Chapter 4: The Woman He Never Truly Saw

Amelia's Pov 

Walking into Ashford Jewelry Studio again felt like stepping back into the life I had buried five years earlier, although this time I carried far more scars and far fewer illusions than the ambitious young designer who once dreamed of conquering the international jewelry industry.

Every design displayed inside the elegant showroom reminded me of countless nights spent sketching until sunrise, believing talent alone could change my future before I abandoned everything for a marriage that slowly consumed every dream I had ever possessed.

"Amelia."

I looked up before Eleanor Ashford walked toward me with the same graceful confidence that had made her one of the world's most respected jewelry designers, although the disappointment in her eyes made me realize how deeply my disappearance had affected someone who genuinely believed in me.

"You've become much thinner than the last time I saw you, but your eyes still carry the determination that first convinced me you would someday surpass your teachers."

A faint smile appeared across my lips because nobody had looked at me as Amelia before that moment.

Everyone else only remembered Maxwell Anderson's wife.

Eleanor still remembered the woman behind that title.

"I'm sorry for disappearing."

"You don't owe me an apology because life pulls people in different directions, although I won't pretend I wasn't disappointed watching extraordinary talent disappear behind somebody else's surname."

Her words stung, not because they were cruel, but because they were painfully true.

She led me into her private office before placing several design sketches across the large wooden desk, allowing silence to settle naturally between us while I carefully studied every delicate detail.

"What do you think?"

I picked up a pencil almost instinctively before adjusting several lines without realizing my hands still remembered movements my heart believed I had forgotten.

"This gemstone setting creates unnecessary pressure around the center diamond, and moving these supporting prongs slightly outward would increase both stability and brilliance."

Eleanor quietly watched me finish the sketch before a proud smile slowly spread across her face.

"I knew it."

"Knew what?"

"You never lost your gift."

For the first time in years, tears gathered inside my eyes because someone had finally recognized my worth without mentioning my husband.

Eleanor slid a document across the table before gently folding her hands together.

"I want you to become my design partner because talent like yours deserves another opportunity, and I have absolutely no intention of letting you disappear again."

I stared at the agreement lying before me, hardly believing another future had quietly opened after believing every door had permanently closed.

"You still trust me?"

"I trust your talent far more than your confidence currently trusts itself."

Without another moment of hesitation, I signed my name across the partnership agreement because Amelia Carter, the jewelry designer, deserved to live again after Amelia Anderson spent five years slowly disappearing.

The moment my signature touched the paper, Eleanor extended her hand toward me with genuine warmth.

"Welcome home."

My heart unexpectedly tightened because those two simple words carried more kindness than I had received inside the Anderson mansion throughout my entire marriage.

After finishing several meetings, I walked outside beside another designer waiting near the studio entrance.

"Congratulations."

I turned before Ethan Carter smiled warmly while extending his hand toward me.

"Eleanor rarely offers partnerships because she usually scares talented people away before trusting them."

I laughed quietly before shaking his hand because his playful honesty instantly dissolved the nervousness still lingering inside me.

"Should I be worried now?"

"You should probably celebrate instead because surviving Eleanor's standards is much harder than surviving international design competitions."

Another laugh escaped my lips before I realized how long it had been since smiling felt effortless.

"You finally smiled."

His unexpected observation caught me completely off guard.

"I've spent years forgetting how."

"Then start remembering."

Before I could answer, a familiar black luxury car suddenly stopped beside the sidewalk.

The driver's door opened.

Maxwell stepped out.

His sharp eyes immediately landed on Ethan's hand still loosely holding mine before something unexpectedly dark flashed across his usually calm expression.

He walked directly toward us without acknowledging anyone else standing nearby.

"What are you doing here?"

The question wasn't directed at me.

It was directed at Ethan.

Ethan calmly released my hand before offering a polite smile.

"I believe Amelia is perfectly capable of answering that herself."

Maxwell completely ignored him before turning his attention toward me.

"Get in the car."

I remained exactly where I stood.

"I don't remember asking where you wanted to go."

His expression noticeably darkened.

"Amelia."

"I have my own transportation."

"I said get inside."

Ethan quietly stepped backward before excusing himself, wisely deciding not to involve himself in a conversation carrying years of unresolved bitterness.

The moment he disappeared, Maxwell looked back toward me with unmistakable irritation.

"You seemed very happy laughing with another man."

"I was." The honest answer clearly surprised him.

"I don't remember making you laugh like that."

"No." I met his eyes calmly.

"You never did."

For several seconds, neither of us spoke.

He studied me carefully as though noticing something completely unfamiliar for the first time.

The woman standing before him wore simple clothes instead of expensive designer brands.

She carried confidence instead of quiet obedience.

Most importantly, she no longer looked at him with desperate hope.

"What exactly are you doing with Eleanor Ashford?"

"I signed a partnership agreement." His eyebrows immediately pulled together.

"You went back to designing jewelry?"

"I returned to the career I abandoned after marrying you."

He looked strangely unsettled before quickly hiding the emotion beneath his usual cold expression.

"Nobody discussed this with me." I almost laughed.

"My career stopped requiring your permission the moment I asked for a divorce." His jaw tightened.

"We haven't divorced yet."

"I know."

His phone suddenly vibrated before he glanced briefly at the screen.

"My mother's birthday banquet is tomorrow evening." I waited silently.

"You'll come home tomorrow morning because Mother expects you to prepare dinner before the guests arrive."

The familiar command sounded almost absurd after everything that had happened.

"I won't be cooking." His expression immediately hardened.

"What?"

"I said I won't be cooking."

"You've always handled Mother's birthday dinners."

"I also spent five years believing your family would eventually accept me."

His patience visibly disappeared.

"Stop acting childish because everyone is already asking where you've been." I smiled quietly.

"Interesting."

"What is?"

"The first time your family notices I'm missing is when nobody remains available to cook for them."

He stared at me without speaking.

"I'll attend your mother's birthday because I still respect her as Lily's grandmother."

Relief briefly crossed his face.

"But I won't enter that kitchen."

His expression froze again.

"I won't prepare meals."

"I won't serve guests."

"I won't spend another evening behaving like unpaid household staff while everyone else enjoys themselves."

"You are my wife."

I slowly shook my head.

"No, Maxwell."

"I'm simply a woman waiting for the law to recognize what my heart already accepted."

He looked at me for a long moment before speaking through clenched teeth.

"We'll discuss this tomorrow."

"No."

I calmly stepped away from him before meeting his eyes one final time.

"We'll attend the same birthday banquet tomorrow, but don't mistake my presence for obedience because that woman disappeared the moment yo

u walked past Lily in that hospital."

Without waiting for another response, I turned around and walked away.

For the first time since marrying Maxwell Anderson, I never looked back to see whether he was still watching me.