Chapter 8

Maya rushed toward me the moment she saw me and wrapped her arms tightly around mine.

“Aunt Carol asked me to move in with you,” she said with a bright smile. “She said it’s a new house and you might need some company. Besides, I’m on leave from work, so I thought it would be nice to spend some time with you.”

I let out a quiet sigh. We had practically grown up together. Maya’s parents had passed away when we were still children, and my parents had taken her in without hesitation. She had become part of our family long before we understood what family truly meant.

Part of me wanted to keep my distance after everything I had overheard in Lucas’s office, but another part of me understood. She was only human. Perhaps seeing Lucas marry me had finally made her give up on whatever feelings she had been holding onto all these years.

I forced a small smile. “You’re welcome to stay, Maya. It’s no trouble.”

I glanced at Lucas. He looked just as uncomfortable as I felt, though his expression remained unreadable.

“You’re welcome, Miss Maya,” he said politely.

“Thank you, sir.” She bowed with a sweet smile, and only heaven knew what was truly hidden behind it.

Lucas instructed the maids to prepare one of the guest rooms before excusing himself. I wasn’t worried about Maya discovering the nature of our marriage. Everyone in my family knew that Lucas and I lived separately and had married for reasons that had nothing to do with love. There was nothing to hide.

That evening, Maya chatted endlessly about her journey, how beautiful the Sinclair Estate was, and how disappointed she had been to miss the wedding ceremony. I smiled whenever necessary, but my thoughts were somewhere else. Tomorrow would be my first day at Sinclair Group. And I still wasn’t sure whether Maya was someone I could trust.

The following morning, I arrived at the company earlier than almost everyone else. My office had already been prepared. I slowly pushed open the door and looked around. It was spacious, elegant, and designed with understated luxury.

For a brief moment, my thoughts drifted back to Carter Group. I had worked tirelessly to help Damon build that company from nothing. I had worked beside the employees, eaten in the same cafeteria, and treated everyone equally. Whenever I suggested improving my position within the company, Damon would always say, “If we treat you differently, the employees won’t like it.”

I had believed him. Despite being highly educated, he had never promoted me. Sometimes he didn’t even pay my salary because the money would end up covering groceries, utility bills, and household expenses instead.

A bitter smile crossed my lips as I looked at the gold nameplate on my desk. Junia Larson. Executive Manager. The title felt strange. Not because I didn’t deserve it… but because someone had finally acknowledged that I did.

Soon it was time for the morning meeting. The conference room was already filled with department heads and senior staff, all watching curiously as I took a seat. A few moments later, Lucas walked in. Everyone immediately rose to their feet.

“Good morning, sir.”

He gave a brief nod before looking toward me. “Today’s meeting is to introduce our new Executive Manager.” His voice was calm and authoritative. “Mrs. Junia… please come forward.”

I walked to the front of the room. “My name is Junia Larson,” I introduced myself, deliberately using my maiden name. For now, I didn’t want anyone to know I was Mrs. Sinclair. “I’ll be working with all of you as your new Executive Manager. I hope we’ll have a productive working relationship.”

Polite applause filled the room. Most people smiled. Others didn’t even bother hiding their displeasure.

The moment the meeting ended, Lucas handed me my employee access card. “You forgot to wait for the driver this morning,” he said.

I smiled awkwardly. “I’ve always been used to doing things on my own. Besides… I know how to drive.”

He gave a small nod. “If you need anything, let me know.” With that, he returned to his office.

I clipped the employee card onto my blazer before suddenly remembering that I had left my phone inside the meeting room. As I turned back, several voices drifted through the half-open door.

“She’s new and she already gets the Executive Manager position?”

“I already don’t like her.”

“Did you notice how polite Mr. Sinclair was with her?”

“She must think she’s special.”

I couldn’t help smiling. I pushed the door open. The room instantly fell silent. Every pair of eyes turned toward me. The guilty expressions on their faces almost made me laugh.

I picked up my phone before looking back at them. “It’s nice meeting all of you,” I said with a pleasant smile. “I hope we’ll work well together.”

No one spoke. They simply watched me leave. If I wanted to, I could have fired every single one of them on the spot. But revenge… was always sweeter when served slowly.

The rest of the day passed surprisingly quickly. I buried myself in reports, meetings, and company files until I completely lost track of time. By evening, the office had begun to empty. I gathered my belongings and headed toward the underground parking garage.

The moment I reached my car, a strange feeling crept over me. Someone was watching me. I frowned and reached for the driver’s door.

“Junia.”

The familiar voice froze me in place. I slowly turned around. Damon stepped out from behind one of the concrete pillars. He was wearing a dark jumper and a cap, clearly trying to avoid being recognized, but I would have recognized him anywhere.

He strode toward me, his eyes burning with anger. “So this was your plan all along?” he demanded. “You married my uncle just to humiliate me.”

I stared at him without a trace of emotion.

“Ann is lying in the hospital,” he continued bitterly. “My child might not survive because of everything you’ve done.”

I let out a cold laugh. “When are you going to stop blaming me for the consequences of your own actions?”

He ignored my question and stepped even closer. “You’re lying to everyone.” His voice grew louder. “You don’t love him. You married him for revenge. You still love me.”

This time I actually laughed. It was a quiet laugh… the kind that came from complete disbelief. I looked him straight in the eyes. “Whether I love my husband or not stopped being your business the day you divorced me.”

His face twisted with frustration. Without warning, he grabbed my wrist. “No,” he growled. “You’re only with my uncle because you still want to stay close to me.”

I tried to pull away, but his grip only tightened. Then another hand calmly wrapped around his wrist. Damon stiffened.

Lucas. He had appeared so quietly that neither of us had noticed him. With one effortless movement, Lucas removed Damon’s hand from mine and stepped between us. His face remained perfectly calm.

“You seem to have forgotten something,” he said, his deep voice frighteningly quiet.

Damon swallowed. Lucas looked directly into his eyes. “She is your aunt now.”

A long silence settled over the parking garage. Then Lucas spoke again. “And don’t you have even the slightest respect for your elders?”