Chapter 4

In the emergency stairwell.

I leaned against the cold wall, my body shaking uncontrollably.

I strained my neck, trying to force back the tears.

Just then, Sienna Maxwell appeared.

In the confined space, only our strained breathing filled the air.

She silently walked towards me, watching my hands, my knuckles white from clenching them so tight.

With a surprisingly gentle touch, she pried my fingers open, one by one.

Her palm was warm, a warmth I couldn’t understand.

She raised a hand and gently wiped away the tears that had finally escaped my eyes.

“Don’t cry.” Her voice was low. “I know you’re upset.”

My heart gave a sharp jolt.

“Landon can be blunt sometimes, and his words aren’t always kind, but he doesn’t mean any harm. Please, don’t compete with your brother anymore, okay?”

My breathing suddenly became ragged.

I closed my eyes, and the tears finally fell.

The next day, I submitted my resignation to HR.

The HR manager seemed a bit surprised but quietly processed the paperwork.

The moment I stepped out of the Maxwell Group building, I let out a long, slow breath.

The sunlight was blinding, but it carried a sense of new beginning, a warm embrace.

The three years were up; I was finally free.

My phone vibrated. It was a text from Sienna Maxwell.

[You MUST come to the company anniversary gala tonight.]

It was an order, as always.

I almost deleted it, but then I had a thought.

Consider it closure with the past.

When I arrived at the gala, I found a quiet corner and stayed there, feeling completely out of place amidst the glitz and glamour.

All eyes were on Landon Reed.

He wore a bespoke designer suit Sienna Maxwell had bought for him, looking dashing and charming.

After he took over the Luna project, with Sienna Maxwell’s full support and promotion, he had become the industry’s rising star.

People praised him for his talent and good looks, calling him Sienna Maxwell’s most capable right-hand man.

And I? I was nothing more than an insignificant stepping stone on his path to success.

Suddenly, the large screen in the center of the banquet hall lit up.

The company’s promotional video, which had been playing on a loop, abruptly switched to a series of scandalous photos.

The photos clearly showed me and Sienna Maxwell entangled on a hotel bed!

The entire hall erupted in gasps.

Whispers and murmurs surged toward me like a tidal wave.

“Oh my God, isn’t that Asher Reed?”

“His brother is so refined; how could he have such a shameless brother!”

My body went numb with cold, as if plunged into an icy abyss.

I instinctively looked at Landon Reed; he was standing in the crowd, a smug smile playing on his lips.

In my panic, Sienna Maxwell pushed through the crowd, striding towards me, her face contorted with fury.

Her complexion was stormy.

“Asher Reed, you really outdid yourself!”

She spat, “Using such vile, underhanded tactics just to climb your way up? You truly disgust me!”

I looked at her, and a laugh inexplicably escaped me.

“I didn’t do it.” I said calmly.

“Still dare to lie!” Sienna Maxwell roared.

“Landon Reed did it.” I raised my eyes, meeting her gaze directly. “Do you believe me?”

Landon Reed walked closer, his eyes glinting with amusement.

“Brother, I’ve always despised such despicable methods. But I never thought you were this kind of person.”

He put on his high-and-mighty act again.

Sienna Maxwell scoffed, “I believe you? Who else would have these photos if not you?”

“I didn’t!”

The next second, she raised her hand and slapped my face.

The blow made me stumble, reeling back a few steps, crashing hard into the champagne tower behind me.

The sound of shattering glass, accompanied by the guests’ screams, was jarring and chaotic.

Countless glass shards flew everywhere, slicing my arms and cheek. Blood instantly welled up.

But I felt no pain.

The ache in my heart had already overshadowed everything else.

Sienna Maxwell, however, didn’t even look at me. She turned, supporting Landon Reed, comforting him softly.

“Landon, don’t be scared, I’m right here.”

Then, she embraced him and walked out of the banquet hall without a backward glance.

Leaving me alone amidst the wreckage and chaos.

I don’t remember how I left the gala.

I only recall Mr. Davies, our butler, rushing to my side and taking me to the hospital.

Wounds cleaned, bandaged, stitched.

The doctor said I was lucky the glass fragments didn’t hit my eyes.

But the old scar on my face now had new injuries, making it even harder to treat.

I lay in the hospital bed, sleepless through the night.