Chapter 2

I looked at Lindsay.

She really thought this was a form of comfort.

Later, my lawyer, Alexa Hanks, sent over the divorce papers.

When I tapped to confirm, Lindsay had her back to me while on a call with her assistant. "Keep the police report under wraps. We can't let it ruin Liam's homecoming party. And send Myles another watch he likes. He'll get over it in a few days."

I closed the page and forwarded the file to the printing shop.

This time, I was not going to wait for her to come and coax me.

…

On the day of my discharge, Lindsay did not come to pick me up.

The driver handed me a watch box. "Ms. Zane said you'll stop being angry if you see this."

Inside the box was a limited-edition wristwatch, expensive enough to buy the small mountain cabin my father left, but it was not my Seven-Star Watch.

I closed the box. "Send it back."

The driver looked troubled. "Ms. Zane also said you must attend Mr. Stewart's homecoming party tonight. The police incident has gone public, and people are accusing Mr. Stewart of being a homewrecker. You need to go and clear things up."

"Clear what up?"

"Say that you only got out of the car that night out of spite and that it had nothing to do with Mr. Stewart."

It turned out that the watch she had given me was not an apology gift; it was to buy my silence.

The banquet was held at Stargaze Manor, a property owned by the Zane family.

My father had once run a small, six-room inn there. After he passed away, I merged the inn into the Zane family's estate but kept the wooden cabin in the backyard. Lindsay said it was a place I could always return to.

The party was already underway when I arrived.

Liam stood in the center of the crowd, wearing a dark gray suit. The strap of my Seven-Star Watch rested against his cuff. The clasp had been replaced, yet the central star bore a visible scratch.

Lindsay stood beside him. Seeing me enter, her gaze immediately fell on my thin coat. "Didn't the doctor tell you to keep warm?"

She unwound her scarf and held it out to me.

Just then, Liam sneezed.

Lindsay's hand paused in mid-air before she wrapped the scarf around his neck. "It's cold in the mountains. Why didn't you dress warmer?"

Liam pulled his scarf tighter and looked at me apologetically. "Myles, I'm sorry. Lindsay was just acting out of habit. Please don't mind it."

People around us laughed, trying to smooth things over.

"Looking after Liam has become second nature to Ms. Zane."

"If it hadn't been for that incident back then, they might have gotten together long ago."

Lindsay's tone was detached. "That's in the past. Don't go making up stories."

She did not deny that last remark.

The host soon invited me onto the stage.

As the microphone was handed to me, Lindsay stood below, giving me a slight nod.

It was her signature style. No orders were needed; a single glance was all it took for me to know I was expected to handle everything perfectly for her.

I gripped the microphone. "Regarding the police report from that snowy night..."

Liam nervously clutched Lindsay's sleeve.

Lindsay patted his hand reassuringly. "Don't worry, he knows where to draw the line."

Watching that gesture, I continued, "The police will handle the matter based on the facts. Surveillance footage and interrogation records clearly show who abandoned me on that closed-off road and who took my personal belongings."

The venue fell silent instantly.

Lindsay's expression darkened. "Myles."

I lowered the microphone. "Also, that watch was never a gift meant for you. Please return it to me now, Mr. Stewart."

Liam's eyes quickly reddened. "Lindsay said I could wear it until the party ended. I didn't realize you minded so much."

"It's over now." I held out my hand.

He did not move.

Lindsay stepped in front of him, lowering her voice. "The guests are watching. Do you really have to embarrass him in public?"

"I was the one left out in the snow."

"I've already apologized and offered compensation."

"So I'm supposed to lie for you?"

She gripped my wrist—not hard, but enough to stop me from moving forward. "You haven't fully recovered. Go upstairs and rest. You can have the watch tomorrow."

"I want to go back to my own cabin."

Lindsay paused for a moment. "You can't stay in the backyard cabin."

"Why not?"

Liam explained quietly, "Lindsay is turning it into an art studio for me. The workmen just moved in today, so it might be a bit messy."

There were only two keys to the cabin my father left behind.

I held one and gave the other to Lindsay on our wedding day.

I looked at her. "You agreed to it?"

"Liam needs a quiet place to start over. The cabin has been empty for three years, and you rarely come back."

"That's because you said the mountain road was dangerous and you wouldn't let me come alone."

She let go of my wrist, then said in a calm, matter-of-fact tone, "Since you're not using it, we shouldn't let it go to waste."

A string of newly hung lights illuminated the backyard. Beneath the lights, workers were taking down the wooden sign my father had nailed to the door with his own hands.