Chapter 2

Rian ran New York. There was no way he hadn't heard the rumors.

He just didn't care enough to shut them down.

Just like now, knowing I'd be hurt, he still spoke up.

"Davina, if you have nothing else, go help me handle..."

My phone suddenly buzzed.

The word "Mother" flashed across the screen.

I nodded at him.

"Actually, I have something to take care of. I'll leave you two to it."

With that, I turned and walked out, not giving the man a second glance.

Eleanor was a sharp yet kind woman. She raised Rian and, after his father—the former Godfather—died unexpectedly, used her own iron-fisted methods to stabilize the turbulent family.

I had always respected her deeply, and she treated me like a daughter.

When I spotted her standing by the elevator, sporting her usual sunglasses and vintage silk scarf, I smiled.

"Mom, over here."

The woman, serious just a second ago, immediately beamed.

She pulled a shimmering necklace from her designer handbag and held it up against my collarbone.

"A perfect fit. Happy birthday, Davina."

Seeing the hidden heartache in her eyes, my throat tightened.

My birthday was the day right after our anniversary.

Because I always put our anniversary first, my own birthday usually just slipped by. Over time, Rian stopped caring about it altogether.

This time, even I had forgotten.

But Eleanor remembered.

One of the reasons Rian was so sure I'd never leave him was probably because he knew I couldn't bear to leave a mother-in-law as wonderful as Eleanor.

A colleague walked by and peeked into my office.

"Wow, Davina, did your mom come to drop off a gift again?"

I smiled and nodded.

Rian claimed he had too many enemies, so my identity was kept completely hidden from the outside world.

Even when Eleanor came to visit me, she had to come fully disguised to hide who she was.

Eleanor smiled and pulled out her phone to show me a video of Leo riding a horse at the estate that morning.

When Leo's bright, innocent eyes looked into the camera, my own eyes suddenly welled up with tears.

Eleanor noticed immediately.

She hurried to grab a tissue, but then she spotted the documents sitting on my desk.

She froze.

"Davina, are you and Rian..."

She couldn't finish the sentence, her voice choking up.

If it weren't for Eleanor, Rian and I wouldn't have made it this far.

So I confessed everything to her.

After a brief silence, she gently patted my shoulder.

"It's okay, sweetie. I know. I don't blame you."

"Is Rian with that woman right now? Tell me, and I'll go throw her out myself."

I shook my head.

"There's no need. It doesn't matter anymore."

She hesitated, her eyes growing red.

I knew what she wanted to say, so I gently patted her hand.

"Don't worry, Mom. I'm leaving Rian, not you or Leo. We're still family."

Eleanor nodded, turning her head away to wipe her tears.

Not long after she left, the casino accounts analysis meeting was set to start in half an hour.

Holding a stack of files I needed to confirm with Rian beforehand, I walked up to his office door.

Just as I was about to knock, I heard a gasp from inside.

I pushed the door open instinctively.

Only to find Chloe straddling Rian's lap, her arms wrapped around his neck. Their faces were inches apart.

Seeing me, panic flashed across Rian's face for a split second before his brow furrowed.

"Don't you know how to knock before entering?"

The files in my hands made me feel like a complete joke.

I forced a stiff smile. "Sorry, it seems I interrupted something."

"But let me remind you, this is the office. If you want to get intimate, you'd better find a more appropriate place."

I turned to leave, but Rian called out.

"Chloe tripped, and I caught her. What are you thinking?"

I stayed silent.

Rian paused, his voice softening just a fraction.

"I scraped my hand. Come patch it up."