Chapter 385: The Message Was Sent

The message was sent. Derek waited for Sienna to beg him not to release those scandalous photos. Instead, his phone buzzed with a reply from an entirely different number.

[If these images ever surface, Prescott Industries will cease to exist.]

The number was a chilling sequence of eleven identical digits—66666666666. A custom account. The kind money couldn't buy. A cold, severe face flashed in Derek's mind. Him. It had to be Lucas. They were still together. He hadn't left her. Sienna’s confidence, her audacity… it all made sense now. She had Lucas Harrington backing her. She feared nothing with his power behind her. A dark, bitter hatred coiled in Derek’s gut. She played the victim online while secretly entangled with Lucas. What a cunning, calculating woman. Spoiled. She was utterly, completely spoiled.

He snatched his phone, dialing a number. “Harrison. Southern Cemetery. Giselle Marchand’s grave. It’s time to act.” Giselle Marchand. The Bennett family’s longtime nanny. She raised Sienna from a child. When the world mocked Sienna as the adopted daughter, Giselle was her sole protector. Disturb that grave, and Sienna would drop everything. She would rush there immediately. And knowing her connection to Lucas now… he would surely go with her.

A cruel smirk twisted Derek’s lips. Let’s see who calls me a douchebag then, when her affair with Lucas Harrington is exposed for all to see. And when the powerful Harrington family discovers their heir is involved with a woman like her? They would never approve. They would despise her. Lucas would have to choose. His family… or her. He would drop her. He had to. The image of Lucas discarding Sienna filled Derek with grim satisfaction. The thought of her crawling back to him, begging. He craved it. He wanted to see it happen.

Nearby, Vanessa pretended to browse jewelry. She observed Derek’s every move. She heard his phone call. Perfect. Derek was plotting against Sienna. Her days were numbered. But… A nagging worry pricked at Vanessa. Derek and his parents still looked down on her. Her shares in the Bennett empire were pitifully small. They knew she was the true adopted daughter, not Sienna. Once she married into the Prescott family, her time to win over the Bennetts would vanish. Her bonds with Helena and Philip would weaken. What good were such meager shares then?

She needed more. She needed a larger stake before the wedding. With more shares, Derek and his parents would finally respect her. They would value her. A sharp glint of malice lit her eyes. She excused herself, heading for the restroom.

Inside a locked stall, she pulled out her phone. She opened her chat with Takashi Yamamoto.

[Mr. Yamamoto, I heard you’ve connected with my brother. Yet I understand you haven’t begun his lessons? Please, let me know if there is anything I can assist with.]

The reply was instant.

[Vanessa, my admiration for you remains. Since our encounter in Lakeshore, you are all I can think of.]

Vanessa’s lip curled in distaste. [Your flattery is noted, Mr. Yamamoto. But I am to be married soon. We can, however, remain… good friends.]