A Banquet of Power and Regret

(Samuel's POV)

The moment Liberty and I stepped into the Grand Royale Banquet Hall, the air shifted.

The soft hum of conversation faltered.

The flashing lights of photographers froze.

All eyes were on us.

The tailored black suits we wore were flawless, fitting our lean, muscular frames like they were made by the gods themselves.

And maybe—just maybe—that's exactly what we looked like to them.

Untouchable. Divine. Above them all.

But my focus wasn't on the whispers.

Not on the envious glares from men who wished they were us.

Not on the fascinated glances from women who wished they were with us.

No.

My focus was on two people.

One, a woman clinging onto a man she had chosen over me.

The other, standing alone—once powerful, now with nothing.

Abigail Bardot and Katerina Maa.

They didn't know each other.

But they were the same.

And tonight—they would both understand exactly what they lost.

Step One – The Fall of Abigail Bardot

I walked straight toward her.

Joshua Lenin, the so-called superstar, stood beside her.

Her hands clutched his arm, her posture poised—fake confidence, as if she was trying to prove something.

I smirked.

But before I could say a word, a soft, sultry voice interrupted.

"Mr. Gebb~"

A delicate arm wrapped around mine.

I turned slightly, meeting the dazzling Crimson eyes of Belle Ross.

The Belle Ross.

Hollywood's brightest starlet. A woman so adored that men would sell their souls just to stand beside her.

And yet, tonight—

She was clinging to me.

Her voice was warm, flirtatious, but her gratitude was real.

"Thank you for giving me company, Mr. Gebb. Having you as my banquet partner is a blessing."

I smiled at her briefly, but my Emrald green eyes flickered toward Abigail.

She was watching.

She wasn't just watching—she was frozen.

I could see it in her eyes.

The way her grip on Joshua's arm tightened.

The way her jaw clenched.

Good.

I smirked, my voice calm but sharp.

"You're here with Joshua to get him movie deals?" I let out a small chuckle. "Funny, huh? You always used to humiliate me because of what I did in the past. Because I left you."

I paused. Let the words sink in.

Then, I spoke again, my voice carrying a weight she couldn't escape.

"But hey, I'm really concerned about you."

She flinched.

I leaned forward slightly, my eyes locking onto hers.

"If you love Joshua, then divorce me and be with him. Because I no longer have any feelings for you."

My voice lowered, but the sharpness remained.

"Clinging onto a marriage you turned into a war is utterly pathetic."

The air between us was thick.

She wanted to deny it.

She wanted to fight back.

But the truth?

The truth was suffocating her.

Her voice was weak when she finally whispered:

"It's not what you think, Samuel… by profiting Joshua as Bardot Industry's brand ambassador, our company will skyrocket."

I tilted my head, mocking her excuse.

"You seriously don't even remember what day today is, do you?"

She stiffened.

I chuckled, shaking my head.

"But you know what? I don't even care."

I straightened my posture, letting my voice drop into something colder.

"As for you… Joshua is everything, right?"

Her lips parted slightly, but no words came out.

I stepped forward, my presence looming over both of them.

"Abigail, you ruined our three years of marriage like it was nothing to you."

And with that—

I turned away.

"Belle, let's go."

Belle smiled, gripping my arm tighter.

And just like that—

I walked away.

Leaving Abigail Bardot standing there, drowning in the truth she could no longer escape.

(Abigail's POV – The Truth She Can't Ignore)

As Samuel walked away, arm in arm with Belle Ross, Abigail felt something she hadn't felt in years.

A sharp, cold emptiness settled in her chest.

She couldn't move.

She couldn't speak.

Her fingers, still clinging to Joshua's arm, felt weak.

Her heart pounded—not out of love, not out of anger.

Out of something much worse.

Regret.

She wanted to deny it.

Wanted to tell herself that Joshua was enough.

That Samuel didn't matter.

That she had won.

But as she looked at the way Belle clung to him—

At the way Samuel didn't even spare her a second glance—

She realized something terrifying.

She had lost.

She had lost him.

She had lost the power she once held over him.

And no matter what she did now—she would never get it back.

"Abigail?" Joshua's voice pulled her back.

She turned to look at him, and for the first time, she saw him for what he truly was.

A replacement.

A distraction.

A mistake.

Her grip on his arm loosened.

Because deep down, she finally understood.

Samuel wasn't hers anymore.

And he never would be again.