury shot straight to Sylas Vaughn’s head.
This feeling of being led by the nose was infuriating.
Selena stood pressed tightly against the wall, her simple, unadorned face looking utterly exhausted.
Not until Claire Cameron came looking for her.
“Selena, are you really going to resign?”
Dressed in simple, casual clothes, she walked right up to Selena and asked with a serious expression.
“Claire…”
Selena’s voice choked with emotion.
The truth was, she didn’t want to leave this place, and she certainly didn’t want to be forced back to the Sinclair Family.
She had only said that because she was looking for a reason to leave.
Ever since her father called to tell her about the Sinclair Family’s situation, her emotions had been in turmoil.
“Selena, I know you don’t want to leave.
How about I go talk to Mr.
Hawthorne and ask him to find a way to send you abroad?”
Selena stared at her blankly.
Then, recalling Sylas Vaughn’s words, her expression fell.
“No, there’s no need.”
‘Besides,’ she thought, ‘if I really wanted to go abroad, I would have left long ago.
Why would I have endured it until now?’
‘Since Sylas Vaughn can’t stand to see me doing well,’ she thought, ‘I’ll just have to prove to him that I can live a good life without the Vaughn Family.
His threats mean nothing to me.’
“Claire, I’ve decided.
I’m going to go back to the Sinclair Family first, and then I’ll decide whether to stay or go.”
“You’ve decided?”
Claire Cameron asked seriously.
“Yeah!”
She nodded.
Back at her desk, she packed up her things, sealing some items away in boxes.
Ian Irving came over and asked, “Selena, you and Mr.
Vaughn…
you two…”
After that last incident, everyone was quite surprised by her background.
After all, Sylas Vaughn had first been caught up in a scandal with Hannah Hayes, and then this whole mess with Selena blew up.
It was all so jaw-dropping.