Chapter 5- Finding out who truly loves her.

When Ryder drove into the mansion, it was already nighttime.

Inside, he found Lily and Vicky sitting on the couch, glued to their phones.

His parents were nowhere to be seen.

Ryder frowned. "Where are my parents?"

Without looking up, Vicky replied, "They went back to the old house."

He nodded. "What about Silver? Is she back?"

Silence.

Neither Lily nor Vicky answered.

Just then, Butler Cole rushed over.

"Sir," he whispered. "Miss Lily and Master Vicky have been on their phones since morning, following Silver's live video. They haven't even eaten."

Ryder's brows furrowed. "Where's Cici?"

Cole sighed. "The Waters family called her back home. She's been away too long."

Suddenly, Lily gasped. "Aww! Look at how gently Hunter is carrying Silver!"

Ryder snapped his head up.

"What?!"

Before Lily could react, Ryder snatched her phone.

His eyes darkened.

On the screen, Hunter Blake was carrying Silver in his arms.

Next to him, Natalie Evans held Silver's handbag.

And beside her, Noah Centineo held Silver's phone.

The live stream had over 1 billion viewers.

The comments were exploding.

➡ "OMG, she has so many handsome men around her!"

➡ "Ryder is probably watching this and crying."

➡ "Silver, you deserve the world, Queen!"

Ryder gritted his teeth.

On screen, Silver giggled. "I want more alcohol!"

The men surrounding her shook their heads.

"No, no, Silver," Hunter said gently. "It's bad for your stomach."

"It's not good for your health," Noah added.

Ryder's grip tightened on the phone.

Silver had always had a weak stomach.

She had been sickly since childhood.

But after marrying into the Cooper family, no one ever cared.

Not even him.

Ryder's stomach twisted.

On the screen, Silver looked at the men around her—her friends, her protectors—and sighed.

Then she cursed at her past self.

"What an idiot I was," she muttered.

She snuggled deeper into Hunter's chest.

Then she yawned. "I'm sleepy."

Noah grinned at the camera.

"Everyone, watch closely. This is how a real man puts his Queen to sleep."

Then, Abraham Voles stepped forward.

He gently lifted Silver from Hunter's arms and carried her out of the restaurant.

The destination?

The Fashion House.

A massive, luxurious building.

Built in Silver's name.

Only Natalie Evans and these men were allowed inside.

It was her safe haven.

Ryder couldn't take it anymore.

"She's a married woman!" he snapped at the screen.

For the first time, Lily stepped in to defend Silver.

She snatched her phone back and glared at Ryder.

"Oh? Now she's your wife?"

Ryder froze.

Lily folded her arms. "Was she not your wife when you were cheating with Cici?"

Ryder's face darkened.

For the first time in his life, he had no words.

•••••••••••••

Silver Fashion Mansion:

Abraham carried Silver straight into her bedroom.

The moment he stepped inside, the bright pink glow of the room hit him.

It was like stepping into a Barbie dollhouse.

From the walls to the ceiling, the bed, the pillows, even the furniture—everything was pink.

It was exactly how Silver liked it.

Abraham gently laid her down on the fluffy pink bed.

Outside, Daniel Frost handled the reporters, making sure no one disturbed her.

Inside, Noah still held Silver's phone.

Facing the camera, he grinned at the online viewers.

"Guys, it's late. Silver is tired. I'm going offline for now."

His words were final.

With that, he ended the live stream.

But before he did, the comment section exploded.

➡ "No! We want to watch more!"

➡ "At least let us see her sleeping face!"

➡ "Noah, you're too mean! Bring Silver back!"

But Noah didn't care.

Silver was already tired.

Abraham tucked the pink duvet around her small frame, making sure she was comfortable.

He brushed a few strands of hair away from her face before stepping out.

•••••••••

Outside, Noah, Daniel, Leo, Lucas, Marcus, Ethan, Adrian, Hunter, Vincent, and Abraham gathered in the luxurious living room.

The mood was joyous.

Silver was finally back.

Then, Natalie Evans walked in.

She smiled. "It looks like our princess has finally fallen asleep."

Lucas chuckled. "Yeah. It took a while, but she's finally resting."

Then he looked at her. "Where have you been?"

Natalie sighed. "The manager called. He wants Silver to come to the company tomorrow morning."

Leo raised an eyebrow. "For what?"

Natalie grinned.

"There are more than 20 deals waiting for her."

Everyone's eyes widened.

Natalie continued, "And guess what? Each deal is worth at least $200 million."

Leo beamed. "Damn, Silver is still a legend."

Vincent smirked at Natalie. "Nat, your biggest competitor is back."

Natalie laughed. "Good! I missed fighting with her."

She looked at the group and sighed dramatically.

"Honestly, I should go to church this Sunday for a big Thanksgiving."

Everyone stared at her in confusion.

Natalie smirked. "Because Queen SM has finally come back to her senses."

For a moment, the room was silent.

Then—

Laughter exploded.

Even Hunter wiped tears from his eyes. "Nat, you're crazy."

Ethan waved at a maid. "Get us some wine and glasses."

Tonight was special.

They were celebrating their baby—Silver.

••••••••••••

But inside her pink room, Silver was wide awake.

She wasn't sleeping.

She was listening.

She heard everything they said about her.

Tears silently slipped down her cheeks.

Her heart ached.

She turned her head slightly, looking at the room's decorations.

Every detail—the pink, the soft pillows, the cute stuffed toys—

Everything was exactly how she liked it.

She couldn't believe it.

They remembered.

Her real friends remembered what she loved.

They had recreated her dream room.

But her own husband, whom she had been with for four years,

Didn't even know.

Not even once did Ryder bother to ask what she liked.

Not even once did he try to make her happy.

Silver wiped her tears.

She had been so blind.

She had chosen the wrong person.

Now, looking at the people who truly loved her,

She realized—

She never needed Ryder at all.