Chapter 4

Anna's POV

Early morning, the moment I stepped into the restaurant, the purchasing manager rushed up to me drenched in sweat.

"Miss Anna, we have a problem! Our exclusive white truffle supplier in Alba, Italy suddenly terminated our contract unilaterally! That's the core ingredient for next month's new menu. Without it, our Michelin star review will be seriously affected!"

My brow furrowed. "They're willing to pay the penalty?"

"They said... Sinclair Group acquired their estate. All white truffle production has been absorbed internally."

My movements froze abruptly.

Sinclair Group. Ethan.

Without hesitation, I drove straight to Sinclair Group headquarters.

Top floor, CEO's office. The secretary tried to stop me but couldn't block me as I radiated cold fury.

I pushed open the heavy double doors.

Behind the massive desk, Ethan leaned back in his chair. Chloe wore an obviously oversized men's dress shirt, sitting on his lap with a delicate silver spoon in hand, feeding him an extremely precious slice of white truffle.

Hearing the door open, Chloe yelped and curled into Ethan's arms like a frightened rabbit.

Ethan patted Chloe's back reassuringly, then looked at me coldly. "Don't you know to knock? Where are your manners?"

I slammed the rejected procurement contract onto his desk, papers scattering everywhere.

"You cut off my white truffle supply?" I stared at him, my voice icy.

Ethan casually adjusted his cuffs. "Chloe's preparing to launch her own high-end food brand recently. She's focusing on truffle sauce. She needs the best raw materials. Your restaurant already has three stars. One less dish won't affect anything."

Chloe peeked out from his embrace, her eyes reddening. "Miss Anna, I'm sorry. I didn't know Ethan would take your allocation. If you really need it, I can give you some..."

"Shut up." I didn't even glance at her, my gaze locked on Ethan. "Ethan, that's L'Éternité's lifeline. I spent three years securing that exclusive contract. You destroyed my achievement to make her cheap canned sauce?"

Ethan frowned, impatience flashing in his eyes.

"Anna, don't be so petty. Chloe's just starting out. She needs publicity. As a senior, you should support her. They're just a few mushrooms. I'll compensate you ten times the money afterward."

A few mushrooms.

I looked at this man before me. He'd not only betrayed our marriage but was now brazenly trampling on the professional faith I held as dear as life.

He knew exactly what it meant to me, yet for a beauty's smile, he tore my kingdom apart so easily.

"No need for compensation." I suddenly smiled, though the smile never reached my eyes, radiating bone-deep coldness.

I looked deeply at Ethan one last time. That gaze held no more love, no more hatred. Only barren, desolate emptiness.

"I hope her canned sauce is worth your one and a half billion."

I turned and left, my spine straight.

That evening was a charity gala that had all of New York buzzing.

As a special guest, I donated a sugar sculpture called "Ember's Grace."

I'd spent an entire month painstakingly creating the phoenix from extremely fragile sugar threads. It was breathtakingly beautiful, with a starting bid of five million dollars.

This wasn't just an artwork. It was an important chip for demonstrating my capabilities to the international culinary world.

Ethan attended with Chloe. She wore a pure white haute couture gown, like a delicate white flower, clinging tightly to Ethan's arm.

Five years ago, my family faced disaster. Ethan descended like a god and cleared all our debts.

Later, in a kitchen fire accident, Ethan inhaled massive amounts of smoke trying to save me, causing severe damage to his taste nerves.

For an entire year, everything tasted like nothing to him. He became volatile and irritable. Only the special soup I continually prepared for him allowed him to taste even a hint of flavor.

He'd held me once, his eyes red, saying, "Anna, you're my life, my only sense of taste in this world."

But now his taste had recovered, and his life had become someone else.

The gala reached its climax when "Ember's Grace" was wheeled onto the display platform. Under the lights, the sugar threads refracted dazzling brilliance.

Chloe pulled Ethan forward, apparently wanting a closer look.

"Wow, so beautiful..." Chloe exclaimed, then suddenly stumbled, her entire body pitching straight toward the display.

CRASH.

A tremendous sound.

Ember's Grace, which took a month to create, instantly shattered into fine sugar fragments.