Grace stands frozen for a moment.
Amanda’s expression and tone take her back to their university days. It feels like she’s seeing the old Amanda again—the one who stood confidently in front of large crowds, fearless and full of energy.
She remembers how Amanda led their debate team, always believing she could bring victory to her side.
Grace breaks into a big smile.
Suddenly, she doesn’t care anymore—winning or losing, none of it matters. Henry, Fiona—all of that feels unimportant now.
What truly matters is this: Amanda has found her way back.
Grace had invited Amanda to the bar to help her relax, meet new people, and maybe forget her troubles for a while.
She just wanted Amanda to have a break, even if it meant using alcohol to dull her pain.
She knew how much Amanda had loved Riley, and even though Amanda had decided to divorce him, Grace was scared that
Back at the hotel, Amanda finishes the listing process. She closes her incense shop online too—just for now. She is trying to find a way to run it in another country.The days are full. When she’s not working on documents, she sketches. She watches online classes with her tea in hand, jotting down notes, pausing often to think. Watercolor, character design, composition—she takes her time with each topic.She’ll live in Italy for a long time. Amanda is quite excited about it. And Alessio. I can ask for some advice from Alessio, she thinks.One afternoon, she texts Alessio. “Hey, I got a new job. I’m moving to Milan soon.”His reply comes almost instantly. “WHAT! Amanda!! I’m so proud of you. Seriously. Let me know the exact day—you better let me pick you up from the airport. Promise?”Amanda laughs under her breath.
Amanda leans back in her chair, eyes half-closed. A small smile touches her lips—not happy, but thoughtful. No matter what he says, no matter if he ever really loved her or not… Riley never once tried to cheap out. Not with money.Amanda sets the pen down and pushes the thick folder aside. The room is quiet again, just the soft hum of the air conditioner. Outside the windows, the city glows golden, lights blinking slowly in the warm dusk. She doesn’t reach for her phone. Doesn’t turn on the TV. She just sits there, one leg folded under her, fingers brushing lightly against the edge of the table.So even though Riley wasn’t a good husband, Amanda doesn’t really hate him. Not deeply. Money’s one reason—he never held back when it came to that. Another reason is the things she learned from him. In work. In how to deal with people. How to stand her ground without yelling. How to pick your battles.&
Amanda slides her laptop shut and leans back on the wide hotel bed, the sheets crisp and cool against her skin. The room is silent except for the low hum of central air. Soft recessed lights glow above her, set into a ceiling carved with subtle molding. Thick curtains hang over the floor-to-ceiling windows, blocking the Milan skyline outside. A velvet armchair sits by the window. A glass decanter of water waits on the marble-topped bar cart. Everything smells faintly of white tea and fresh linen. She doesn’t move. Just stares at the untouched fruit bowl on the glossy table beside her. She doesn’t move. Just stares at the water ring left by her tea mug on the bedside table.Her phone buzzes. A message from Celia Liu. “Hey! Good news. Just got word from a contact. One of the top studios here in Milan saw your résumé and they’re interested. They want to interview you.”Amanda stares at the screen for
A waterlogged sponge seems lodged in Riley’s chest, each breath squeezing out sour dampness. He grabs his phone from the side table. His thumbs hover over the screen. Stilllight. He types it in.The first result pops up fast. Minimalist website. Earthy colors. Thin serif font. He taps the link.There it is. Amanda’s world. Her story. Her scents. Her designs. She even wrote the product descriptions. He can tell. The rhythm in the lines. The quiet way she turns a sentence. He sees her in every page. He scrolls. Then scrolls slower.No perfume. There’re only incense sticks. Incense sticks. And incense sticks.So Shawn’s perfume? Sold out? Or… customized?And now all Riley can picture is Amanda bottling that scent, boxing it carefully—and Shawn wearing it. Day after day. Without ever knowing it tied him to her.He wipes
Riley leans back, hands on his knees, breathing shallow. His mouth opens. Then closes. He doesn’t know what to say. When it comes down to it, this is his fault. Shawn’s right, Amanda couldn’t have hidden it from him even if she tried. No—he was the one who refused to listen. And now, he has no defense left. He doesn’t press Shawn about how he knows—most likely, Lily has already told him long ago.Rex finally speaks. “Damn. You really didn’t know?”Riley shakes his head. Slowly. “No. I didn’t.” He feels stupid. Worse than stupid.Amanda started a business. A brand. Built something from scratch. And he missed all of it. Not because she hid it—but because he didn’t bother to look. He thought he was watching her slip away. But maybe he’d just stopped paying attention a long time ago.He clears his throat. “Do
Riley turns his glass slowly in his hand. And yeah. Maybe that’s why Rex liked Amanda too. That quiet way she carried herself. The calm. The ease. She didn’t need the room to love her. She didn’t chase approval. She had it all built in—like her kindness and confidence grew naturally, without being forced. A good home. Loving parents. The kind of emotional foundation none of them had.Amanda never had to pretend. But they did. Riley and Rex both.They wore their calm like a mask. Showed up in boardrooms with sharp eyes and clean suits. But underneath—just noise. People like them are always drawn to someone like Amanda. Because she is a icon who can empower others, especially people like Riley and Rex.Riley lifts his glass again but doesn’t drink this time. “No kidding. You really sticking around?” he asks.Rex raises both hands. “Is this my annual