“Adrian!” The sharp scent of alcohol hit Selene’s nose.
She barely had time to process what was happening before Adrian swayed, looking as if he might collapse at any moment.
Selene rushed forward, grabbing his arms to steady him.
Adrian lifted his hand and wiped away the vivid red from his lips. His hair was tousled, his eyes bloodshot.
“I’m fine… ugh-” He tried to reassure her, but suddenly coughed up more red liquid. As if afraid to frighten Selene, he quickly clapped a hand over his mouth.
The crimson trickled through his long, slender fingers, the sight both shocking and alarming.
Adrian silently sighed in relief–thank God he’d drunk enough red wine earlier.
Catching the murderous glare from Harrison, Adrian tried to reach out and shield Selene’s eyes.
“Don’t look. Your ex–husband’s gone rabid–I can’t bear to see you treated like this.”
Harrison’s throat tightened, his eyes going wide.
This man, slumped against Selene, clutching his chest and coughing up “blood,” looked exactly like the manipulative, two–faced type Felicity had warned him about. Harrison’s fists clenched.
“Adrian! I didn’t even hit you!”
Adrian raised his hand, letting Selene see the red staining his palm.
There–proof Harrison had attacked him!
“Selene, don’t worry. I just accidentally ran into the door, it had nothing to do with Mr. Vaughn.”
Harrison, for his part, couldn’t smell a hint of alcohol. What hit him instead was the overwhelming scent of tea–rich, aged, the kind that lingered for decades and filled the entire hall. It was as if a blast of steam had short–circuited his brain.
“Damned manipulator” Harrison barely got the words out before Selene flung her wine straight into his face.
11:37
In an Instant, Harrison’s expression froze.
The cold liquid splashed over him, soaking his sharp features and hair, Red wine. dripped along his jaw, staining his expensive suit and shirt.
The guests watching from below gasped in disbelief.
Harrison hitting Adrian had been shocking enough. Now, with Harrison doused in wine, every neck craned to see what would happen next.
Gemma, watching the chaos unfold, surged toward the stairs like a mother hen protecting her chick.
“Selene! Are you out of your mind?”
Adrian’s expression turned icy in a flash. He gave a subtle nod, and two hotel staff at the base of the stairs immediately blocked Gemma’s way.
Gemma started yelling, but the staff–clearly well–trained–whipped out towels and muffled her protests.
The guests glanced between Gemma and Harrison, barely able to keep up with the spectacle. The Vaughn family had become the laughingstock of the evening.
“Mr. Vaughn,” Selene called out, ignoring Gemma’s muffled shrieks and murderous glare, “if this wasn’t enough to cool your temper, there’s a fountain outside. Maybe you should dunk your head in it and calm down.”
Harrison wiped the wine from his face, jaw clenched so tight his lips were a thin line. He nodded slowly, his eyes hard.
“Got some backbone now that someone’s backing you up, huh?”
Once, Selene would never have dared speak to him this way.
She used to love him.
But now…
Harrison gave a bitter, scornful laugh. Her love, it seemed, had always been
worthless.
“Harrison! I’m not your wife anymore. Do you get that?” Selene’s voice was cold, her anger so sharp it startled him with its familiarity.
For a moment, it was as if something inside him trembled. Seven years of marriage, barely a word exchanged, but living under the same roof had left its mark. Even now, she carried traces of him.
2/2
11:371
For a split second, Harrison’s heart squeezed painfully. The blood in his vein seemed to burn; even the wine on his face felt scalding hot.
“I was going to give you another chance,” he ground out, the tang of wine on his lips.
He fixed Selene with a fierce glare. “I was going to make you Chief Technology Officer at Vaughn Enterprises–put you in charge of the entire R&D division! It’s the job everyone dreams of!
I know you don’t have any experience, and you might not be qualified, but I’ve already decided to make you the core of this company, to mentor you myself!”
