《Goodbye, Mr. Wrong: The Heiress Returns》全部章節：第 171 章 - 第 180 章

Sienna’s POVThe gala hall was a masterpiece of opulence—chandeliers like frozen stars, marble floors polished until they reflected every subtle movement, and soft music that slid through the air like silk. It was the kind of place that made people forget themselves, think they were in control, and that the world was exactly as they wanted it to be. Perfect for observation. Perfect for strategy. Perfect for subtle revenge.I moved through the crowd, every step calculated, every smile measured. Nothing about me was accidental tonight—not my dress, not my hair, not the way I lingered near tables without drawing unwanted attention. I was a predator and a chess master in one, and every person here was a piece on the board.Desmond was beside me, calm as ever, his hand lightly brushing mine when the crowd pressed in too close. It wasn’t intimate, not in the way people would interpret. It was protection. Assurance. And yet, I felt a warmth that was impossible to ignore, a subtle shift in my

Desmond’s POVThe early morning sunlight slanted across the city skyline, harsh and indifferent, as if mocking the storm raging inside me. I had barely slept. My thoughts were a tangle of strategy, duty, and something I could no longer name but refused to deny. Every plan, every calculation, every step I had taken to infiltrate, observe, and ultimately dismantle the Vale-Marino empire suddenly felt like it was built on sand.Because now, everything had changed.Sienna.Her face flashed in my mind, calm yet unyielding, eyes sharper than any blade I had ever held. And the news—her discovery about Aria—had shaken her. It had shaken me, too, in ways I had not anticipated. My father’s orders, my inheritance, my carefully laid plans—all of it suddenly felt secondary to a girl who had rewritten the rules of my life without even trying.Sebastian, ever precise, stood by the door, silent but waiting. I knew he could see the tension in me, could read the conflict twisting every muscle, every li

Sienna’s POVThe television had betrayed me. A child’s frail image flashed on the screen, accompanied by words that slammed into me with the force of a hurricane. Aria Vale—my daughter, my little girl—was sick. Seriously sick. Critical, according to the news.I froze. For a moment, the room felt impossibly silent, the air thick and heavy around me. Every instinct I had honed over years of surviving, of strategizing, of fighting for control, screamed in alarm. But nothing had prepared me for this—nothing had prepared me for the sight of my child lying helpless somewhere I couldn’t reach immediately, her tiny body depending on adults who had never truly cared for her, on people who had only ever seen her as leverage.I sank onto the edge of my sofa, pressing my hands against my face. My breaths came sharp and uneven, my mind racing through scenarios I didn’t want to imagine. And yet, even in that chaos, a quiet voice whispered—a voice I had trained myself to listen to: Focus. Strategy f

Desmond’s POVThe hospital smelled of antiseptic, a sterile scent that did little to calm the storm brewing in my chest. I stood near the doorway of Aria’s room, my hands clasped behind my back, observing everything—every monitor, every staff movement, every subtle shift in the air. Calm, calculated, controlled. That was my approach. Always. And yet, beneath it all, a low hum of tension vibrated through me.Sienna knelt beside Aria’s bed, her fingers brushing the girl’s hair, whispering promises only she could keep. Her composure was infuriating. Perfect. Serene. Focused. Every instinct I had screamed to step closer, to shield her, to take control of the room and remove every variable from her path. And yet, I remained still, silent, because I knew timing was everything.Gabriel paced near the doorway, his presence a storm of panic and authority, and I could feel the tension radiating off him. That man—his love for Aria and obsession with control—was both predictable and dangerous. He

Desmond’s POVThe night had a chill to it that made every movement deliberate. I stood in the quiet of my penthouse, the city lights below a scattered constellation of control and chaos, both within my grasp and just beyond it. The phone on the table buzzed incessantly, each vibration a reminder that my father’s demands in Italy weren’t going to disappear. Yet, my focus wasn’t on the mafia empire or the threats of inheritance withheld. My attention was on Sienna and the delicate, precarious world we were building around Aria.Sebastian had been at my side for hours, running simulations, checking communications, making sure every contingency was accounted for. He was precise, methodical, my silent shadow in a world that rarely gave second chances.“Sir,” Sebastian said quietly, glancing at the monitors tracking hospital activity. “Gabriel Vale is escalating. He’s requesting constant updates, security access, and—”I cut him off with a slow hand wave. “I know. That’s expected. Predictab