A cold drizzle fell over the city, the sky a dreary gray.
Claire slipped the signed divorce agreement into a document envelope and mailed it to Adrian's office.
With that done, she grabbed an umbrella and drove alone to a cemetery on the outskirts of the city.
The cemetery was nearly deserted.
Claire stood quietly before a small headstone engraved with the name Andy Mercer.
For a moment, she could almost see Andy standing right in front of her, as lively as ever.
The little boy clutched the hem of Claire's shirt, calling out sweetly, “Mommy!”
His smiling face was so vivid that Claire felt she could reach out and touch him.
Claire stood frozen, lost in the memory.
But before she could reach toward the vision, hurried footsteps suddenly sounded behind her.
A crowd of reporters rushed toward her, carrying cameras and microphones.
Within seconds, they had surrounded her.
“Miss Bennett! You only agreed to the divorce at yesterday's mediation session. Why did the envelope delivered to Mr. Mercer's company this morning contain love letters you wrote to him ten years ago?”
“You're already getting divorced, yet you're still sending him old love letters. Are you really that unwilling to let him go?”
“Who was actually responsible for the breakdown of your marriage?”
Cameras and microphones crowded around her.
Claire froze, completely bewildered.
She had no idea what they were talking about.
The bodyguards waiting nearby immediately rushed forward, forming a protective barrier between her and the reporters.
They blocked the cameras and shouted questions as Claire hurried back to her car.
Struggling to make sense of what had happened, she drove straight to Adrian's company.
Only when she reached the reception desk did she finally learn what had happened.
The courier had delivered her envelope that morning.
Lillian Brooks happened to be at reception, having come to see Adrian.
She'd opened the envelope herself.
As soon as she did, a stack of yellowed love letters spilled across the floor.
Reporters who'd arrived to interview Adrian happened to witness the scene.
The story spread almost immediately.
Anger surged through Claire.
She went straight upstairs and found Lillian outside the CEO's office.
Claire stepped toward her.
“The security cameras recorded everything that happened with that delivery. Where did you get those love letters?”
Before Lillian could respond, Adrian hurried over and pulled her protectively into his arms.
He didn't give Claire a chance to explain.
Instead, he grabbed her arm and dragged her into his office.
The door slammed shut behind them, cutting off the curious onlookers outside.
Adrian first helped Lillian into a chair.
He gently rested his palm against her slightly rounded belly, speaking in a soft, soothing voice.
“Don't be scared. I'm here. Just relax, okay? Getting worked up isn't good for the baby.”
Only after making sure Lillian was comfortable did he turn toward Claire.
“And you need to stop making such a big deal out of this. Lillian picked up the wrong envelope. She was curious about those old love letters, so I gave them to her.”
His expression remained indifferent.
“I've already received the divorce agreement. If you're upset about what happened, I can increase your settlement.”
Claire stood motionless, staring at him.
When she said nothing, Adrian frowned, his patience visibly wearing thin.
“They're just a few old love letters. Why are you still so hung up on them?
“What happened between us is in the past. The man I was back then might have treasured those letters, but I'm not that man anymore. I have no interest in reading them.”
Claire's hands curled into tight fists, her knuckles turning white.
A painful lump formed in her throat.
She finally spoke, her voice hoarse and barely audible.
“That's true. You really have changed.”
She slowly lifted her gaze and looked around the office.
This room had witnessed their youth, their struggles, and everything they'd built together.
Six years ago, when the office had first been completed, it had stood almost entirely empty.
She'd spent countless nights helping Adrian furnish and decorate it, gradually turning the bare space into a place that reflected their shared ambitions.
But now, everywhere she looked, there were traces of Lillian.
Soft throw pillows.
Sweetly scented candles.
Delicate decorative ornaments.
Beside her, Lillian spoke in a gentle voice.
“Adrian, maybe Claire just isn't satisfied with the settlement you're offering.”
She hesitated.
“That would explain why she agreed to the divorce so easily yesterday. Perhaps she was planning to ask for something else all along.”
Adrian's face darkened.
He turned toward Claire, his gaze icy.
“I've been more than fair to you. But if you insist on dragging this out and pushing me further, we can take this back to court. And if we do, you might walk away without a penny.”
Claire ignored his warning.
She simply looked at him and asked quietly,
“Adrian Mercer, do you know what day it is today?”
Adrian went still.
His gaze dropped to her somber black clothes.
An unexpected emptiness settled in his chest, and he frowned as memories began surfacing against his will.
It was a wound they both carried, one neither of them had ever dared to reopen.
But after only a few seconds, the faint sound of Lillian's breathing brought him back to the present.
He pushed aside the unsettling feeling.
“It's been ten years, Claire. It's time to move on.”
His voice was firm.
“I have a child of my own on the way now. You'll have a new life someday, too. New people to care about.”
He looked at her coldly.
“There's no point spending the rest of your life obsessing over me and throwing away your future.”
Claire stared at the man she'd loved for ten years.
Then, without warning, a sharp slap rang through the enclosed office.
Adrian's head snapped to the side.
A vivid red handprint appeared across his cheek.
Masuk
