Chapter 71
“You have no idea how vicious Myra is,” Lyla sobbed, her head lowered in distress. “She even came to me back then, warning me to stay away from you.” A dark gleam flashed in her eyes as she wept harder, her tears flowing freely. “Even if I was wrong, she had no right to take my child away so ruthlessly…”
The words struck a nerve in Sean, and emotions swirled inside him. He felt a wave of anger and confusion rise up. But he knew he shouldn’t listen any longer. With a deep breath, he closed his eyes, trying to regain control. “Lyla, did you really think I would miss you after you left? That I would welcome you back with open arms because of a few words? Did you think you could manipulate me like that, and we’d pick up where we left off?”
“Why not?” Lyla lifted her tear-streaked face, an attempt at a smile faltering. “Sean, I’ve always loved you. I’ve never stopped thinking about you. And I refuse to believe that you have either. The fact that you still came to the bar to take me home proves it!”
“This time, you’re wrong,” Sean replied coldly, loosening his clenched fists. His voice was as frosty as his expression. “I took you home out of goodwill. If something had happened to you and you’d called me before it did, I probably would’ve found it disturbing. We were once lovers, and I’m only doing this as a favor—nothing more. I married Myra because I love her. For the past two years, she’s been the one by my side, supporting me. You… you’re nothing to me anymore.”
Without another word, he stormed out of the villa, his expression grim.
But just as he reached the door, he stopped and turned back. “You can stay here for now, but I don’t like having strangers in my home. You have one week to find somewhere else to stay. After that, get out.”
With that, the door slammed shut with a deafening thud.
Lyla watched him leave, her heart breaking. She picked up the phone from the nightstand and, in a fit of frustration, smashed it against the wall.
If Sean truly loved Myra, why had he been out partying and with other women for the past two years? And if he didn’t have feelings for her, why had he come to the bar to take her home? ‘Find it disturbing?’ Sean had never been the type to be disturbed by things like this! He still had feelings for her. He just refused to admit it. As for Myra… Lyla’s lips twisted into a malicious smile. Let’s see how much you really love her.
Meanwhile, Sean sped down the hill after leaving the villa, his mind a mess. He dialed Myra’s number twice, only for both calls to be rejected immediately.
What the hell is going on? Lyla’s words echoed in his mind, and agony twisted his insides. No, he wouldn’t believe her! Myra had been there for him through everything—the breakup, the troubles with the business. Without her, he wouldn’t have made it through. And now, she was thinking of coming back to him?
Frustrated and desperate, Sean dialed a number that had been on his mind. It rang several times before being rejected, too. His face darkened, and he dialed again, repeatedly. Finally, Estelle picked up the phone, her voice sharp and irritated. “What do you want?”
“Myra moved out,” Sean growled, trying to suppress his anger.
Estelle, enraged by his tone, retorted, “Congratulations, Director Chase. Finally, you realize what’s happening.”
He ignored her sarcasm, snapping, “Tell me where she’s staying.”
Estelle’s laugh was harsh. “Oh, do you think I’ll just tell you? Who do you think you are?” She paused, then added with venom, “Let me make this clear, Sean: just because Lyla is back doesn’t mean you can just go running back to her. I’m not Myra. I’m not soft-hearted, and if you dare hurt her, I’ll make sure you pay for it, and that b*tch too.”
Before he could reply, she hung up.
“What the hell?” Sean muttered, fury rising inside him. But his anger was interrupted by the sound of a door opening.
The man who entered the private room was none other than Shawn. As Estelle looked up, her entire demeanor changed. A forced smile curved her lips. “Oh, Shawn. I could change, be more gentle, if that’s what you want. I’ll do whatever you need.”
Shawn sneered. “You’re full of tricks, Miss Langley. I’m only staying here for one night, yet you’ve already gotten your hands on the key to this room.”
He lit a cigarette, blowing out a smoke ring in her direction, watching as she coughed and wiped her eyes, clearly irritated. “Fine,” he continued, his tone tinged with mockery. “You’ve got one night to seduce me. If you manage to make me feel something, then I’ll consider giving you a chance.”
Estelle blinked in surprise, and for a moment, even Shawn seemed to freeze. But just as quickly, he put out his cigarette in annoyance and stood up. “Unless you were just dropping by for a quick visit…”
“Of course not!” Estelle’s heart raced as she stripped without hesitation, walking toward him with undeniable confidence. “You made the deal, Shawn. You can’t back out now.”
Meanwhile, Myra had begun adjusting to her new life after leaving the Chase Residence. Over the years, she had become accustomed to a simple and independent lifestyle. To avoid running into Sean at Chase Group, she mostly stayed out of the office, attending only necessary meetings at Hart Group or visiting construction sites.
On one of these visits, the foreman approached her with a concern. “Miss Stark, it’s about time we get paid for this month. Do you know when Chase Group will be processing the payment?”
Myra, though not directly in charge of payroll, gave a reassuring smile. “I’ll check with the finance department for you,” she said kindly.
“Thank you, Miss Stark,” the foreman said with gratitude, but then hesitated, his expression turning curious. “I heard that the houses from the Hilliville project haven’t sold yet. Will this affect our future income?”
Myra froze at the mention of Hilliville.
The Hilliville project was one of the first major investments made by Chase Group in real estate. She had only joined the company shortly after its initiation and wasn’t involved in the early stages, but she remembered how much money the company had put into it. At one point, the project had been very lucrative, with skyrocketing property prices attracting fierce competition. But soon after the investment, the market had taken a nosedive, and the property values plummeted. Despite this, construction had continued, as stopping the project would have been disastrous for everyone involved.