Chapter 0005

Selina's lips curled into a cold smirk as she deftly sidestepped Jennifer's incoming slap. In one fluid motion, she delivered a swift kick to Jennifer's midsection.

Caught off guard, Jennifer flew backward, landing hard on the floor. She writhed in pain, letting out a series of agonized wails.

"Selina! I can't believe you just attacked Jennifer! I'm calling David right now!" Amanda exclaimed, feigning panic while barely concealing a triumphant smile.

Selina turned her icy gaze towards Amanda, her eyes lingering on Amanda's belly.

A flicker of fear crossed Amanda's face as she instinctively backed away, hands protectively covering her stomach. "What... what are you planning to do?"

Selina's cold laugh sent chills down Amanda's spine as she casually flexed her wrist. "I wonder how well a pregnant woman can take a beating?"

"You wouldn't dare!" Amanda hissed, retreating further in alarm.

"Care to find out?" Selina taunted, advancing menacingly.

In a sudden move, Selina grabbed the diamond necklace around Amanda's neck and yanked it off with brutal force. Amanda cried out in pain, her fingers coming away bloody as she clutched at her neck.

Selina examined the broken necklace with disdain before tossing it unceremoniously into the trash. "You really do have a thing for stealing other people's possessions, don't you?" she sneered.

Amanda bolted from the room, screaming for help as she fled.

"You heartless bitch!" Jennifer lunged at Selina, grabbing her arms. "How could you attack a pregnant woman? Have you no humanity left?"

Selina's face darkened at the hypocrisy. If harming Amanda's unborn child made her inhuman, what did that make David, who had forced her to abort their baby?

"Get off me!" Selina snarled, kicking Jennifer away once more.

Jennifer tumbled across the floor, her face already swelling from the impact. Scrambling to her feet, she frantically dialed David for help.

Selina watched impassively as Jennifer made the call, then turned to the window to signal her bodyguards to come and collect her things.

David arrived quickly, just as Selina's belongings were being moved to the yard.

A terrified Amanda and battered Jennifer huddled behind David, embellishing their tale of Selina's alleged murderous actions.

David fixed Selina with an expressionless stare. "Do you have anything to say for yourself?"

Selina let out a derisive snort, finding the whole situation laughable. In the past, when Jennifer had purposely picked fights and then played the victim, David had never listened to Selina's side of the story. He had always forced her to apologize. Now that she no longer cared, he suddenly wanted to hear her explanation?

With a contemptuous eye roll, Selina ignored him completely.

Her dismissive attitude sent a pang through David's heart. It felt like something was slipping away from him. Almost instinctively, he reached for her wrist, only to have Selina violently shake him off.

The bodyguards surrounding Selina immediately stepped forward, creating a protective barrier between her and David.

"Burn everything except the jewelry," Selina commanded her bodyguards, casting a pointed glance at Amanda. She'd rather see her things go up in flames than have Amanda get her hands on them.

As the fire roared to life and thick smoke billowed upward, Amanda watched in horror as limited edition and haute couture pieces disappeared into the inferno. Her heart ached at the loss, her fists clenching at her sides.

David frowned as he observed Selina. The fierce flames reflected in her eyes, highlighting her resolute expression. A wave of unease washed over him, as powerful as a storm surge. How had Selina, who once revolved her entire world around him, changed so drastically? Was it because of their encounter at the hospital, where he hadn't explained about Amanda's pregnancy, leading Selina to misunderstand?

Sensing his gaze, Selina finally met his eyes. Her face remained impassive as she locked eyes with him, her pale lips curving slightly as she spoke with chilling finality.

"David, this is where our paths diverge. All ties between us are severed. We are nothing to each other from this moment on." With those unequivocal words, Selina turned and left with her bodyguards, never looking back.

As he watched her retreating figure, David felt a tight grip on his heart, a suffocating sensation spreading through his chest.

Unconsciously, he took a step towards Selina's disappearing form, only to be jolted back to reality by a weight on his arm.

"David, it hurts so much," Amanda whimpered, looking up at him with tear-filled eyes. She held out her bloodstained palm. "Will you take me to the hospital?"

David hesitated, slowly turning back. His gaze fell on the wound on Amanda's neck, his eyes darkening.

Amanda hurriedly covered the injury, afraid David might notice she had deliberately worsened the scratch left when Selina yanked off the necklace. Feigning magnanimity, she said, "It's my fault. I didn't know the necklace belonged to Selina. She was just trying to reclaim her property. This wound is nothing, really. Some antiseptic and a bandage will do."

"Nonsense! Look at all that blood!" Jennifer interjected, her eyes full of concern. "Selina knew you were pregnant and still attacked you so viciously. She's truly evil!"

Amanda bit her lip, saying nothing. She secretly observed David, noting his furrowed brow and the dark, angry look in his eyes. Inwardly, she rejoiced.

"It's all my fault. She had every right to be angry with me," Amanda said softly, feigning self-reproach. "I just feel terrible that Jennifer got caught in the crossfire..."

Just as she thought David would condemn Selina and comfort her, he simply said in a flat tone, "If you're hurt, we should go to the hospital."

The ride was silent, with David lost in thought, offering no words of comfort. An aura of cold detachment surrounded him. Jennifer, however, grew increasingly agitated.

"We should file a police report for assault. Let's make sure Selina rots in jail!" Jennifer spat venomously.

"Enough!" David suddenly snapped, fixing Jennifer with a cold glare. "I've warned you before about going to the Belvedere Heights villa without permission. Are you deliberately ignoring my instructions?"

If Selina hadn't finally stood up to them, would they have called him complaining and seeking help? And how many times had Jennifer disregarded his warnings and gone to Belvedere Heights to cause trouble in the past?

As for Amanda, with all the properties he owned, why had she specifically chosen Belvedere Heights when she had nowhere else to go after fighting with her family? He might not have called her out on it, but that didn't mean he was oblivious.

"But she attacked us!" Jennifer protested indignantly.

David struggled to contain his anger. "The villa was a pre-marital gift to her from Grandma. You trespassed. Even if she'd had her bodyguards rough you up, it would have been justified self-defense."

Jennifer was dumbstruck, her lips quivering as words failed her.

Amanda lowered her head guiltily, suddenly uneasy. She had the distinct impression that David was indirectly reprimanding her for going to Belvedere Heights.

David's jaw clenched as he fell silent once more. Selina's sudden coldness, her decisive move to divorce him - was it just because she misunderstood Amanda's pregnancy, or was there more to it that he didn't know?

He found it hard to believe that Selina, who once looked at him as if he were her entire world, could become so emotionally detached from him in just a few days. Something didn't add up, and the realization left him deeply unsettled.