Chapter 3 - The Broken Pedestal
"Sienna... you... you know Mr. Vance?" Trent stammered, pulling a silk handkerchief from his breast pocket to wipe cold sweat from his upper lip.
Marcus slowly turned his head, his steel-blue gaze falling upon Trent with the warmth of an Arctic glacier.
"Albright, isn't it?" Marcus said, his voice flat, devoid of any corporate warmth.
"Senior logistics coordinator for the east wharf division."
"Yes, sir! Yes, Mr. Vance!" Trent answered instantly, his spine stiffening like an obedient private standing before a general.
"I... I had no idea you were attending this wedding, sir. It's an absolute honor."
Marcus adjusted Maya’s little velvet cardigan, his eyes never leaving Trent’s nervous face.
"Sienna is the bride’s first cousin," Marcus stated calmly. "And she happens to be my wife."
The word 'wife' hit the air like a detonation.
Corinne let out a strangled squeak, clutching Trent’s forearm so hard her knuckles turned white.
"Your... your wife?" Trent whispered, his eyes darting frantically between Marcus and me.
"We were married three years ago at our home on the bluffs," Marcus said, stepping half an inch closer, his imposing height casting a deep shadow over Trent.
"And Maya is my daughter from my late wife, Clara."
Marcus paused, letting the silence stretch until Trent’s breathing became audibly ragged.
"Sienna legally adopted Maya two years ago," Marcus continued, his tone carrying the weight of iron.
"She gave this little girl a mother when she needed one most. And she gave me a reason to believe in family again."
Trent stood entirely hollowed out, realizing with crushing finality that his spiteful little math problem had collapsed into dust.
I hadn't cheated on him; I hadn't been waiting by the phone for five years wondering about his happiness.
I had simply moved on to an extraordinary man whose shadow Trent wasn't fit to stand in.
"I overheard your remark earlier, Albright," Marcus added softly, his eyes narrowing into lethal slits.
"About leaving Sienna being the best decision you ever made."
Trent’s eyes widened in sheer terror, his tongue darting out to wet his dry, cracked lips.
"Sir, I... that was just an old inside joke between former spouses! It was completely taken out of context!"
"There was no joke," Marcus replied coldly.
May you like
"You threw away an exceptional woman because you lacked the character to appreciate her worth."
"And in doing so, you handed me the greatest blessing of my life."
