She saw the envious looks of her former colleagues as they passed, and her chin rose higher.

Someone recognized Julian and eagerly approached to sell themselves.

Sienna smiled sarcastically, mocking the woman’s lack of self-awareness.

"Julian, this is a friend of mine who used to work here. Since she's working so hard, why don't you help her out and buy a couple of bottles of wine to help her sales?"

"Sure," Julian agreed without hesitation.

Sienna felt a surge of satisfaction, looking at the other girl with a boastful gaze.

She was about to speak again to further showcase her status, but Julian’s next words caught her completely off guard.

"Sure. Bring two of the most expensive bottles. Put them on Sienna’s tab."

The other girl immediately covered her mouth to hide a laugh, her eyes filled with mockery.

Sienna was stunned for a moment and turned to look at Julian.

"Julian, what’s wrong? If I did something to upset you, just tell me. There’s no need to humiliate me like this."

Her eyes turned red, and she forced out a few tears.

But this time, Julian didn't pull her into his arms to comfort her like before. Instead, he spoke lightly.

"I’m not. I’m just showing everyone that I’m backing you up."

Seeing Julian’s smile appear as usual, Sienna stopped crying, thinking she had simply overthought things.

But then, one after another, former colleagues approached, and Julian sent out over a dozen bottles of wine in her name.

Sienna felt something was wrong, but she dismissed the thought.

Julian said he was backing her, so surely he would settle the bill in the end.

So later, when Julian ordered dances costing ten thousand each and scattered a hundred thousand in cash for fun, she didn't interfere.

Instead, she got swept up in the atmosphere, eventually shouting, "Drink up! Everything tonight is on me!"

And so, the colleagues who used to look down on her and the customers and managers who used to mistreat her began to cheer for her.

"Sienna is the best! We’ll always support you!"

"Sienna, you’re amazing. It seems we underestimated you before. Please be the bigger person and don't hold it against us."

They brought glasses to toast her, offering one compliment after another.

Sienna accepted it all, finally finding the courage to knock over the glass of a customer she used to hate, making him lose face.

And this time, not a single person dared to say she was wrong; they even bowed and said she did the right thing.

Sienna was overjoyed. She even copied what those people used to do to her, placing money under a bottle and making them drink a whole bucket of strong liquor—whoever finished first got the money.

Watching them scramble on the floor to drink the alcohol, Sienna laughed until her voice was hoarse.

But as the lights flashed, one could see tears in the corners of her smiling eyes.

Amidst this revelry, only one person remained unmoved, sitting quietly in the booth watching Sienna.

Julian rubbed the necklace at his chest, his gaze deep and inscrutable, like a wolf lying in wait.

Sienna noticed and invited him to join the fun.

Julian pulled his hand away and declined, a strangely eerie smile on his lips.

"You play first. I’ll join you in a bit."

In a bit, there would be something much more fun.

Chapter 18

Seeing he had no interest, Sienna didn't push. She turned back and dove into the crowd’s revelry.

It wasn't until she looked at Julian’s tightly buttoned shirt and felt a surge of desire that she sat back down beside him.

"Julian... let's go back."

As she spoke, she traced circles around his Adam's apple with her finger.

Julian looked down at her, feeling nothing but profound disgust.

He couldn't understand how he had been deceived by such a woman, even to the point of hurting Lydia for her.

Looking at everything Sienna was doing now, he found it vulgar and base.

Julian grabbed her restless hand. Sienna looked at him with longing and leaned in for a kiss.

Julian turned his head away, dodging her, and dropped her hand.

Having been tossed aside, Sienna nearly lost her balance. Perhaps because the alcohol was kicking in, a flicker of anger rose in her heart.

Julian had refused her closeness all night, acting as if he were disgusted by her, which had made her the butt of many jokes.

But now that he had willingly spent so much money on her, what was he acting so high and mighty for?

Sienna bit her lip, about to question him, when he said, "Let's go then. Settle the bill."

Sienna felt a surge of joy and immediately dropped her anger, following close behind him.

But after just a few steps, she was stopped. "Ma'am, you haven't paid yet."

Sienna was stunned, her expression immediately souring.

"Paid for what? Do you know who I am? I am the woman of Julian, the head of the family. Move!"

But the two bouncers didn't care. They maintained their professional smiles and handed her the bill.

"It doesn't matter whose woman you are, you have to pay. Your total for tonight is 2.53 million. Which card will you be using?"

Sienna slapped the tablet out of the server's hand. "Are you deaf? Put it on Julian’s tab."

With that, she turned to chase after Julian, but was stopped again.

"We don't do tabs here."

Sienna’s eyes widened. "That’s impossible! I know the rules of the Scarlet Club better than you."

Seeing them continue to block her way, Sienna grew frantic and shouted for Julian.

Julian turned around, his expression full of confusion. "What is it?"

Sienna pouted and shed a few tears.

"They're bullying me, blocking my way. I told them I’m your person, but they won't let me go. Julian, I know I have a bad past, but that's no reason for them to bully me."

Usually, when Sienna said such things, Julian would without hesitation pull her behind him and protect her.

So this time, Sienna took it for granted that Julian would help her. After she finished speaking, she looked at the server with a triumphant expression.

But to her surprise, after looking at the bill, Julian shoved the tablet back into her hands.

"Sienna, stop being so stubborn. Just pay the bill so we can go home. I'm tired."

He rubbed his brow as he spoke, appearing genuinely exhausted.

Sienna’s eyes widened; she couldn't understand the meaning behind his words.

"Julian, what do you mean? Aren't you paying?"

Julian shrugged. "Did I ever say that? I recall saying it should be put on your tab."

Julian’s smile was the same as always, but Sienna read something different in it now.

At this moment, she finally understood where the strangeness of the night had come from.

He did it on purpose.

He purposefully resisted her closeness; he purposefully wanted to see her make a fool of herself!

Realizing this, Sienna’s face turned grim.

A string of curses almost left her lips, but she held them back.

"Julian, stop playing around. It’s already three in the morning. Didn't we agree to go see Leo together tomorrow?"

Julian laughed at those words. "See Leo? You can go yourself. Why should I go see a child that isn't mine?"

Hearing this, Sienna’s limbs went cold, and her gaze went blank for several seconds.

She forced a stiff smile, about to lie, when she heard Julian speak again. "Pay the bill, Sienna."

"You had the money to pay fifty thousand to bribe them to abuse Lydia; do you not have the money to pay for your own bill?"

As Julian’s words landed, only one thought remained in Sienna’s mind.

It's over.

He knows. He knows everything!

In the club, the music and screams blended into a chaotic noise, but to Sienna, the world felt terrifyingly quiet.

Julian knew Leo wasn't his son; he knew she had hired people to abuse Lydia.

In that case, surely he knew about her conspiring with Reynolds to frame Lydia!

And about her secretly transferring assets, selling things from his safe, and purposefully breaking Lydia’s necklace...

There was too much—so much she couldn't even count it all.

If Julian really knew everything, she was truly finished.

Sienna clenched her fists, forcing herself to stay calm. Maybe Julian only knew some of it, not all.

She could explain those things.

But before she could speak, Julian had already called over the owner of the Scarlet Club.

"I recall you have punishments for people who skip out on their bills. Take a look at this bill for over two million and see what the punishment should be."

The owner looked at him, then at Sienna, and wisely chose to side with Julian.

"This is the first time we've had a bill this large. Please, come to the viewing gallery. The punishment will certainly not disappoint you."