She had thought he wouldn’t recognize her, but it turned out he did.
Then again, it made sense.
If Sylas Vaughn could show up here, then if they really ran into each other, who knew what would happen.
‘What rotten luck.
I run into a thorny problem the second I step out.’
Leo Aldridge stared blankly at her retreating figure.
He wanted to call out to her, as if he had something to say, but seeing how she rushed away, he swallowed his words.
Back in the private room, she took a call.
It was from Claire Cameron.
On the other end, Claire’s voice was tinged with tears, making Selena Sinclair’s heart clench.
“Claire, what’s wrong?”
“Selena, I feel awful!”
Hearing this, Selena’s heart suddenly felt like it was being squeezed tight, and a sense of pressure welled up inside her.
She shot up from the sofa.
Ian Irving noticed something was wrong and immediately came over.
“What happened?”
“Claire, wait for me.
I’ll be right back.”
Hanging up, Selena said anxiously, “I have to go back.”
“I’ll take you!”
“No, it’s fine.
I can get back on my own.”
“It’s no trouble.
I drove, it’s more convenient.”
With that, he grabbed his jacket from the nearby sofa.
Then he left a card for Jasper Shaw and left with Selena.
In the underground parking garage, just as Selena got into the car, she came face-to-face with Sylas Vaughn’s assistant, Julian Ford.
As Selena looked up, Julian happened to be getting out of the car in front of them.
He glanced around and spotted her.
He seemed to be on the phone, but he clearly stopped talking when he saw her.
A moment later, a silver figure with an imposing aura emerged from the elevator not far away.
Selena brushed her hair back, propping an elbow on the car window.
Just then, Ian got in the car and asked her, “Are you buckled up?
If you are, we’ll go.”
Selena kept her eyes on Julian and nodded at Ian.
The car then drove right past him.
Julian’s lips moved, as if he was about to call out the word, “Madam.”
At the same time, the man’s sharp gaze seemed to catch the figure hastily fleeing in the car.
Although her profile was half-hidden by her hair, he could still make out her delicate features.
His heart suddenly tightened as if it had been struck by something heavy, and an uncontrollable rage simmered behind his brow.
‘She’s already found a new flame this quickly?
No wonder she’s so disgusted by me now.’
The thought that this woman was plotting to divorce him, and now seemed to have another man by her side, sparked a sudden impulse to just strangle her.
Back at the small apartment, she pushed open the door to find the room pitch black.
The only light filtered through the blinds, vaguely revealing a figure curled up on the sofa.
Claire Cameron was huddled in a corner.
Selena turned on the living room light.
The view instantly became much brighter.
Seeing that she was sitting there safe and sound, Selena breathed a sigh of relief.
Ian Irving appeared from out of nowhere.
He surveyed the state of the room and said, a little exasperated, “I mean, come on.
What’s the big idea, hiding at home in the pitch dark all by yourself at night?”
Claire let out a few sobs, and only then did Selena realize she was crying.
“What are you doing here?” Claire glared at Ian, clearly displeased.
While Ian was still looking baffled, Claire was already up from the sofa, pushing him out the door without another word.
“No man is any good.
Get lost, and don’t let me see you again.”
“Hey, I didn’t do anything to you!
Why are you yelling at me?” Ian shamelessly planted his hand on the doorframe, trying to get another word in.
Claire snorted, pointing a finger at him.
“As long as it’s a man, it’s no good.
You’re no exception.”
“Look, lady, did you get your heart broken today or something?
Is that why you’ve got a problem with every man you see?”
“I…” He had hit a sore spot.
Claire slammed the door shut, locking him out completely.
Stuck outside, Ian was utterly speechless.
No matter how much he knocked, Claire had no intention of responding.
Selena watched this scene unfold, completely exasperated herself.
Thinking about how she had been busy today and hadn’t invited Claire out, only to come home and find her crying her heart out, Selena felt a strange pang of guilt.
“Claire, what happened to you?”
Claire turned to look at Selena, walked over, and hugged her, whining, “Selena, I’m so sad.
You have to comfort me.”
“Did you get your heart broken?”
At this question, Claire’s crying intensified.
“Screw men!
I’m never believing in love again.”
Selena didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
The usually decisive, efficient career woman was actually crying like this over love.
She really had no idea which man could have possibly caught her friend’s eye and made her weep so heartbrokenly.
Selena wrapped an arm around her shoulder.
“Claire, didn’t you say you don’t believe in love?
How come you were secretly dating and I didn’t know a thing about it?”
Claire looked up for a second, then started crying even louder.
「In an apartment in Brookfall.」
Hannah Hayes opened the door and came face-to-face with Sylas Vaughn, her expression somewhat displeased.
“What, not happy to see me?” Sylas frowned, his gaze locked on her.
Hannah released her grip on the doorframe and turned to walk back inside.
“You seem to be in a bad mood lately.
What’s wrong?”
Ever since he had abandoned her on the side of the road, Hannah hadn’t taken the initiative to contact him for days.
He guessed she must be angry.
And rightly so.
The fact that he had just dumped her on the street to go find Selena Sinclair was undeniable.
“Are you getting used to living here?” In a flash, he walked over and sat down on the sofa.
“Sylas, when exactly are you planning to let me return to the Vaughn Family?” Hannah didn’t beat around the bush and got straight to the point.
She crossed her arms, leaning back against the edge of a table with a serious look on her face.
Her brown, curly hair fell casually, and paired with her white dress, she exuded a special charm in the sunlight filtering through the window.
Sylas was taken aback.
So this was why Hannah was suddenly angry.
He scratched his head, thinking…
Hannah blurted out, “Don’t tell me your grandfather won’t let me come back.
Sylas, Selena is gone.
Why can’t I return to the Vaughn Family home?”
Every time Sylas made that little gesture, she knew exactly what was going on in his mind—he was about to spin a lie to placate her.
It was a habit he’d had since childhood.
Ever since they were six, she had known all of Sylas’s habits like the back of her hand.
She could read his every little scheme and had him completely figured out.
The biggest difference between her and Selena was that Hannah knew how to pull his heartstrings and make Sylas come to her, while Selena only knew how to give blindly, which only made Sylas feel secure.
It was this sense of her superiority that made him take everything for granted.
But when Selena suddenly left, the loss was staggering.
It was as if he, who had always been cherished in the palm of Selena’s hand, was suddenly dropped.
The fall from the heavens to the earth was utterly humiliating.
“Grandfather hasn’t been well lately, so don’t go upsetting the old man.
Besides, didn’t I already give you the villa in Alderwood?
You can just move in there.
I’m sure my mom will come stay with you, too.
Can’t we just go back to how things were before?”