Chapter 46

“That car…” Drake stared at the Bentley. He remembered it; she’d driven one in Manhattan, and Sienna had mocked her for renting expensive cars for photos. He’d agreed with the mockery then. How laughable his assumptions seemed now.

His face paled. “That ring you’re wearing—is it from Chaumet, that day?” His voice shook. “We hadn’t even broken up, and you were already trying on engagement rings?”

“You betrayed our relationship!” His eyes reddened. “How could you?”

Thalia laughed bitterly. “Relationship? Weren’t you always seeing Sienna in me?”

Drake stiffened. “You… you knew?”

“I knew everything,” she said coldly. “That ‘urgent business meeting’ was you picking up Sienna at the airport. After Celine’s birthday party, you took her to the Four Seasons. You were unfaithful long before we broke up. How dare you talk about betrayal?”

“No, let me explain,” Drake pleaded.

Thalia ignored him, entering her car. He stood in front, pounding on the hood, still trying to explain. Annoyed, she accelerated. “BANG!” Drake flew back, landing in nearby bushes. Without looking back, Thalia drove away.

Drake struggled to his feet, limping. Watching the Bentley disappear, his heart ached. A passerby asked, “Are you alright? Shouldn’t you report the hit-and-run?”

Drake shook his head. “Just a fight with my wife.”

“Oh, domestic troubles? Was that why you were at court? Divorce proceedings?”

Drake offered a strange smile. “No, no. We’re very much in love. She’s just upset. Nothing a bit of making up won’t fix.”

The passerby’s face showed polite skepticism as they moved away.

At Sinclair & Klein, gossip buzzed in the break room. “Have you heard? Sarah Thompson resigned.” “Just like that? Why so sudden?” “Apparently she volunteered to leave.”

Thalia walked past, uninterested. Minutes later, her door burst open. “How dare you sue me?” Enzo stormed in.

Without looking up, Thalia replied coolly, “For defamation? Seems perfectly reasonable.”

“Everything I said was true!” he snarled.

“Tell it to the judge.”

“Drop the charges or else!”

As a lawyer, Enzo knew defamation carried criminal penalties. A conviction would mean disbarment.

“Oh, but we’re just getting started,” Thalia smiled.

Rachel burst in. “It was just office gossip! How could you?”

“And here’s the other defendant.”

“Please,” Rachel pleaded. “I apologize. I was wrong to spread rumors. Just drop the case.”

“Too late for that,” Thalia said coldly. “You had plenty of chances to apologize before. Now face the consequences.”

When Enzo tried to strike her, Thalia dodged easily. “Getting violent now?” she asked. “Not so brave when confronted directly?”

Before he could move again, two police officers entered. “Enzo Corner? You’re under arrest for suspected rape.”

“There must be some mistake,” he stammered, panicking as they handcuffed him.

“Like I said,” Thalia smiled innocently, “we’re just getting started.”

Later, when colleagues asked about the arrest, Thalia explained, “I saw a social media post from a young girl asking for help. She’d been assaulted while unconscious at a bar but was afraid to go to the police. When she showed me photos of her attacker—it was Enzo. Imagine my shock.”

“I helped her report it. Fortunately, she hadn’t showered, so they had DNA evidence. The case against him is quite solid.” She added with carefully calculated sympathy, “The poor girl’s still in school. I won’t reveal her name, of course.”

Her colleagues’ shock turned to disgust. They called Enzo a hypocrite, a monster. Just as Thalia intended.