Chapter 5

*AURORA*

But I didn't have the luxury of pondering the deeper meaning behind his words. I pushed him away forcefully, my determined gaze signaling him to let go of me.

Frantically, I opened my bag and rummaged through it, finally pulling out 10 hundred-dollar bills.

Feeling a bit guilty, I placed it on the bed and forced an awkward smile. "Thank you for taking the time. Consider this... payment for tonight."

However, Damon's reaction caught me entirely off guard.

He didn't show the gratitude or excitement I expected. Instead, a faint, almost mocking laugh escaped his lips.

His gaze moved slowly from the check back to me, his eyes scrutinizing me like a peculiar object. His voice, cold and calm, cut through the tension: "This is your solution?"

Despite his well-disguised disdain, I caught a subtle flicker of contempt in his tone.

It made me question myself—had I done something wrong? How could someone who worked in a place like a bar remain indifferent to such a substantial amount of money?

He picked up the cash casually, rolling it between his fingers with a faint smirk.

His voice turned almost playful. "Fine, I'll take it. Consider this evidence. Next time we meet, you're gonna have to put back me all night.."

My thoughts churned in disbelief.

What's going through his mind? He's more fixated on spending a night with me than money?

His insatiable audacity ignited a flicker of anger within me, but I had no time to argue over his unreasonable demands. All I wanted was to leave this place as quickly as possible.

Grabbing my bag, I slipped on my shoes and walked toward the door without looking back, muttering dismissively, "Next time, then."

Only I knew—there would be no next time.

***

Before long, I pulled up in front of a hotel and picked up Lucien.

As soon as he got in, his eyes locked onto mine through the rearview mirror, his gaze sharp and probing, lingering on my neck.

In that instant, my heart skipped a beat. Damon's lips brushing against my neck earlier flashed unbidden in my mind, and my cheeks flushed involuntarily.

Flustered, I raised my hand to touch my neck, as though to erase the memory.

"Hmph." Lucien finally broke the silence with a disdainful sneer. His voice dripped with mockery. "Just got up from a man did you?"

His derision lit a fire in me. Without missing a beat, I retorted, "What about you? Your beloved woman is pregnant. Should I be generous and find you a beautiful hooker?"

Before he could reply, I pressed on, my voice dripping with sarcasm. "Oh and. How thoughtful of you to leave your precious woman alone at a hotel. She's carrying your child, yet you can't even bother to get her a luxurious villa to rest in peace. Truly heartless."

Through the rearview mirror, our eyes met. His gaze burned with fury as he glared at me. "Where do you get the nerve to talk to me like that?"

I smirked, the corners of my mouth curving into a derisive smile. "Oh, forgive me. I nearly forgot—you don't own a single property anymore."

Back then, his grandfather had been determined to see Lucien marry me. To ensure it, grandpa had even threatened to transfer all of Lucien's properties to my name if he dared to leave.

Lucien, of course, had chosen to leave the country without hesitation, enraging his grandfather. In a fit of fury, grandpa stripped him of nearly all his inheritance and wrote a will stating that if we ever divorced, everything would go to me.

Now, aside from a few shares in the company, Lucien had nothing to his name.

Perhaps that was why he had always avoided me, why he had refused to finalize the divorce.

At one point, I had naively believed that keeping him tied to me this way was a form of love. But now, after enduring the pain of his and Clara's blatant disregard for my feelings, I saw the truth—our situation was pitiful, a mockery of what love should be.

Once, I would have felt guilty for treating him this way, thinking it cruel. But after everything, my heart was now a shattered mess, devoid of remorse or pity.

He deserved this.

Lucien seemed momentarily stunned by my audacity, his eyes flashing briefly with surprise.

But that fleeting emotion was quickly replaced by his usual scorn.

He tilted his chin up, a cold smirk on his lips. "Don't think acting all high and mighty will get my attention. Let me tell you—it's a waste of effort. A woman like you? I'll never look at you, let alone love you. To me, you'll always be a scheming witch."

His venomous words landed, but they failed to wound me.

The barbs that used to leave me sleepless and in tears now felt as weightless as air.

I kept my eyes fixed on the winding road ahead, a path that seemed to symbolize the unknown future awaiting me—uncertain but filled with hope.

I didn't even spare him a glance—not even the slightest flicker of attention. To me, his presence was no more significant than a wisp of air, barely worth acknowledging.

Taking a deep breath, as if inhaling all the bitterness, resentment, and lingering attachment of the past one last time, I exhaled slowly, determined to let it all go.

My gaze remained firmly fixed on the road ahead—a winding path that seemed to symbolize my future: uncertain, but mine to tread alone.

With unwavering resolve, I spoke the words that had driven me to abandon the alluring Damon and come here, the very words that would sever this absurd marriage once and for all. My voice was calm but commanding, leaving no room for argument:

"As you wish, Lucien, let's divorce."