LOGINThe banquet hall buzzed with anticipation. Mr. Nelson had just finished thanking the guests for attending his birthday celebration. Now came the part that made everyone uneasy, open speeches. A microphone stood at the center of the stage. An assistant had begun moving discreetly through the crowd, selecting “distinguished guests” to say a few words. No one wanted to be first. Not tonight. Not when tension hung thick in the air. Not when Ethan Woods and Sebastian King were standing in the same room, circling the same woman. Several businessmen forced stiff smiles, pretending to check their phones or engage in conversation so they wouldn’t be picked. Even seasoned elites looked cautious. One wrong word could end up on tomorrow’s headlines. Ava stood beside Sebastian near the champagne bar, completely unbothered. She knew one thing clearly Sebastian would never let her be the first to go on stage. He was too calculating for that. She took a slow breath and le
Finally, the day of the banquet arrived. The long anticipated night—one that would quietly redraw alliances, expose truths, and shift balances that had stood unchallenged for years was here at last. At this moment, Ava was already seated in Sebastian King's car. The city lights streamed past the windows in blurred ribbons of gold and white. The interior of the car was quiet, refined, carrying a faint scent of cedar and leather. Caroline was not with her tonight; she had chosen to attend with Callan and Nina, claiming loudly that she didn’t want to be “a third wheel in a power couple’s drama.” Sebastian was driving, one hand steady on the steering wheel. Ava sat in the front passenger seat, posture composed, gaze calm. He glanced at her briefly, a smile tugging at his lips. “Why didn’t you wear the dress I prepared for you?” Ava turned to look at him, her expression relaxed. “Those dresses don’t suit me. I picked two others from the boutique instead. I’ll return the ones
A full week passed quietly. Too quietly, in Caroline's opinion. It happened to be Caroline's day again, and after observing Ava’s calm, too calm behavior for several days, she finally couldn’t take it anymore. “Ava,” Caroline said firmly, standing in front of her door with car keys in hand, “you’re coming out with me today.” Ava looked up from the document she was reviewing and blinked. “Coming out?” “Yes. Out,” Caroline emphasized. “Fresh air. Sunlight. Human interaction. You’ve been holed up like a retired grandma.” Ava chuckled softly. “I’ve been working.” “Working my foot,” Caroline snorted. “You’re distracting yourself. That’s not the same thing.” Before Ava could protest further, Caroline had already dragged her out. The shopping mall was lively, bustling with weekend crowds. The air was filled with chatter, laughter, and the faint scent of perfume and coffee. Caroline pushed a cart through the supermarket while Ava calmly selected household items, cleaning s
Being involved in trending topics was nothing new to Ava.Although she wasn’t a celebrity, she had appeared on hot searches countless times over the years, either because she was Ethan Woods wife or because of her anonymous Twitter account, which occasionally stirred waves within professional circles.For the sake of Woods Group’s reputation, Ethan and Ava had always maintained the image of a perfect couple in public.They attended banquets together.They appeared at charity events side by side.They were photographed smiling, standing close, fingers almost touching.To outsiders, they were the model power couple, elegant, harmonious, enviable.In the past, Ava had been willing to cooperate.Not because she was forced to.But because she loved him.She had genuinely looked forward to those events. Standing beside Ethan under flashing cameras made her feel, if only for a few hours. that she had married the right man. That her persistence had meaning. That her marriage was real.But now
At that very moment, Nancy Woods was sitting upright on the sofa in the living room, her reading glasses perched low on her nose as she scrolled through her phone with an expression of deep concentration.“Ava is still young,” she muttered to herself. “She deserves a good man. A proper man.”With Ethan already crossed off her list entirely, Nancy had taken it upon herself to consider other candidates. She opened a notes app and began listing names, sons of old friends, promising heirs from respectable families, young men with clean reputations and steady careers.“Let’s see… kind temperament, decent background, no messy scandals…” she murmured.Just as she was about to tap on a name, a sudden news notification popped up on her screen.BREAKING: Mrs. Woods, Whose Husband Is King's Group’s Competitor, Spotted in the Passenger Seat With King Group’s PresidentNancy fingers froze.Her brows knit together sharply. “What nonsense is this?”Sebastian King.That name alone was enough to make
The city glowed beneath the night sky, neon lights and headlights weaving together into a restless ribbon of movement. Even long after rush hour should have ended, the roads remained congested, cars crawling forward inch by inch as if the city itself refused to sleep. Caroline tapped the steering wheel lightly, eyes sharp as she searched for an opening. “There!” she exclaimed at last, turning the wheel decisively and sliding into a newly vacated parking spot with practiced ease. She exhaled in triumph and turned to the passenger seat with a grin. “Let’s go, Ava! The others have arrived already!” Ava hummed softly, lips curving into a relaxed smile. “Sure.” She stepped out of the car, the cool night air brushing against her skin. For the first time in a long while, she didn’t feel weighed down by invisible expectations, no rules about where she could go, no need to report her whereabouts, no pressure to maintain the image of a perfect Mrs. Woods. Caroline slipped her arm through A







