Chapter 6

Adeline said into the microphone, "Tonight, I'd like to take this opportunity to say something to Owen."

She turned toward Owen and took his hand.

"Thank you. I wouldn't be where I am today without you."

Owen's eyes reddened, and his voice caught with emotion. "Adeline..."

Someone in the audience shouted, "Kiss her!"

Soon, others joined in, chanting and cheering.

Adeline laughed and shook her head, but a moment later, they shared a brief kiss in front of everyone.

The ballroom erupted.

Owen took the microphone. His voice was clear, though slightly unsteady.

"Actually... There's one more piece of good news we'd like to share with everyone tonight."

He paused, wearing a smile so full of happiness that it was almost painful to look at.

"We're...getting married."

The room fell silent for a single second.

Then applause and cheers exploded through the ballroom, nearly shaking the ceiling.

On the giant screen behind them, the camera zoomed in tighter and tighter.

The affection in Adeline's eyes. The flush on Owen's face. And the wedding band on his ring finger, identical to the one I had worn for ten years.

So this was the announcement they had been talking about.

It wasn't for me, but for everyone else.

I looked at the couple standing under the spotlight, basking in the crowd's blessings and applause.

I looked at the love story they had created, one that had erased me from it completely.

The final piece of who I used to be came apart inside me.

Maybe that was for the best.

They had built the stage and set the scene.

Now, it was my turn.

I pulled out my phone and opened the company-wide group chat.

The message had been ready for days, packed with chat logs, screenshots of money transfers, hotel photos, and the flirty posts from Owen's social media account.

I selected everything and hit send.

The upload circle spun once, then disappeared.

Sent.

Almost immediately, phones all over the ballroom began to buzz.

People looked down at their screens, their expressions shifting from confusion to shock and then to discomfort.

Whispers spread through the crowd like a contagious illness, and more and more eyes turned toward the stage.

Adeline was still caught up in the celebration and hadn't noticed the change.

I called Raymond. The line connected after three rings.

"Go ahead," I said. "File the papers and freeze every account under her name. Now."

After ending the call, I removed my black overcoat and handed it to a passing server.

Then, I stepped onto the red carpet leading to the stage.

My polished dress shoes struck the floor with steady, measured steps. As the ballroom gradually fell quiet, the sound seemed unusually clear.

Someone near the front noticed me and turned around.

Then another person.

Then, another.

The whispers faded away until every eye in the room was fixed on me.

At last, Adeline realized something was wrong. She looked up, her gaze moving through the crowd until it landed on me.

The smile vanished from her face.

Her pupils contracted. Her lips parted slightly. For the first time all evening, a crack appeared in the calm, composed mask she had worn so effortlessly.

I reached out and took the microphone from her rigid hand.

The instant our fingers touched, she pulled away, as though she had been burned.

I turned to face the audience. Hundreds of faces stared back at me, shocked, confused, curious, or openly eager for a spectacle.

I smiled. Then I leaned toward the microphone and spoke softly.

"Good evening, everyone. My name is Quentin Thompson. I'm Ms. Hemsley's legal husband. We've been married for ten years, and we have a three-year-old son together. And I'm also..."

I paused, letting my gaze sweep across Adeline's pale face.

"...the majority owner of this company, with a 51% stake."