Game Over, You Have Been Replaced

When the paparazzi leaked the photos of Julian’s affair, he ignored eighty-six of my calls. He was so arrogant because he knew I wouldn't throw a tantrum. He thought I would just quietly clean up his mess, like I always did. But this time, he was wrong. I bypassed him entirely and called a live press conference. "Yes, it’s true. Julian Hayes cheated." "Since his actions have severely damaged the reputation of Hayes Group, I will be stepping in to take over as CEO, effective immediately." The news exploded online. By 3:00 AM, Julian was desperately calling my phone over and over. My housekeeper, Maria, stood by my bed, trying to persuade me. "Sienna, if Julian is truly sorry, please give him one more chance." "You two have been together for eight years. It hasn't been easy!" I let out a cold laugh. "This time, it’s different." My assistant’s report, along with a stack of high-definition photos, sat on my desk. I didn't look at the text first. Instead, I picked up the photos. They weren't cheap shots of them entering a hotel room. Nor were they feeding each other in some restaurant. Those were too cliché. In these photos, Julian was standing on a chilly autumn street, buying a cup of hot cocoa and some roasted chestnuts for a girl named Bianca Miller. The autumn mist swirled around them. He took off his expensive cashmere coat and gently draped it over her fragile shoulders. She looked up at him, her smile radiating pure innocence. And Julian… he was looking at her. His eyes were focused, tender, and held a touch of… humility. A vulnerability I had never seen in him before. It was the kind of look a man gives when he wants to lay the entire world at a woman's feet. My fingertips turned ice-cold. We had been together for eight long years, and he had never once looked at me that way. Playing around was one thing. But falling in love? That was a line he should have never crossed. That was our sole, final boundary. I closed my eyes. When I opened them, they were crystal clear. I picked up the office phone. "Notify all board members. Emergency meeting in fifteen minutes." "Also, contact the media. I want a press conference scheduled for 3:00 PM today." My assistant's voice trembled slightly over the line. "Sienna, is this… about Julian?" "Yes." I said just one word and hung up. Julian thought Hayes Group belonged to him. He was dead wrong. He was just a figurehead CEO, a polished puppet pushed to the front stage. The ultimate decision-making power of Hayes Group had always been in my hands. Years ago, old Arthur Hayes lay on his deathbed, gripping my hand with what little strength he had left. "Sienna… Julian has been spoiled since he was a boy. He's reckless and undisciplined…" "I’m afraid that once I’m gone, he won't be able to protect this empire." The old man’s cloudy eyes were filled with desperate pleading. "Keep this trust agreement safe." "I can only rest in peace knowing the company is in your hands." "Protect him, but don't let him… destroy the Hayes family legacy." I had promised him. As long as Julian didn't cross the line, the Hayes Group would always bear the Hayes name. But now, the line had been crossed. I had to kick him out of the game. Two hours later, at the press conference, the media erupted. It was exactly 3:00 AM when I finally returned to my villa. My phone was vibrating frantically on the nightstand. Now it was Julian’s turn. The screen displayed 101 missed calls. Maria, the housekeeper, knocked timidly on my door. "Sienna…" "If Julian knows he made a mistake, please give him another chance." Her voice cracked with emotion. "You two have been together for eight years. It wasn't easy to build this life!" I walked bare-foot off the bed, the cold marble floor sending a sharp chill through my soles. I picked up my buzzing phone. Yes, eight years. He had strayed before, and every single time, I forgave him. I covered for him. I cleaned up his scandals. But this time, I only smirked and shook my head. "No, Maria. This time is different." But still, right in front of her, I swiped to answer the call. Instantly, Julian’s furious, breathless roar blasted through the speaker. "Sienna! Are you out of your mind?! Do you have any idea what you've done?!""What the hell are you trying to do?! Destroying me does you no good!" I didn't say a word. I just listened quietly. I listened to his tone shift from pure rage to accusation, and finally, to a faint, barely-noticeable trace of panic. On the other end of the line, I could hear the howling wind. And the roar of a car engine. As expected. Less than ten minutes later, the front door of the villa was slammed open with a deafening bang. Julian stormed in, drenched in the cold night rain. Water dripped from his tailored suit trousers, staining the polished floor. And right behind him stood a shivering figure. Bianca. She wore a thin white sundress, her wet hair plastered to her face. Her eyes were red and swollen, and she shrank back timidly behind Julian. What a perfect, fragile little white lotus. Julian’s chest heaved violently, his eyes bloodshot. "Sienna, you owe me an explanation." I leaned back against the sofa, not even bothering to shift my posture. My gaze bypassed him entirely and landed on Bianca. "Who is she?" Julian froze. Clearly, he hadn't expected me to ask that. Subconsciously, he stepped back, shielding Bianca even more protectively. "She's Bianca, my assistant. But that doesn't matter!" He raised his voice, trying to regain control of the conversation. "What matters is, what right do you have to call a press conference? What right do you have to take over my company? That is my company!" "Your company?" I smiled. I picked up the cup of chamomile tea from the table—which had already gone cold—and took a slow sip. "Julian, did you forget who put you in that CEO chair in the first place?" His face instantly turned ash-gray. "Sienna, don't push me too far! Does our eight-year relationship mean nothing to you over a couple of stupid photos?" Behind him, Bianca started sobbing right on cue. "Julian, I’m so sorry, this is all my fault… If it weren't for me, you and Sienna wouldn't be fighting like this…" She wept, her large, innocent eyes casting a subtle, cautious glance at me. Was that a silent victory lap? I set my teacup down, stood up, and walked over to stand right in front of them. My eyes, however, remained fixed on Bianca. "Photos?" I repeated softly, then shook my head. "What got you kicked out wasn't the photos." I turned my gaze to Julian, meeting his angry, confused stare. I spoke clearly, letting every single word sink in. "It was the way you looked at her." "Julian, you can play around all you want." "But falling in love? No." The color drained from his face, inch by inch. I didn't spare him another glance. I simply turned to Maria, who was hovering nervously by the door. "Maria, call security." Maria looked torn. "Sienna…" "Please escort Julian," I paused, "and this young lady, off the property." Julian stared at me as if I had just told a hilarious joke. "Sienna! You wouldn't dare! This is my house!" "Oh?" I arched an eyebrow. "Starting tomorrow morning, the security system will be updated with my biometric data. Your fingerprints and face ID will be wiped." "Do you really think you'll be able to step foot in here again?"The security guards shut the heavy doors with a satisfying click. Julian’s raging shouts and Bianca’s soft whimpers were cut off instantly. I poured myself a glass of red wine and dialed my assistant, Chloe. "Sienna." Her voice was as calm and sharp as ever—my most reliable weapon. "Did he go back to the office?" I asked. "Yes, about thirty minutes ago." "He's calling an emergency meeting with all the department heads, trying to 'stabilize the ship.'" I checked my watch. It was 7:00 AM. "Let him." "Also," Chloe hesitated, "he contacted the media. He's hosting a personal press conference at 3:00 PM today in the building's main lobby." I chuckled. "He moves fast." "Sienna, do you want us to shut it down?" "No, do absolutely nothing." I walked over to the floor-to-ceiling window, looking out at the city skyline. "Find the best angle, set up a camera, and live-stream the entire thing." "I want to watch the show." I spent the entire morning doing my skincare routine and some yoga. At 3:00 PM sharp, I sat in front of my office screen. On the display, Julian appeared wearing a sleek charcoal suit. His hair was meticulously styled, but the dark circles under his eyes betrayed his exhaustion. Still, he carried an air of desperate determination. "Members of the press," Julian’s voice was slightly hoarse. "First, I want to sincerely apologize for allowing my personal life to take up public attention." He bowed deeply. Quite a performance. "My wife, Sienna, and I have been together for eight years. In those eight years, we've had our share of arguments and misunderstandings, but our bond has always been deep." His eyes swept toward the camera, as if he could see me through the screen. "This time, it was nothing more than a minor domestic dispute. But because of my position, it was blown out of proportion." He was downplaying it, spinning a blatant affair into a "minor dispute." "As for the press conference Sienna held yesterday…" He paused, a bitter, self-deprecating smile playing on his lips. "She only did that because she loves me too much. She was hurt. Women can be emotional and dramatic at times." "I love her, so I am willing to tolerate her emotional outbursts." The journalists in the crowd began whispering. "Julian, are you admitting to having an affair?" one reporter yelled out. "I admit that I made a mistake—a lapse in judgment that any man under immense pressure might make," he replied, looking shockingly shameless. "But my relationship with Bianca is strictly professional. I admire her talent as an employee, but there is absolutely nothing romantic between us." "The only woman I have ever loved, and will ever love, is my wife, Sienna." He spoke with such raw, convincing emotion that he almost fooled the entire room. If only I didn't know the truth. Chloe stood behind me, her brows knitted in a tight frown. "Sienna, he’s gaslighting the public. He's painting you as a hysterical, jealous wife who's acting out of spite." "Don't worry." I took a sip of my coffee and blew on the steam. "Let him finish his little show." The moment the press conference ended, my phone rang. It was Julian. His voice was dripping with smug satisfaction. "Sienna, did you watch?" "Now everyone thinks you're just throwing a tantrum. If you come out right now and apologize to me, we can go back to how things were." "We can put this whole thing behind us." I listened quietly. I didn't speak until he had uttered his very last word. "Julian." I spoke softly. "Do you actually think you've won?" He seemed taken aback by my calm tone. "Stop being stubborn! The board members are all on my side. You have nothing to fight me with!" "The board?" I laughed as if he had just said something incredibly stupid. "Do you mean Director Reynolds, Director Carter, or Mr. Sterling?" "Julian, you can't seriously be naive enough to think they answer to you." The line went dead silent. "What… what do you mean by that?" His voice started to crack. "Nothing much," I whispered, a cold smile spreading across my face. "I just wanted to remind you of a few things." "The venue you used for your little press conference? That's 'my company.'" "The money you used to pay off the journalists for those favorable articles? That came from the company's PR budget." "And those board members you’re using to threaten me…" I paused on purpose, enjoying the sound of his increasingly heavy breathing over the line. "Their shares are actually held in trust. Under my name." "Julian, take a wild guess." "Who is the one actually getting kicked out of the game?"I didn't stay on the line to listen to him smash whatever glass was nearby. Not even ten minutes after I hung up, Chloe’s voice came from behind me. "Sienna, he’s arrived at the office." "He brought his own security detail and forced his way into the top-floor boardroom." "He's calling an emergency meeting with all the directors." I took a slow sip of my red wine. "Let him make a scene." "The directors… they seem a bit shaken," Chloe added, a hint of worry in her voice. I set my wine glass down and stood up, smoothing out my dress. "Then let’s go see how he plans to perform his final act." I pushed open the heavy double doors of the penthouse boardroom. Julian was sitting at the head of the long mahogany table, his eyes bloodshot. The moment he saw me, he slammed his hands down and stood up. "Sienna! You finally decided to show up!" I glanced around the room. The directors who used to bow and scrape to him were now staring at the table, quiet as statues. "This is my company. Why wouldn't I show up?" I walked straight to the opposite end of the table, pulled out the chair directly facing him, and sat down. "You—" He choked on his words, momentarily speechless. "This company's name is Hayes!" He slammed the table again, roaring at the board members. "Are you all mute?! Tell her! Tell her who the real owner of this place is!" No one answered. Julian’s face flushed from red to a dark, angry purple. "Fine. Great. Incredible." He pointed a trembling finger at me, then at the silent directors. "Sienna, you think you can just buy off a few old men and freeze me out?" "Lest you forget, this empire was built by my father!" "I am his only son! I am the sole heir of the Hayes Group!" He screamed, his voice cracking with desperation. I chuckled. "Julian, do you honestly think your father would leave an empire of this scale entirely to a spoiled, incompetent trust-fund baby like you?" His pupils dilated. "What did you just say?" I didn't look at him. Instead, my gaze drifted to the wall behind his seat. Hanging there was a large portrait of Arthur Hayes. "You seem to have forgotten," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "Before your father passed, he left one final document." In that instant, Julian’s face turned paper-white. "How… how do you know about that?" I gave Chloe a quick nod. She understood immediately and tapped on her tablet, projecting a document onto the massive screen behind me. It was titled: *The Trust Addendum*. "No… that’s impossible…" Julian muttered, taking a staggered step backward. "I read the will. There was no such thing…" "The version you read was the public draft," I said, my cold gaze locking onto his face. "But this one… this is the private addendum your father left specifically for me." On the screen, the bolded text was highlighted in sharp red. *“All shares of the Hayes Group under my name shall be inherited by my son, Julian Hayes, subject to one sole condition: his marriage to Sienna Vance remains intact, and Julian Hayes commits no acts of infidelity.”* *“Should this condition be breached, the power of execution shall belong solely to Sienna Vance.”* *“Upon her execution of this clause, Julian Hayes shall immediately, unconditionally, and permanently forfeit all Hayes Group shares to Sienna Vance.”* A collective gasp echoed through the boardroom. Julian swayed on his feet, forcing himself to grip the edge of the table to keep from collapsing. "Fake… this has to be a forgery!" "Sienna, you calculating bitch! You forged my father's will!" I stood up and slowly walked toward him. "A forgery?" I let out a soft laugh. "Julian, have you forgotten?" "During your father's final days, who was the one feeding him his medicine, spoonful by spoonful? Who was the one staying up night after night by his bedside?" I watched the last drop of color drain from his face, thoroughly satisfied. "It wasn't you, Julian." "It wasn't the 'loving son' who almost missed his own father's funeral because he was too busy vacationing with another woman."