Chapter Six : Shedding the Mask

Her finger pressed down on the mouse, executing the final command. The email vanished from her screen, carrying the masterfully crafted, data-heavy Boston presentation directly to Camden Kensington's inbox. The digital clock in the corner of her monitor flipped to exactly four o'clock. Sienna leaned back in her ergonomic chair, exhaling a breath that ruffled her itchy, synthetic bangs. She had engineered a masterpiece of financial analysis, balancing the severe risks against the potential windfalls of the acquisition, while making sure her critical, dissenting views were prominently featured on the final slides. However, she had made one deliberate omission. She left out Camden’s highly classified secret findings regarding the Norton R&D tech. That intel was too volatile, and keeping it off the standard corporate servers was the only way to protect the information.

She packed her leather bag, her head throbbing a steady, dull rhythm against her temples. The suffocating air of the corporate floor felt heavier today, and she decided she needed to leave early.

Marjorie looked up from her neat desk as Sienna walked past the reception area. "Leaving already, Mrs. Dalton? It's barely past four-thirty."

"Headache," Sienna replied smoothly, adjusting the lapels of her muddy-gray, oversized pantsuit. "I will finish anything left undone at home over the weekend."

"What if Mr. Kensington calls for revisions?"

Sienna paused near the glass double doors. "He has my cell number if it's an emergency. But I'm sure it won't be."

The cab ride through the late afternoon traffic was a blur of yellow metal and gray pavement. Sienna did not head straight home. Instead, she took a discreet detour to a private medical clinic. The sterile, white-walled room offered no comfort as the doctor drew her blood for an expedited panel of STD tests. It was a necessary, humiliating precaution. She could not trust a single thing about her husband anymore, least of all her own physical safety.

Leaving the clinic with a small bandage on her inner arm and the doctor's promise to call with the results tomorrow afternoon, she finally returned to the quiet gloom of her empty apartment. It was just as silent as she expected. She dropped her keys on the console table and checked her phone. A text from Gavin sat on her lock screen, received an hour ago.

*Working late again. Don't wait up.*

Sienna stared at the glowing letters and scoffed out loud. It was a transparent, pathetic lie. She fully assumed "working late" meant he was sweating on top of their nineteen-year-old housekeeper, Chloe. A girl barely out of high school. Gavin was thirty-five and legally married. If Chloe had not been a teenager, Sienna might have felt a fraction better about the betrayal, but the reality just felt deeply wrong. The sheer audacity of his deception turned her stomach.

Profoundly relieved to be completely alone in her own home, Sienna marched straight into the master bedroom. It was time to shed the oppressive weight of her corporate disguise. She stood in front of the vanity mirror and gripped the edges of the itchy brown wig. With a sharp pull, she ripped it off and tossed it onto the glass surface, sighing with relief. Next went the heavy fake glasses, clattering against the wood. She unbuttoned the frumpy blazer, letting it drop to the floor, followed by the shapeless, oversized trousers.

For years, she had contorted herself to fit Gavin’s controlling, highly conservative preferences regarding how his "wife" should present herself in public. He dictated modest, unassuming outfits designed to ensure she never attracted male attention. He hated heels because they made her too close to his height. He hated bold colors.

Tonight, she didn't care what Gavin liked. He wasn't invited, and his rules were dead.

Defying years of suppression, Sienna deliberately embraced her true, vibrant self. She walked to the back of her expansive closet and pulled out a stunning, curve-hugging black dress she hadn't touched in years. The fabric slid perfectly over her hips, dipping just low enough to show cleavage without crossing into inappropriate territory. She stepped into a pair of towering black stiletto heels, the four-inch spikes instantly elongating her legs.

In the bathroom, she applied striking, bold makeup with practiced precision. Dark eyeliner and mascara accentuated her large green eyes, defining her high cheekbones. A vibrant, deep red lipstick completed the look, harmonizing flawlessly with the natural, fiery cascade of her long red hair as she brushed it until it gleamed. The woman staring back at her from the mirror was a stranger—or at least, she had been a stranger for the past few years. Sienna smiled at her reflection.

Before heading out the door, she had work to do. She retrieved the small, discreet package delivered earlier that morning. Inside were state-of-the-art, motion-activated hidden cameras. She moved methodically through the quiet apartment, planting the tiny lenses in strategic locations to flawlessly document Gavin's impending betrayal. The first went into the living room, angled directly at the expansive couch. The second went into the kitchen, the third monitored the hallway and front door, and the last two were pointed toward the master bedroom and the spare bedroom.

She pulled out her phone, syncing the devices to a secure app. Live surveillance feeds populated her screen. She sent a quick confirmation text to her private investigator, Arthur.

*Camera surveillance set up tonight. Will keep you updated.*

Satisfied the trap was set, Sienna grabbed her purse and headed out into the evening.

Marcella’s was a bustling, incredibly upscale New York restaurant, loud with the clatter of silver and Friday night energy. Sienna wove gracefully through the crowded tables, ignoring the lingering stares of passing patrons. In a plush corner booth, she spotted her two closest college friends, Gemma and Stella, already nursing expensive cocktails.

Gemma saw her first and stood up, waving enthusiastically. "Holy shit, she emerges!" Gemma exclaimed as Sienna approached the table. "The real Sienna Winslow graces us with her presence!"

Stella, more reserved but equally pleased, stood to embrace her. "You look stunning. What's the occasion?"

Sienna did not waste a single second with small talk. Sliding smoothly into her curved leather seat, she looked her friends dead in the eyes and instantly dropped the massive bomb. "I'm getting divorced."

Both women froze instantly, their expensive martinis suspended absurdly in mid-air halfway to their mouths.

"I'm sorry, what?" Gemma leaned forward, lowering her voice. "You're divorcing Gavin?"

"Found a hot pink thong wedged deep in our living room couch cushions last night," Sienna explained casually. She reached out, accepting the gin and tonic a passing waiter had just set down for her. She took a generous, burning sip of the alcohol. "Extra small, definitely not mine."

Stella slammed her glass onto the table, abandoning every ounce of her refined medical professionalism. "That motherfucker," she hissed aggressively. "I knew something was off with him. God, men are dogs."

Gemma shook her head, sliding closer and placing a comforting hand on Sienna’s arm. "Are you okay? I mean, obviously you're not okay, but... how are you truly handling this?"

"Surprisingly well," Sienna admitted honestly. She rotated her shoulders, realizing that the tight, painful tension that had plagued her for years was finally easing. "I think I have suspected his cheating for a while. Finding the physical evidence was almost a relief. I just desperately need solid, undeniable evidence for the prenup. I've already hired a PI, had my blood tested just in case, and set up cameras in the apartment. If he's caught officially cheating on video, the infidelity clause kicks in and he gets absolutely nothing."

"Wow… Cameras?" Gemma's eyes widened in shock. "You're not confronting him directly?"

"Not yet. I need undeniable, high-definition video proof first," Sienna said firmly, sipping her drink. "He has been gaslighting me for years. Making me think I'm the paranoid problem. Making me feel like I work too much, that I'm not sexy enough, that I'm too cold in bed. If I confront him now without proof, he'll just deny everything. He is so charming when he wants to be, he would manipulate any judge into believing him over me."

She forcefully reiterated to her friends that she was completely determined to protect her assets. When her mother died twelve years ago, her billionaire father had set everything up in a massive, secret family trust fund. When Sienna turned twenty-five two months ago, she gained full access to the shares, gold, and global property. That money quietly placed her name on the Forbes list of the richest people in the world. It was the real, hidden reason she was forced to hide behind the boring Ruth Dalton disguise in the first place—to escape her father's massive, overbearing shadow and avoid men who only wanted her wealth.

"To taking out the trash," Stella said, raising her glass high. "And making him pay for it by getting none of your money."

They clinked their glasses. The conversation eventually shifted to lighter topics, the familiar rhythm of their friendship making Sienna realize how much she had missed this freedom.

As they perused the dinner menus, Gemma twirled her cocktail straw. "So, now that the marriage is over, are you going to finally drop the dreary Ruth Dalton act at work, too?"

Sienna laughed softly, nearly choking on her drink. "God, no. That corporate disguise must remain strictly in place. I love numbers and I love being a CFO. Ruth is not connected to Gavin at all; she exists so I can keep an eye on the business I own ten percent of, without being known as Victor Winslow's daughter. Could you imagine the chaos if Camden Kensington found out?"

"The infamous Camden Kensington," Stella mused. "The way you talk about him, he sounds like a corporate supervillain."

"He is..." Sienna paused, considering her words. After today's interaction, her perspective was slightly skewed. "He is brilliant, but deeply arrogant. Today, though, he actually shocked me. He directly complimented my financial work, which was completely new."

"Maybe he's not as bad as you—" Gemma stopped mid-sentence. Her jaw dropped, her eyes going wide and completely fixed on the grand entrance of the busy restaurant. "Holy shit."

"What?" Sienna turned to follow her gaze.

"Don't look!" Gemma hissed loudly, but human nature took over, and it was already too late.

Near the entrance, being led through the crowded room by the deferential maître d', was Camden Kensington himself. He looked devastatingly handsome in a dark, tailored suit that hugged his broad shoulders. But he was not alone. Clinging tightly to his muscular arm, smiling brightly and laughing at whatever he was saying, was an elegantly beautiful, stunningly thin blonde woman.

"That's Camden Kensington?" Stella whispered, impressed. "That man is sex on legs."

Gemma quickly squints, analyzing the woman on his arm. "And that blonde is definitely not Valerie DuPont. Everyone knows he's engaged to Valerie. She tells everyone she meets in the industry. That is someone else entirely."

Sienna stared intently at her powerful boss. Camden offered the blonde a charming smile, leaning in close as the maître d' showed them to a table. The crushing weight of male deception slammed into Sienna all over again. It was a universal sickness. Gavin playing the devoted husband while sneaking around with a teenager. Camden playing the committed billionaire fiancé while parading a secret blonde around an upscale Italian restaurant.

Her trust in the entire male species, already thoroughly obliterated by Gavin, sank even lower. Maybe Camden's dinner was innocent, but Sienna felt like scoffing. She had zero faith left. They were all liars.

"I need another drink," Sienna mutters darkly, raising her hand high to immediately signal the waiter.