Chapter 5

Before Noah could respond, Vera jumped to his defense.

"Who do you think you are, spouting nonsense like that? Everyone in East Harbor's social circles knows my husband runs Winslow Holdings. There's a limit to how far you can push this scam."

Mrs. Howard was quick to back her up.

"This woman is clearly unstable. Call airport security and have her removed before she causes another scene."

Seeing the dark look on Noah's face, Luca marched up to me and shoved me again.

I was already unsteady on my feet. I fell backward and hit the ground, the pavement scraping my palms raw.

Luca loomed over me.

"I've seen plenty of women like you. Mr. and Mrs. Grant are both here. You don't get to make a scene."

I fixed my eyes on Noah, jaw clenched so tight I thought my teeth would crack.

"Noah. You're not even pretending anymore, is that it?"

Noah murmured a few words to calm Vera, then walked over to me.

He crouched down, his voice dropping low enough that only I could hear.

"Since you've figured it out, there's no point pretending anymore. Vera is pregnant with my child. If you want a divorce, fine. But some of your shares in Winslow Holdings come with me."

I looked into his eyes and saw nothing but naked greed. At last, I saw him for what he was.

"So you knew who I was from the very beginning?"

"That's right." Noah laughed under his breath. "Sophomore year, I overheard you talking to your father outside the library. Not just anyone carries the Winslow name. I approached you on purpose. I studied with you, stayed up all night with you, and pretended to be ordinary because you did. When we married, you were so determined to protect my pride that you never asked for a prenup. The moment we divorce, I'm entitled to my share of the marital assets."

I actually laughed.

"Noah, you can have your divorce. But you won't be taking a single cent of Winslow money with you."

Just then, someone in the crowd spoke up.

"Isn't the Winslow Holdings heir actually a woman?"

Someone else picked up the thread immediately.

"I worked on a due diligence report at a Manhattan law firm. The current heir to Winslow Holdings is the founder's granddaughter. She almost never appears in public."

"The year the East Harbor division was established, I think I heard something about the heiress's husband being sent to manage it. His last name was Grant, wasn't it?"

The murmuring grew louder and louder.

A strange calm settled over me.

Noah and Vera, meanwhile, went pale.

They exchanged a glance, clearly wanting to slip away before things got worse.

Before they could turn away, a fleet of dark company sedans swept into the restricted pickup lane and stopped in a precise row.

The doors opened, and a line of security guards in black suits stepped out.

The middle car's door opened, and my parents stepped out. Flanked by security, they hurried toward us.

My father walked up to Noah and struck him across the face with a crack that echoed through the terminal.

"You ungrateful bastard. How dare you treat my daughter this way!"