Sera sensing her brief distraction, Lucas's brows knitted slightly, yet he refrained from any urgent demands, patiently waiting for her focus to return.

"Shall we take a look?" Sienna pulled her gaze back, offering Lucas a soft, elegant smile.

Lucas naturally conformed to her every whim.

He rose with fluid grace, elegantly sliding her chair back before lifting her hand, with absolute tenderness tracing the diamond ring onto her ring finger.

"Now, you belong strictly to me."

Staring down at the brilliant jewel gracing her hand, Sienna merely offered a serene smile, allowing him to securely loop his arm through hers as they walked out of the establishment.

By this time, a thick crowd had already materialized near the scene, pointing and whispering at the body shattered on the asphalt.

Sienna navigated her way through the onlookers to take a look, only for her eyes to lock onto the broken form of Shane Vance!

A residual shred of consciousness appeared to linger within him. The exact fraction of a second his eyes caught sight of those familiar designer heels, his pupils stretched wide with a desperate strength, forcing his head up to look at Sienna.

Yet what his fading vision captured was her hand securely linked with Lucas Sterling's, punctuated by the blinding sparkle of the engagement ring resting on her finger.

Shane's pupils contracted violently, an acute, soul-shattering agony ripping through his chest.

She had accepted another man's proposal...

She had genuinely, permanently... ceased to have any connection to him...

Countless flashes of their past systematically exploded within his mind.

Every single ounce of the profound devotion he had once discarded like cheap trash had now morphed into a collection of lethal blades, violently slicing his heart to absolute ribbons.

Marshalling the final, ragged drop of his strength, he lifted his blood-stained hand toward Sienna, desperately intending to brush against her skin one final time.

Yet Sienna remained entirely immovable, turning away to leave the scene without granting him a single backward glance.

Lucas cast the dying man a freezing, lethal look, before aligning his strides with Sienna's, murmuring in a low voice, "An acquaintance?"

Sienna's tone remained light and airy, devoid of a single ripple of emotion, "No, simply an absolute stranger."

Chapter 24

Shane's pupils went wide in absolute horror, rapidly dilating as the light vanished from his eyes, his hand crashing powerlessly onto the pavement as his breath expired with absolute finality.

Several days bled away, outside the gates of a premier juvenile care facility.

Sienna stepped out of the rear of a midnight-black Bentley.

Receiving the notification, the director hurried out, leading a little boy by the hand.

It was Nate.

He had withered significantly compared to before, his small features painted with a volatile mix of intense anxiety and profound insecurity.

The exact fraction of a second his eyes locked onto Sienna, his face ignited with instant hope. Wrenching himself free from the director's grip, he threw his weight forward to plunge toward her in a torrent of tears.

"Mommy! Mommy, you finally came for me! I know I was wrong! I promise I will be exceptionally obedient from now on! Please don't abandon me!"

"This place is absolutely terrifying... I want to go home... Mommy, take me back with you!"

Yet Sienna took a measured step back, flawlessly avoiding his physical touch.

She looked down at him, her expression completely frozen in absolute stillness.

"You have mistaken my identity. I am certainly not your mother."

Nate's frantic weeping froze instantly, his eyes wide as he stared up at her, his small face a mask of absolute disbelief.

Sienna turned her detached gaze toward the director, issuing her instructions in a flat, businesslike tone.

"Director, from this day forth, you are explicitly instructed to never contact my office regarding any matters associated with this child. His survival, or his ultimate destruction, has absolutely zero connection to my house."

"I do not wish to receive a single update regarding his existence."

With that, she turned on her heel, preparing to make her exit.

Staring at Sienna's retreating back, a wave of blind panic and intense grievance crashed over Nate, causing him to shriek in a piercing voice, "Why?! Why are you being so utterly heartless?! You are my mommy! By what authority can you choose to completely throw me away?!"

Sienna’s footsteps halted briefly.

She slowly turned her frame around, pinning him with a serious, absolute stare.

"Your premise is entirely flawed. I, Sienna Fontaine, have never given birth to a single child in my life."

Staring at Nate's paralyzed, shocked expression, she pronounced each syllable with terrifying precision, "The historical error I committed back then cost me the absolute fullness of my capital, yet the systematic humiliations I absorbed under you and your father have more than paid that debt in full. Every thread of connection between us is thoroughly liquidated."

"Therefore, do not seek me out again. Whether you live or die has absolutely zero connection to me."

With that, she turned away with absolute finality.

A torrent of hysterical, broken wails erupted from the child behind her, yet she acted as though she were completely deaf to the noise, walking straight toward the curb.

The window glided down, revealing Lucas's magnificent countenance, his eyes dripping with a gentle warmth.

"The administrative tasks are concluded?" his low rumble cut through the air as he leaned over to open the door for her.

Sienna glided into the luxury cabin with absolute elegance.

"Mmh," she offered a detached murmur of assent, her gaze drifting out to the city streets sweeping past.

As the car cruised down the avenue, Lucas turned his head to look at her. Following a protracted silence, he pitched his voice into a low rumble, "What about our impending nuptials? Exactly when do you intend to officially grant me my marital status?"

Hearing this, Sienna turned her head, her sharp eyes meeting his deep gaze as a sudden, brilliant smile played upon her lips.

"Marriage?" her tone dropped into an airy, drawl, her finger casually turning a stray curl of her hair. "Lucas, we are simply engaged in a romance; why on earth must you treat it with such absolute gravity?"

Parsing the subtle contraction of his brows, her voice remained light and airy, "I have been somewhat bored lately, and being with you keeps me exceptionally amused. But marriage... constitutes far too much administrative trouble. Let us revisit the topic at some distant date."

Lucas's eyes darkened slightly, yet he ultimately chose to remain silent.

He comprehended her nature entirely; any volatile pressure would serve only to push her further away.

Right at that exact second, her phone began to ring.

It was her executive secretary.

Connecting the call, she listened to the rapid forensic brief, the playfulness instantly draining from her features as her expression sharpened into absolute focus.

"Understood," she commanded with absolute, authoritative precision. "Issue an immediate notice: I will personally preside over this afternoon's high-level shareholder assembly in my capacity as the supreme Chief Executive Officer of the conglomerate."

Severing the connection, the last residual thread of her casual detachment vanished entirely, replaced by a towering, naked ambition.

She possessed absolutely zero requirement to exist as an extension of any man, even a man as universally powerful as Lucas Sterling.

The systematic rejections of her past had taught her an absolute truth: only when power and wealth are locked securely within her own palms can she remain eternally invincible at the apex of the world.

Every single soul had paid the absolute penalty for their past actions against her.

And the glorious path of Sienna Fontaine had only just begun.

Chapter 25

Sienna looked toward Lucas, her command sharp and decisive, "Take me to the company."

Lucas offered no further questions, simply instructing the chauffeur in a deep voice, "Fontaine Group Headquarters. Hurry."

The vehicle sped forward, rapidly arriving beneath the towering Fontaine Group Headquarters.

Just as Sienna was about to step out, Lucas lightly caught her by the wrist, presenting an encrypted flash drive.

"Contained inside are records of every anomalous capital flow from Fontaine over the past three months, along with the data tying several offshore shell companies together. It might serve a purpose."

Sienna arched an eyebrow, staring at him.

Lucas stated flatly, "The news of your return cannot be contained. Certain people are bound to corner themselves into a frantic panic."

Refraining from parsing the origin of his intelligence, Sienna took the drive, her lips curling sharply, "Thanks."

The exact second her heels struck the lobby floor, her secretary rushed forward, presenting a mountain of documents.

"...They have systematically authorized the launch of that restricted initiative without clearance. They are currently holding an emergency board session inside the penthouse suite; we executed every barrier to block them, but..."

Sienna offered a casual wave of her hand, "It is of no consequence."

The lift doors glided open. She marched straight toward the boardroom, forcefully throwing the heavy doors wide open with a violent crash!