Chapter 4

Word that Xander and I had officially broken up spread quickly.

People in our social circle were always quick to take sides.

Once word got around that Xander had made his position clear, several major sponsors that had been working with the orchestra pulled their funding overnight.

Our tour was suspended indefinitely.

Our theater was shut down.

Even our private performances and corporate bookings began falling through one after another.

I tried reaching out to investors I had known before.

But the moment they heard my name, they would make some vague excuse and quickly end the call.

No one was willing to offend the Shaw family for my sake.

Of course, there were still a few wealthy heirs bold enough to pursue me.

But Vanessa seemed determined to make my life miserable.

Almost every day, she would find some way to mock me in public or post some thinly veiled insult on social media.

She called me a fake princess.

A gold digger who had finally been exposed.

She even demanded that I return every cent Xander had ever spent on me.

Before long, the way those men looked at me began to change too.

The harassing messages never stopped.

‘Sienna, if Mr. Shaw won’t give you five million, spend a month with me. I’ll give you fifty grand to play with.’

‘Why are you still pretending to be some saint? Name your price.’

‘Aren’t you just a gold digger? Tell me how much you want. If the price is right, I’ll take you.’

The messages made me sick.

I didn’t reply to a single one.

But I memorized every name.

With all the free time I suddenly had, I sat down and calculated exactly how much Xander had spent on me over the years.

The truth was, not much.

I had barely ever touched the credit card he gave me.

And whenever he bought me expensive gifts, I usually gave him something of similar value in return.

Xander had simply been so extravagant whenever he showed his affection that everyone had gotten the wrong impression.

As though I really were some helpless little clingvine living entirely off him.

Then one day, the orchestra accepted a private performance aboard a luxury yacht.

Many of the city’s wealthiest and most influential people were on board.

Naturally, Xander and Vanessa were among them.

My heart jolted when I saw them.

I quickly looked away and focused on my cello.

Halfway through the performance, a man reeking of alcohol staggered onto the stage.

He was holding a glass of liquor and leering as he came far too close to my face.

“Not bad, Ms. Hayes.

“You play pretty well.”

He shoved the glass toward me.

“Come on. Drink this, and I’ll give you a nice fat tip.”

The orchestra director hurried over with an apologetic smile, trying to coax him off the stage.

Instead, that only seemed to provoke him.

The man pulled a thick stack of cash from his pocket and threw it straight into my face.

“Why are you pretending to be so classy?

“You’re just a gold digger selling yourself to the highest bidder.”

He sneered.

“Name your price.

“How much do I have to pay to get you to drink?”

From the audience, Vanessa covered her mouth with one hand and laughed.

“Mr. Carter, don’t be cheap.”

“Ms. Hayes’s starting price is five million.”

The entire room erupted in laughter.

Xander sat among them, watching me being humiliated with an indifferent expression.

From beginning to end, he didn’t say a word.

Vanessa walked toward the stage with a glass in her hand.

“Sienna, did you deliberately take this gig because you’re desperate to find your next rich guy?”

She smiled mockingly.

“Too bad everyone on this yacht already knows exactly what kind of woman you are.”

Then she seemed to remember something.

“Oh, right.”

“I heard the heir to the Calloway family just came back from overseas, and he happens to be on board tonight.”

Her smile widened.

“Maybe he hasn’t heard about you yet.

“Who knows? Maybe he really would pay five million just to buy you a drink.”

Someone in the audience immediately laughed.

“Keep dreaming.”

“The Calloways are the richest family in the country. Their heir has met every kind of heiress and socialite imaginable.”

“Why would he ever be interested in a notorious gold digger?”

I kept my back perfectly straight.

My hands slowly curled into fists.

I gave Xander one final glance.

Then I took a deep breath and was about to stand when a deep male voice came from behind me.

“Five million for one drink?”

A brief pause.

“That’s not expensive.”

“I’ll pay it.”

The noisy yacht fell silent.

Everyone turned toward the voice.

A tall man stood at the top of the staircase leading down from the second deck, looking over the entire room.

Then he lifted one hand toward me.

“What are you waiting for, Sienna?

“Come here.”