I Stopped Loving Him When He Let Me Bleed Out novel Chapter 490

The first woman spoke again.

"To get an exceptional promotion at that age, she either has insane connections, or she's genuinely brilliant."

The other woman chuckled.

"If there's one thing our social circle lacks, it's government officials with actual, undeniable talent."

Sienna's expression remained perfectly neutral.

Mrs. Townsend happened to be strolling past and caught the tail end of the exchange, her footsteps slowing slightly.

She cast a casual glance in Sienna's direction.

She had also heard her husband mention that famous female inspector from the Health Commission. If she remembered correctly, the woman's last name was Sterling, too.

But she failed to connect the two identities in her head, treating the brief coincidence as nothing more than a fleeting thought.

Just then, a wave of commotion rippled from the main entrance.

Someone recognized the new arrival and eagerly rushed forward.

"Mr. Zane is here!"

Sienna followed the sound and blinked in surprise.

Paxton Zane had actually shown up.

Paxton was wearing a dark grey tailored suit, a rare departure from his usual casual attire.

He exchanged a few polite pleasantries with the surrounding crowd, making a slow circuit with his drink.

"Mr. Zane, you're practically untouchable now! After that trip, you've returned an absolute master. Your reputation is bigger than ever."

Paxton absorbed the excessive flattery without a shred of modesty, taking it all in stride.

"I'll be hosting an exhibition right here in the city soon. I expect all of you to grace it with your presence."

"Absolutely!"

"It would be an honor."

The reason everyone was fawning over Paxton was simple.

Several of his paintings were up for auction tonight.

Up until this point, his artwork had been notoriously impossible to acquire.

Aside from the pieces being auctioned off tonight, dozens of people in the room were desperate to commission him privately.

He was usually a ghost, so tonight was a golden opportunity.

"Oh, Mr. Zane?"

Ignoring the sycophants, Paxton cut straight through the crowd, heading directly toward a quiet corner of the room.

Under the watchful eyes of the entire hall, he came to a dead stop right in front of Sienna.

He leaned casually against the cocktail table next to her, looking perfectly at ease, as if he'd just gotten tired of walking and needed a place to rest.

Soren Beaumont, the eldest son of the Beaumont family, immediately hurried over with his wife to greet him.

Their precious only daughter was studying art and was completely obsessed with Paxton's style; they already had several of his pieces in their private collection.

Running into the artist himself at the gala was an opportunity they simply couldn't miss.

Sasha had been chatting with her brother and sister-in-law.

Panic flashed across Sasha's face.

While her eldest brother spoiled her, he wasn't blindly indulgent like her other two brothers; she was actually genuinely intimidated by him.

She gripped her glass tightly and clamped her mouth shut.

Sienna ignored the drama entirely, keeping her focus on Paxton.

"Did you set the reserve prices for those paintings yet?"

Paxton nodded.

"Yeah. If you think we're undervaluing them, I can have them adjusted."

Sienna shook her head.

"Stick to your numbers. I don't interfere with the art side."

The entire crowd absorbed the interaction in stunned silence.

The casual, breezy dynamic between Paxton and Sienna made it glaringly obvious how deep their alliance ran.

There wasn't a hint of romantic tension between them; their dynamic felt more like genuine family—far closer than the stiff, performative sibling bond between Soren and Sasha.

"But honestly, the bookstore hasn't been mine for a while," Paxton sighed dramatically.

Soren blinked, entirely thrown off guard.

"What do you mean?"

Paxton tilted his head toward Sienna.

"She's the boss. I just work for her now. Who gets to buy my paintings and who doesn't is entirely up to her."