Chapter 5

Lily's POV

Over the next few days, I was unusually obedient.

I stopped mentioning the theater. I stopped asking why Holden came home late.

I took the medication Dr. Bennett sent on schedule every day. When Holden wasn't home, I'd lock myself in the soundproof practice room, slowly recovering my vocal techniques.

Holden was very satisfied with my transformation.

He thought I'd finally accepted reality and fully embraced my fate of being kept.

To reward my compliance, Holden cancelled many business commitments and came home early every day to have dinner with me. He even cooked my favorite dishes himself.

Watching him bustle around in the kitchen, I only felt irony.

If I hadn't heard those words with my own ears, I really would have been fooled by his performance as a devoted husband for the rest of my life.

Two days until the England trip.

I'd secretly packed my important documents and Dr. Bennett's letter of recommendation, hiding them in the lining of an inconspicuous old suitcase.

Once I got on that plane to England, I'd find a way to break free.

However, the night before departure, Holden took a phone call and his expression changed slightly.

He walked onto the balcony and said a few things in a low voice, then returned to the bedroom and looked at me apologetically.

"Lily, I'm sorry." He came over and took my hand. "One of the company's major overseas projects suddenly hit a snag. I have to fly to LA tomorrow to handle it personally. The England trip might have to be postponed a few days."

I looked into his deep eyes and laughed coldly inside.

LA?

Just this afternoon, I'd seen a post on Serena's unblocked private social media account: "Looking forward to tomorrow's birthday party. Having the person I love most by my side is the greatest happiness."

Tomorrow was Serena's birthday.

Holden wasn't going to LA on business at all. He was going to celebrate his precious mistress's birthday.

"Is it serious?" I withdrew my hand and asked with feigned concern.

"Yeah, a bit tricky." Holden smoothly stroked my hair, his tone gentle but unable to hide his tension. "Just stay home and wait for me. I'll come back to be with you as soon as I'm done."

"Okay." I lowered my eyes. "Work comes first."

Early the next morning, Holden left with his suitcase.

I stood at the second-floor window, watching his car drive out through the villa gates, my eyes turning completely cold.

That afternoon, Serena's private account started updating frantically.

The photos showed an extremely luxurious private club suite. Flowers, balloons, champagne towers, and mountains of expensive gifts.

One photo showed Serena wearing a birthday crown, hands clasped in a wish.

At the edge of the photo, a man's hand accidentally appeared. That hand wore a limited edition Patek Philippe watch.

It was the birthday gift I'd given Holden last year.

I stared at that photo for a long time, then suddenly picked up my phone and called Holden.

The phone rang for a while before being answered. The background noise was somewhat chaotic. I could faintly hear music.

"Lily? What's wrong?" Holden's voice sounded tense.

"Where are you?" I asked.

"In LA, about to start a meeting." Holden lied without even pausing. "It's a bit noisy here. Can I call you back later?"

"Okay." I hung up directly.

I changed into a simple black trench coat, put on sunglasses, and took a cab to the high-end private club from the photo background, Eclipse.

The club operated on a strict membership system, but I used to be a top-tier VIP here.

I used facial recognition to get through the main entrance and walked straight to the luxury suite on the top floor where Serena was.

The suite door wasn't fully closed. Laughter and chatter came from inside.

"Serena, Holden is so good to you. This is such an elaborate setup!" a woman's voice said flatteringly.

"Of course." Serena's tone was smug. "He said that woman is useless now. He's going to divorce her sooner or later. When the time comes, I'll be the real Mrs. Chase."

I stood outside the door listening to these grating words, then pushed the door open.

Bang.

The suite instantly went silent.

Everyone's eyes focused on me in the doorway.

Holden sat in the center of the sofa holding a glass of red wine. The moment he saw me, his wine glass shook violently, red liquid spilling onto his expensive suit pants.

"Lily?" He shot to his feet, his face instantly darkening. "What are you doing here?"

I ignored him and walked straight up to Serena.

Seeing me, Serena showed no panic. Instead, emboldened by Holden's presence, she thrust out her chest deliberately.

"Lily, what are you doing here? You're not welcome."

I looked at her meticulously made-up face and suddenly raised my hand.

Smack!

A resounding slap landed hard across Serena's face.