26 Never Married
Sienna drove to Theo’s office, where the media had already gathered. As soon as the live video hit the internet, they started tracking her down. Sienna wasn’t surprised. She had prepared for this moment.
She calmly got out of the car, and within seconds, the press swarmed her from all sides.
“Miss Sienna, is it true that you arranged the live broadcast, or was it a hoax? Did someone secretly record you?” one reporter asked.
Sienna didn’t hesitate. “I did,” she said, her voice steady, with no shame. “I broadcasted it.”
The reporters exchanged glances, surprised by her honesty. They had expected her to deny everything, to call the video fake in an attempt to save her reputation.
Another reporter pressed on. “Mrs. Montgomery, can you tell us about your relationship with Mr. Adrian Vaughn? Was it just a fling, or was there something more? Were you in love with him?”
The questions came fast. “Is Mr. Montgomery not good in bed? Is that why you left him and slept with another man?”
“Mrs. Montgomery, how long has this been going on? It’s clear from the way you act that it’s not a recent affair. Can you tell us the truth?”
The barrage of questions didn’t stop. “Is it true that you cheated on Mr. Montgomery first, and that’s why he found someone else?”
“Yes, it was me.” Sienna grabbed the mic from one of the reporters and announced it loudly. The camera flashes intensified, blinding everyone around her. “I’m the one who betrayed my husband. I was sleeping with another man before my marriage and after. I hurt him, and I ruined his reputation.”
She took a deep breath before continuing. “It’s all my fault. I couldn’t stand seeing Theo badmouthed for something I did. That’s why I’m now revealing it all publicly.”
The reporters were silent for a moment, then fired more questions.
“Does that mean Theo Montgomery is the victim, and not the bad guy?” a reporter asked quickly.
“He was plotted against by me,” Sienna answered. “Yes, he does have a girlfriend now. But I was the one having an affair. He is in love with Rosie. He started a family with her.”
Sienna paused, her voice wavering slightly. “I ruined him. Not the other way around.”
The mic was suddenly yanked from her hand, and she looked up to see Adrian standing in front of her. His face was a mask of anger, but there was something else in his eyes, something raw and vulnerable.
“It’s not Sienna,” he said, his voice loud and clear. “It’s me. I’m the one at fault for everything that happened.”
The reporters gasped, their cameras snapping even faster.
“I’m the one at fault. I didn’t give her a choice. I forced her to sleep with me five years ago, and we got caught in a cycle of intimacy without ever defining what it was. I forced her to submit to me from the very beginning. All of this was my doing. I manipulated her into being with me.”
The reporters were shocked. Adrian was known for his cold demeanor, for never having any rumors about relationships, for being a perfect, cold, and indifferent gentleman to women. To hear this from him was a complete shock.
“Mr. Vaughn, are you trying to save Mrs. Montgomery’s reputation, or is this the truth?” one reporter asked cautiously.
“Yes, there’s never been any rumors about you and Ms. Donovan before. So believing your words is a tough call,” another reporter added.
Adrian’s expression hardened. “It’s the truth. I’ve always wanted her. In any way I could, I wanted her.”
His gaze shifted to Sienna, who turned her eyes away from him without a word. She then turned and started walking away.
Adrian immediately followed, grabbing her arm, his breath heavy in his chest.
“Sienna,” he breathed, his voice desperate. “Please, don’t walk away.”
She turned to face him, looking into his eyes. There was nothing left to hide. Everything was out in the open now.
Her eyes were empty, the spark of emotion gone.
"Our secret relationship is over now,” she said flatly. “There is no relationship between you and me anymore, Mr. Vaughn."
Her breath trembled as she took a deep breath, her voice growing louder. “Let’s never meet again.”
And with that, she turned and walked away, leaving Adrian standing in the chaos of the press, her words ringing in his ears like a death sentence.
Adrian stood frozen, panic and fear coursing through his veins. The sadness that washed over him was deep and dark, and for the first time, making it hard to breathe.
***
Back at Theo’s house, Rosie paced nervously, “Call her again?” Rosie asked Theo as she paced back and forth, her eyes glued to her phone, waiting for some response.
“She didn’t pick up,” Theo answered, running a hand over his forehead, wiping away the tension that still clung to him. “I don’t know what to do anymore.”
Rosie took a deep breath, her face tense with worry. Her hand instinctively moved to clutch her swollen stomach, the other gripping the edge of the table for support as she tried to steady herself. Her body ached, but it was the anxiety gnawing at her heart that made her feel so heavy.
"Sienna's done so much for you and me," Rosie murmured, her voice thick with emotion. "And now she's in such a mess because of us." Her eyes met Theo's as she added, "I'm so worried about her, Theo."
Theo’s brows furrowed in concern, reached over and gently helped her sit on the couch. He could feel her unease radiating off her.
“The conference ended hours ago. She should’ve been home by now,” Theo added, reaching over to Rosie and helping her sit down on the couch so she wouldn’t tire herself out standing too long. Theo knelt down in front of her. His hand rested lightly over hers, offering what little comfort he could.
"She still hasn't come home. She should be alright, right?" Rosie’s voice trembled slightly as she questioned him, uncertainty flooding her tone.
Theo's chest tightened, but he smiled reassuringly, though his own fears gnawed at him. "She's going to be alright. Don't worry. I’ll take care of everything. It’ll be okay."
Rosie nodded, though her gaze lingered on the door, doubt still clouding her mind.
"I know she’s strong, but… she’s not invincible," Rosie whispered, her fingers curling into a fist as she tried to hold back her tears. "She’s not as strong as she pretends to be. She can’t take the hatred from everyone. She’s so sweet and caring. I can’t imagine what she’s going through, being slandered by so many people. The whole world turning against her... it’s too much."
Theo’s fingers tightened around Rosie’s. His chest tightened, too. Sienna had been his best friend for years, and the thought of her suffering because of his own mistakes was suffocating.
When he had asked Sienna to marry him, he’d been desperate. He didn’t want to lose Rosie, his position in the business, or his parents, so the only option had been to give them the daughter-in-law they wanted while keeping Rosie by his side until he could stand on his own in the business world.
But now things had spiraled out of control. Not only had Theo's secrets been exposed, but Sienna's past was out in the world, and people who didn’t know her were judging her.
He barely registered the ding of his phone until it vibrated again, snapping him out of his thoughts. His heart skipped a beat when he saw Sienna’s name on the screen. He immediately picked it up and rose to his feet, moving closer to Rosie.
Opening the message, he read aloud the words.
“This might be the last text you receive from me for a while, Theo and Rosie. I’m leaving the country for now. I need to be alone. Theo, you are my best friend, and it’s my responsibility to take care of you in every way I can. I’ve done everything I could for you and Rosie, and I don’t regret it. No matter where I am, I know you both can survive and live happily together. Please, be together and don’t let anything break you apart. I’ll come back soon. Don’t worry about me.”
Theo and Rosie looked at each other in tense silence. Rosie took the phone from Theo’s hand and tried to dial Sienna’s number, but the call didn’t go through. The robotic voice said the number was no longer in service.
***
A loud crash echoed in Adrian’s office, the sound of glass and metal smashing onto the floor, sending a chill through the room. Everyone froze, and even the usually unshakable men working for Adrian looked at each other in fear. Adrian stood at the center of the chaos, his body taut with rage.
He clenched his fists, his breath coming in heavy, controlled bursts as he seethed. The table was a wreck, papers scattered, everything from his desk strewn across the floor in disarray.
"Sir, we really tried our best," one of his men ventured, his voice wavering. "We’ve checked everywhere. We tried every method, even the unethical ones. But there's no trace of Ms. Donovan. Her SIM card was found dumped in a trash can outside a mall, and after that, there’s nothing. She’s vanished. We checked every camera, but she’s not in any of them."
Adrian’s icy gaze snapped to the man who spoke, making him flinch. "So she disappeared into thin air? Is she a fucking fairy? How the hell can you not find a woman who doesn’t even know how to use tech?” His voice was low, cold, but laced with a fury that made everyone around him flinch.
"Mr. Vaughn, we’ve checked all the buses, trains, and airports. But she’s nowhere to be found. She must have prepared to disappear.”
Adrian’s jaw tightened, the muscle in his cheek twitching with frustration. He could feel his blood boiling, but there was a gnawing fear eating at him now, a dread he couldn’t shake.
Matthew quietly motioned for the men to leave the room with him, allowing Adrian to be alone.
"Is she going to be alright?" Adrian muttered under his breath, his hand coming up to clutch his forehead as his thoughts raced to the worst possible scenarios. His body was tense, his mind spiraling out of control with every passing second. The thought of her hurt, of her being in danger, gripped his heart like a vice. Adrian sank down to the ground, his back resting against his desk as his mind racing with worry.
A week passed in a blur. Adrian barely noticed the days slipping by, consumed by his relentless search for Sienna. His eyes were hollow, his body exhausted, the stubble on his face a clear sign of how far he'd gone without rest.
Matthew glanced at him in the rearview mirror as they drove, noting the dark circles under Adrian’s eyes. The once-perfectly groomed billionaire looked worn down, more like a man on the edge of breaking than the composed CEO everyone knew. Stubble was growing on his face, his clothes slightly disheveled.
"Mr. Vaughn, you really need to eat," Matthew said, his voice firm but caring. He held a lunch bag out to Adrian, his tone pleading. "You haven't been eating or drinking properly. You can't keep going like this. You're going to collapse."
Adrian didn’t even look at him. His focus was on his phone, but his mind was far away, searching for any sign of her.
"Mr. Vaughn, please," Matthew urged again. "It’s been days. You need to eat. We’ll find Ms. Donovan. Just... eat something."
Adrian’s eyes narrowed, his body stiffening suddenly as he straightened in his seat. "Stop the car."
Matthew glanced back at him, confused, but Adrian snapped, “Stop the goddamn car.”
Matthew obeyed, slamming on the brakes. Before the car even came to a complete stop, Adrian was out the door, striding through the crowded street.
Matthew followed quickly, and the reason for Adrian’s aggression became clear when he spotted Theo and Rosie walking hand-in-hand down the empty sidewalk. Theo was caressing Rosie’s face as they walked, lost in each other.
Adrian’s rage flared, and without thinking, he stormed toward them, his hand shooting out to grab Theo by the neck.
“Sienna is ruined because of you. She was shamed so badly to save your fucking ass, and now there's no trace of her anywhere. And you, shamelessly flirting with your girlfriend out in the open? How can you treat her like this?”
Theo's chest heaved with anger as he shoved Adrian roughly. Adrian’s grip tightened on Theo’s collar, his jaw set in a hard line. His entire body radiated tension, each muscle flexing as he towered over Theo. The veins in his neck were visible, a clear sign of the rage coursing through him.
Theo yanked his collar free, his glare searing into Adrian. "Get the fuck off me." His voice was low, sharp, edged with fury, like a man barely holding it together. "My life with Sienna has nothing to do with you. She wants me to be happy with Rosie.”
"The fuck I don’t!" Adrian snapped, his lips curling into a grimace. “She is your wife, Theo. Sienna is still your fucking wife!”
"She is not my wife!" Theo finally roared, his fury rising to a dangerous level as he shoved Adrian away. "She was never my wife! Rosie and I were already married before my and Sienna’s marriage was announced. Our showy marriage in front of the world was always fake. We never got the marriage certificate. We didn’t consummate it. We didn’t kiss. We never had any relationship other than being best friends, living in the same house in separate bedrooms."
The words hit Adrian like a punch to the gut. His body stiffened as shock coursed through him, and a sharp pain erupted in his stomach. He swallowed, trying to ignore the agony, his hand clenching in a tight grip until blood appeared on his skin from his nails digging into it.
"You were never married to her?" Adrian's voice was rough, almost hoarse as if the revelation had torn something deep within him.