Chapter 4

The sleek Maybach glided smoothly through the dark city streets. The heavy rain continued to pound against the tinted windows, but inside the car, it was completely quiet and warm.

Dominic Vance typed rapidly on a glowing tablet. He did not try to make small talk with me. He did not offer me empty words of sympathy about my lost baby or my broken marriage. I was incredibly grateful for his silence. I did not want pity. I needed space to let the shock wear off and let the anger take over.

The car drove away from the towering glass skyscrapers of the financial district. We entered an exclusive and heavily wooded area on the edge of the city. The vehicle passed through a massive iron gate flanked by serious security guards in dark suits.

The Obsidian estate was absolutely breathtaking. It was a sprawling modern mansion built from dark gray stone and floor-to-ceiling glass. It looked like a high-tech fortress hidden in the trees.

The car stopped near the front entrance. Dominic’s driver quickly opened my door and held a large black umbrella over my head.

"Bring her suitcase inside," Dominic instructed the driver as he stepped out of the car. He buttoned his tailored suit jacket and looked at me. "Follow me, Sienna."

I walked behind him into the grand foyer of the mansion. The interior was crisp, minimalist, and decorated in shades of charcoal and silver. A polite older woman wearing a neat gray uniform waited near the base of a sweeping glass staircase.

"This is Mrs. Higgins," Dominic introduced her smoothly. "She manages the estate. She will show you to the guest wing. You will stay here until my security team clears a private apartment for you in the city."

"Thank you," I said quietly to the older woman.

Dominic turned to face me. His piercing blue eyes scanned my pale face and my ruined, wet clothes. He noticed the slight tremble in my hands and the way I guarded my stomach.

"My private doctor will visit your room in ten minutes to check your physical condition," Dominic stated firmly. "You went through a severe medical trauma today. I need my lead architect in perfect working condition. Get some sleep tonight. Tomorrow morning, we go to work."

He did not wait for my reply. He turned around and walked down a long hallway toward his home office.

Mrs. Higgins led me up the glass staircase and down a quiet corridor. She opened a heavy oak door and showed me into a massive, luxurious bedroom. A warm fire crackled in the modern stone fireplace.

"There are clean clothes in the closet, ma'am," Mrs. Higgins said kindly. "And hot food waiting on the side table. If you need anything else, just press the intercom button."

She left me alone in the quiet room. True to Dominic’s word, a female doctor arrived a few minutes later. She checked my vitals, gave me a strong dose of pain medication, and handed me a vitamin packet. After the doctor left, I took a hot shower to wash the freezing rain and the hospital smell off my skin.

When I finally laid down on the soft mattress, the reality of the day crashed over me. I placed my hands over my flat stomach and let the tears fall silently onto the expensive pillows. I cried for the baby I never got to hold. I cried for the five years of absolute devotion I wasted on a cruel liar.

But when the morning sun finally peeked through the large glass windows, I stopped crying. My tears were completely gone. I sat up in the bed and took a deep breath. Julian wanted me to disappear and starve in the shadows. He threw me out like useless garbage.

I walked into the massive walk-in closet. Someone had stocked it with high-end professional clothes in my exact size. I chose a sharp, tailored black pantsuit and a crisp white blouse. I pulled my dark hair back into a tight and sleek ponytail. I looked in the mirror. I did not look like the quiet, obedient wife of the Vanguard Alpha anymore.

I walked downstairs to the main dining room. Dominic was already sitting at the long glass table. He was reading a financial newspaper and drinking a cup of black coffee. He wore a dark navy suit that fit his broad shoulders perfectly.

His icy blue eyes swept over my new outfit. A spark of distinct approval flashed in his gaze.

"You look ready," Dominic observed smoothly.

"I am," I replied and sat down in the chair across from him.

"My car is waiting outside," Dominic said. He stood up and tossed the newspaper onto the table. "We are going to the Obsidian Industries headquarters. I called an emergency meeting with my top software engineers."