Chapter 4

Chloe's POV

The air in the hallway turned to ice.

Ethan's gaze swept over me like a frozen blade. He didn't even ask why I looked like I was about to faint. His first reaction was simply to scowl, annoyed that my presence had disrupted his perfect little world.

Leilah immediately slid her arm through Ethan's, leaning her body against his chest. She said sweetly, "Ethan, maybe Miss Sterling has some urgent work. But, you know, after we get married, I'll be very jealous if you keep such a pretty young secretary around."

Her words were laced with venom, marking her territory while trampling on my dignity.

Ethan looked down at Leilah, his sharp jawline instantly softening. He pinched her nose playfully, his voice dripping with affection. "Don't be silly. She's being reassigned tomorrow anyway."

Reassigned.

With one careless sentence, he had erased me from his life.

I stared at the happy couple, watching the genuine, unguarded tenderness Ethan showed to Leilah. It wasn't an act. That was real love.

He was a master actor, separating business from pleasure.

He slept with me in his bed, while plotting my death behind my back.

I felt a metallic taste in my mouth and forced myself to swallow the blood. My hand instinctively went to my flat stomach. The crumpled ultrasound sheet in my coat pocket burned like hot coal, making me shake.

"Mr. Vance," I spoke, my voice disturbingly calm. "I'm not here for work."

Ethan's scowl deepened, his eyes flashing a warning. "Chloe, know your place. If you have personal matters, we'll talk at the penthouse."

Did he think I was here to throw a tantrum about his engagement?

"The penthouse? You mean the cage where you keep your pet?" I let out a hollow laugh, tears finally spilling over.

Leilah's face stiffened, and she gasped in mock shock. "Ethan, what is she talking about? What pet?"

"Shut up!" Ethan snapped, his face turning completely dark. He marched over, grabbing my wrist in a grip so tight I heard my bones pop.

"Chloe, have you lost your mind? Who gave you the right to make a scene here!"

The pain in my wrist was agonizing, but I didn't even flinch. I looked straight into his dark, ruthless eyes and said quietly, "Ethan, we're done. I'm just here for my severance pay."

Ethan froze.

He probably expected me to scream, cry, beg, or even threaten suicide. But he never expected me to just ask for cash.

For three years, I had been the perfect, quiet doll who never asked for anything.

"Severance pay?" Ethan laughed, his eyes filled with pure disgust. "So the sweet act is finally over? Showed your true colors, huh? Is five million not enough to buy your silence?"

He turned to Julian and barked, "Go to accounting. Cut her a check for fifty million."

Julian worked fast. Within minutes, he ran back with a signed check.

Ethan took the check and slapped it directly onto my face.

The sharp edge of the paper sliced a thin red line across my cheek before fluttering to the floor.

"Take the money and get the hell out of my sight. Don't let me ever see your face again," Ethan growled.

I didn't look at him. I calmly knelt down and picked up the fifty-million-dollar check from the floor.

My movements were slow, but my back was straight.

"Thank you for your generosity, Mr. Vance." I folded the check, putting it in my pocket, and gave him one last look.

There was no love left in that look. No hate, either. Just a vast, freezing wasteland.

I was looking at a complete stranger.

Ethan instinctively reached out to grab me, but I had already turned around, stepping into the elevator without looking back.

The moment the elevator doors closed, my strength gave out. I collapsed against the cold metal wall, sobbing hysterically.

It was over.

Truly over.

With shaking hands, I dialed my best friend, Serena Cross.

"Serena... help me... I need to get out of New York... tonight..."

At 8:00 PM.

I dragged my exhausted body back to the penthouse. I didn't turn on the lights. I walked straight into the bedroom to pack a few basic clothes.

Serena had already arranged a private boat to take me out of the country tonight. I didn't want to spend another second in a place that smelled like Ethan.

Just as I zipped my duffel bag, the bedroom lights suddenly flashed on.

The blinding light made me wince.

"Where do you think you're going?"

A chilling voice echoed from the doorway.

My eyes snapped open, my heart jumping into my throat.

Ethan was sitting on the armchair in the corner of the room, his legs crossed. He held a lit cigarette, the red tip glowing in the dim light.

At his feet lay a crumpled piece of paper.

My eyes landed on it, and my pupils shrank.

It was my ultrasound sheet! It must have fallen out of my pocket when I was changing in the cab earlier!

Ethan slowly blew out a ring of smoke, standing up. His leather shoes clicked against the hardwood floor like a countdown to my doom.

He stopped right in front of me, his eyes burning with a terrifying, wild rage.

"You're quite the actress, Chloe. You secretly stopped taking the pills, got pregnant with my heir, took my fifty million, and now you want to run away with my child?"

He suddenly lunged forward, locking his fingers around my throat and slamming me hard against the wardrobe.

"Did you honestly think you could escape me?"