The Night I Left, He Turned Grey

Spencer Shelby, who was standing to the side, fell silent. It looked like Sean was the one who had brought her in.

But that made sense. Sean truly loved Sarah Lynch, but he had also said with his own mouth that Leila Jennings took great care of him and he had no intention of divorcing her.

Leila Jennings would always be Sean’s legal wife. Bringing one’s wife to a gala dinner was the normal thing to do.

What he couldn’t figure out was, didn’t Sean usually avoid bringing Leila Jennings to these events? Why had he suddenly brought her today?

It was as if he was preparing to make their relationship public.

After a moment’s thought, Spencer Shelby decided to address Leila Jennings. "Sister-in-law."

Sarah Lynch’s face instantly darkened.

But with so many people around, she couldn’t make a scene. She forced a slight smile. "So, Sean brought you."

Leila Jennings neither confirmed nor denied it.

Sarah Lynch continued to size up her rival’s attire. Thankfully, Leila was only wearing simple pearl jewelry, nothing that could compare to the gems Sarah had on. This made her feel slightly better.

"It’s just that Sean doesn’t know how to spoil a woman. Pearls are so plain."

Spencer Shelby, however, thought the pearls suited Leila Jennings perfectly, highlighting her ethereal and noble aura.

She looked absolutely divine.

How had they never noticed it before?

Just as he was admiring her, the woman beside him tugged on his arm and glared. "What are you looking at?"

For Spencer Shelby, who was known for his impossibly high standards, to be paying attention to Leila Jennings was a downright insult to Sarah Lynch.

She really couldn’t see what was so great about Leila that had all the men staring so intently.

Spencer Shelby explained, "That’s my buddy’s girl. Don’t get jealous over nothing."

He didn’t dare say the words "buddy’s wife" in front of Sarah Lynch. If he upset her, Sean would definitely give him trouble.

Even the two words "buddy’s girl" were too much for Sarah Lynch to handle, and her expression darkened further.

"This Ms. Lynch must have a serious problem with her eyes." Cherry Cole crossed her arms. "She can’t even recognize Australian South Sea pearls. I bet she also can’t tell that the gems you’re wearing were cut from leftover scraps."

Sarah Lynch had almost forgotten Cherry Cole was there. Not only was Cherry claiming Leila’s pearls were from the South Sea, but she was also saying the gems Sean Sinclair had bought for her were mere scraps?

"Miss Cole, don’t you think you’re going a bit too far?" Facing a young woman younger than herself, Sarah Lynch wasn’t intimidated.

Cherry Cole shook her head. "Not at all. I’m just pointing out that you don’t know what you’re looking at. And ’pearls are too plain’? The simpler the jewelry, the more demanding it is of the wearer’s own qualities, okay? You aren’t even worthy of wearing pearls."

"Miss Cole!"

"Yes, I’m right here."

Sarah Lynch bit back her anger. "Miss Cole, you’ve stood up for Leila Jennings time and again. I wonder if someone’s using you as their pawn. You’re still young. You should try to avoid associating with older people."

Her tone was intensely condescending.

Cherry Cole smiled. "You’re in no position to lecture me."

"As far as I know, Ms. Lynch is a few months older than both me and Sean," Leila Jennings finally spoke, her voice light, as if she hadn’t been provoked by Sarah Lynch’s deliberate barbs at all. "So, Cherry, let’s go."

Cherry Cole grinned. "Let’s bounce. We don’t associate with old women."

No woman likes being called old.

Sarah Lynch gripped her purse so tightly her hand almost warped. She stepped up to Leila Jennings’s side and whispered, "Leila, what do you have to be so smug about? Sean’s been married to you for four years, and this is the first time he’s ever brought you to an event."

Leila turned her head, her eyes completely unfazed, and retorted, "Sarah Lynch, you’ve had Sean Sinclair’s love for so many years, but has he ever once made your relationship public? He told me you’re his... friend."

The word "friend" was like a dagger twisting in Sarah Lynch’s heart.

Sarah Lynch said coolly, "Married for four years, and he’s never touched you, has he? But us..."

She gave a faint smile.

"You sleep together," Leila finished the sentence for her. "Do you need me to announce it to the world for you?"

"You!" Sarah Lynch stood up straight again and said in a normal voice, "You actually don’t care?"

"Isn’t that just what you wanted?" Leila pulled Cherry Cole away. Cherry was muttering curses, thinking they should have just exposed Sarah Lynch and Sean Sinclair’s sordid affair.

Leila asked her, "Do you want to ruin the gala your brother is hosting?"

Cherry Cole pouted unhappily.

"What did she just say to you?"

"She told me something I already knew."

"So her little act fell completely flat?" Cherry Cole chuckled.

Watching Leila Jennings walk away, Spencer Shelby quickly took out his phone to message Sean Sinclair.

[Sean, your wife and Sarah Lynch almost got into a fight.]

Sean Sinclair, just coming out of a room, saw the message and was visibly stunned. He hadn’t brought Leila Jennings to the gala at all. How could the two of them have run into each other?

Spencer Shelby was surprised.

[You didn’t bring your wife? ]

Sean Sinclair frowned. [Why would I bring her to such an important occasion?]

Spencer Shelby: [Then who did she come with?]

Sean Sinclair was just as confused.

Spencer Shelby sent another message:

[Oh, your wife is with the young miss of the Cole family.]

[Not bad, your wife knows how to network.]

Sean Sinclair’s frown deepened.

Just then, Nathaniel Cole also emerged from a room, shooting him a sideways glance. "President Sinclair actually managed to get an introduction from the renowned Elder Shepherd. How impressive."

Sean Sinclair put his phone away and smiled. "Not as impressive as President Cole, whose mother is a Neville."

It was a clear case of tit for tat.

Nathaniel Cole sneered. "Since you know that, President Sinclair, you’re quite bold."

"Still not as bold as President Cole, who brings another man’s wife to an event," Sean Sinclair retorted, a hint of jealousy in his tone.

Nathaniel Cole understood instantly. Leila Jennings hadn’t come with Sean Sinclair.

’But she hadn’t come with me, either. So how did she get an invitation? Professor Warren isn’t in this field; I didn’t have an invitation sent to him.’

Interesting.

Leila Jennings’s background was clearly not as simple as it seemed.

The key was, Sean Sinclair seemed to be completely in the dark.

A hint of a smile touched the corners of Nathaniel Cole’s eyes.

"Why is it, President Sinclair, that you’re allowed to set fires while the common folk can’t even light their lamps?"

The "magistrate" referred to Sean; "setting fires" and "lighting lamps" meant that if he could bring another female companion, why couldn’t Leila Jennings bring a male one?

Sean Sinclair’s smile froze on his face.

Nathaniel Cole strode past him, with Zachary close behind. As they walked, his assistant said, "I’ve already contacted the young miss. She’s taken Secretary Jennings to see the Chairman and his wife."

Nathaniel Cole stopped in his tracks.

"Who?"

Zachary hesitated. "...Your parents."

Nathaniel Cole was speechless.

He strode over and saw his mother, dressed in a long gown, talking to Leila Jennings.

"I heard from Cherry that you’re Nathaniel’s secretary now?"

"Yes, Ms. Neville." Facing the kind-looking woman, Leila Jennings seemed a bit reserved.

"You don’t need to be nervous," Ms. Neville said with a smile. "How old are you?"

Leila was taken aback. "Twenty-eight."

"Twenty-eight! Oh, twenty-eight is a wonderful age. Nathaniel is also twenty-eight this year. You know, he’s refused to find a girlfriend, and I’ve been worried sick. I’m afraid that one day his face will sag and he’ll get a paunch and no woman will want him..."

"Mom!" Nathaniel Cole arrived just in time to hear this, his temples throbbing with irritation.