LOGINFor three years, Eleanor Cross was the perfect billionaire's wife. She gave up her career, her ambitions, and almost every piece of herself for the man she'd loved since she was thirteen. Julian Cross never seemed to notice. To him, Eleanor was simply the obedient wife waiting at home while he built his empire—and when Cassandra Voss returned to his life, Eleanor finally realized just how little her husband valued her. Then she found the spreadsheet. Three years of marriage reduced to numbers. Her sacrifices calculated like business expenses. Her place in Julian's life nothing more than an obligation. So Eleanor did the one thing nobody expected. She walked away. But divorce isn't as simple when your husband suddenly realizes the quiet woman he ignored has a talent capable of shaking the luxury world. At Fenwick & York, Eleanor discovers that she's more than a wife. She's a designer. A visionary. A woman capable of building something that belongs entirely to her. And as Eleanor rises, Julian begins to understand the truth far too late: The woman he thought would always wait for him has finally learned how to live without him.
View MoreShe'd been outed.The whole internet knew nowJulian Cross's wife was Eleanor Hale.Eleanor hadn't even made it into her own building security had to pull her out of the swarm of reporters and marketing accounts crowding the sidewalk.Before starting her car, she pulled out her phone.Sure enough, her name dominated every feed."Radiance's rising star Eleanor Hale is secretly a tycoon's wife?!""Julian Cross confirmed married to designer Eleanor Hale.""Rising jewelry star backed by Cross Group all along?""Power match or perfect cover-up? Cross Group officially confirms its 'mistress.'""Industry titan and emerging talent turns out they were family from the start."Overnight, every corner of the internet had picked up the same story.There'd been a version of this rumor before built off one blurry photo and speculation, nothing more. Julian hadn't confirmed or denied it, and it had died the way these things always did. The internet forgot fast; trending topics churned over in hours.
Eleanor took the package in hand.A plain paper envelope, just the right thickness for three copies of a divorce agreement.She didn't open it at the office. Waited until she got home.Late that night, the old row house on Willow Street sat lit from within.Eleanor settled at her desk and pulled the contents free.DIVORCE AGREEMENT, bold across the top.She flipped through page by page.Her memory held up well enough she remembered the last version clearly. This one matched it almost exactly, at least at the start.Which meant, despite the long delay, Julian hadn't buried anything new in the fine print this time.Then she reached the part that had actually changed.As expected, something was different.Not in the direction she'd expected, though.He'd kept the ten-percent stake transfer. But the conditions attached had multiplied far more restrictive than before.Most notably: she was explicitly barred from ever transferring that ten percent again. Not as a gift. Not for sale. Permane
Pretending to be young.Derek startled.He hadn't expected himself to land on that particular read of Cassandra."Derek, don't just stare at me like that!"She tugged his sleeve, playing it coy.He snapped out of it. "I do know Miranda. What is it you want?""I'd love for her to shoot me too get a spot in the magazine... think that's possible?"Her confidence dropped with every word, deliberate.She knew exactly how Derek responded to vulnerability."Why not ask Julian?"Cassandra looked up at him, genuinely caught off guard.Something about Derek felt different lately.The old version of him would never have questioned her like this.He used to just do whatever she asked, no hesitation, whenever she wanted it."I... wanted to try leaning on you for once. Is that not allowed?"She blinked up at him, wide-eyed."Of course it's allowed."Watching him soften, Cassandra let out a quiet breath of relief.She hadn't gone to Julian because she already had, once before.He'd introduced her to
"This is for you."Derek held out a large bouquet of stamen-less red roses, and Eleanor had no words ready for it."How did you even get here?""Heard you thank me on stage. Figured I'd show up."Derek meant it, plainly.Behind his glasses, his eyes usually carried that same cynical edge but this time, Eleanor couldn't catch a lie anywhere in it."You can take this one without worry. Pulled every stamen, glued the petals back one at a time. Took longer than you'd think."He said it like he was fishing for credit, and Eleanor couldn't help but think why not just send something simpler in the first place?"Thank you. I'll take them."Whatever his motives, the gesture read as sincere enough that refusing felt unnecessary.First time she'd held a bouquet this size without a single sneeze.Eleanor stepped into the hotel elevator. Derek followed."You're staying here too?" she asked, confused.Given his money and standing, a hotel at this tier made no sense for him."No." He shook her head.






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