Chapter 2

On the other end of the phone, the man seemed surprised.

After a pause, Archer Duncan's rich, magnetic voice finally responded with deliberate calm. "Agreed. However, Aria, my grandmother is very old, so I'm afraid I can't give you too much time..."

He paused briefly.

"Two weeks at most. I hope you can leave the Spencer household by then. Including finalizing your divorce."

His voice was gentle, but his words carried an unmistakable firmness.

Aria didn't refuse. She ran her fingers over her platinum wedding band and simply replied, "All right."

Five years.

After Linda's accident, Larry had married her despite hating her deeply.

She had willingly accepted her prison in the Spencer mansion for five years.

Now, it was time to leave.

She composed herself, once again becoming the elegant, poised Mrs. Spencer before leaving the lounge.

When she returned to their penthouse apartment, Larry wasn't there.

Aria efficiently packed her belongings. After a while, her phone chimed.

The message was from Lucy.

It was a photo.

In the picture was a shattered rosary.

This rosary was all too familiar—Aria had personally obtained it from a historic monastery in Vermont years ago.

In her youth, she had loved with complete sincerity.

She had believed the monastery's legend and made a special pilgrimage to acquire the blessed rosary.

She had hoped it would protect the person she loved most.

Larry had been deeply moved when he learned about them. He had embraced her, his voice husky with emotion, "Aria, I'm so lucky to have a girlfriend like you."

Now, those rosary were broken beyond recognition.

Lucy sent another voice message.

"Aria, I'm so sorry. Larry gave me these rosary, hoping they would keep me safe. Unfortunately, I accidentally broke them.

"But you don't mind, right? Larry said it's just a string of beads—it doesn't matter if they're broken. They weren't anything important anyway."

Aria looked down at the beads in the photo.

This sacred keepsake, like her five years with Larry, was now part of the past.

She quickly replied: "Just some beads I bought on Amazon. If you like them, consider them yours."

Aria truly didn't care anymore.

She touched her wedding ring and lowered her gaze.

This ruined marriage should have ended long ago.

Larry didn't come home all night.

Soon, Aria received divorce papers from her attorney.

The lawyer was a top professional that Archer had found at her request, who had prepared documents according to her needs.

"Miss Jackson, since you and Mr. Spencer signed a prenuptial agreement, the assets you can take are limited. However, I'll do my best to secure the Oakridge property for you."

"Thank you, I appreciate it."

Aria looked down at the divorce papers in her hand.

The Oakridge house was her only request to the lawyer.

That house had belonged to the Jackson family. After her family's downfall, the house had been damaged beyond recognition in a fire. She and Larry had bought it and renovated it.

For her, it represented the only remaining memories of her youth.

Aria put away the divorce papers and her wedding ring.

From the corner of her eye, Aria glanced at the drawer containing old photos of her and Larry.

In them, he looked at her with gentle eyes, warm as a spring breeze, even the light behind him seemed to shimmer and glow.

But now, their marriage was shattered beyond recognition.

Nothing like it once was.

The next day was their scheduled visit to the Spencer family estate. Larry came to pick her up.

"Get in," he said coldly.

Aria opened the car door and paused when she noticed a new ornament on the dashboard.

It had just been placed there.

The ornament featured a woodland scene with frost-covered trees, with Lucy's name engraved on the silver base.

It was Lucy's possession.

Previously, a ceramic figurine that she and Larry had made together at a pottery class had occupied that spot.

Aria found the sight jarring.

Larry curved his lips sarcastically, looking at her with mock amusement. "Lucy likes it. It's just an ornament—you don't mind, do you?"

"Not at all," Aria suddenly looked at him, speaking casually. "If Miss Landon likes it so much, I can even give up my position as Mrs. Spencer for her."

"Could you really?" Larry laughed derisively. "Don't pretend. Aria, where else could you possibly go besides the Spencer mansion?"

Larry was right.

She was an orphan. Besides the Spencer family, where could she go?

What Larry didn't know was that she had long lost any attachment to this place.

Throughout the drive, tension hung between them.

The atmosphere only lightened when they arrived at the Spencer estate.

The recent scandal had caused quite a stir, even disturbing the Spencer family, though eventually the matter had been suppressed.

Perhaps because Larry had always been so cold toward Aria, his father, Marcus Spencer, was determined to bring them closer.

At the dinner table, Marcus brought up company business, then suddenly said, "There's a charity gala tomorrow at the Ritz. I hear that Archer Duncan from Duncan Industries will be there. Why don't you and Aria attend together? If we can establish a good relationship with Duncan, the development of that Westside property will go more smoothly..."

Aria paused.

How convenient.

The Mr. Duncan that Marcus mentioned was the man she was planning to marry next.

Speaking of her next marriage, she had actually only met Archer Duncan once.

Her mind quickly flashed to the man's handsome, cold, almost otherworldly face—even his silhouette against the tinted car window had been exceptionally elegant.

She didn't expect that she would see him again so soon.

Larry frowned but eventually responded coldly, “Understood."

Archer Duncan was famously difficult to deal with.

Immensely powerful, full of peculiarities.

Reserved and private.

Yet despite this, countless people sought his favor.

Larry was no exception.

Hearing this, Aria snapped out of her thoughts and smiled to Marcus. “All right."

In truth, she also wanted to see her second husband-to-be.

As usual, the dinner conversation turned to the topic of children.

The Spencers were a traditional, old-money family. Ever since Larry and Aria’s wedding, his mother, Susan, had constantly brought up grandchildren.

This time was no different.

"Aria, dear, I asked Dr. Fleming for some special herbal supplements for fertility. You should take some later," Susan said with a smile.

Over the five years, Susan had sought many remedies to help her improve her health and conceive soon.

But she and Larry could never have children.

Larry glanced at her, his expression mocking.

Unlike before, Aria did not respond with her usual obedient compliance.

She looked up, her red lips curving slightly as she said calmly, "Susan, please don't trouble yourself. Larry and I can't have children, not because there's anything wrong with me, but because Larry is incapable. In these five years, he has never touched me."

After she spoke, Marcus and Susan looked at Larry in shock.

Larry's face turned pale, then flushed. He gritted his teeth, his expression dangerously dark.