Chapter 5

The car pulled into one of New York’s most exclusive residential buildings—the Senna Residences.

The security was incredibly tight, but Aurora scanned her face and drove right in.

In the underground garage, she parked in a private spot. I glanced at the spot number: A-001.

Another thing I paid for.

I followed Aurora into the private elevator, riding it straight to the penthouse.

The moment the door opened, even though I was prepared, the sight still pierced my chest.

I had personally hired a top Italian designer to style this three-hundred-square-meter penthouse.

From the Mediterranean-style archways to the million-dollar crystal chandelier in the living room, to the smart home system—every detail had my heart poured into it.

Back then, Christopher said he liked a minimalist style, so I had replaced all the furniture with sleek black, white, and gray tones.

But now, the spacious living room was covered in a fluffy pink rug. The sofa was piled with cute plushies, and a massive crib sat by the floor-to-ceiling windows.

The entire home had been transformed by Aurora into a cozy pink castle.

My hard work had been effortlessly wiped out by another woman.

"Make yourself at home!"

Aurora greeted me warmly, pulling a pair of brand-new pink slippers from the shoe cabinet.

I glanced down at the cabinet.

The dozens of limited-edition sneakers I had bought him were completely gone.

They were replaced by Aurora’s high heels and maternity shoes.

"What do you want to drink? Juice or coffee?" Aurora walked toward the open kitchen.

"Water is fine, thank you."

I walked over to the floor-to-ceiling windows, looking down at the glittering New York skyline.

This was where I had imagined us standing side-by-side, countless times.

"Look at this!" Aurora walked over with a glass of water, pointing proudly to a massive oil painting on the wall.

It was a portrait of them. Christopher in a tuxedo, Aurora in a wedding gown, staring deeply into each other's eyes.

"Christopher commissioned this. It cost hundreds of thousands!"

"He said he wanted to freeze our most beautiful moment forever," Aurora sighed dreamily.

I stared coldly at the painting, my stomach churning again.

Hundreds of thousands?

Last month, Christopher told me he needed to butter up some clients for a project and was short on cash. I wired him a million dollars without a second thought.

So, my money went into painting this disgusting trash.

"Aurora," I turned around, looking at her glowing face. "Do you really know Christopher?"

Aurora blinked, confused. "What do you mean?"

"Nothing." I smiled, taking a sip of water.

"I just think men nowadays are really good at pretending."

"Especially the ones who suddenly get rich. You should be careful."

Aurora burst out laughing. "You’re overthinking! Christopher is not like that."

"I have his credit cards, and I can check his phone whenever I want."

"He doesn't even have any female friends. How could he lie to me?"

"Really?" I put down my glass, my eyes mocking.

"What about that crazy ex-girlfriend? What if she comes back?"

At the mention of the ex, Aurora’s face darkened, her teeth clenching.

"She wouldn't dare! If she tries to ruin my family, I’ll tear her face apart!"

"A cheap escort trying to steal my man? Please."

"A cheap escort?" I raised an eyebrow, holding back the urge to splash the water in her face.

"Yeah! Christopher told me himself," Aurora said with pure disgust.

"He said she worked at some shady gentleman's club. Who knows what diseases she has."

"Christopher was fooled by her at first, thinking she was some innocent college girl."

"Once he found out the truth, he was so disgusted he packed up and left overnight."

I trembled with pure rage, my nails biting so deep into my palms that they drew blood.

Christopher, you have truly set a new low for human trash.

To paint yourself as a saint in front of your mistress, you turned me—a partner at a top venture capital firm in LA—into a diseased escort?!

I closed my eyes, taking several deep breaths to force down the fury.

Fine. Great.

Christopher, since you love acting so much, I’ll play along tonight.

Just then, the front door beeped as the smart lock scanned a fingerprint.

"Chris is back!"

Aurora squealed, flying toward the door like a happy bird.

The door opened, and Christopher walked in carrying two large grocery bags.

As he kicked off his shoes, he caught the throwing-herself-at-him Aurora and kissed her forehead.

"Miss me?"

"Yes! So much!" Aurora clung to his neck.

"Missed you too."

Christopher pinched her nose dotingly, then raised his head. His gaze swept past Aurora’s shoulder and landed on the living room.

In that instant, time froze.

The smile on Christopher’s face turned into a solid block of ice the moment he saw me.

His pupils dilated. Pure terror and disbelief washed over his eyes.

The grocery bags slipped from his hands, hitting the floor with a loud thud. Tomatoes rolled out, stopping right at my feet.

"You... how are you..."

His mouth hung open like a dying fish. He couldn't even squeeze out a full sentence.

Aurora was startled by his reaction. She looked back at me, then laughed, pulling his arm.

"Chris, why do you look like that?"

"It’s like you’ve seen a ghost. This is the nice lady I told you about!"

"She let me have her wedding dress today, or I would've cried my eyes out!"

Aurora dragged the statue-like Christopher over to me.

"Let me introduce you properly. This is my husband, Christopher."

Staring at Christopher’s pale, sweat-slicked face, my lips curved into a freezing smirk.

I extended my right hand, my voice clear and sharp.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Vance. I’ve heard so much about you."