Chapter 5

Wilder's bright eyes sparkled as he looked at Sloane. Suddenly, Sloane recalled something that happened seven years ago. When she married Easton, she had wanted him to post their wedding photos on his social media. However, Easton had refused, no matter what. He kept insisting that since their wedding was widely known in the city, there was no need to post it online. Sloane had never once appeared in Easton's social media throughout the seven years. Now, as Wilder slowly warmed her once-cold heart, she nodded gently. "Of course." Wilder seemed encouraged by her response. Gathering his courage, he softly pressed a kiss at the corner of Sloane's lips before quickly pulling away. His ears turned red as he averted his gaze. "This is my mark, Sloane. You can't take it back." Sloane froze for a second, then quickly recovered. She nodded with a smile. "I won't." "Pinky promise!" Sloane humored his somewhat childish request. After dropping Wilder off and returning to the villa, she was surprised to find the place brightly lit. She raised an eyebrow slightly, but before she even reached the door, Josh had already come forward. He lowered his voice in frustration. "Ms. Sedberry, Mr. Chapman brought that woman back again today." Sloane's eyebrow twitched as she took in the scene. Her haute couture dresses, brand-new seasonal pieces delivered straight from top designers, were strewn across the couch. She hadn't even had the chance to try them on, yet they had been tossed aside like garbage. Some were crumpled on the floor, and others were carelessly draped over the furniture. Her gaze swept across the living room. No one was in sight. "Where are they?" "Mr. Chapman took her to attend Mrs. Chapman Senior's birthday banquet." Sloane's fists clenched involuntarily. She knew Easton wasn't coming to pick her up tonight. No matter how many times she had been disappointed, the bitterness still seeped through her heart. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes for a brief moment. When she opened them again, her gaze had returned to its usual cold detachment. "Throw all of these away." Turning on her heel, Sloane got back into the car. When she arrived at the Chapman residence, Keke was standing at the entrance. She was holding onto Easton's arm. Keke fidgeted with the hem of her gown from time to time. Easton, who was standing beside her, bent down naturally and helped smooth out her dress, as if it were second nature to him. Sloane's hand, which had been resting on the car door, froze for a second. If she wasn't mistaken, the gown Keke was wearing was one of the seasonal pieces from her wardrobe. It had been custom-tailored to her measurements. On Keke, it was visibly a little too tight. The moment Sloane stepped out of the car, all eyes turned toward her. Gossipy glances flitted between her, Easton, and Keke. "Sloane, you're finally here! Mrs. Chapman Senior's birthday banquet is about to start," Keke called out cheerfully, releasing Easton's arm and waving at Sloane. As she raised her hand, the Darry Ring diamond ring on her middle finger gleamed conspicuously. "Easton, this is all your fault! I told you to bring Sloane with you, but you kept saying you were busy!" She playfully pounded Easton's arm. Easton instinctively glanced at Sloane. His brows furrowed slightly. "Lo, I really was busy just now." Sloane cast a glance at her watch. The corners of her lips curved into a faint, mocking smile. Busy? Busy taking his mistress to steal her dress? Or busy flirting with the mistress? It didn't matter to her whether Easton came to pick her up or not. However, she was getting impatient with Keke's subtly provocative gaze. "Move," she commanded. Keke shrank back while feigning fear. Her eyes turned red at the rims. "Enough, Lo, don't scare Keke. She's easily frightened." Sloane almost laughed. Her gaze swept over the dress that was visibly too tight on Keke. Easily frightened? "How did someone so timid steal someone else's dress? Taking something without asking is considered stealing. What gave you the nerve to do that?" Keke's face turned completely red at her words. Tears welled up in her eyes, her hands clenched tightly around the fabric of her dress. Her lips were pressed into a thin, trembling line. Easton took a step forward. "Lo, don't make it sound so bad. Keke didn't have time to buy one. I saw you had plenty of new dresses—"