Chapter Four

Down on the big terrace by the beautiful private lake, the "Freedom and Divorce" party was loud, wild, and incredibly fun. The night air was warm, the live band was playing upbeat music, and everyone was laughing and drinking. Tinsley had invited the most fun people she knew, and the whole backyard was glowing with beautiful fairy lights and expensive floral arrangements.

Elena completely let her hair down. She forgot all about her old life, her cheating husband, and her bad marriage. She was ready to be free. The handsome men Tinsley hired were doing an amazing, highly professional job. Elena sat right in the middle of a big, soft outdoor couch, surrounded by gorgeous, attentive men who treated her like an absolute queen from a fairy tale.

One handsome guy with a gentle smile carefully massaged the stress out of her shoulders, making her relax. Another handsome guy softly fed her sweet, fresh strawberries, while a third guy kept making sure her crystal champagne glass was completely full, watching her every move to see what she needed. For three long years, Liam Sterling had never even brought her a simple glass of water when she was sick in bed. He had ignored her and treated her like a ghost. Now, she had a whole group of handsome, wealthy men fighting just to make her smile and laugh.

"Are you having a good birthday, Elena?" Tinsley asked with a big, happy smile, sitting down next to her on the couch with a fresh drink.

"I didn't think I could ever feel this happy or this relaxed again," Elena said honestly. Her cheeks were pink, warm, and glowing because the handsome men kept telling her how beautiful, smart, and amazing she was. She laughed easily, drinking her champagne and enjoying the fun attention. It was a wild, crazy night, and for the first time in her life, Elena felt like the most important person in the world. She danced, she laughed, and she completely forgot about the pain of the past three years.

Around midnight, the wild party outside by the lake started to quiet down. The guests began to leave, and the music stopped. Elena was absolutely glowing. All her sadness, pain, and heartbreak from the afternoon divorce were completely gone from her face.

Ethan walked out onto the terrace, checking his expensive luxury watch with a secret, knowing smile. "Okay, Elena. The house party is over, but the night is not done yet. I have one last big surprise for you before your birthday officially ends."

Elena blinked her large eyes, looking up from the couch in surprise. "Another surprise? Eth, tonight has already been absolutely perfect. You guys have done way too much for me."

"Trust me, you want to see this one," Ethan said smoothly, pointing to the grand driveway where a fleet of luxury black cars was waiting and idling. "Axel and Tinsley are already in the car waiting for us. Let's go."

Elena was very excited. She got into the back of the luxury car with her brothers and her cousin. The drivers hit the gas, and the cars drove fast out of the estate gates, tearing through the dark night toward the bright city center. Within twenty minutes, they pulled up to the grandest, most exclusive place in the entire high-society world: the Grand Horizon Hotel. They bypassed the busy main lobby completely and took a private, secure glass elevator straight up to the high VIP rooftop deck, which was completely closed off to the public.

"Wow," Elena whispered, walking out onto the cool, windy roof terrace. The entire city skyline stretched out below her like a massive sea of glittering diamonds. "Ethan, what is all of this?"

Right on cue, at exactly midnight, a massive, multi-million dollar fireworks show filled the dark night sky. The red and purple lights exploded beautifully, shaking the air. Then, the brilliant flashes of light shifted and rearranged to spell out giant, glowing words in the dark sky: Happy Birthday, Elena!

Elena covered her mouth with both hands in absolute shock. Tears of pure, overwhelming joy came to her eyes. The whole city could see her family celebrating her existence. For the first time in three long, painful years, she felt safe, beautiful, cherished, and deeply loved. She stood next to her brothers, her heart full of happiness.

But down on the lower deck of the exact same hotel roof, the mood was totally bad, tense, and full of anger.

Liam Sterling had brought Chloe Montgomery down to the Grand Horizon lounge for an expensive, late-night celebration. He had spent the evening completely intoxicated by his own sense of victory. With Elena finally out of Vanguard Manor and the divorce paperwork signed, he had immediately taken Chloe out to celebrate their official engagement and toast to the fact that Elena had finally left his life. He wanted to show off his new fiancé to high society, proving he was finally free to marry his true choice.

He was holding Chloe’s hand as they walked, but his mind was in a stressful, tight knot. Despite the champagne and the celebration, he could not stop thinking about the sleek black Bentley that had picked Elena up from his driveway, and he was still deeply shocked that the car belonged to the rich corporate titan, Ethan Vance. He couldn't understand how a poor, friendless girl like Elena could know someone so powerful.

Suddenly, Chloe cheered happily, jumping up and down as she pointed her slender finger at the dark sky. "Wow, Liam, look! Fireworks! They are so big and beautiful! Oh... wait, look what the lights say. Happy Birthday, Elena? What a weird and stupid coincidence."

Liam stopped dead in his tracks. His whole body went stiff. His eyes went small, and his mouth formed a tight, angry, bitter line. Today really was Elena's birthday. A dark, angry, and deeply jealous thought instantly hit his brain like a physical blow. Did Ethan Vance buy this whole multi-million dollar public show just for her? Were they sleeping together behind my back while she was still my wife? Is that why she signed the papers so fast without taking my money? He had been losing his mind over this thought all night, his pride deeply hurt.

Driven by pure, bitter, self-righteous jealousy, Liam angrily scanned the upper VIP deck of the hotel until his eyes locked onto a gorgeous woman standing high above the crowd.

It was Elena. But she did not look like the plain, boring housewife he had known. She was wearing a beautiful, expensive designer dress he had never seen before. Her hair was perfect, and she was standing with the wealthy Vance family, laughing and looking more beautiful, confident, and radiant than she ever had in three years of marriage. She looked like a true queen.

Without a single thought, Liam yanked his hand away from Chloe, completely dropping her hold.

"Liam? Where on earth are you going?" Chloe panicked, her face falling as she tried to grab his arm. "Don't look at her! It's just a stupid coincidence! She is probably just a low-class girl who got lucky. She should be crying in some cheap, dirty apartment right now, not standing up there!"

But Liam wasn't listening to a single word Chloe said. He was completely blinded by angry pride and toxic jealousy. He brushed past Chloe, pushing her out of his way as he marched straight toward the private VIP stairs. He was disgusted. He convinced himself that Elena had been a cheating liar all along, running to another rich billionaire before the divorce papers were even dry. He felt like she had made a total mockery of his authority on the very night of his new engagement celebration.

He marched up the stone stairs, his blood boiling and his fists clenched. He had absolutely no idea about the giant, powerful family empire he was about to crash into. He thought he was going to teach a poor girl a lesson, completely unaware that he was walking into a trap set by the rulers of the city.

As Elena and Ethan turned around to walk down the stone steps and leave the roof, a sharp, angry, and venomous voice cut through the cool night air, stopping them dead in their tracks and breaking the beautiful moment.

"Elena Vance!"