Chapter 2

2

This was the man I'd wasted five years on.

Caught cheating, and he still had the nerve to coddle his mistress right in front of me.

I knew Chloe was the other woman because, even if the world didn't know about us, my assistant and Chloe certainly did.

*Ring, ring.*

The mistress was calling.

I wanted to hear exactly what Chloe had to say.

"Ms. Zhou, I hope you'll step aside. After all, I'm the one who loved Elias first."

Tea leaves and trash―truly a match made in heaven.

"I wish you both a long life together. I hope you end up rotting in the slums side by side."

She let out a smug, mocking laugh.

"Sienna, if you're so tough, why don't you stop using your family's power to crush Elias?"

"We're both women. Let's have a fair fight. Let's see who he actually wants to keep."

So that was her angle. She wanted the prize, but she didn't want to share the struggle.

"Seducing men is your only talent? Making money happens to be mine."

"Besides, I never planned on forcing trash to stay. I'm just taking back what belongs to me."

I hung up and looked at Elias.

"Save the dramatics. Whatever sweet-talk you have left, it won't stop me from destroying you."

"And as for men? Do you really think you're the only one on the planet?"

I grabbed my young assistant, who happened to be walking in, and kissed him.

It wasn't blind confidence; I knew Kaelan always followed orders.

For a second, he looked shocked, but he didn't push me away.

Then, to my surprise, he went from passive to aggressive, tilting his head and deepening the kiss.

Elias must have seen it. His ego couldn't take it, and he lunged to pull us apart.

"Sienna, you don't have to degrade yourself just to get back at me."

I sneered.

"You're overestimating yourself. I just don't love you anymore."

Five years ago, Elias worked for my biggest rival.

The first time I saw him, he was being chewed out by my enemy.

Maybe I just wanted to annoy my competition, or maybe I felt bad that he was taking heat for my company's hostile takeover.

Regardless, seeing him stand there in silence while taking all that abuse made me act before I thought.

I defended him and then offered him a position in my own company.

That was when he started chasing me, promising he'd work hard to become someone worthy of me.

I'd climbed the corporate ladder myself; I wasn't stupid enough to trust a stranger, especially with our social gap.

But his persistence eventually won me over.

I didn't know then that he'd had an agenda all along.

Just as he didn't realize now that I could clip his wings whenever I chose.

I slipped off my blazer, leaving me in a silk slip dress, and wrapped my arms around Kaelan.

"Elias, we're busy. When you leave, make sure you shut the door behind you."