Chapter 2 The Second Sparkle

Victoria froze for a beat before she narrowed her eyes at me. "What's gotten into you? What are you plotting now?"

Lucas looked just as confused. "Avery, you said you loved the ring," he said with a frown.

I smiled. Taking Victoria's hand, I murmured, "Mom's right. Honestly, all the presents we've given her before were too small. This ring fits her much better."

Lucas blinked, thrown. "I had this custom-made for you. It's one of a kind—"

Victoria cut him off instantly, "Why wouldn't it look good on me? She wants to give it to me, so let her. If you're that sentimental, go make her another one."

I added, "Exactly. It's only special because it's one of a kind. If there's a second one, it loses its value. Right, Lucas?"

I watched him closely.

His expression tightened. It took him two full seconds to respond. "Of course it's unique. I'd never make a second one."

Restlessness flickered across his face. He muttered something about a call he needed to take and excused himself, practically rushing out of the room.

Victoria lifted her hand, tilting it toward the light. The ring sparkled, and her satisfaction was unmistakable. Then, she shot me a sidelong glance. "Don't think this changes anything between us. Go make dinner, and do it properly."

I nodded and suggested, "But a ring this beautiful shouldn't stay hidden. Why not show it off online?"

She might be older, but once Lucas struck it rich, she retired immediately. The cushy life did wonders for her; it polished her up and shaved a decade off her appearance.

When I photographed her, I made sure her face was front and center. She uploaded them right away, practically glowing. I let out a quiet laugh and slipped back to my room.

Then, I ran a search with the photo.

It didn't take long.

On an overseas social platform, a travel influencer had recently posted a close-up of the exact same ring.

The influencer was Sophie. Her username was even "SophieWander."

I went straight to her profile.

Sophie spent her life abroad, traveling from one country to another and creating glossy vlogs with a man always behind the camera. Her captions suggested her husband covered all expenses, even giving her a "custom, one-of-a-kind ring."

Later, I opened Lucas' travel schedule and compared it with Sophie's posts—Moonshore in July, Rosefen Valley in August, and Vespera in November.

Each date matched up perfectly.

Every so-called "business trip" was actually with her.

I'd been married to Lucas for years, but we were practically strangers. We never even had a real wedding.

He refused to make our marriage public, saying it would "set a bad example" for the company if executives flaunted their personal lives.

While I worked through the night for the company, drank myself numb at client dinners, and woke up alone with a burning stomach and a splitting headache—Lucas was in another woman's bed, whispering love to her and buying her the very ring he claimed was "just for me."

Victoria's photo got passed around online until it finally showed up in Sophie's inbox, forwarded by some random anonymous account.

I cleared my history and snapped the laptop shut.

…

That night, when Lucas came home, I casually mentioned that I thought I'd seen a ring online that looked just like Victoria's.

His face shifted instantly, and he demanded to know where I'd seen it.

I shrugged. "Just flashed by in a video. I couldn't find it again."

He exhaled in visible relief. "Probably a mistake. You're overthinking."

He made another excuse about work and stepped out onto the balcony to make a call.

I watched him through the glass door, the cold slowly gathering in my eyes.