Year Five The Perfect Goodbye Plan novel Chapter 84

Silvia shot him a sharp, icy look. “You don’t regret what you did,” she said coldly. “You just regret that there’s no one left on your side.”

“That’s not true. I love you,” Shipley insisted, as if saying it aloud would somehow make it true.

He pulled her into his arms, trying to recreate the old days—when a hug, a kiss, and a few whispered apologies could always win her back.

“Let me go—”

Click.

Silvia didn’t finish. The dressing room door slammed open, forced from the outside.

Kent stepped in, dropping his tools the moment he saw what was happening. He strode over, pried Silvia from Shipley’s grasp, and looked her over from head to toe, making sure she was unharmed, before pulling her protectively into his arms.

Kent was tall and broad-shouldered; when he wrapped his arm around Silvia, she seemed completely enveloped by him. Together, they looked strikingly well-matched.

They stayed close, a silent but unmistakable barrier between themselves and Shipley.

Shipley narrowed his eyes, watching Silvia nestle against Kent. Suddenly, he gave a bitter laugh. “You’ve been close to Kent ever since Luminova City. Lined up your next guy already, huh, Silvia?”

Silvia started to answer, but Kent’s hand pressed gently against the back of her head, keeping her close, not letting her move.

Her emotions tangled inside her. What Shipley said about her and Kent was ugly—and completely wrong.

Shipley froze, as if he hadn’t heard correctly. He clenched his jaw. “You think you can just snap your fingers and take it from me?”

“Not on my own,” Kent said with a smirk, his arm still wrapped around Silvia’s waist. “But with her by my side, joining me at the table, that was all it took.”

The words landed like a punch.

Silvia suddenly remembered: she had gone with Kent to a dinner in Luminova City, meeting some of the local developers. So that was the project they’d been discussing.

Kent had taken more than a few deals from Shipley over the years. She used to resent him for it. Now, it just felt like Shipley was getting exactly what he deserved.

Kent didn’t bother waiting for Shipley’s response. He leaned in, voice calm and ruthless. “You have thirty seconds to confirm who owns the project now. Then thirty more to get out of here. After that—whatever deals you have left, I’ll take them too.”