A Familiar Ring

Elena clung naturally to Sean's arm, exuding the aura of a boss's wife. My hand, holding the photos, started to tremble uncontrollably, and my teeth clenched so hard they made an audible grinding sound.

I had once thought of her as a trustworthy right-hand woman. Before leaving the company, I had deliberately trained her to assist Sean. Little did I know, she would become such a good secretary that she'd end up in Sean's bed.

My gaze fixed on the ring on her left ring finger. It was a ring I knew very well.

Sean had bought that limited-edition diamond ring for me on our fifth wedding anniversary. Because Gage was still small at the time, I had put it away at home. I never expected to see it here.

My chest tightened painfully, and seeing Sean's face in the photos filled me with disgust and alienation.

Tears welled up in my eyes, and I quickly sniffed them back.

Inara's call came through again. "Did you see? Can't guard against everything, can you? That bastard Sean probably hasn't left a single woman in your company untouched. The empire you built, struggling through early mornings and late nights while pregnant, has become his playground. If you don't take revenge, I will. Don't overthink it. He's not worth it! I'm following them now, trying to find her hideout."

"Be careful," I rasped.

"I've already asked Gabriel to find out when they started seeing each other," Inara reassured me. "Chloe, stay strong. You can't back down now."

"I won't," I replied firmly, and hung up. I buried my face in the pillow, weeping silently, feeling a pain too intense to describe. It was a raw betrayal.

Elena's face kept flashing through my mind, and I suddenly realized why Sean had handled the company so cleanly, why the changeover had been so thorough. With Elena's "assistance," he had done it effortlessly.

I sat up abruptly, clenching my fists. The anger and frustration were too much to contain. I grabbed the blanket and bit down on it, tearing it apart with my hands.

This betrayal felt like a death by a thousand cuts.

I swore to myself that I would not rest until I had my revenge.

By dinner time, Sean still hadn't returned. I composed myself and went downstairs to eat. As I ate, I casually chatted with Arya about the company.

She had been at the company for a few days and had a good understanding of each department, especially the department heads.

She was very cooperative, telling me everything she knew. From Arya, I confirmed that most of my original people were gone.

At that moment, I heard Anna's phone beep. She looked at it, and her expression soured immediately. She seemed distracted and even forgot to feed Kyle.

I took Kyle's bowl and asked her, "Anna, are you feeling unwell?"

She looked at me, then smiled awkwardly, "Yes, a bit." She extended her hand, "Let me feed him."

"I'll do it. If you're not feeling well, you should rest."

Arya quickly chimed in, "Sis, you should rest. I'll clean up later."

Anna glared at her, irritated. "I'm fine! Eat your food."

Arya smiled sheepishly at me, looking lost, as if she had done something wrong.

I laughed inwardly. This little rabbit act was quite the performance.

"Don't be so reserved," I said reassuringly, though it was more of an encouragement. "You're part of the family now, so relax."

I then started giving Arya more responsibilities, letting her take care of Kyle and asking for her help with small tasks. Strangely, Kyle really liked Arya. He stuck to her, chasing after her, filling the house with laughter.

Taking advantage of Anna's distraction, I added some "sleep aid" to her food. Soon, she couldn't keep up and, claiming to feel unwell, went to bed early.

I stayed with Arya and Kyle until we put him to bed at eight. I was exhausted.

Before heading to my room, I told Arya, "Arya, keep an ear out for me. If Sean comes back, look after him. I'm too tired tonight."

"Yes, ma'am," Arya replied obediently. "You go rest."

"Thank you. Help yourself to some snacks from the fridge," I said and went upstairs.

Sean didn't come back until nearly midnight. When I heard his car pull in, I quickly turned on the surveillance camera. The screen showed Sean walking into the hall.

Arya appeared from the guest room a moment later.

I couldn't help but smirk. She was good at this.

On the screen, I saw Sean pause when he saw Arya. His eyes were glued to her.

Arya was wearing an off-shoulder nightgown, not too short, just above the knees. It wasn't too revealing, but the material was light and soft, clinging to her body. Those two little points were just barely visible, enough for any woman to understand. As she moved, it was as if two hidden little bunnies were jumping around.

Realizing the situation, Arya quickly crossed her arms over her chest, pretending to be shy and embarrassed, which only made the cleavage more obvious.

She was a master at this, setting a man on fire without even trying.

"Sir, you're back," she said, her voice seductive enough to make anyone's heart flutter.

Sean raised an eyebrow, "Just you?"

What a loaded question!

I had to curse him silently. What a scumbag.

He was clearly testing Arya.

"Yes, everyone's asleep. My sister has a cold, and Mrs. Lu was exhausted from taking care of Kyle. She asked me to wait for you."

Arya's sweet voice was almost cloying.

Then she ran over, bent down, and fetched a pair of slippers from the shoe rack, placing them at Sean's feet.

Sean's eyes, like hooks, greedily lingered on her body.

Pretending to be proper, but I could see the lust in his eyes.

He slowly changed his shoes, handed his bag to Arya, and she took it with a coquettish smile.