Chapter 4

When Liam heard I was going to the press conference, he nearly exploded with rage, calling me immediately.

"Elara, why are you rushing to hand them a knife? When they say something inappropriate, it's your face that gets lost."

"For trash like them, the bigger the scene, the better. Solving everything at once will bring peace." I said lightly.

"You!" Liam was too angry to speak. "I'll be watching to see how you handle this!"

On the day of the press conference, I wore a simple evening gown and walked into the resplendent ballroom.

Roderick and Kael's mother were dressed lavishly and glamorously, greeting guests with beaming faces.

Kael wore an expensive bespoke suit, his arm linked with Sera's, accepting congratulations and envious looks from everyone.

Seeing me, the smile vanished instantly from Roderick's face.

He strode over quickly, lowering his voice, his tone full of warning and disgust.

"You actually dare to come! Remember, today you're here to cooperate with the show. Don't try any tricks!"

Sera also walked over, looking me up and down.

"Elara, that outfit. Are you here to work as waitstaff?

Let me remind you, everyone here today is someone important.

You'd better shrink into a corner to avoid embarrassing BlackPine Pack."

I said nothing, only smiled.

Kael's gaze briefly met mine. He quickly looked away, his expression complex.

I found an inconspicuous corner to sit in, watching this absurd yet real drama unfold before me.

Watching Roderick circulate through the crowd, boasting about how he pulled his company back from the edge of bankruptcy.

Watching Sera, acting like the lady of the house, introducing BlackPine Pack's grand blueprint to everyone.

Watching Kael. The man I'd loved for three years, the one I thought I'd grow old with. Thriving in this vanity fair, slipping further and further away from me.

Halfway through the banquet, the host invited Roderick onstage for a speech.

Under the spotlight, Roderick held the microphone, full of vigor.

"Good evening, friends!"

"Thank you all for your support of BlackPine Pack, which has made us greater than ever before."

Thunderous applause erupted below.

He basked in it all, then changed his tone.

"Besides announcing BlackPine Pack's magnificent comeback,

my son Kael will be saying goodbye to the past and welcoming a brand new life!"

As he spoke, he beckoned to Kael and Sera.

The two walked onstage intimately and stood beside Roderick.

"Some people are only suitable for sharing hardship, not prosperity."

Every gaze in the hall turned to me in unison.

Some sympathetic, some pitying, but most were mocking, enjoying the spectacle.

I became the superfluous person in their eyes.

Kael kept his head down, not daring to look at me.

Sera wrapped her arm around Kael's waist, silently flaunting her victory to me.

Roderick cleared his throat, preparing to announce my divorce from Kael and hint at Sera and Kael's upcoming engagement.

I stood up and walked slowly toward the stage.

Everyone froze. The music stopped.

Roderick's face turned iron-dark, hissing into the microphone: "Elara! What do you think you're doing? Get down from here!"

I ignored him, walking straight to center stage and taking another microphone from the host.

The spotlight shone on me. I could clearly see every shocked face below.

"Don't be in such a rush, Roderick." I smiled, my voice carrying through the sound system throughout the entire ballroom.

"Today is my stage too, isn't it?"