Chapter 42

Sienna offered no reply, her gaze still fixed on the book.

Aiden, unfazed by Sienna ignoring him, watched as Linda burst out of her room and hurried over to his side. “The Quinn family went bankrupt? So now their company belongs to Hart Corporation?”

After speaking, Linda shot a defiant glance at Sienna.

“Anything else? If not, back to your room,” Aiden grunted. He didn’t want to upset Sienna again because of Linda.

Linda said, “Honey, of course, I have something to say. Sienna, now that the Quinn family’s company is ours too, you must be stretched too thin managing everything, right? How about I introduce a few capable people to help you out? Do you think that would work?”

Sienna nonchalantly put down her book, her icy gaze sweeping over Linda. “Hart Corporation belongs to the Hart family, not the Lambert family. Stop shamelessly trying to force your way in.”

Linda gnashed her teeth in fury. Sienna didn’t even bother to spare her the slightest dignity. In Sienna’s eyes, this so-called stepmother held no authority whatsoever.

Linda continued, “Can’t you see I’m just trying to help? I thought I could lighten your load a bit.”

No sooner had Linda finished speaking than her phone rang. She rushed to answer it, her face darkening with anger, then stormed back into the room.

Linda shrieked furiously, “Sienna, you bitch, how dare you fire all my people?”

Over the years as Aiden’s wife, Linda had been quietly planting her relatives throughout Hart Corporation. Over the years, nearly two-thirds of Hart Corporation’s employees were Linda’s people. She was now the family’s golden child.

Overnight, Sienna had fired all of Linda’s cronies. Hart Corporation was completely purged.

Sienna watched with icy detachment as Linda raged like a madwoman before her. The next second, her icy gaze settled on Aiden.

Aiden caught Sienna’s silent message. Stay or go, she said inwardly.

Aiden rose to his feet abruptly and, furious, delivered a resounding slap across Linda’s face.

The slap sent Linda reeling, her head snapping to the side as a red handprint bloomed across her cheek. A searing pain shot through her like wildfire, mingling with waves of humiliation.

Linda stared at Aiden with a look of utter disbelief, her trembling fingers gingerly touching her cheek.

For years, Linda had lived in the lap of luxury as a wealthy socialite. Never once had anyone dared lay a hand on her.

Aiden snapped furiously, “That slap was well-deserved. How dare you insult Sienna? She’s my daughter.”

Linda’s eyes widened in shock.

Over the years, Linda had gradually turned Vivian and her sisters into exactly the kind of people Aiden despised, driving a wedge and sowing discord between them. However, Sienna hadn’t even been back a week, and now Aiden had already defended her.

Sienna was quite pleased with Aiden’s actions. Behind her, the butler, Ebert, and Elisa, who had been itching to step in, quietly lowered their rolled-up sleeves and stepped back.

Sienna observed coolly, “Dad, Ms. Lambert doesn’t seem very accepting of that slap you gave her.”

Aiden snorted coldly, “She wouldn’t dare. Linda, don’t push your luck. Since when does Hart Corporation need your input? Your people? What people! Hart Corporation doesn’t tolerate incompetence. Being fired, they got exactly what they deserved.”

Sienna’s acquisition of Junior Quinn Group sent her status soaring, and Aiden basked in the reflected glory. No one dared look down on Hart Corporation now.

His million-dollar watch gleamed on his wrist. I’m no fool, Aiden thought. Abandoning the Hart family for Linda simply isn’t worth it!

Aiden never loved Linda. He never confused sex with love. Though he harbored resentment, jealousy, and bitterness, the only woman Aiden had ever truly loved was Selina.

Selina was sheer perfection, the unattainable ideal in every man’s heart, the ultimate dream woman. Linda wasn’t even worthy of a single strand of Selina’s hair.

If Linda wasn’t at least useful around the house, Aiden wouldn’t bother with her. He would have kicked her out right away.

Linda was left speechless, her face turning gloomy with humiliation. Deep down, she knew full well just how incompetent her relatives were.

Linda seethed with hatred as she wondered, “How could Sienna act so recklessly and treat me with such blatant contempt? Even Aiden actually slapped me, all because of Sienna.”

Without Aiden backing her up, Linda didn’t dare make another move.

After work, Vivian stepped out of her office, spotted Mason waiting by the entrance, and paused in surprise. But she ignored him completely and strode away without a second glance.

“Vivian, stop right there,” Mason snapped.

Vivian crossed her arms and fixed him with an icy stare. “What do you want? Spit it out.”

Mason stepped forward and noticed that lately, Vivian had become increasingly beautiful, graceful, and charming, her aura now completely different from before.

Mason’s lips curled into a smile. Just knowing that all of Vivian’s changes were for him filled him with a rush of smug satisfaction and a flutter of excitement he could hardly hide.

“Vivian,” Mason declared with absolute certainty, “I’ve decided to marry you.”

“What did you just say?” Vivian’s lips twitched as she wondered, Did I hear that wrong or has this guy completely lost his mind?

Seeing the shock on Vivian’s face, Mason thought smugly, “Of course, she’s surprised. She’s been obsessed with me all this time. Now that I’m going to marry her, she must be over the moon.”

Mason cleared his throat, straightened up, and declared, “I mean it. I’ll marry you. Let’s get married.”

Vivian thought she’d seen everything, but Mason really took shamelessness to a whole new level. How did he have the audacity to show up in front of me and propose? Unbelievable, she wondered.

“Mason, if you’re crazy, go see a psychiatrist. Get out of my sight,” she snorted.

Mason, thinking Vivian was still smitten, quickly blocked her path. “Vivian, I swear I’m not lying to you. I really mean it. I’m willing to marry you.”

A mocking gleam flickered in Vivian’s eyes as she spoke in utterly disgusted tones. “Are you insane, Mason? Who in their right mind would want to marry you? We already broke up. Or are you suffering from early-onset dementia at your age?”