Chapter 1 : The Divorce Papers.

POV: Elena

"Sign it."

Alexander Vance pushed a black leather folder across the dining table.

It stopped beside my birthday cake.

Three tiers of chocolate truffle cake stood untouched between us, the silver candle flickering beneath the gold number three.

Three years.

Three years of marriage.

And this was how my husband chose to end it.

I stared at the folder.

Then I looked at him.

Alexander stood beside the window, still dressed in the black suit he'd traveled twelve hours from Europe in. Rain streaked the glass behind him, turning the city lights into blurry shadows.

He hadn't looked at the cake.

He hadn't wished me a happy anniversary.

He hadn't even said hello properly.

"Tonight?" I asked.

My voice came out calmer than I expected.

Alexander finally turned toward me.

"Vivian is back."

My fingers tightened beneath the table.

Two words.

That was all it took to explain why he'd returned.

"She's recovered?"

"She needs me."

Of course.

Vivian always needed Alexander.

His name.

His money.

His protection.

And apparently, after three years of marriage, she still had the power to make him walk away from me without hesitation.

Alexander came closer and rested one hand against the chair opposite mine.

"Your family's debt has been paid," he said. "The marriage contract is over. You'll receive the coastal villa and five million dollars."

I looked at the folder again.

Three years ago, my family had needed money.

Alexander had needed a wife to satisfy his grandfather's final condition before he could take control of Vance Enterprises.

It had been simple.

Temporary marriage.

No expectations.

No love.

I had agreed.

I had just made one mistake.

I had fallen in love with my husband.

And now he was handing me five million dollars as if that could erase three years of my life.

Alexander's expression didn't change.

"You'll be taken care of."

"I'm sure."

His brow tightened.

"What does that mean?"

"It means you don't have to worry about me."

I reached for the folder.

His eyes followed my hand.

"Don't make this difficult, Elena."

I looked up at him.

"Am I?"

"You have no career, no family left, and no independent source of income." His voice remained cold. "The money I'm offering is generous."

There it was.

The reminder.

Without him, I had nothing.

I picked up the pen.

"I don't want the villa."

His jaw tightened.

"Then take the money."

"I don't want that either."

For the first time that evening, Alexander looked genuinely confused.

"Then what do you want?"

I stared at the man I'd spent three years loving.

The man who had never once told me he loved me.

The man who was leaving me on our anniversary because another woman had returned.

"Nothing."

His eyes narrowed.

I opened the folder.

The final page waited for my signature.

My hand was steady.

At least, it was until the pen touched the paper.

Elena Lin.

I finished the last letter.

And suddenly, nausea twisted through my stomach.

I froze.

My vision blurred.

One hand gripped the edge of the table.

"Elena?"

I swallowed.

"I'm fine."

Alexander watched me.

For one brief second, something almost like concern crossed his face.

Then his phone rang.

He looked at the screen.

"Vivian."

He answered immediately.

I watched his expression change.

It wasn't much.

But I noticed.

His voice softened.

"I'm coming."

He ended the call and slipped the phone into his pocket.

"I'll have the lawyer send someone tomorrow to finalize everything."

I pushed the folder toward him.

"There's nothing to finalize."

He picked it up.

For a moment, neither of us moved.

Then his voice lowered.

"Where will you go?"

I forced a smile.

"That's not your concern anymore."

I stood.

My knees nearly buckled.

I caught the edge of the table before he could notice.

Then I walked away.

I didn't look back.

Not even once.

---

I barely made it to the upstairs bathroom before the nausea hit again.

I dropped to my knees beside the toilet and retched until my throat burned.

When it finally stopped, I sat against the cold cabinet, trying to catch my breath.

My eyes drifted toward the medicine cabinet.

A small cardboard box was hidden behind the bottles.

I'd bought it two days ago.

I hadn't been brave enough to use it.

My hands trembled as I pulled it out.

Five minutes later, I was staring at the result.

Two red lines.

I stopped breathing.

"No."

My hand moved instinctively to my stomach.

Nothing looked different.

There was no visible sign.

But everything had changed.

I was pregnant.

Alexander's child.

My mind raced.

If Alexander found out, would he believe me?

Or would he think I'd done it deliberately to keep him?

And Vivian...

What would she do?

She had spent years waiting for her place beside Alexander.

A child would change everything.

I knew what the Vance family was capable of.

If they wanted my baby, how long would it take before I lost the right to make decisions for my own child?

I looked down at the test.

Then toward the bedroom.

Alexander had already chosen Vivian.

I wasn't going to give him another reason to take something from me.

I wrapped the test in tissue and slipped it into my suitcase.

I didn't need his money.

I didn't need his villa.

And I certainly didn't need his permission to protect my child.

I changed into a simple coat and packed only what belonged to me.

A few clothes.

My old medical textbooks.

My mother's locket.

Nothing else.

At the back staircase, I stopped.

For one final moment, I looked around.

Three years of memories lived inside those walls.

Most of them were mine alone.

I tightened my grip on the suitcase.

Then I opened the door.

Cold rain struck my face.

I stepped outside.

And this time, I didn't look back.

I had just signed away my marriage.

Alexander thought he was getting rid of his wife.

He had no idea what I'd taken with me.

His child.

And I would make sure he never found out.