All Chapters of The Goodbye he regretted : Chapter 71 - Chapter 80

The heavy double doors swept open, and Maureen stepped into the grand hall. In an instant, the ambient hum of polite chatter withered away. Dozens of eyes turned toward the entrance, drawn by the quiet, gravity of her presence. Moving with the calm poise of absolute royalty, she glided across the polished marble floor, her royal-blue suit cutting a sharp, magnificent silhouette under the brilliant glare of the crystal chandeliers. Up on the mezzanine, Richard Hoffman let out a low, silent breath, his eyes wide. Beside him, Damien froze. His hand, anchored around his champagne flute, locked completely still. In the privacy of his own mind, a sudden, unwanted truth struck him like a physical blow—she was breathtaking. In all the three years she had spent under his roof, hidden away in simple, understated clothes, he had never seen her like this. She radiated a lethal, effortless beauty that commanded the entire room. Yet, as the shock wore off, a bitter frown pulled at Damie

Damien’s gaze was glued to Selene. He had caught the subtle, razor-sharp smirk that had crossed her face the exact moment Aurora fell into the trap of overbidding. He knew selene well enough—or at least, he was beginning to realize how terrifyingly sharp she actually was—to recognize what had just transpired. She had deliberately baited Aurora, playing on her fragile pride to saddle her with a forty-million-dollar liability for a painting she didn't even want. Damien’s knuckles turned stark white as his fists tightened against the leather armrests of his chair, the solid frame groaning under the pressure. A cold, suffocating irritation burned in his chest. It wasn't just anger at Selene’s ruthless calculation; it was a deep, unsettling frustration at how effortlessly she controlled the room while he sat by, powerless to intervene. Down on the stage, the auctioneer cleared his throat, adjusting the microphone as the spotlight centered on the second featured lot. "Now, ladies and g

She stood in front of the polished marble mirror, slowly washing her hands under the warm water tap. Having been raised as the cherished daughter of the prestigious Ashford family, she had been taught dignity, grace, and self-restraint. Scheming, underhanded games, and cheap public humiliation were never tactics she needed to rely on to get her way. Yet, after three years of marriage to Damien Vance—and the bitter divorce that followed—her mind seemed to have adapted to a darker frequency. She stared at her reflection, remembering the precise moment the auctioneer announced the Amaranthine Diamond on stage. She recalled the way Damien’s posture shattered, the raw, suffocating shock in his eyes, and the sheer embarrassment radiating off him. For a fleeting second, a heavy wave of guilt touched her chest. Did I go too far? She could have ignored the necklace when her stepmother bought out the pawn shop's inventory. She could have let it rot in a vault instead of arranging for t

Diana rushed forward with fake concern written all over her face, her eyes wide as she looked at the blood dripping onto the carpet. "Aurora, sweetie, what in the world happened to your hand?" "Tell us what happened, Aurora!" Kylie chimed in, stepping closer to play the part of the protective friend. "Don't be scared. We are right here with you, and we won't let anyone get away with hurting you!" Aurora leaned heavily against Damien’s chest, letting out a weak, trembling breath. She looked up at Maureen with eyes full of fake fear and deep bitterness. "I... I ran into Selene in the restroom..." She sniffled softly, letting her voice shake just enough to make everyone in the hallway lean in to hear. "I know Selene doesn't like me very much, but I really wanted to fix things between us. I took the first step and said hello, hoping we could put our past behind us and move on... But Selene didn't want to hear it. She got so upset, and before I knew it, we started arguing." Maureen st

Maureen was never one to play the helpless victim."Listen to me very carefully," Maureen said, her voice dropping into a chilling, measured tone that cut right through the noisy grand hall. "From this second on, Aurora and I are sworn enemies. If I ever take back what I just said, let my life shatter into pieces, just like this bracelet."She uncurled her fingers step by step. Clutched inside her pale palm were sharp, jagged shards of broken green jade, drenched in brilliant red blood.Damien felt a sudden, suffocating tightness seize his chest. The sight of her torn skin and the crimson liquid pooling over the shattered stone made his breath catch in his throat. He knew how deeply she prized that heirloom. It was the only precious thing she had kept close to her heart, yet she had gripped it so hard that the broken edges pierced deep into her palm. She was so consumed by cold fury that she did not even seem to register the pain.A sharp ache split through Damien’s chest. Watching he