Chapter 4

Once the party officially started, I truly saw how attentive Victor was to Chloe.

He pulled out her chair. He brought her champagne. Her pearl earring almost slipped. He gently fixed it for her.

His fingertips brushed her delicate earlobe. It looked so natural. Like he'd done it a million times.

I never got that treatment.

In the two years we were tangled together, Victor never did these trivial but tender things for me.

I thought it was just his personality. Cold. Aloof. Above expressing affection like that.

Now I understood. He just didn't want to do it for me.

I sat alone in the corner. I sipped my hard liquor. I listened to Chloe talk elegantly with the guests.

She talked about her rehab in Paris. Her longing for New York. Every word was captivating.

"Look how Victor protects her. He's like a guardian angel," someone whispered nearby. "They're definitely getting back together."

The hand holding my glass trembled.

"Everyone! We will now begin our charity auction and product launch!" the host's voice cut through the air. "Tonight, our most honored guest, Victor Sterling, will unveil Sterling Tech's latest AI virtual companion. Meet Angel!"

The massive digital display lit up again.

My blood instantly froze.

I always thought Victor called me Angel because it was my special nickname.

He even had me do tons of motion capture and voice recording over the past few months.

All eyes turned to Victor on the stage.

A projection slowly appeared in the center of the deck.

But it wasn't the avatar I recorded.

The virtual AI girl wore a pure white ballet tutu. She spun elegantly on the screen like an angel on earth.

"Good evening. I am Angel." The AI's greeting was innocent. Sweet. It carried that signature fragility.

It was Chloe's voice.

The entire yacht went dead silent. Then it erupted in thunderous applause.

Chloe covered her mouth. She cried tears of joy.

Victor looked at her from the stage. His voice echoed across the deck through the mic. "The core algorithm and personality settings of this AI were built entirely on Chloe's preferences and habits. This is her welcome-home gift."

Cheers and applause exploded.

I set down my shaking glass. I stumbled to the restroom.

The woman in the mirror was pale. Her eyes were hollow.

I gasped for air. I tried to calm the despair churning in my chest.

I shouldn't have had any hope. Not from the very beginning.

I forced myself to calm down. I walked out of the restroom. I headed back to the party.

In the dim hallway, a few trust fund brats suddenly blocked my way.

"Hey, superstar. All alone?" the lead guy slurred. He stumbled closer. "Come on, have a drink with us..."

"Get lost," I warned coldly. My voice carried a dangerous edge.

"Don't be so heartless," another one smirked. He reached out a filthy hand. "We just wanna get to 'know' you..."

I stepped back. Over their shoulders, I saw Victor. He stood near the banquet hall doors.

Our eyes locked in the air.

I shot him a look for help. My eyes were full of a vulnerability and pleading I would never normally show.

Victor noticed.

His brows instantly knitted together. He put his drink down. He walked toward me without hesitation.

My heart skipped a beat. A sliver of hope called out in the dark.

He still cares about me, right?

Right at that crucial second, a fragile gasp came from the hall. "Ah! My ankle..."

Victor stopped dead in his tracks.

He didn't even look back at me. He spun around and rushed into the hall.

"What's wrong?" I heard his anxious voice.

"I think I sprained my ankle..." Chloe clung to a chair. She looked pitiful. Tears pooled in her eyes.

Victor immediately dropped to one knee. He frantically checked her injury. He completely forgot about me being cornered in the hallway.

Through the crowd, I saw Chloe clutch his arm tightly. She whispered something.

Then, I clearly heard Victor's cold, rational voice reply: "Leave her. Serena has claws. She can handle herself."

I heard my own heart shatter into a million pieces.

When I needed him the most, my cry for help couldn't compare to Chloe's slight gasp.

I faced the trust fund brats. They were still smirking and closing in. I took a step forward.

I drove my sharp stiletto into his expensive leather shoe. I ground my heel down hard.

The man grunted in pain.

Before he could react, I slowly poured the rest of my freezing whiskey down his expensive silk tie.

"Touch me and try," I bluffed. I glared at him. "If I send tonight's security footage to Wall Street, will your dad cut off your trust fund to silence the scandal? Or will he just kick a useless troublemaker like you off the board entirely?"

They saw the fearless, dangerous madness in my eyes. They cursed a few times. They fled like cowards.

I watched their backs as they left. I stood frozen in place.

My hands wouldn't stop shaking.

After the party, I stood alone on the pier. I waited for my car. The early autumn sea breeze made me shiver.

Victor carefully helped Chloe out. She limped. She played the fragile victim.

"Serena," Chloe walked toward me. Her voice laced with fake concern. "I'm so sorry about earlier. I suddenly twisted my ankle. Victor couldn't go help you. But he was right. You've always been good at solving your own problems."

She glanced at my dress. It was stained from pouring the drink. A flash of smugness crossed her eyes.

"Yes," I sneered. "I never need to dirty my own hands to deal with trash."

"That's good." Chloe smiled sweetly. She leaned into my ear. Her voice instantly turned venomous and cold like a snake. "Honestly, I was pretty surprised Victor brought you tonight. You didn't actually think he had real feelings for you, did you?"

"What do you mean?"

"My dear Serena," Chloe lowered her voice. Her eyes turned vicious and sharp. "Victor took you in out of pity. You saw it tonight. If I just cry out in pain, he won't even look back at you. That tough act you're so proud of is just an excuse for him not to love you. Not to protect you."

She paused. A cruel smirk played on her lips. "I am the only one in his heart. From beginning to end. That will never change."

Just then, a fierce gust of wind swept across the pier.

The massive digital backdrop and heavy metal lighting frame groaned. They snapped.

"Watch out!" someone screamed.

The massive metal structure crashed down right toward us!

In a split second, Victor's pupils shrank.

His trauma took over. He couldn't watch her get crushed again.

He lunged forward without hesitation. He shielded Chloe tightly beneath him.

The cruelest part was the momentum. The moment he tackled Chloe to create a safe space for her, the massive momentum shoved me straight into the center of the danger zone.

I was thrown backward by the irresistible force. I slammed hard onto the cold asphalt.

A split second later, the massive metal frame crashed down. It scraped against my body.

Before I lost consciousness, I held on to my last shred of sanity. I looked over.

A few feet away, Victor shielded Chloe tightly in his arms. She was completely unharmed.