Chapter 2

Avery walked out of the café, her legs so weak she could barely stand.

For the past six years, Lucien’s name had been hidden in the deepest, most private corner of her heart.

But because their breakup back then had hurt too much, she had never once expected they would meet again.

Seeing him so suddenly today threw her heart into complete chaos.

Her phone rang, and her daughter Ivy’s soft, sweet voice steadied her racing thoughts.

“Mommy, when are you coming back?”

“Sweetheart, I’m on my way home now.”

Avery returned to Westcourt Residences. The place belonged to her best friend, Sophie Sanders.

After Henry injured Avery the night before, he disappeared without a trace.

Even the police couldn’t reach him.

Afraid he might come back and hurt her and Ivy again, Avery took her daughter and fled the Hunt residence overnight, seeking shelter at Sophie’s place.

After the Walters family went bankrupt, most of her former friends drifted away. Only Sophie remained the same as before—one phone call was all it took for her to reach out a hand.

The moment the door opened, Ivy ran straight into Avery’s arms.

“Mommy!”

“Sweetheart.” Avery crouched down, about to kiss her daughter’s forehead, but when her eyes fell on Ivy’s face, so eerily similar to Lucien’s, she froze.

Ever since Ivy was little, people praised her beauty, saying she inherited Avery’s looks.

Avery believed it too, until seeing Lucien again today made her suddenly realize that Ivy was growing more and more like him.

“Mommy, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” Avery masked her emotions. “Were you well-behaved while you were with Sophie?”

“Yes, yes! I was a good girl. Sophie even helped me water the little plants just now.”

Sophie walked out of the bathroom. “So, Ave, what did the lawyer say?”

Avery gave Sophie a look, then led her daughter into the bedroom and handed her a quiet activity book.

“Play by yourself for a bit, okay? Sophie and I need to talk. I’ll come check on you soon.”

“Okay.”

Ivy loved her quiet books and could happily role-play on her own for ages.

When Avery returned to the living room, Sophie had already set out some fruit and was waiting. Avery sat down and told her everything about running into Lucien at the café.

“What?” Sophie exclaimed.

“You’re saying Lucien is taking over your divorce case? He’s the founding partner at Arclight Law Group. Why would he bother with something as trivial as a divorce case?”

“He’s the founder of Arclight?”

“You didn’t know?” Sophie pulled up a profile interview on her phone. “Look, Lucien is now the Chief Executive Officer of Arclight Law Group! Have you heard of Arclight?”

“The international top-tier law firm?”

“Yes, that one. They say Arclight has more than thirty offices worldwide, over two thousand lawyers, and annual revenue exceeding a billion dollars.”

Avery skimmed the article and finally realized that the penniless student from back then had become a heavyweight figure at an elite global firm.

No wonder every gesture he made now carried the refined composure forged by wealth and power.

Times really had changed. Fortune had a way of turning the wheel.

“Ave, do you think he still has feelings for you?”

“Of course not. He just came to see me make a fool of myself.”

“Come on. With Lucien’s current status, time is priceless. If he didn’t still care, would he really go out of his way just to watch you suffer?”

“I’m married and I have a child. With his position now, what kind of woman couldn’t he have? Why would he still be hung up on me?”

“Ave, I’ve always wanted to ask—what really happened back then? You liked him so much and chased him for so long before you finally got together. Why did you suddenly dump him and marry Henry, that scumbag?”

Avery fell silent.

So much time had passed. Looking back now served no purpose at all.

“Forget it.”

Seeing she didn’t want to talk about it, Sophie didn’t push and quickly changed the subject. “So, what are you planning to do next?”

“I’ll find another lawyer. No matter what, I need to get divorced first.”