Chapter 6

Seraphina POV

That evening, in the ballroom of a top-tier Hilton Hotel in New York.

It was a charity gala, gathering all the business elites and design gurus of New York. I wore a simple black dress, moving through the crowd. I needed investment, funding to rebuild my studio, and to clear my name from the plagiarism accusation.

But every time I offered my business card, those CEOs who once greeted me with smiles now avoided me as if I were a demon.

"Ms. Clarke, Mr. Thorne has already made it clear that anyone who works with you is opposing Thorne Group. We can't afford to go against Thorne Corp."

"A plagiarizer dares to show her face here? Get out of here!"

The mockery enveloped me like a tide. I clenched the business card in my hand, my knuckles white.

Just then, the ballroom doors were respectfully pushed open by a waiter. All eyes instantly converged.

Ethan, in a perfectly tailored custom suit, entered with Elara Vance on his arm, dressed to the nines. Elara wore a dazzling starry-blue gown, and around her long, elegant neck, she sported the brilliant necklace, 'Starlight.'

That was my masterpiece.

Ethan had once told me, "Seraphina, this necklace is the crystallization of your soul. I will lock it in the Thorne family's safe as an eternal testament to our love, never letting anyone touch it."

Now, that necklace hung around another woman's neck, a symbol for Elara to flaunt.

I stood in the corner, watching them walk to the head table, the center of attention. My heart felt as if it was being crushed by an invisible hand, making it impossible to breathe.

Elara's gaze swept through the crowd, quickly locking onto me in the corner. A malicious smile played on her lips. She picked up a glass of red wine and sashayed over.

"Well, well, isn't this Seraphina? Why are you hiding by yourself? Can't even afford to rent a decent gown?" Elara deliberately raised her voice, causing people around us to turn and look.

I looked at her coldly. "Move."

"Still so temperamental." Elara chuckled softly, then suddenly stumbled, causing the red wine glass in her hand to tilt.

The crimson liquid spilled precisely onto Elara's own diamond-encrusted high heels.

"Ah!" Elara shrieked, instantly putting on a tearful expression. "Seraphina, I know you hate me for taking your award, but you can't just throw red wine on me. These shoes were custom-made for me by Ethan from Italy..."

A chorus of accusations immediately erupted around us.

"This woman is so malicious!"

"Plagiarizing someone else's work is bad enough. Now she's publicly throwing wine on someone? How uncivilized!"

Ethan strode over, and seeing the wine stains on Elara's dress and shoes, his face instantly turned ashen.

"Seraphina, haven't you caused enough trouble?" He pulled Elara behind him, his gaze piercing me sharply.

I was speechless, but I straightened my spine, meeting his devouring gaze. "I didn't throw it on her; she spilled it herself."

"You're still lying!" Ethan was furious. "Elara is so frail, how would she spill it on herself? Seraphina, you're truly disgustingly malicious!"

He pointed to the high heels on Elara's feet, issuing a cold command. "Get down immediately and clean Elara's shoes. Otherwise, I guarantee you won't leave this door tonight, and tomorrow you'll be sent to jail for commercial fraud!"

The mocking laughter intensified.

I looked at Ethan's cruel, emotionless face and suddenly felt an absurd sense of irony. The man I once loved so deeply now wanted me to publicly clean another woman's shoes just to please her?

The last flicker of light in my eyes completely died out.

I didn't cry. Instead, a smile curved my lips.

I slowly crouched down. Under everyone's scornful gazes, I took a tissue from a waiter's tray and, bit by bit, wiped the red wine stains from Elara's shoe.

Elara looked down at me, her eyes full of a victor's wild triumph.

After wiping away the last speck of dirt, I stood up. I balled the wine-stained tissue and threw it hard at Ethan's chest.

"Ethan, these past five years, consider me blind."

With that, I didn't bother looking at Ethan's enraged face. I pushed through the crowd and walked out of the ballroom without looking back.

Outside, a torrential rain had started at some point.

I didn't open an umbrella. My thin figure was instantly swallowed by the downpour.

The cold rain lashed against me, but it was far less chilling than the cold in my heart.