The phone was picked up almost instantly after the first ring. Arthur's voice on the other end was frantic.

"Mr. Searle, something awful has happened! Mrs. Searle is missing, and tens of billions in liquid assets from Searle Group's accounts are gone! And somehow, the reporters already know about it. They're all gathered at the entrance of Searle Group, swarming the place!"

Connor's breath hitched, and a wave of dizziness swept over him.

His voice came out icy as he said, "Calm down, Arthur. Take your time and tell me exactly what's going on."

But Arthur was too far gone to settle down. His words spilled out in a rush, his panic escalating.

"Mr. Searle, there's no time for this! Two things—first, Mrs. Searle is gone. We've turned Jorvaska upside down, but there's no sign of her! And second, all the liquid funds in Searle Group's accounts have just vanished!

"I'm losing it here, Mr.

There was a time when Connor would've been thrilled to see Sienna acting this way. Even if he couldn't stand by her side as her husband, he could still soak up the possessive affection she showered him, as though she were his wife.

But this time, as he found himself in the same situation, a faint twinge of annoyance flickered inside him. Almost without thinking, he moved his thigh just enough to create some distance between them.

Sienna didn't miss the slight shift in movement. She pulled her hand back quickly, her expression dropping in an instant.

"Connor, pull over. I want to get out," she said.

Sienna had always had a tendency for these little, sulky displays.

Connor knew that it was her way of showing she was upset. In the past, a few comforting words or the transfer of a hefty sum of money would've been enough to patch things up.

But now, he realized that he didn't have the p

"Hannah, I used to hate that high-and-mighty attitude of yours," Sienna said. "But now look at you—cast aside by everyone and labeled a harlot. Did you even realize that when Connor sent those men to ruin you, he knew that you were carrying his child?

"But it didn't matter to him. He didn't care. While you were bleeding out, he was with me on the golf course. That swing I took? Perfect. And your screams? They carried over the greens like music to my ears."

Her words hit me like a thunderclap, rooting me to the spot. So, Connor had known about the baby all along. Not only had he let this vile woman tear me down, but he'd also abandoned our unborn child.

Sienna paced in front of me, her face glowing with the smug triumph of someone who'd won a cheap victory, watching me come undone.

I couldn't take it anymore. I lunged at her, my hands gripping her throat. But my body, still weak and far from healed, failed me. I didn't have the strength to overpower her.

Before I could do anything else, she let out a sharp, ear-piercing scream, calling for help from the other side of the door. "Connor, help me! Hannah's lost her mind! Connor!"

The door flew open with a crash. Connor rushed in and pushed me to the floor.

He pulled Sienna close. His voice was gentle and full of concern as he asked, "Sienna, what's happening? Why are you two going at each other like this?"

Sienna looked at him. Tears streamed down her face like a downpour.

"Connor, I told you before I came. I wanted to help Hannah sort through her feelings from a professional standpoint. The approach meant that she had to relive what happened, but I never thought that she'd try to choke me…"

Her voice cracked, and her sobs echoed through the room.

Connor turned to me, his gaze cold and detached.

"Connor—" I began.

"Shut up, Hannah! I can't even begin to understand why you'd carry so much hatred for Sienna! She came here out of pure kindness to help you, and this is how you repay her? By trying to strangle her? I'm ashamed to even call you my wife. It's absolutely revolting!"

With that, he swept Sienna into his arms and headed for the door. Before they stepped out, she turned to me, a smug smile crossing her face.

Tears soaked the front of my blouse. I glanced around the home Connor and I had built, bit by bit. My eyes landed on the mirror. The person staring back was a stranger—a hollow version of the person I used to be.

I laughed out loud, harsh and wild. It was all a lie. If they were so quick to tear me down without a second thought, I wasn't about to let them walk away unscathed!

With that, I grabbed my phone and dialed a number I'd known by heart for years but hadn't called in ages.

…

After leaving the room, Connor felt a twinge of guilt. It dawned on him that he might have been too harsh with his words, especially since Sienna didn't appear particularly shaken.

As expected, the moment they stepped outside, Sienna started going on about visiting the mall to check out the limited-edition handbags.

For a split second, Connor hesitated, but the memory of Hannah Amerson's usual compliance put his mind at ease, and he slowly relaxed.

Once they arrived at the mall, he took advantage of Sienna's distraction to call Arthur. He asked Arthur to stop by the house and check on Hannah.

After hanging up, Connor felt entirely at ease. After all, when it came to Hannah, Arthur was more than capable of handling things.

Connor spent the whole day at the mall with Sienna. They behaved like a couple who were head over heels in love. As the sky grew dark, Sienna finally complained that she was worn out and insisted that they head back.

Once they made it to the car, Connor breathed a sigh of relief. Only then did he check his phone to see more than 100 missed calls from Arthur.

Connor's stomach dropped. As he started the car, he quickly called him back.

The phone was picked up almost instantly after the first ring. Arthur's voice on the other end was frantic.

"Mr. Searle, something awful has happened! Mrs. Searle is missing, and tens of billions in liquid assets from Searle Group's accounts are gone! And somehow, the reporters already know about it. They're all gathered at the entrance of Searle Group, swarming the place!"

Connor's breath hitched, and a wave of dizziness swept over him.

His voice came out icy as he said, "Calm down, Arthur. Take your time and tell me exactly what's going on."

But Arthur was too far gone to settle down. His words spilled out in a rush, his panic escalating.

"Mr. Searle, there's no time for this! Two things—first, Mrs. Searle is gone. We've turned Jorvaska upside down, but there's no sign of her! And second, all the liquid funds in Searle Group's accounts have just vanished!

"I'm losing it here, Mr. Searle! You need to get back here, now! I don't know how the shareholders caught wind of this, but 

Chapter 6