A chaotic flood of memories crashed through Sebastian's mind.
He remembered the last time Helena had vanished, walking away with absolute finality. Nothing he did could force her out of hiding.
Not until he personally tracked her down.
Then he thought of the radiant, mocking smile she had just flashed him—the pure, unadulterated confidence behind it.
The terror gripping Sebastian became impossible to ignore.
He couldn't risk losing her.
If something happened to Helena, his claim to the company shares would vanish into thin air.
Driven by pure panic, Sebastian violently shook off Janetta's grip without a second thought and lunged forward to give chase.
"Seb!" Janetta shrieked.
She reacted instantly, lunging to grab him.
But it was too late. Sebastian was already sprinting toward the exit.
The abrupt, shocking turn of events plunged the entire venue into dead silence, quickly followed by a furious wave of whispering.
The event staff and assistants were completely dumbfounded, freezing in place as they debated whether to halt the proceedings.
Janetta stood rigidly on stage, the spotlight illuminating the absolute humiliation painted across her face.
In that singular moment, the true meaning behind Helena's mocking smile hit her like a freight train.
Helena had known with absolute certainty that Sebastian would abandon the party to chase her.
Because the child in Helena's womb was the sole key to Sebastian securing his billionaire status.
Janetta clenched her hands into fists, her manicured nails biting into her skin as she fought to suppress her rage.
The Scandal Headline exploded across the internet in seconds: "Sebastian Hayes Dumps Janetta, Chases Mystery Woman Mid-Party!"
The Press quickly recovered from their shock and began hounding Janetta with questions.
Janetta forced herself to remain poised, spinning the narrative to protect Sebastian's image.
"Mr. Hayes has incredibly demanding executive duties. A major corporate crisis must have come up. But it certainly won't ruin my birthday celebration, will it?" Janetta said smoothly, projecting gentle grace.
She knew that the more chaotic things got, the harder she had to work to keep Sebastian's reputation spotless.
If she wanted Sebastian to hate Helena forever, she had to play her cards flawlessly.
Her manager and Janetta's Assistant quickly swooped in to do damage control.
The party resumed as scheduled.

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