Time and time again, her friend had tried to reach out, only to be systematically pushed away and alienated with a barrage of hollow excuses.

Now, suddenly hearing such news, her friend's immediate assumption was that Sienna had suffered a psychological break from some immense trauma, perhaps even speaking in a state of delusion.

Sienna's fingers tightened slightly against the phone, a warmth blossoming in her chest despite her even tone, "It's nothing like that. We will catch up properly when we see each other at the gala in two days. I am exhausted right now, so I will take some rest."

With that, she promptly ended the call.

Over the next few days, Sienna completely ignored the chaotic noise of the outside world.

She secured the services of elite nutritionists and professional physical therapists, meticulously restoring her physical health.

In a remarkably short span of time, the reflection in the mirror had undergone a complete transformation.

Though she had not yet fully returned to the breathtaking, radiant peak of her prime, her skin had regained its luminous glow, and her eyes danced with a vibrant vitality.

On the evening of the gala, Shane arrived, accompanied by Stella.

Suddenly, a localized wave of hushed murmurs rippled through the grand entrance of the ballroom, effortlessly drawing the attention of every guest in the room.

Shane instinctively turned his gaze toward the source.

There stood Sienna, draped in a magnificent crimson velvet strapless gown that perfectly traced the exquisite contours of her figure.

The dangerously high slit of the gown danced with her fluid movements, offering fleeting glimpses of her pale, flawless legs, exuding an intoxicating, sophisticated allure.

The surrounding crowd collectively caught their breath, their eyes wide with pure admiration.

Staring at the woman before him, Shane's eyes stretched wide in sheer disbelief.

The moment she shed that pathetic layer of subservience, Sienna was blindingly radiant!

Stella naturally witnessed the transformation as well, her fingers instantly curling into a tight, white-knuckled grip.

She had spent hours meticulously preparing her appearance, completely intent on outshining Sienna tonight, yet she had been effortlessly eclipsed without her opponent even trying!

She ground her teeth in bitter resentment, yet she forced a sweet, fragile smile onto her face as she murmured softly to Shane, "Shane, there must have been some profound misunderstanding regarding the events from before... I think it's best if I go over and offer Sienna a proper apology. We can't let this bitter tension persist forever."

Shane had still not entirely recovered his senses, offering nothing more than a distracted, hollow "Mmh."

Holding a crystal flute of champagne, Stella glided toward Sienna.

The exact moment she drew near, her foot seemed to catch on an invisible obstacle, and with an artificial "Oh!", the champagne in her hand "accidentally" flew directly toward Sienna's gown.

However, in the very fraction of a second that the glass tilted, Sienna executed a flawless, subtle pivot.

Splash!

Instantly, the entire volume of alcohol ricocheted cleanly off course, drenching Stella herself from head to toe!

"Ah!" Stella's eyes stretched wide as she erupted into an immediate, piercing shriek, utterly consumed by a volatile mixture of intense humiliation and boiling rage.

Shane's face turned completely black with fury as he rushed forward, immediately pulling Stella behind his back into a protective stance, roaring at Sienna, "Sienna! Must you cause such a disgraceful scene?! Intentionally bullying Stella in front of all these distinguished guests!"

"Let me tell you right now, if you persist with this reckless lack of restraint, we are getting a divorce!"

Nate launched himself forward like a miniature missile, striking violently against Sienna's hands as he cried out in a ragged voice, "You bad woman! You're bullying Mommy Stella again! Apologize to Mommy Stella right now! I am avenging her!"

The surrounding guests began to point and whisper, their faces lighting up with the supreme amusement of witnessing a high-society scandal unfold.

Chapter 7 

Sienna merely brushed Nate’s hand away, her gaze so chilling that the little boy instinctively took a step back.

Then, she tilted her head slightly and shot a glance at her female assistant standing nearby.

The assistant immediately stepped forward and respectfully handed a sealed manila envelope into Sienna's hands.

Sienna took the envelope, swung her wrist, and slammed the documents heavily straight against Shane’s face!

Stunned by the impact, Shane felt his entire face throb with pain as a towering rage instantly surged in his chest.

He looked down at the envelope in his hands; printed starkly on the cover were several large words: Divorce Agreement.

His eyes went wide with shock as he snapped his head up to glare at Sienna.

"You... How dare you..."

Unwilling to accept this, Nate used his feet to kick at the hem of Sienna's gown, shouting defiantly, "You bad woman! I won't let you hit Daddy!"

Sienna's gaze turned freezing cold. She reached out and firmly pinned Nate down by his shoulder.

The little guy thrashed a few times but found himself entirely pinned, able to do nothing but glare at her with a flushed, huffy face.

Sienna looked down at him from her high horse, her lips curling into a mocking half-smile.

Without delay, she took another document from her assistant and shoved it straight into Nate's arms.

"Oh, I almost forgot. There's something for you too."

"Don't worry, Auntie... No, I, have specially prepared a gift for you as well: a total severance of parental rights agreement."

"You can pack up your things along with your father and get the hell out of my property."

Stricken with shock and fury, Shane instantly took a step forward, reaching out to grab Sienna's wrist as he hissed urgently in a low voice.

"Sienna! Stop throwing a tantrum here! If you have something to say, let's find somewhere quiet to talk!"

Sienna forcefully wrenched her hand away from his grip, staring at him with absolute disgust.

"Talk? There is absolutely nothing left for us to talk about."

"Shane Vance, from this very moment on, I, Sienna Fontaine, am entirely done with you!"

She paused, casting a sideways glance at Stella before speaking with calculated insinuation.

"By the way, I will have my attorney meticulously audit every single cent you've spent out of my funds on your precious friend, Miss Stella Lyne, over these past few years."

"Back when I was with you, it was a consensual arrangement. I was willing to bankroll you as if I were paying for a cheap gigolo to keep me entertained."

"However," she shifted her tone, letting out a cold sneer, "I am certainly not generous enough to let the gigolo I feed use my capital to support another woman!"

"I refuse to swallow this insult!"

Pfft!

Someone in the crowd couldn't hold back and burst into laughter, and in the next heartbeat, low chuckles erupted from all sides.

Stella’s entire body went rigid, her face draining of all color.

It took her several agonizing moments to recover her senses before she erupted into a piercing shriek, shoving past the onlookers blocking her path as she clutched her face and fled the ballroom in tears.

"Stella!" Witnessing this, Shane felt a wave of frantic anxiety and instinctively moved to give chase.

"Hold it right there," Sienna commanded icily, taking hold of a microphone.

She looked toward the distinguished crowd and announced in a clear, resonant voice, "Ladies and gentlemen, pardon the interruption. Tomorrow morning at ten o'clock sharp, I will be hosting a formal press conference. All members of the media and interested guests are more than welcome to attend."

Following that, she directed her gaze right at Shane, pronouncing each syllable with razor-sharp precision, "I especially expect Mr. Shane Vance, along with his son, to make their mandatory appearance."

Shane’s footsteps halted completely, his expression darkening into a menacing scowl.

A press conference?

An arrogant sneer crept into his heart.

Ha! So this was her next calculated move!

First, she publicly humiliated him and threatened him with a divorce agreement, all to force his appearance under the guise of a press conference, where she would ultimately demand an apology in front of everyone to win him back?

What a flawless little calculation she had worked out!

Letting out a cold snort, he didn't look back, ultimately rushing out of the hall to chase after Stella.

Nate also shot Sienna a vicious glare before running out after his father.

The remaining guests instinctively turned their attention back to Sienna.

Yet they watched Sienna casually set the microphone aside, elegantly lift another glass of champagne, and smooth her features back into a flawless, polite smile. She offered a respectful nod to a familiar elder nearby, seamlessly melting back into the gala.

The following day, the grand auditorium was packed to absolute capacity.

At ten o'clock sharp, Shane made his appearance, accompanied by Stella and Nate.

Dressed in a sharp designer suit, his expression was a volatile mix of supreme arrogance and sheer impatience.