Chapter 5

Lena watched helplessly as the bracelet fell to the ground. The string snapped, and the wooden beads rolled all over the ground. In the ensuing chaos, someone stepped on them, and several beads were instantly crushed into fine powder.

She stared blankly at the shattered remains, completely oblivious to Henry bending down to pick up the fallen Ava. The shouting around her suddenly felt miles away. The only thing she could hear was a persistent, piercing buzzing in her ears, and everything in front of her was a blur. Nothing felt real.

Henry shielded Ava in his arms and looked down at her, asking, “Are you hurt?”

Seeing Ava shake her head, he frowned and turned to Lena.

Trying to suppress the fury in his voice, he said, “Lenny, she was about to give it back to you. Why did you have to push her?”

Those words felt like a needle, breaking Lena out of the numbness. Her gaze slowly drifted down to Henry’s feet. One of the crushed wooden beads was embedded right into the sole of his shoe. At that moment, the last of Lena’s sanity snapped. Before anyone could react, she grabbed a wine bottle off the table and smashed it over Ava’s head.

“Ah!”

Piercing screams instantly erupted throughout the room.

Blood oozed down Ava’s forehead, instantly staining her white dress red. Ava’s eyes rolled back from the sheer pain. Through a vision blurred by blood, she saw Lena grabbing yet another wine bottle.

This time, Henry finally reacted. He grabbed Lena's wrist in a death grip, his face terrifyingly cold.

“Lena, have you lost your mind? How could you assault someone?”

Lena let out a bitter laugh, her voice filled with pure hatred. “She destroyed my mother’s keepsake. Even if I killed her, it wouldn't be enough to appease my anger!”

Only then did Henry notice the shattered beads on the floor. He glanced at them and barked, “The bracelet breaking is your own fault! If you hadn’t pushed her, would it have broken? I’ve spoiled and indulged you too much, and it has made you lawless!”

Each word stabbed deep into her heart. Whenever she had a conflict with Ava in the past, Henry would always smile and say, “Do whatever you want. I’ll always have your back.” Yet now, he labeled her as spoiled.

With red eyes, Lena suddenly burst out laughing. “No matter how spoiled I am, you’re the one who allowed it. What, do you regret it now?”

Henry’s expression turned ugly. “If I knew you would turn out like this, I would have put you in your place a long time ago!”

Before he could finish what he wanted to say, a muffled groan came from behind him. Ava’s body went limp, and she passed out.

Henry quickly caught her in his arms and said, “I’ll settle the score with you later.”

Then, lifting Ava into his arms, he shoved past Lena.

Thrown off balance, Lena fell onto the floor, her lower back slamming right against the sharp corner of the table. The agonizing pain brought tears to her eyes. Yet, with Ava in his arms, Henry walked straight out, never looking back. It was as if he had not seen her.

Black spots filled Lena’s vision. Watching him disappear down the hallway, she felt every ounce of strength drain from her body. With things having escalated, the rest of the people dared not stick around either, and they all eventually slipped away.

Soon, Lena was the only one left in the private room. She crawled along the floor, searching for a long time before she finally recovered two intact beads. She carefully clutched them in her palm. Her heart throbbed as if it were being torn apart, but she bit her lip, refusing to cry because nobody would care anyway.

After some time, Sydney came looking for her. Taking in the mess on the floor, Sydney opened her mouth to ask what happened. However, upon meeting Lena's gaze, she swallowed her words. Instead, she took Lena's hand and escorted her back to her apartment.

Right after saying goodbye to Sydney, Lena walked up to her apartment and spotted a dark shadow hovering there. Hearing her approach, the figure turned around. It was Henry.

The two of them stood in silence for a long while before Henry finally spoke, his voice raspy. “Ava woke up. She wants to press charges.”

Lena let out a mocking sneer. “And?”

“I managed to stop her, but Ava has one condition…” Henry’s dark eyes locked onto hers. “She wants you to be her maid for a day and take care of her every need.”

Lena’s breath hitched, and she stared at him in utter disbelief. “And you agreed?”

Henry's gaze was cold. “I can't exactly watch you go to prison, can I? Lenny, consider this a lesson. It’s about time you fix that temper of yours.”