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ログインFamous lawyer Natalie and billionaire Brandon had been married for three years, but they had never met each other. Their marriage was arranged by Brandon’s grandfather. After the grandfather passed away, Brandon immediately filed for divorce. Following the divorce, Natalie returned to her legal career and unexpectedly took on a case from Brandon’s company—defending his mistress, Carmilla. Curious about Brandon’s relationship with Carmilla, Natalie agreed to take the case. During their interactions, Brandon came to admire Natalie’s skills and gradually developed feelings for her, unaware that she was actually his ex-wife whom he had never met…
もっと見るNatalie’s POV
Brandon York was my husband for three years.
We’ve never met.
Not even once.
Not at the wedding. Not through a screen. Not even by accident at a parking lot. I wouldn’t recognize him if he passed by holding a sign that said, ‘Hi Natalie, I’m your absentee husband.’
We got married because his grandfather said it was a good idea. Brandon needed to look stable for a few years. I needed law school paid for.
He sent a lawyer. I signed the papers. That was it.
No ceremony. No pictures. No vows. No kiss.
Just a ghost marriage to a man who never showed up.
For the last three years, I lived in the family estate and took care of his grandfather. That was part of the deal. I studied, graduated, passed the bar, and watched the old man die.
Brandon never visited. Not once. Not even after the funeral.
So when I came back to work today, I thought the worst thing waiting for me would be an overflowing inbox.
Nope.
A fat cream envelope was sitting on my desk, waiting like it had been plotting all morning.
Sender: Brandon York.
Of course, I opened it.
Divorce papers. Clean. Straightforward. Zero personality, no note, no explanation. Just… divorce.
After three years of total silence, he ended things the same way he started them... by not showing up??
There was nothing generous in the terms. No alimony. No asset breakdown. Not even a polite “thank you for wiping my grandfather’s ass for two years.”
I guess he thought I’d just sign and vanish.
I stared at the papers and muttered, “Seriously?”
I wasn’t angry. I wasn’t even shocked. I was mostly impressed by the audacity, like, what the fuck?
After all my sacrifices?! Nah-ah!
I grabbed a pen and started adjusting the asset division. I wasn’t going to throw a tantrum, but I wasn’t going to let him erase me like a typo, either.
Well, if you’re thinking I was about to rip the divorce papers in half, run to his office, and cry, “No, you can’t leave me! I’m your wife! I can’t live without you!”
Yeah… no.
That’s not me. That’s not gonna happen, ever.
The hell do I care about Brandon York?
He got what he wanted. The company. The name. The image, name it!
And I got what I wanted. My law degree. My license. A life!
So we’re even.
Or… we were.
Just as I hit print, someone knocked on my office door.
“Come in,” I said, eyes still on the monitor.
Dylan walked in like he was about to deliver good gossip. He dropped a red folder on my desk and raised his eyebrows.
“Mrs. N, you’re gonna love this,” he said.
“Correction. Ms. N,” I said, sharpening my voice on the word.
“Wait, what happened?” he asked.
“Long story. So, what is it?”
“Oh yeah. Got a new one for you,” he said excitedly. “The client asked for you specifically.”
“If this is another influencer suing over a hair serum deal gone wrong, I’m walking.”
“Nope. Property reassignment case,” he said, handing it over.
I raised an eyebrow and opened the folder. It wasn’t what I expected.
The first thing I saw was a photo of a mansion.
My mansion.
Woodridge Hills. The property Brandon’s grandfather left to me. The one he said was mine “as thanks” for not letting him die alone.
I flipped to the next page.
The file was labeled:
“Asset Reallocation Request”
Beneath it: Brandon York.
I blinked.
Wait. What?
“This is Brandon’s file?” I asked slowly.
Dylan nodded, like it was nothing. “He’s finalizing some estate stuff with his fiancée. Carmella something. Wanted the house moved to her name.”
I stared at the line again.
Transfer of inherited estate from former marital property to Ms. Kingston, as agreed by the former spouse.
Former spouse?
I turned another page. Read. Re-read.
He didn’t even use my name. Just “the wife.” Like I was a placeholder in my own paperwork!
“They said the wife had no issue with it. Already signed off emotionally or something.”
My hand froze mid-page.
“What did you say?” I asked.
“They said—wait, what’s wrong? You don’t look so well.”
I turned the page again. There it was. My name. On the legal documents. The property was still under me.
And they were trying to transfer it… to HER… Without even asking me?
WTF?!
The nerve!
The actual balls on this man!
I didn’t even realize my hands were shaking until Dylan leaned forward, his brows pulled together.
“Something wrong?” He asked and flipped back to the declaration page, reading it slower this time.
His expression shifted.
His eyes darted from the papers… to my face… then down to the cream envelope still sitting open on my desk.
“Wait… this can’t be right. Why is your name written here?” Dylan’s voice dropped to a near whisper, like the sentence weighed too much to say out loud.
He blinked once. Then again.
I didn’t speak.
My fingers curled tightly around the edge of the desk, grounding myself.
Then Dylan suddenly stood up, rubbing his temple… it looked like he finally realized what was going on. Great!
“That CEO of York International… He’s your husband?!” His voice pitched up a level. “All this time?!”
“Yes,” I said quietly. “Looks like he is.”
Dylan just stared. “Wait, what the fuck? He’s trying to give your inheritance to his girlfriend?”
“Cute, isn’t it?” I smirked.
Dylan looked down at the file again, then back up at me.
His brow furrowed.
“What’s that?” he asked, pointing.
I didn’t answer. He stepped closer, reached for the paper, and read the first line.
And froze.
“Wait… He’s divorcing you too?!”
I leaned back slowly, keeping my voice calm.
“I told you. I’m no longer Mrs.”
“Wait, let me breathe. This is insane!”
“Looks like he sent me the knife, then asked me to help him twist it.” I bit the pen and exhaled hard.
Dylan dragged a hand down his face and let out a deep breath.
“What are you gonna do now?”
Then I asked, quieter this time, “Did he know who I was when he sent this?”
Dylan shook his head. “No. He just said specifically for Ms. N. No full name. Just… Ms. N.”
I looked back down at the folder.
Ms. N. The ghost wife.
“Let’s make sure he regrets that.”
Brandon’s POVI barely slept.Every time I shut my eyes, I saw her — the curve of her mouth when she smiled politely, the way her eyes softened when she forgot to keep them guarded. And then, damn it, the image of those flowers on her desk.Matthew’s flowers.I told myself I didn’t care. She was free to have dinner, breakfast, or a three-day getaway with him if she wanted. But the thought gnawed at me anyway. And I hated it. And of course, these thoughts were mixed in with all the other problems I needed to worry about. So yeah, that meant I couldn’t get enough sleep. By six, I gave up on pretending I could focus on sleep. By seven, I was already driving through half-awake traffic, caffeine and irritation my only fuel.The moment I stepped into my office, the screens mounted on the wall flashed red tickers. I didn’t need sound to know it was bad.“York International and Graveswell Holdings allegedly linked to Maison Vivra’s counterfeit material scandal…”My hand froze on the remote
Brandon’s POVThe diner was half-empty — the kind of place where nobody cared who you were as long as you tipped well and didn’t make noise. Greer had chosen it, probably because the windows were streaked and the lights buzzed just enough to keep attention elsewhere.He was already seated at the corner booth when I walked in, nursing a cup of black coffee like it owed him answers.I slid into the seat across from him. “Get to the point.”Greer’s eyes flicked up, sharp and tired. “Straight to business. I like that.”He reached into his coat and pulled out a thin folder, sliding it across the table.“You told me your ex-wife left the country just recently,” he said. “That’s not what I found.”My fingers hovered over the folder. “Meaning?”“Meaning, someone with her name — Natalie Harris — was logged at your grandfather’s estate two months ago.”I frowned. “That’s impossible. The place has been closed since the sale.”I leaned back slowly. “It could be anyone. Common name.”“Maybe,” Gree
Emma’s POVI sat across from Mr. Tan, the company rep for Ardent Group’s luxury incentive trip, reviewing the final itinerary for the Maldives.He was polite enough — the quiet, efficient type who probably ironed his socks and never showed up late for a meeting.“Everything looks excellent, Ms. Emma,” he said, tapping a finger on the resort page. “The board’s very pleased with the proposal you’d presented to me during our last meeting.”“Glad to hear it,” I replied, offering a practiced smile. “We take pride in making sure your company’s top performers feel like royalty. All that’s left is the signature and deposit release.”He nodded. “Yes, about that.” He checked his watch. “My boss will handle the signing personally. He’s quite hands-on with this new division. He should be here any minute.”Perfect. Another executive who thinks ‘hands-on’ means ‘hovering.’Still, I straightened in my seat, rehearsing the kind of neutral professionalism I saved for high-maintenance clients.“Of cour
Natalie’s POVThe footsteps echoed again—steady, measured, too deliberate to be accidental. I froze, pulse ticking in my throat.A shadow passed by the aisle of filing shelves, and I turned, muscles tensed.“Ms. Harris?”A middle-aged man in a gray vest appeared at the end of the corridor, holding a clipboard. His voice was calm, puzzled. “You’re still here?” he asked, glancing at his watch. “The records office is closing early today — staff meeting in a few minutes.”I exhaled, forcing a small, polite smile. “Sorry. I lost track of time.”He nodded, glancing at the open box on the table beside me. “Did you find what you were looking for?”“Yes,” I said, slipping the document back into its sleeve. “I just need a certified copy.”“Of course,” he said. “Follow me.”We walked down a narrow hallway. In a small adjoining room, he stamped and signed the certification slip, then disappeared into the back office to make the copy.I stood by the window, staring at the skyline beyond the frost
Brandon’s POVVivian chose The Marlowe — the kind of restaurant that thrived on appearances. Crystal glasses, quiet jazz, waiters who knew how to vanish before they overheard anything worth printing. Typical.She was already there when I arrived, lounging in the booth like she owned the skyline. “Brandon,” she purred, rising to kiss the air near my cheek. “You’ve been avoiding me.”“Busy cleaning up after other people’s messes,” I said evenly, sliding into the seat across from her.Her smile didn’t falter, but I saw the slight stiffening in her shoulders. “Ah, the Maison Vivra hysteria. You know how the media loves to turn nothing into scandal.”“Nothing?” I leaned back, studying her. “The investigation board doesn’t launch a probe for fun.”Vivian waved her hand, perfectly manicured fingers slicing through the air. “A misunderstanding with a Thai supplier. Competitors feeding rumors to the press. It’s being handled.”Handled. I hated that word. It always meant someone was lying.The
Natalie’s POVEmma and I sat in our usual corner of the café, enjoying breakfast the following morning. “It’s been so long since we last talked! You are not going to believe who I got stuck with in the elevator,” she said, eyes wide with the kind of disbelief that usually came with bad rom-com plots.I stirred my coffee lazily. “Please don’t say a stranger with garlic breath.”“Worse,” she groaned. “Lucas.”I blinked. “Your Lucas?”“The one and only,” she said flatly. “The elevator stopped between floors, and I had to spend ten minutes pretending I wasn’t dying inside.”“Talk about fate,” I teased.Emma shot me a look. “If fate wanted to send me a message, it could’ve used email.”I laughed, a real one. For a moment, it was easy to forget about forged ledgers and sleepless nights. Just me, Emma, and the normalcy of two women talking about anything but corporate corruption.Then my phone buzzed on the table. York Compliance Division — Internal.Emma tilted her head. “Work?”“Yeah.” I






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