In the second year of my marriage to Diego Prescott, the tech empire he’d built from the ground up was at its zenith.
Our penthouse apartment, however, was as cold as a mausoleum. For two whole years, he hadn't touched me once.
Until the charity gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, when he saw his one true love, Sienna Reed, dancing intimately with a competitor. In that instant, raw jealousy flashed in his eyes.
Ignoring the sea of shocked faces, Diego stormed over and pulled Sienna into the center of the dance floor.
He staked his claim with a possessive tango, and as the music crescendoed to a halt, he kissed her passionately, oblivious to the world.
It was in that moment I finally understood that not a single drop of Diego Prescott's love had ever been for me.
I strode up to them, a liberated smile on my face, and tucked the three-million-dollar diamond ring into the pocket of his suit.
"Since she's so desperate for the title of Mrs. Prescott, she can have it. I'm done."
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1
It was a first on two fronts: the first time a CEO's partner had graced a Prescott Group launch of this caliber, and the first time Diego Prescott had ever appeared in public with Sienna Reed.
In the tech world, Diego was famously cold and unpredictable, a formidable presence even among the titans of Silicon Valley.
At this moment, his expression was grim, a dangerous fury smoldering in his eyes.
I knew that look. It was a sign of his silent, simmering rage.
On the live-stream screen, a teary-eyed Sienna Reed stood behind him, sobbing softly. Her fragile, pitiful act was enough to stir sympathy in anyone—even a woman like me.
I snapped back to reality. My phone screen was still lit, displaying my message history with Diego.
At the very bottom was a text he had sent half an hour ago.
"Stay home tonight. Don't go out."
Each word was an icy needle, piercing my heart.
I had always known that my marriage to Diego was a contract, nothing more.
I loved him. I had loved him since we were children.
But he'd never once looked at me with love in his eyes.
A few minutes ago, when Diego appeared with Sienna, all eyes were drawn to the stunning girl.
Instantly, headlines across major tech blogs jostled for attention: "The Campus Legend Turned Mrs. Prescott Finally Makes Her Debut!"
Sienna Reed sat in the audience, her eyes glistening, her skin fair. A red strapless gown perfectly accentuated her flawless figure, and her bewitching face was framed by a slender neck.
She gazed up at Diego on stage with a loving smile.
The camera then panned to Diego, who was giving his speech.
I hadn't seen him for a few days, and he seemed like a different person—so relaxed and at ease, a stark contrast to the man I knew.
During his five-minute speech, his gaze remained fixed on Sienna Reed the entire time.
They looked like a couple deeply in love, the intimacy between them so palpable it made many in the audience blush.
As soon as the speech ended, a swarm of reporters rushed forward.
"This must be Mrs. Prescott, right? What an absolute beauty!"
"Mr. Prescott, you two are a match made in heaven! We hope you'll be together forever!"
"Mr. and Mrs. Prescott, please look this way!"
…
Under the barrage of gushing comments, Sienna Reed's smile slowly stiffened.
She forced a smile, struggling to control her emotions.
"I'm sorry, I'm not Mrs. Prescott. I'm not Eleanor Vance."
Her words caused an uproar. Sensing a scandal, the reporters swarmed, aiming their cameras at her and bombarding her with questions.
"Not Mrs. Prescott? Then what is your relationship with Mr. Prescott?"
"Rumor has it that Mr. Prescott had a sweetheart during his time at Stanford. Is that you?"
"Miss, please answer the question!"
The barrage of questions left Sienna Reed at a loss, and her silence only spurred the reporters on.
The tech industry celebrities in the audience also began to whisper among themselves.
"The Vances and the Prescotts are both major New York families. How did she manage to get in the middle of a perfect match like that?"
"What else could it be for? She's just after the Prescott money, isn't she? Though she is very beautiful."
"She'd need looks like that to catch Diego Prescott's eye. It's probably just a fling."
"Have you had your fill?"
On the screen, Diego strode through the crowd. His handsome features were glacial, his dark eyes deep and unreadable.
A low, cold voice slipped from his lips, his eyes narrowed with menace.
"Sienna, come here."
