Farewell to Love: The CEO's Desperate Chase novel Chapter 186

Time slipped by in a blur. On the other side of town, Vivienne was oblivious to everything unfolding that day; her mind was consumed with Serena.

Yet, as the hours passed and the scandal surrounding Emilia and Christian exploded online, Serena never reached out.

Was she ignoring the headlines, or just too proud to admit she was wrong?

With a sigh, Vivienne pulled up Serena's number and sent her a message.

Meanwhile, Emilia had just dropped Bella off and was driving home alone when her phone buzzed. She stopped at a red light and glanced down.

A message from Serena's number.

But the sender was Vivienne.

"Have you seen the news? This proves what I told you was true. This is your last chance. Work with me, and I'll stand by you to the end."

On the curb, a broken streetlamp fizzled and flickered, casting the car's interior in shifting shadows.

Emilia ignored Vivienne's message and scrolled to another conversation.

Chloe.

It was a message from a few days ago. Emilia had intended to come up with an excuse to skip Chloe's wine tasting event. She had a bad feeling about it—it didn't seem like the kind of party she wanted to attend. But before she could send her regrets, Chloe messaged her, too.

"You have to come to the wine tasting, Emilia. If I were you, I wouldn't miss it. Don't forget what I learned in Cerulion, or that the Dennis family's old business is still with The Erickson Group. You know what I mean."

The streetlamp outside crackled again; the car's cabin pulsed with light and shadow. The red light turned green. Emilia put her phone aside, started the engine, and merged back into traffic.

She understood now—there was no way out of this wine tasting.

Even if it was a setup, she'd have to walk in and face whatever was coming. At least there, she could improvise.

But this? This was a spectacle. Not their usual style at all.

Emilia arrived at the hotel and met Tyler at the entrance, just as they'd arranged.

Tyler's eyes narrowed the moment he saw her dress. She wasn't wearing the gown he'd picked out for her. Emilia shot him a look—she knew exactly what he was thinking. Her dress was borrowed from Christian's side. She wanted nothing tying her to Tyler.

She didn't bother explaining, and the two of them walked inside together.

The ballroom was warm and inviting, bathed in golden light. Elegant piano music drifted through the air as guests in evening gowns and tuxedos mingled, chatting in low voices with wine glasses in hand. The scent of fine wine hung in the air.

Tyler drew attention wherever he went—tonight was no exception. The moment they entered, dozens of eyes landed on him. Photographers snapped away.

Within minutes, the news was everywhere—Emilia and Tyler attending Chloe's welcome gala together. After weeks of seeing Tyler with Vivienne, this was the first time in ages the real couple had appeared side by side.