Chapter 2

Maia's eyes were brimming with tears, causing those around us to murmur sympathetically.

"Sienna, you're the one at fault here! You were aware he was in a relationship, so you can't fault her for demolishing your property!" someone exclaimed.

I faced Lance, a frosty grin playing on my face. "What a clever scheme you two devised. So, who's going to cover the costs? You or her? You do realize how expensive that china collection is, don't you?"

Lance's expression contorted with apparent distress as he gazed at the fragments of the invaluable vase.

However, Maia, still weeping, redirected her anger towards him. "You knew she was attempting to lure you! Why did you still meet her privately upstairs?"

Lance promptly rushed to her side, embracing her. "Maia, please understand. She claimed that if I spoke to her one last time to clarify things, she'd leave me alone forever. You witnessed me rejecting her—I've made it clear there's nothing between us. If I wanted her, don't you think we'd be together by now? Please, stop crying."

Maia looked up at him, her tears subsiding as she accepted his falsehoods without question.

Meanwhile, I stood there, astonished, observing their act. Unable to resist, I began applauding slowly, the noise cutting through their dramatics.

I was tempted to reveal the truth to her—to expose Lance's true nature. But before I could, her gaze fell on the faint lipstick mark on Lance's collar.

Her demeanor changed instantly. Like an enraged lioness, she seized the bat again and resumed smashing everything in sight.

The items she was destroying were heirlooms from my parents, so I couldn't allow her to continue.

"Maia, cease this immediately!" I yelled. Then I turned to Lance, my tone sharp. "You! Take your deranged fiancée and leave my house at once!"

Sensing my sudden panic, Maia identified my vulnerability, and her swings became more erratic. I attempted to grab the bat from her, but she swung it at me instead.

I narrowly evaded the blow and nearly lost my balance. Yet, she lunged forward with such force that she stumbled and knocked me down. I hit the floor, and shards of broken china dug into my skin. Pain surged through me and tears welled up in my eyes.

Despite this, Lance didn't even glance in my direction. Instead, he lifted Maia into his arms, checking her for injuries.

"Maia, are you alright? Are you hurt?" he asked anxiously.

She only had a minor cut on her arm from the broken glass, yet Lance, looking utterly distraught, picked her up and rushed her out the door, heading straight for the hospital.

And just like that, I was left alone amidst the destruction.

After someone helped me to the hospital and my wounds were treated, a series of unfamiliar text messages appeared on my phone.

[Sienna, take this as a warning. Keep away from Lance if you know what's best for you. Don't force me to ruin your reputation in this city. By the way, all those handcrafted presents you gave Lance? They're now dog toys—literally. My dog plays with them. I only kept them because I pitied you. Otherwise, they'd be in the garbage.]

The messages stung like a harsh slap.

No wonder Lance always avoided my questions about where my gifts were, claiming he had "stored them carefully." It turns out they were in his fiancée's dog's mouth.

My heart sank as the truth dawned on me: In his eyes, my feelings were worthless.

Fine. If that's how they wanted to handle this, I wouldn't hold back.

Without hesitation, I dialed Lance's uncle's number. "Sir, your nephew and his fiancée vandalized my house and injured me. I'm now in the hospital. How do you intend to resolve this?"

There was silence on the other end of the line.

The thought of Howard Sharp's stern face made me nervous, but he was the head of the Madron family. Ever since his grandfather adopted him and handed over control of the family business, his word had been final. Even Lance, the biological grandson, had to follow his rules.

And as an employee of Apex Solutions Group, I had every right—both professionally and personally—to bring this to his attention.

"I'll handle it," came his terse reply.

With that, the call ended abruptly, leaving me staring at my phone.

After a while, I concluded that Howard wasn't planning to follow up. Frustrated, I lay on the hospital bed, mentally cursing every member of Lance's family tree. Of course, I didn't spare Howard from my silent tirade either.