To Love a Shadow, To Be the Sun novel Chapter 105

"Oh my God! Is that Mr. Vincent with his stepsister?"

A gasp tore through the crowd, setting off a storm of whispers.

"Look at her necklace—isn't that the exact same one Mr. Vincent is holding right now?"

"That's not all. Check out her dress tonight—the lining matches his suit perfectly. Are they wearing matching outfits, or what?"

"And on their wedding anniversary, no less! Do they have no shame? Poor Mrs. Vincent—this is just cruel."

The room erupted with the sound of smartphones snapping photos, the flashes relentless.

Lina froze, her whole body going numb.

She never imagined Elara would choose such a ruthless way to destroy her.

Did Elara really not care about disgracing the Vincent family?

Clink!

The diamond necklace slipped from Brian's hand and struck the marble floor, shattering the silence with its crisp, ringing echo.

Brian looked as if he'd been struck by lightning, his eyes darting from the screen to Elara in utter disbelief.

"So, Mr. Vincent, did you like my gift?"

A sly, unfathomable smile played across Elara's lips.

Ten long days of swallowing her pain, and finally, she had managed to twist the knife into the softest spot in his chest.

Now, at last, he could taste the agony she had endured.

"Elara!" Brian's hand, hanging by his side, curled into a fist.

"Sis, it's not what it looks like," Lina stammered, desperate to defend herself. "That was in Oslo. We were attending an important event. I didn't have any jewelry, so I borrowed your necklace at the last minute. If it bothered you, I'll apologize."

Elara's smile remained gentle. "Oh, Oslo? Funny—wasn't that the same city where those rumors came out about Brian sneaking into a villa late at night with a mystery woman? If I remember correctly, that was in Oslo too."

As she spoke, the main screen behind them flickered to life, displaying those very photos that the PR team had tried so hard to bury. The murmurs in the hall grew even louder.

She'd wanted to marry Brian—she wouldn't deny that—but for their relationship to be exposed like this, so publicly, was devastating. She would become the Vincent family's disgrace, a stain that could never be washed away.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Elara addressed the guests, her voice unwavering. "My husband and his parents have humiliated me and treated me like dirt for the sake of Miss Vincent here. Whenever I dared protest, they threatened to cut off my grandfather's medication. Tell me, would any of you want your daughter to marry into a family like this?"

Some guests shook their heads; others whispered and pointed at Lina, their faces full of judgment.

"Brian, let's get divorced. We're done."

With that, Elara gathered her dress and strode briskly from the hall, every eye in the room following her.

Brian's jaw clenched, veins bulging at his temple, but there was nothing he could do—this was too public to risk making things worse.

"Brian…" Lina's breath hitched, her knees wobbling beneath her.

But Brian just shot her a cold, emotionless glance. "Take her out of here," he ordered.

The wedding anniversary dinner had devolved into a farce. The guests hovered in awkward silence, unsure whether to leave or stay.

Brian remained rooted to the spot, his face a mask of stone, his knuckles bone-white from the force of his grip.