Chapter 4

My fingers curled into my palms, my nails digging into the skin.

Sienna glanced at her watch. "You want a divorce? Fine. I don't waste time on people who don't matter. You have five minutes to get out. Tomorrow, we'll finalize the divorce."

I did not argue.

I grabbed a few important documents and some clothes, then walked out.

I had barely reached the bottom of the spiral staircase when I ran into Nicholas.

He blocked my path, his eyes full of contempt. "Thrown out already? A kept man like you was never good enough for Ms. Monroe. Do the smart thing and step aside."

I shot back, "And you think you're any better?"

"I never said I was a good person." He sneered. "But once I become the man of the Monroe household, I can make even the ugliest things look respectable."

He gave a mocking laugh.

Then, without warning, he grabbed my hand and slapped himself across the face with it.

He turned toward the stairs and screamed, "Vincent, I know I was wrong! I'll leave right now. I'll submit my resignation to Ms. Monroe tomorrow. Please, don't hit me again!"

A moment later, I heard hurried footsteps.

Sienna came rushing down the stairs and shoved me hard from behind. Her voice was cold as ice. "What gives you the right to lay a hand on one of my people?"

She glared at me. "Vincent, don't get ahead of yourself. Get out."

The force of her shove was so great that I nearly felt something in my arm shift out of place.

Nicholas immediately threw himself into Sienna's arms, sobbing so hard that his whole body trembled.

She did not push him away. Instead, she looked at me with disgust, as though I were something filthy.

"Sienna, I hope you don't regret this."

I brushed the dust from my clothes and walked out the front door.

Her voice followed me through the crack in the door. "No wonder even your parents abandoned you. You're nothing but an ungrateful dog."

…

The late-autumn night air was bitterly cold.

I walked down the street, my phone showing only one bar of battery.

Then a group of men suddenly rushed out from behind me and dragged me into a dark alley.

A hand clamped tightly over my mouth. One familiar face after another appeared before me. "We've been watching for you for a long time. Finally caught you alone again."

"Boys, don't hold back this time. His wife's clearly not going to care. Worst case, we settle again and pay a little compensation."

Their fists rained down on me. Every blow sent pain straight to my bones.

I struggled desperately, reaching for the phone that had fallen nearby.

Someone grabbed me by the hair and yanked my head back. Blood trickled down my scalp.

"Call your wife. Let's see if she comes to save you."

He grinned. "If she doesn't, we'll have some fun with you tonight. You can be our punching bag."

With one last shred of hope, I frantically dialed Sienna's number.

The call connected.

I sobbed as I begged for help. "Sienna, those guys from before found me again. Please, come help me."

"Oh, Vincent. That's really unfortunate."

However, the voice on the other end wasn't Sienna's. It was Nicholas', and he sounded relaxed and cheerful. "Ms. Monroe's in the shower. I'll ask her for you."

A few seconds later, the sound of running water came through the phone.

"Ms. Monroe, Vincent says he's run into those thugs from last time again."

Sienna let out a soft laugh. Her voice was utterly indifferent. "Let them do whatever they want. Vincent has absolutely nothing to do with me."

Her words sealed my fate.

The phone was ripped from my hand and smashed against the ground, breaking into pieces.

The men rolled up their sleeves and closed in around me.

"See? We gave you a chance, and your wife doesn't care about you."

"Tonight, we're going to beat you until you can't get back up."

In the chaos, someone grabbed me by the hair and slammed my head hard against the wall. Blood ran into my eyes, stinging until tears streamed down my face.

I stared blankly at the men surrounding me. My consciousness began to fade.

…

The next morning, Sienna drove to the office with Nicholas beside her.

The radio was playing the morning news.

"A young man's body was discovered early this morning by a passerby out for a morning jog. The victim was wearing a black trench coat and jeans. Police have not yet located any next of kin."

Sienna's hands tightened around the steering wheel.

They trembled.

If she remembered correctly, Vincent had been wearing a black trench coat when he left yesterday.

A sudden, overwhelming sense of unease washed over her.

She immediately made a U-turn and headed for the address mentioned on the radio.

The alley had been cordoned off. Dark stains of dried blood covered the pavement.

In the corner, a small bottle-shaped charm lay quietly on the ground.

Sienna froze where she stood, her eyes instantly turning bloodshot.

She knew that charm. It was Vincent's phone charm.