It's Time To Leave

The entire dining hall fell into a deathly, suffocating silence.

Lucien stood a short distance away, his grip tightening around the water bottle until the plastic folded. He simply stared at her, his mind temporarily blanking out.

Then, his brows knit together. "Why?"

Nova didn't flinch under his pressure. She merely tilted her head, a cold, mocking smirk playing on her lips. "Why do you think, Mr. Delacroix?"

Lucien remained silent, his gray eyes searching her face for any sign of a hysterical tantrum. Finding none, his voice dropped. "Is this because of Gwen?"

He stood tall and straight, his powerful aura filling the room. His voice was deep and steady, without a hint of guilt. Instead, it carried the displeasure of a superior being.

Nova’s gaze lowered slightly, a faint, incredibly beautiful laugh escaping her lips. "No."

"Are you truly going to divorce over a trashy news report, Nova?"

Nova looked up at him this time.

He was testing her. As the head of the Delacroix Group, he despised media gossip. He believed his wife should be smart enough to ignore such trivial rumors.

The faint smile on her lips deepened, but it did not reach her eyes.

She did not throw a tantrum. She did not ask about the pregnant woman, and she did not demand an explanation.

Her face was as calm as water.

She looked back up, her eyes completely detached. "Have you forgotten? We agreed to part ways once the three years were up."

Lucien’s face remained impassive, but deep within his gray eyes, a dangerous light flickered.

Nova stepped out from behind the table, her posture straight and proud. "Three years ago, our agreement was simple. I would marry you to keep your Grandma happy for the final years of her life. I believe I have fulfilled my end of the bargain."

She paused, looking at him as if he were a mere business partner she was done negotiating with. "And I think it’s better not to continue holding onto a contract that was only meant to last this long."

The room plunged back into silence.

Lucien stared at her. She was too calm. There were no tears, no screaming or jealousy.

He had always known this day would come. It was a business transaction, after all. Yet, hearing Nova actually demand the paperwork sent a strange, hollow pang straight into his chest.

She was treating their three years of marriage like a cold, routine business transaction that had simply reached its expiration date.

As a man, his pride would never allow him to beg someone to stay.

If she wanted to leave so badly, he would not stop her.

After a long pause, he gave a curt, freezing nod. "Fine. I'll have Hayden draw up the divorce agreement tonight. You can sign it tomorrow."

Nova’s eyes lit up slightly, a genuine, radiant smile finally touching her lips. "Alright. Thank you."

Her voice was soft and brisk, but the sheer delight on her face made Lucien’s jaw tighten. An unexplainable wave of annoyance surged deep within his gut.

She was happy. She looked as if she couldn't wait to rip his ring off her finger and sprint out of his house.

"You're really that eager to get away from me?" Lucien’s voice carried a low rumble.

Nova looked at him, her smile perfectly serene. "Lucien, this was always the plan. You've done nothing wrong by wanting your life back. Neither have I."

Her logic was flawless. There was nothing he could say to counter it. This was the exact agreement they had.

Yet, it felt utterly infuriating.

Before he could voice the dark irritation swirling in his chest, Nova turned gracefully toward the grand staircase. "It's late. Goodnight, Mr. Delacroix."

She began walking away.

But just as her shoulder brushed past his, Lucien’s hand shot out like a lightning bolt. His large, powerful fingers clamped firmly around her delicate wrist.

Nova stopped dead in her tracks.

Slowly, she turned her head, her cold gaze landing on the hand trapping her.

Lucien was staring at her with unprecedented intensity. His face was expressionless, but his gray eyes were burning with an intense possessiveness he didn't even understand himself. He held her wrist loosely but unyieldingly, as if his body instinctively refused to let her take another step away from him.

Nova’s brows creased into a sharp frown. "Lucien. Let go."

He didn't move a single muscle. His fingers shifted faintly against her skin, his jaw clenching so hard a muscle leaped in his cheek. "Nova..."

Ring! Ring! Ring!

The obnoxious blare of his phone totally shattered the tension between them.

Both of their gazes snapped down to his pocket simultaneously.

Nova didn't say a word as he pulled the device out. The bright screen illuminated the room, displaying the caller ID in bold letters: GWEN.

A beautifully sarcastic, mocking smile bloomed on Nova’s lips the moment she saw the name.

Of course. The pregnant mistress was still waiting yet the all-powerful CEO was standing in his hallway, refusing to let go of his ex-wife's wrist.

Nova gently shifted her gaze back up to his face, her tone dripping with quiet irony. "Didn't you say Gwen was in danger?"

Lucien’s gray eyes flashed with anger.

Nova gave a small, mocking shrug, unfazed by his dark aura. "You should go, Mr. Delacroix. Don't keep her waiting."

The phone continued to ring incessantly.

For one breathless second, Lucien remained frozen, his gaze locked onto Nova’s indifferent face. Then, looking down at the flashing screen, his grip slowly loosened. His fingers uncurled from her skin.

The moment the pressure left, Nova smoothly pulled her wrist back, not leaving a single trace of her warmth behind.

"Goodnight, Lucien."

This time, she turned and strode up the stairs without a single pause.

Lucien stood alone beneath the dim hallway lights, his expression turning colder as he watched her figure disappear into the corridor above.

A moment later, he finally swiped the screen and answered the call, his voice like liquid ice. "What."

***

The next morning, Nova woke up to an empty bed.

The silk sheets on Lucien's side were as smooth and cold as they had been the night before. He hadn't bothered to return home at all.

Nova stared at the empty space for a single second before a look of indifference replaced any lingering thoughts. She got out of bed, smoothly changed into her morning wear, and walked downstairs.

Madame Greene served her breakfast in silence before heading out to the grocery store, leaving Nova alone in the massive dining hall.

The television on the wall was playing a reality show. Nova picked up the remote, flipping through channels until she stopped on a premium financial news station.

It was exactly 9:00 AM. The voice of the anchor echoed through the room:

"Breaking financial updates this morning. One of the prime subsidiary tech companies backed heavily by the Delacroix Group has suddenly faced a multi-million dollar hostile takeover overnight. Market critics are frantically debating how severely this blow will destabilize Lucien Delacroix's corporate empire..."

The screen flashed a high-definition photo of Lucien Delacroix looking imperial and ruthless at a previous press conference.

Nova stared at the screen, her lips curving into a cold, mysterious smile.

For three long years, this man had been her husband. And by noon today, he would be absolutely nothing to her.

She clicked the remote, shutting the television down into pitch blackness.

Upstairs in the walk-in closet, Nova began packing.

She pulled her clothes from the racks, folding them into sleek black suitcases. She was in the middle of zipping the final bag when her phone on the bedside table vibrated.

She picked it up, her voice dropping its gentle housewife pretense instantly, replacing it with the sharp, freezing tone of a supreme leader.

"Speak."

On the other end, a respectful, deeply serious male voice responded instantly:

"Boss, I managed to successfully lock down and secure the entire prime land sector on Crestfall Avenue that you wanted. But that old corporate fox, Norman, is currently trying to double-cross us behind the scenes."

An icy chill settled into Nova’s gaze. "Is that so?"

"Yes, Boss. He's trying to inflate the prices to force us into a corner," the man reported. "What are your orders?"

Nova pulled a flawless, sharp black maxi dress from the rack, her eyes flashing with dominance. "Secure the land exactly as planned. Do not rush in blindly and complicate things. I will handle that old geezer Norman myself."

"Yes, Boss! Understood!" The man sounded visibly energized. He paused briefly before asking, "What is our next step?"

Nova zipped her suitcase shut with a crisp, final snap.

"Come and pick me up."

The man on the other end gasped, his voice filled with shock. "Wyatt Estate? Boss, are you finally..."

"Yeah," Nova replied, her tone unshakeable as she looked around the empty closet one last time. "Three years are up. It’s time to leave."

There was a brief silence of pure awe on the other end.

"Yes, Boss. The car will be at the gates in five minutes."