Chapter 5

To keep my mind occupied, I skipped my planned honeymoon leave and took a grueling business trip instead.

A week later, I unlocked my front door, thinking the toxic past was behind me.

The moment the door opened, nausea hit me.

Toys and garbage bags were scattered all across the hardwood floor.

The little boy from the wedding was kneeling on my leather sofa, tossing around an antique sculpture I had spent a fortune collecting.

When he saw me, he shrieked, "Daddy! Someone's here!"

Hearing rustling in the master bedroom, I dropped my suitcase and marched over.

Serena was clutching the duvet to her chest, while Julian, shirtless, was leaning over the bed to grab a wrinkled shirt covered in lipstick and mystery stains.

Rage blinded me. I lunged forward and slammed my fist into his jaw.

Julian tried to scramble up to fight back, but fell right back down.

He wasn't wearing pants!

Disgust burned through my throat. Just as I raised my fist again—

Serena threw herself at me. "Are you crazy, Ethan?! Why are you hitting him?!"

I shoved her off, using every ounce of restraint not to strike her. "You're the crazy ones! Who gave you permission to break in?!"

Serena glared at me with pure venom.

"You think I wanted to come here?! If your guard dogs hadn't locked me out of Crescent Bay, we wouldn't be here in the first place!"

That was when I realized—in my hurry to leave, I forgot to revoke the spare key I gave her to this penthouse.

Back when we were dating, I gave it to her so she could feel at home.

I never imagined she'd have the nerve to drag another man into my bed.

I could barely breathe through the rage. "Get the hell out right now, or I'm calling security to throw you both onto the street!"

Serena crossed her arms.

"Fine. Tell the guards at Crescent Bay to let me in and unfreeze my cards. Otherwise, we have nowhere to go."

Even now, she was living in a fantasy.

"Keep dreaming! You will never get another dime from me as long as you live!"

"You're sleeping with Julian in my bed, right in front of my face, and you still expect me to fund your lifestyle?! Who the hell do you think you are?!"

"Get out!"

Even Julian had the decency to look humiliated, but Serena didn't care.

She lifted her chin indignantly. "Julian and I are just friends! Why do you always have to paint me as the villain?!"

"Julian just got back from overseas. His foreign funds haven't cleared yet, so I'm helping him out! Can you stop being so petty for once?!"

I laughed out loud.

"You're lying naked in my bed, and you're telling me you're just friends? Serena, do you honestly take me for an idiot?"

Right now, I felt profoundly relieved that I had never slept with her.

Otherwise, I would have thrown up my own stomach lining.

I couldn't stand the sight of the marks on their skin for another second.

I turned around, pulled out my phone, and called the building management to send security up immediately.

Seeing that I was dead serious, Serena finally panicked. "I just explained it! We're just friends! What more do you want?!"

"If you dare kick me out, we are truly over! You won't even have the privilege of being my safety net anymore!"

Another threat.

It used to work, but now it sounded like a joke.

I felt zero love for her.

After walking in on this circus, all I felt was profound disgust.

Even her voice grated on my nerves.

I didn't even want this penthouse anymore.

It felt contaminated.

"You know what? Keep it," I said coldly. "You wanted a breakup settlement? You can have this place. Just make sure you never show your pathetic faces in front of me again."

Serena still wasn't satisfied. "What about the credit cards?! I still can't swipe them! You need to reset the limits!"

The greed was limitless.

I sneered, looking down at her.

"Serena, I never realized how utterly shameless you were. Just how low will you sink for Julian?"