4

Chapter 4 — The End of Eight Years

The moment the bedroom door clicked shut behind her, the silence became unbearable.

No reporters. No flashing cameras. No whispered gossip. No parents. No Ethan. Just…Evelyn.

The room looked exactly as she had left it that morning. A white suitcase sat neatly beside the bed, packed for a two-week honeymoon in Santorini. Two passports rested on the nightstand.

A wedding itinerary lay open on the vanity. On the wall hung a framed engagement photograph. Ethan stood behind her, his arms loosely around her waist as they smiled at the camera.

They had looked…Happy Or perhaps they had simply looked convincing. Evelyn walked over to the photograph For several long seconds, she simply stared at it. She tried to remember what she had been thinking when it was taken.

Had she already been fighting for his attention? Had Sophia already started coming between them? Or had she simply been too in love to notice?

A quiet sigh escaped her lips. She reached up. Lifted the frame from the wall. And placed it face down inside a drawer. Not because she hated the memory. Because she no longer wished to live inside it. She moved to the mirror.

The woman staring back at her looked strangely unfamiliar. Perfect makeup. Perfect hair. A flawless wedding gown. Everything had been carefully prepared for the happiest day of her life.

How ironic.

Slowly…She reached for the veil. The delicate fabric slipped from her hair and pooled silently in her hands. Next came the diamond earrings Ethan had given her on their fifth anniversary.

Then the necklace. One by one, every piece of jewelry disappeared into its velvet box. Until only one remained….The engagement ring. The diamond sparkled beneath the bedroom lights.

Eight years. Eight years of birthdays. Eight years of anniversaries. Eight years of promises. Reduced…To a single ring. Her fingers lingered around it. Then, with one slow movement, she slid it off. The sudden lightness of her hand caught her off guard.

She stared at the ring resting in her palm. For a brief moment…Her vision blurred. One tear escaped. It rolled silently down her cheek before landing against the diamond. She smiled. A small, bittersweet smile.

“So…”

She whispered to herself. “This is really over.” She wiped away the tear before another could follow.

One was enough. She carefully placed the ring back inside its original velvet box Closed the lid. And set it beside the jewelry Ethan had once given her. A chapter of her life had ended. She wouldn’t pretend otherwise. But neither would she let it define the rest of her story.

Taking a slow breath, Evelyn reached for her phone. She scrolled to one familiar contact.

Lena — Executive Assistant.

The call connected almost immediately.

“Miss Sinclair?”

Lena sounded hesitant, as though afraid saying the wrong thing might shatter her employer. Evelyn’s voice remained steady.

“Lena.”

“Yes, Miss.”

“Cancel the honeymoon.”

“…Understood.”

“Return every wedding gift that hasn’t already been accepted.”

“I’ll make arrangements.”

Evelyn glanced toward the packed suitcase. “Cancel every joint appearance scheduled with Ethan Hawthorne.”

A brief silence followed.

“Every… one?”

“Every single one.”

“Yes, Miss Sinclair.”

“And one more thing.”

“I’m listening.”

“Remove Mr. Hawthorne from every business file, project, and event that requires my approval.”

Lena blinked on the other end of the line.

“Immediately?”

Evelyn looked out the window. The setting sun bathed the Sinclair Estate in shades of gold.

“Immediately.”

She ended the call. For the first time all day…She felt as though she had finally made a decision for herself. Outside her bedroom door, footsteps echoed down the hallway.

Someone stopped. Then knocked. Three slow knocks.

“Evelyn.”

Richard Sinclair’s voice came through the door.

“My study.”

“We need to discuss your future.”

Evelyn closed her eyes briefly. She already knew. This conversation wouldn’t be about her happiness. It never was. Richard Sinclair’s study was as immaculate as ever. Floor-to-ceiling bookshelves lined the walls. Awards, certificates, and framed photographs chronicled decades of business success.

The only family photo in the room sat on a shelf behind his desk. Even then…The Sinclair Group headquarters occupied the center of the frame. Not the people standing in front of it.

Richard didn’t look up when Evelyn entered. He continued reading the documents spread across his desk.

“Sit.”

She closed the door behind her and took the seat opposite him. The silence stretched between them. Finally, Richard signed the last page, closed the folder, and set his pen aside.

“The board meeting concluded an hour ago.”

Evelyn waited. “The damage is worse than we anticipated.” “Our share price fell.”

“Three strategic partners have requested clarification.”

“Several investors are questioning the stability of the Sinclair Group.”

Not once did he mention her name. Not once did he mention the wedding. Only the company. Only the numbers.

“You’ve already prepared a solution, haven’t you?” Evelyn asked quietly.

Richard met her eyes.

“I have.”

He reached into a drawer and removed a thick navy-blue folder. Without a word, he slid it across the polished desk. Evelyn lowered her gaze. The words on the first page made her pause.

Marriage Agreement

She didn’t touch it.

“…What is this?”

“Chairman Arthur Morrison contacted me this afternoon.” She frowned.

“The Morrison Group?”

Richard nodded once. “He remains interested in forming a long-term partnership with Sinclair Group.”

“And?”

“He has proposed a marriage.” The room became impossibly still. Evelyn slowly looked up.

“…To whom?”

Richard’s expression remained unreadable.

“You.”

For the first time that evening…She couldn’t find the right words. She simply stared at him. Richard continued as though discussing a merger.

“Chairman Morrison’s logistics network would strengthen our international expansion. In return, the Morrisons would gain access to Sinclair Group’s technology division.”

“So…”

Evelyn’s voice was barely above a whisper.

“I’m part of the negotiation.”

“You’re part of the agreement.”

The correction was subtle…Yet devastating. She looked back down at the folder. Arthur Morrison. Sixty-two years old. Widower. Chairman of Morrison Holdings. She had met him before. Twice. He had children older than she was.

Her fingers tightened against the armrest. “You’re asking me to marry a man old enough to be my father.”

“I’m asking you to do what’s best for this family.”

“No.”

“I’m asking you to do what’s best for the company.”

Richard didn’t deny it. Instead, he leaned back in his chair.

“The Hawthorne alliance is over.”

“The market needs stability.”

“This marriage restores investor confidence.”

Evelyn let out a quiet, disbelieving laugh.

“Investor confidence.”

Richard frowned.

“This isn’t funny.”

“No.”

She looked at him steadily.

“It isn’t.”

A heavy silence settled over the room. Then Evelyn asked the question she had spent years avoiding.

“Tell me something.”

Richard waited.

“If Ethan hadn’t left me today…”

She swallowed.

“…would you still have traded my future if a better business opportunity came along?”

Richard didn’t answer immediately. His silence…Was answer enough.

Something inside Evelyn finally stopped hoping. Not for Ethan. For her father.

“I see.”

She stood.

Richard’s voice hardened. “This isn’t a discussion.”

“No?”

He folded his hands. “The wedding will take place within thirty days.”

Evelyn froze. “I’ve already informed Chairman Morrison that you’ll consider the proposal.”

“The proposal?”

A bitter smile touched her lips. “You’ve already decided for me.” Richard didn’t respond. Because they both knew she was right. As Evelyn turned toward the door, his final words stopped her.

“If you refuse…”

She looked back.

“…you’ll forfeit your position as heir to Sinclair Group.”

“The board will appoint another successor.” Neither of them needed to say the name.

Sophia.

Evelyn’s heart sank not because of the inheritance…But because, even now, her father believed the company was enough to make her surrender her freedom.

Without another word, she opened the study door. And walked out.

For the first time in her life…She wasn’t sure whether she had just lost her inheritance…Or finally found herself.