Stella's heart skipped a violent beat, yet she desperately forced her features into a mask of composure, "Who on earth are you? By what authority should I go with you? I possess absolutely zero knowledge regarding any of this!"

The other officer offered no hollow arguments, directly presenting several financial records detailing how she had systematically exploited Shane's corporate network to forge invoices and embezzle company capital.

"The evidence is ironclad," the officer's voice was dropping into an arctic chill. "Now, accompany us back to the station!"

Stella's face fell instantly, turning an absolute mask of ashen terror as her limbs lost all strength.

She moved to construct a frantic defense, but they granted her zero opportunity, instantly locking handcuffs around her wrists and escorting her straight into the rear of the waiting cruiser.

Arriving at the precinct, once the initial wave of blind panic subsided, her mind began to claw frantically for a lifeline.

The solitary anchor she could conjure was still Shane Vance.

She engaged in a relentless, desperate campaign of badgering the officers until she finally secured a single emergency call, rapidly punching in Shane's sequence.

The call connected, and Shane's raw, gravelly voice echoed from the line, "Hello?"

"Shane! It's me!" Stella implored in a frantic panic. "Save me! I know I was wrong! Use your network, pull some strings to get me out of here, alright?"

"I promise I will live with you properly from now on and never throw another tantrum! Shane, I beg of you!"

Shane let out a freezing, mocking laugh, his tone dripping with absolute, unadulterated hatred.

"Save you? Stella, have you truly not had an exceptional time playing me for an absolute idiot? When you were plotting exactly how to roll up my last cent and run away, why on earth didn't you anticipate this day?!"

"What capital do I possess to save you? At this exact second, I wish for nothing more than your absolute ruin inside that cell!"

"Shane Vance! You cannot be so heartless!" Stella's hope shattered entirely, her voice rising into a piercing shriek. "We shared a history for so long! Are you truly going to stand by and watch me walk into absolute execution?!"

"History?" Shane ground out through his teeth. "From the exact fraction of a second you pushed my son down those stairs and plundered my remaining capital, there has been nothing left between us but raw vengeance!"

"Let me tell you, Stella Lyne, we won't share a single thread of connection even in the afterlife! Stay locked inside that cell; this is nothing less than your absolute, divine retribution!"

With that, he severed the line instantly.

Stella collapsed onto the cold chair, her features completely paralyzed in a mask of deathly horror.

On the other side of the city, hung up the phone, the burning fury in Shane's chest scaled to a new, volatile height.

Leaping to his feet, he stormed out into the night.

Losing all track of direction, he ultimately dragged his footsteps back to the heavy iron gates of Sienna's estate.

This time, he refrained from any volatile outbursts, merely standing there in a silent, hollow vigil.

The hours bled away until nightfall, when a familiar luxury vehicle glided toward the grand entrance. As the window glided down, it revealed Sienna's exquisite, 清 countenance.

"Sienna..." Shane lunged forward, throwing his weight against the vehicle, his voice dry and ragged. "I know I was wrong... I was entirely blinded by delusion in the past, I lived like an absolute monster... That venomous bitch Stella has finally met her retribution, she's been locked away! There are absolutely zero obstacles remaining between us..."

"As long as you are willing to forgive me, as long as you let me return to your side, I will execute every single command you issue!"

Chapter 19

Sienna finally turned her head with measured grace, her gaze pinning his face as her lips curled into a remarkably faint, mocking half-smile.

"Execute every single command?" she echoed, her tone dripping with playfulness.

Shane's eyes ignited with instant hope, and he nodded frantically, "Yes! Every single command!"

Sienna elegantly extended a foot, her crimson lips parting to deliver a bone-chilling order, "Kneel."

Shane's entire frame went rigid, his pupils contracting violently.

Kneel... Kneel down?! When had he, Shane Vance, ever endured such absolute degradation?!

Yet, the exact second his mind flashed to the desperate ruin of his current reality, the ragged remnants of his pathetic pride dissolved entirely.

Compared to the systematic humiliations he had subjected her to in the past, what did a solitary knee truly matter?

If this act could soothe her fury, if it could secure his return to her side...

Shane ground his teeth with a white-knuckled intensity, and ultimately, his knees hit the pavement with a heavy, hollow Thud.

With trembling hands, he reached out to slide the designer stiletto from her foot, clumsily replacing it with the luxury slipper presented by a nearby servant, his movements awkward, fumbling, and entirely subservient.

Sienna looked down at him, her eyes entirely devoid of any warmth, reflecting nothing but a freezing, absolute detachment.

From that day forth, Shane appeared to have completely surrendered every shred of his dignity.

Day after day, he made his mandatory appearance outside the gates of her estate, showering Sienna with desperate attention and groveling devotion.

Yet Sienna remained entirely immovable, systematically inventing cruel methods to penalize him.

She would command him to mimic a dog barking within the courtyard, force him to fetch items with his teeth, and publicly mock him as nothing more than a low, disgusting stray...

Initially, Shane absorbed these rejections with an intense, burning humiliation, but as the days bled away, a sick psychological shift manifested within him; he began to view these systematic degradations as his necessary path to absolution.

He actually began to harvest a twisted satisfaction from the punishments, fantasizing that a day would arrive when Sienna's heart would finally soften under his absolute subservience.

On this particular evening, struck by some chaotic burst of inspiration, Shane stealthily slipped into the villa's kitchen. After hours of chaotic fumbling, he managed to assemble a selection of dishes that looked entirely unappetizing.

Lighting the candles, he waited in a state of absolute, frantic nerves for Sienna to descend the stairs.

Sienna stepped into the grand dining room, her footsteps pausing briefly as her eyes scanned the bizarre spectacle.

Shane immediately rushed forward to pull out her chair, a subservient, fawning smile plastered across his face, "Sienna... I... I personally executed these dishes for you. The flavor might be lacking, but this constitutes the absolute fullness of my devotion. Let's just have a peaceful dinner and talk, alright?"

Sienna's gaze drifted across the charred, unidentifiable mass on the plate, before locking onto Shane's fragile face, a face completely filled with desperate longing.

She made no move to sit, nor did she touch the silver cutlery. Instead, she elegantly lifted the crystal goblet of red wine Shane had poured for her, swinging her arm back to splash the alcohol directly across his face.

The crimson liquid cascaded down his hair and cheeks in heavy droplets, bleeding into the fabric of his cheap white shirt.

A few stray splashes seeped into his eyes, causing a stinging irritation, yet he acted as though he felt absolutely nothing. He stood entirely paralyzed, staring at the frigid Sienna standing before him.

"Wh... Why?" His voice dropped into a dry, ragged whisper, a violent tremor tracing his words. "I... I already recognize my faults, I am actively reforming myself, Sienna... Exactly what more do you want me to execute..."

Sienna casually set the crystal goblet down, lifting a linen napkin to meticulously cleanse her fingertips, refusing to grant him even a passing glance.

"What more do I want you to execute?" she echoed, her tone dripping with absolute, mocking disdain. "Shane Vance, do you honestly still harbor the delusion that everything I've performed was a calculated play to wait for you to turn back to me?"

She finally lifted her eyes to meet his gaze, her lips curling into a blade of ice.

"Did I fail to make myself abundantly clear during our past encounters?"

"Then let me pronounce it for the absolute final time: I permit you to linger here, watching you shake your tail like a loyal dog at my feet, simply because I have been somewhat bored lately. You are nothing more than a cheap source of entertainment to keep me amused."

Chapter 20

Sienna's sharp gaze swept up and down his frame as she let out a dismissive, mocking laugh. "But at this exact second, I have grown thoroughly bored of you."

"Take a good look at your current state. You possess zero capital, and your looks... haha, you are completely withered. Even the cheapest model at a high-society lounge is far more adept at keeping me entertained and radiates far more vibrant vitality than you ever could."

"Tell me, exactly what value do you still bring to the table? By what authority should I associate with an absolute piece of trash like you? By the virtue of your shameless audacity?"