Chapter b78 /b

The butler froze for a moment, thenposed himself, his face flushing with embarrassment bas /bhe turned to leave and call for help.

b‘/bSeriouslyb? /bJust btrying /bto cozy up to the Preston family? Pffi, who does she think she is? he thought. He’d seen plenty like that before.

Hearing that Nora hade home drunk again, Ethan Preston ran his fingers through his hair, took off his sses and set them on the table, then stood up abruptly and marched to the door.

Without even ncing at who it wasb, /bhe snapped, “Hand her over. Give bher /bsome money and send her away.”

Sienna pulled Nora protectively closer, her eyes glinting with murderous intent.

With just a nce from Sienna, Lana instantly understood. She stepped forward and delivered a sharp p across Ethan’s face.

Ethan never expected ba /bwoman could hit so hard. His whole face was stinging. He waspletely blindsided; he bnever /bimagined Lana would just rush up and p him out of nowhere.

You’re bdead/bb–/bThe word froze on his lips as he recognized Sienna. His pupils dted violently, and he stared at bher /bin utter disbelief.

The butler roared, “Who the hell are you? How dare you by /bhands on Mr. Preston?”

“Enough. Dismissed. Ethan snapped.

The butler didn’t bdare /bdisobey and obediently withdrew.

Ethan fixed his gaze on her, his voice trembling. He pinched himself to make sure he wasn’t hallucinatingb, /band only after confirming it was breal /bdid he finally manage to speak, “Sienna? Is that really you?”

Sienna tightened her hold on Nora and swept past Ethan without so much as ba /bnce. Ignoring the burning bred /bp mark on his face, Ethan, his heart pounding with unease, hurried after them. “Let me. I’ll take Nora to her room.”

Ethan reached out to take Nora from her arms, but Sienna didn’t even nce bat /bhim. Turning to Lana, bshe /bmanded, “Lanab, /btake her upstairs to

brest/b.”

“Yes, Miss Sienna,” Lana responded promptly.

Ethan motioned for ba /bservant to lead the way, then poured Sienna ba /bcup of coffee. “Ennab, /bit’s really you. We all thought you were- When did you return?b” /b

Sienna lifted her gaze to meet Ethan’s eyes directly. The boyish youth hadpletely faded from him, now exuding mature vigor, his broad frame radiating an elite nobility that Nora had often described.

Yet the faint but unmistakable aloofness in his piercing stare lent his presence an icy edge.

“Ethan, answer me this. Do you want a broken family or a happy home?b” /bsaid Sienna.

Ethan froze momentarily before lighting a cigarette. His beyes /bgrew deep and unreadable, and when he finally spoke, his voice was bhoarse/bb, /bced with resignation. “Enna, you don’t understand. There’s no going back for usb.” /b

Sienna cut him off decisively, “Enough. I understand.”

Ethan’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he hesitated, unsure what to bsay/b. After a moment, he spoke hoarsely, “Enna, I know I failed her. But if you were in my shoes, you’d break too. Nora is not the girl I used to know anymore.

“bIf /bbI /bcould, I’d want nothing more than to make things right between us. Enna, I’m hurting, and so is bshe/b. Instead iof /itorturing each other, maybe it’s better if we both just let go and find our peaceb.” /b

Sienna sneered, “Save your pathetic excuses for cheating, Ethan. Nora gave you everything, and you stabbed her in the back. Look at you now–so high and mighty.

“Have you already forgotten that stormy night, when a girl risked her life to secure your position, taking your ce in the doomed car?”

Erhan felt something inside him copseb, /bsending ripples through his entire being. He opened his mouth to say more, but Sienna was already on her feet, striding out without a backward nce.

Ethan hesitated, then offered, “Let me walk you out.”

Sienna said coldly, b“/bSave it, Ethan. This isn’t torment. It’s your guilty conscience. I’m not involved,

“But from now on, if you ever make her shed another tear, I’ll take a pound of your flesh. Count on it. Tonight is just the beginning.”

Sienna’s icy gaze suddenly zed with murderous intent. Without hesitation, she swung the ss vase at Ethan’s head. Blood instantly gushed from

173

bSO /b

1

I won’t interfere.

the woundb. /b

The butler and servants bgasped /bin shock. Ethan raised his hand, his voice cold andmanding. “Dismissed.”

Ethan hung his head. Only when he heard the click of Sienna’s heels did he slowly look bup/b, watching her retreating bfigure/b.

Seated in the car. Sienna radiated a palpable aura of dark resentment bso /bintense that Lana could feel its oppressive weight.

Lana said respectfully. “Miss Enna, I’ll hand bover /ball the information about Miss Sinir from the past few byears /bto you tomorrow morning.”

Sienna gave a curt nod. “Okay,b” /bshe replied.

Sienna gazed out the window, lost in thought. In her mind’s eye, she bsaw /bthe vivacious girl who had bonce /bbeenb, /blying pale in a hospital bed, her radiance faded.

When Nora noticed Sienna, she managed to summon a faint smile. i“/iEnna, Ethan’s elder brother was imprisoned. bNow/bb, /bbno /bone will threaten his position. He’s the sole heir of the Preston family.”

Battered and bruised all bover/b, Nora looked happier than ever.

At seventeenb, /bwhen most girls cared only about their looks, Nora’s bback /bbwas /bmarred with scars,sting reminders of the car crash. She knowingly walked into that trap alone, clearing baway /bevery threat for the one she loved.

If they ever truly parted bways/b, Sienna would make sure Ethan experienced a car crash, repaying him in kind.

Ethan simply bandaged the wound on his head, then took a warm btowel /band gently wiped his wife’s face as shey on the bed.

With careful, trembling hands, he helped her out of her dress, revealing more than a dozen faint bscars /bon her back, barely visible unless examined closely.

Ethan’s heart constricted as if gripped by invisible hands, leaving him breathless. A painful lump formed in his throatb, /bchoking him.

“Nora.” Ethan nted a tender kiss on her back as if solidifying a resolution. “We’re not getting divorced.”

“Miss Enna, shall we return to Charmvale?” Lana asked.

“Has Vivian returned yet?b” /bSienna said.

Lana shook her head. “No.”

Sienna nodded. She thought to herself, ‘I could use a drink. Ten years have changed so much.

*Lana,e sit and have a drink with me,” Sienna said casually.

“Yes. Miss Enna,” Lana replied respectfully.

Sienna watched as Vivianughed cheerfully with her ssmates, then turned her gaze to the winess in her hand, lost in thought.

“I said, bow. bBow/b, damn it. Today, I own you and your drink.” At the next table, a bald man with a gaudy gold chain around his neck snarled at a young man.

The young man stood firm, drink in hand,pletely unfazed.

Beside ithe /ibald man sat a woman whose predatory gaze kept roaming over him. She leered at him and purred, “Hey, pretty boy, name your price for the night. You’re mine now.”

The bald man bellowed, “Didn’t you hear? She’s talking to you. Answer her right now.”

The young man said calmly, “Sorry, that’s not in my job description.”

With that, he turned to leave, but the bald man kicked him square in the back.

The young man lunged forward and crashed to the floor, the wine bottle shattering as he fell. The spilled wine looked mundane under the lights, nothingpared to the vivid crimson stain now marring his striking features.

“You don’t know what’s good for you, do you? Who the hell do you think you are? Even if I beat you to a pulp today, you’d damn well deserve it. Now get your sorry ass up,” the bald man shouted.

Adrian Winslow struggled to his feet. Hearing themotion, the manager stormed over. Taking one look at Adrian’s disheveled state, he snarled, “What the hell?

“Can’t even do a damn job right. Watch it, or I’ll dock your pay. Get the hell out of here unless you want me to drag you out myself.

Adrian murmured, “Sorry,” and turned to leave.

But the bald man roughly blocked his path “Hold it. Who said you could go he growled.

B