Chapter 37 Retrieve the Ring
Selena's POV
When I woke up, it was already bright outside.
How long had it been since I'd slept this soundly?
I sat up, and the cashmere blanket slid off me.
I saw the dining table.
Last night's dishes had been cleared away, replaced by a brand new breakfast.
Perfectly toasted croissants, a small bowl of fresh berries, and a cup of steaming black coffee.
No milk, no sugar.
Exactly how I liked it.
That bastard.
How the hell did he know?
But my stomach betrayed me by growling.
I got out of bed and walked over to sit at the table.
Whatever, I told myself, don't fight with food—I need to keep my strength up.
While eating the bread, I opened my phone to check the latest messages.
Anna's email had just arrived a few minutes ago.
[Miss, the summit incident continues to ferment. Mr. Arnault's PR team is trying to characterize the recording as 'maliciously fabricated AI synthesis,' but with little effect. Now, the entire luxury industry is discussing 'Project Chimera,' and we've received cooperation inquiries from over thirty top jewelry merchants.]
Good.
This was exactly the effect I wanted.
I took a sip of coffee. That familiar bitter taste cleared my muddled thoughts considerably.
I suddenly remembered something and sent Anna a reply.
[Any movement from Myrdal's side?]
I tried to make my tone sound casual.
Anna's response came quickly.
[Mr. Carter's office has announced they will not comment on any matters concerning the Kateson family.]
No comment.
That was so typical of Myrdal.
Cold, decisive, strictly business.
My heart didn't stir at all. It wasn't funny or sad—just felt incredibly ironic.
When he abandoned me for that idiot Taisia, it was the same way.
Now, he was using the same approach to kick the Katesons aside.
What goes around comes around.
I closed my phone and finished the last sip of coffee.
Royce Sterling—sometimes this man was so forceful and domineering you wanted to punch him, and other times he showed this damn confusing thoughtfulness.
What exactly did he want?
Myrdal's POV
My head was splitting.
Taisia's wailing still echoed in my office—like nails on a chalkboard—making me so damn irritated I could've strangled someone.
I couldn't believe I once thought this kind of woman was innocent and cute.
I must have been blind to give up Selena for such a stupid and vicious woman.
I turned off the constantly flashing intercom and picked up the tablet on my desk.
On the screen was news about the Monaco luxury summit.
In the headline photo, a woman in a white suit stood under the spotlight. Her figure was slender, yet she stood straight, like an unsheathed sword.
Astraea.
A mysterious emerging designer, someone bold enough to challenge the Arnault Group in front of the whole world.
Her eyes were calm, sharp, with a confidence that controlled everything.
For some reason, looking at her eyes, I felt they were somewhat familiar.
It was a look I'd once seen but lost with my own hands.
My gaze involuntarily moved to the man beside her.
Royce Sterling.
He stood half a step behind her, in a protector's position.
The way he looked at her was filled with undisguised possessiveness.
How could I lose to Royce Sterling?
How could I push a woman like her into that bastard's arms?
No.
I'm not talking about Astraea.
I'm talking about Selena.
When the Kateson family threw her out, she just calmly packed her things and left without looking back, not even sparing me a glance.
I used to think that was her being cold and heartless.
Now I understand—that was her pride.
What the hell have I done?
I destroyed everything with my own hands.
I turned off the tablet and stood up from my chair.
Enough.
This farce that made me a laughingstock must end.
I pressed the intercom on my desk.
"Davis."
"Sir, what are your orders?"
"Get the car ready."
"Where to, sir?"
I walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, looking down at this city I controlled.
Yet I couldn't even control my own feelings.
Looking at my gloomy face reflected in the glass, I said word by word. "To the Kateson house. I'm going to take back something that should have been mine."
The car stopped in front of the Kateson family villa.
The once meticulously trimmed lawn was now somewhat messy, the fountain had stopped, and a thin layer of dust had accumulated at the bottom of the pool.
Signs of decay were beginning to show.
I pushed open the car door. Davis opened an umbrella for me, but I waved my hand, indicating he didn't need to follow.
Some things I had to handle myself.
I rang the doorbell.
Mrs. Kateson opened the door. When she saw me, the worry on her face instantly turned to wild joy.
"Oh! Myrdal! Darling! You finally came!" She excitedly grabbed my arm, as if I were a savior descending from heaven. "I knew you wouldn't abandon us! Come in quickly!"
"Where's Taisia?" I cut her off.
Mrs. Kateson froze, seemingly not expecting my attitude to be so cold.
"She... she's upstairs. She's been in a bad mood these past few days, crying constantly."
"Tell her to come down."
Soon, Taisia rushed down from upstairs.
She was wearing pajamas, her hair was messy, her eyes red and swollen. The moment she saw me, she looked at me like I was hope itself, rushing toward me recklessly.
"Myrdal! You're finally willing to see me! I knew you still had feelings for me! It's that bitch Selena! She must have said something to you, right? She's jealous of us."
I sidestepped her embrace.
She missed and stumbled a few steps, looking at me.
"Myrdal... you..."
"I came today to take back what's mine."
"Your things? What things?" She looked confused.
"That ring. The ancestral engagement ring I gave you. I want it back."
Taisia's face went pale instantly.
"Taisia, our engagement ends here."
"No!!!" She screamed.
I was too lazy to waste more words with her.
"Give me back the ring." I extended my hand toward her.
"No! I won't give it!" She covered her hand. "It's mine! You gave it to me so it's mine! Don't even think about taking it back!"
Mr. Kateson's face turned purple.
"Myrdal, don't forget, we had an agreement back then..."
"Agreement?" I sounded like I'd heard the biggest joke. "The agreement was based on Taisia becoming my wife. Now, she's not qualified for that. So, the agreement is void."
I stopped paying attention to those panicked parents and just stared at Taisia.
"I'll say this one last time. Give me back the ring."
"I won't!" She screamed hysterically. "Don't even think about it! This is my lucky charm! As long as I'm wearing it, I'm your fiancée! That bitch Selena will never be able to steal you away!"
Before she could react, I used my other hand to roughly, forcefully pull that ring off her finger.
Then I took out a handkerchief and carefully wiped the ring, as if it were covered in something terribly dirty.
I put the ring back in my pocket and turned to leave.