Chapter 2

On the other end of the line, Caroline Olsen was instantly thrilled to hear those words.

"You've finally come to your senses? Good. It's about time. You're just a maid's daughter. How could you ever be worthy of marrying my son, the heir to the Gallagher family? Where are you now? Get over here immediately so we can sign the contract."

Evelyn glanced at the address Caroline sent in a rush and let out a self-mocking smile before hailing a cab.

When she arrived at the café, Caroline bombarded her with questions.

Evelyn answered each one calmly. Satisfied, Caroline pulled out an agreement and slid it across the table.

"We'll put this in black and white. Once you sign, there's no turning back. After you sign, I'll immediately wire half of the money into your account. You'll get the other half the day you leave.

"But you have to promise that once you take the money, you'll never, ever appear in front of Matteo again. Do you understand?"

Evelyn trembled slightly as she stared at the staggering amount written on the document.

She had no intention of ever showing up in his life again.

Not in this lifetime. Not in the next.

So, without hesitation, she picked up the pen and signed her name in one swift motion.

Only then did Caroline finally relax. She put away the contract and stood up, giving a final reminder. "I'm giving you two weeks. You can change your name, leave the country, or do whatever you want. Just make sure Matteo never sees you again."

"I understand, Mrs. Gallagher. You don't have to worry."

After watching Caroline leave, Evelyn headed home.

Ensuring Matteo never saw her again would be simple.

The Gallagher family had a long history of political and military ties, and because of their unique background, three generations of the family had been barred from leaving the country.

If she immigrated, he would never be able to find her.

She spent half the night researching immigration options before finally deciding on moving to Algaria.

Once her decision was made, Evelyn picked up her phone to check the time, only to see a new social media notification.

She clicked on it.

Rebecca had just posted a photo collage.

The first three images were of her holding a bouquet of roses, the center ones displayed three marriage certificates, and the last set showed two interlocked hands, fingers tightly intertwined.

Evelyn knew that if Matteo wanted to keep his marriage a secret, he would never have allowed Rebecca to post these.

But she had.

And she had made sure that only Evelyn could see it. It was a deliberate taunt.

Evelyn played along and liked the post.

As soon as she exited the app, she received a message from Matteo.

"Eve, I have to go on a business trip. I won't be home for the next few days."

She replied with a simple "Okay," put down her phone, and went to freshen up.

The next morning, Evelyn got up early to start her immigration paperwork.

Since she was in a hurry, she paid for expedited processing.

The immigration officer assured her that everything would be finalized within two weeks, and she finally let out a breath of relief.

As she got into the car, another post from Rebecca popped up on her feed.

This time, Matteo was partially in the frame.

The two of them were holding hands, touring what appeared to be their new home.

The caption confirmed it. They had just settled on a house in Southborough Heights.

Evelyn liked the post, just as she had done before.

On the third day, she went to the office and officially resigned.

When she returned home with her belongings, she checked social media again.

Rebecca had posted yet another update. This time, she was wearing a wedding dress, a massive diamond ring glinting on her finger.

Like clockwork, Evelyn tapped the heart icon and then buried herself under the blankets.

By the fourth day, she woke up to yet another post.

This time, it was a close-up of a framed wedding photo hanging inside their new home.

Evelyn stared at it for a long moment before finally snapping out of it.

She liked the post again, then got dressed and went out for a farewell dinner with her closest friends.

That evening, she returned home with several suitcases and began clearing out everything related to Matteo.

She threw away every gift he had given her, their matching toothbrushes and mugs, and the countless photos they had taken together.

By the time she was done, it was already past midnight.

She was just about to turn off the lights when Matteo unexpectedly returned.

The moment he stepped inside and saw how empty the place was, he froze, frowning deeply.

"Why does it feel like half the stuff is missing?"

"I didn't like them anymore, so I threw them out. I'll buy new things later."

Matteo nodded and tossed his jacket onto the couch. As he did, his eyes landed on the suitcases.

"You quit your job?"

His gaze then shifted to the document resting on the coffee table.

"Why do you have your residence registry out?"

"I'm exhausted. I just needed a break, so I resigned. And as for the residence registry, I have some paperwork to take care of," Evelyn answered casually as she put her things away.

Seeing how calm she was, Matteo didn't overthink it. He pulled her into his arms, his voice gentle.

"I've been busy these past few days and haven't had time for you. Your birthday is coming up soon. Tomorrow, I'll take you to the auction and let you pick out a gift."

Evelyn didn't refuse.

The next day, as soon as they took their seats in the auction hall, Evelyn spotted Rebecca.

She sauntered over confidently and took the seat right next to Matteo.

All night, Matteo kept his head turned toward Evelyn, speaking only to her.

Not once did he glance at Rebecca.

When the event ended, he didn't linger. He took Evelyn's hand and led her straight out of the building.

Before heading home, Evelyn stopped by the restroom.

As she exited, she saw Rebecca trapped in the stairwell, surrounded by a group of leering men.

"Well, well, if it isn't Ms. Pittman. You ditched Matteo when he needed you the most and now look at you. Maybe it is karma."

"I heard your father is marrying you off to some old fossil on his deathbed. But hey, you've still got a pretty face. Why not come with us instead? We'd be happy to—"

Before the man could finish his sentence, he was cut off.

Matteo appeared at the top of the stairs, his face dark with fury.

The next second, he kicked the guy straight to the ground.