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TWENTY ONE

THALIAIt still hurt.I hadn’t expected it to.Not like this.But as I sat there, across from Adrian, my fingers loosely wrapped around my fork, my eyes kept drifting back.To them.Brandon and Clara.They hadn’t noticed me.Not yet.They were too… comfortable.Too familiar with each other. I could see and hear everything happening at their table from here.Clara sat across from him, leaning slightly forward, her expression soft, her voice low. Brandon listened—really listened—the way he rarely ever did with me.And when the waiter approached—He spoke.“She can’t have anything with peanuts,” Brandon said calmly. “And no shellfish.”Clara smiled faintly. “You remembered.”“Of course,” he replied.Simple.Effortless.Like it was nothing.Like it was natural to know.My grip tightened slightly around the fork.Because for a second—A memory surfaced.It had been during our second year of marriage.A company dinner.I had been nervous that night, trying to make a good impression, trying

TWENTY TWO

THALIA“Thalia.”I didn’t need to turn around to know that voice.My fingers tightened slightly around my bag, but my expression stayed calm as I looked at Adrian.“I’ll… get back to you,” I said. “Thank you for today.”Adrian’s gaze lingered on me for a brief second—sharp and observant, as always.Then it shifted.Past me.To the man standing behind me.There was no obvious reaction.But something in his eyes flickered.Recognition?Assessment?Maybe both.“Alright,” he said simply.Then, as if it just occurred to him—“You saved my number, right?”I almost smiled.“I did.”“Good. Have a wonderful day, Miss Wentworth.”His tone was easy and natural.I returned the smile, softer this time. “You too, Mr. Vale.”And just like that, he turned and walked away.I exhaled quietly before turning around.Brandon stood a few steps away.Watching me.His gaze flicked briefly in the direction Adrian had disappeared, then back to me.Dark.Unpleasantly sharp.“Who was that?” he asked.Straight to

TWENTY THREE

BRANDONClara kept staring at me after Thalia left, like she had just heard something absurd.“Wait… what does she mean by divorce papers?”I didn’t answer.Not immediately.Because the moment I tried to explain it, it sounded ridiculous even in my own head.My jaw tightened, and I looked away, running a hand through my hair.“It’s nothing,” I said finally.Clara blinked. “Nothing?”“It was just an argument.”Even to me, the excuse sounds silly.“We had a small fight,” I added, like that would somehow make it make sense.Clara let out a short laugh, shaking her head.“A quarrel?” she repeated. “People don’t send divorce papers over a quarrel, Brandon.”I felt irritation rise in my chest.“She didn’t mean it.”That, I was certain of.I had to be.Because the idea that Thalia actually meant to walk away from me—No.That didn’t make sense.“She’s just angry,” I continued. “She’ll calm down.”Clara crossed her arms, studying me like she was trying to figure something out.“And you?” she

TWENTY FOUR

THALIALangford Group hadn’t changed.Same building.Same polished floors.Same air that always felt… a little too tight.Like everything inside it had to behave.Including me.I stepped out of the elevator and walked down the hallway, my heels echoing softly behind me.His secretary looked up.“Miss Thalia. He’s expecting you.”Of course he was.I just nodded and walked past her.No small talk.No pretending.I pushed the door open.Brandon was already seated, like always.Straight posture.Calm face.Like this was just another meeting.Like I hadn’t handed him divorce papers.Like nothing had shifted.For a second, we just looked at each other.Then—“You’re here.”Too calm.“I said I would be.”My voice sounded… distant. Even to me.His eyes stayed on me for a second longer than usual before he picked up a document and slid it across the desk.“Look at it.”I didn’t move immediately.Something about this already felt off.Still, I stepped forward and picked it up.For a second—I t

TWENTY FIVE

THALIA“Since you want to talk about divorce… let’s talk about the terms.”Something about the way he said it made my chest tighten.Terms for what?He walked back to his desk like he had not just said the most ridiculous thing.Like I hadn’t almost—I swallowed the thought.He opened a drawer and pulled out a file.Thick.My stomach dropped before he even spoke.“You didn’t think leaving me would be that simple, did you?”I frowned. “What are you talking about?”He didn’t answer. Just flipped it open, scanned a page, then walked over and handed it to me.“Look.”I hesitated.Only for a second.Then I took it.And the moment I opened it—I didn’t understand what I was looking at.Not at first.Just numbers.Dates.Transfers.But then it started to come together.And once it did, my chest tightened.My eyes moved faster across the page.Then the next.Bank transfers.Emergency payments.Amounts I remembered asking for.And others… I didn’t.My throat went dry.Medical bills.My mum’s ho

TWENTY SIX

BRANDONThe office felt quieter after she left.I didn’t move.I stayed seated behind my desk, my gaze fixed on the door she had just walked through.Waiting.For what, I wasn’t sure.Maybe for her to come back.Maybe for her to hesitate.But the door stayed closed.And she didn’t return.My fingers tapped once against the arm of the chair, then stilled.The file sat in front of me, exactly where she had placed it.Untouched.I looked at it for a moment… then reached forward and opened it.Three hundred and eighty million.Honestly? The money didn’t mean anything to me.I’d spent more than that without thinking twice.But the way she looked at it—like it was something that could crush her—made me feel bad in a way I wouldn’t admit.I leaned back slightly, my grip loosening on the file as her voice slipped back into my head.“I can’t keep doing this.”My jaw tightened.I closed the file.Set it down.Opened it again.Pointless.I couldn’t believe how desperate she was to leave me.My f

TWENTY SEVEN

BRANDONI picked up the call immediately. Clara’s voice came through, tight, almost panicked.“Brandon… please. Please, I need your help.”Her urgency made my stomach tighten.“What’s wrong?” I asked, alert. My pulse kicked up, my fingers gripping the phone a little too hard.“It’s Leo… he slipped at home. I’m far away, and I can’t get back quickly. Can you—can you check on him?”“I’ll be there in ten minutes. Tell me exactly where he is.”“He’s still at home with the nanny. Please hurry, Brandon.”“I’m on my way.”I hung up, left the office immediately, and headed straight for the car.The streets blurred past, red and green lights streaking by. My mind ran through every scenario, from minor bruises to something worse. A slip at home could be serious.Clara had been handling everything herself. Now she was calling me in desperation. I had no choice—I had to help.At her house, the nanny met me at the door, worry written all over her face.“He’s in the living room,” she said, voice ti

TWENTY EIGHT

BRANDON “Brandon!”Clara came rushing in, her heels clicking sharply on the floor. Relief and panic were etched across her face.Leo’s small arms shot out, leaving me, and he stretched toward her. “Mommy!” he squealed, his face lighting up.Clara dropped to her knees, gathering him into her arms. Leo nuzzled against her, finally relaxing, his tiny body pressing into hers. He clung to her like he hadn’t felt safe in hours.“I’m here, sweetheart,” Clara whispered, brushing his hair from his forehead. “You’re okay now. I’ve got you.”I stood back, giving them space, but my eyes stayed on them. I waited until Leo had settled into her embrace, no longer clinging to me.Clara gently set him back on the hospital bed, tucking the blanket lightly around him. Then she turned to face me, her expression softening. “Brandon… I can’t thank you enough. I don’t know what I would’ve done if you hadn’t come so quickly.”I nodded. “You’re welcome Clara. I promised to help you anyway I can. But… can

TWENTY NINE

BRANDON“…You remember me?” she said slowly, uncertainty slipping into her voice. “I believe I’ve never seen you.”Clara let out a soft, nervous laugh.“You’ve definitely seen me before,” she said lightly. “But please, let’s not dwell on that. How’s my son doing?”The nurse hesitated for half a second, like she wasn’t entirely convinced, but she nodded anyway.“Oh, sure,” she said, shifting her attention to Leo.She stepped closer to the bed and began checking his vitals, her movements practiced and calm.Leo sat still, watching her with quiet curiosity.Clara hovered just beside him, her hand resting lightly on his shoulder like she needed the contact.“He’s doing very well,” the nurse said after a moment. “You can have him discharged soon.”Clara’s shoulders visibly relaxed.“Thank you so much,” she said quickly, her voice warmer now.The nurse gave a small nod as she flipped through the file in her hand.“I just need to process the discharge papers,” she added.“That’s fine,” Clara

THIRTY

THALIAIt was my first day at work, and my hands would not stop shaking.Not the cute, nervous kind either. It was the kind that made me question every life decision that had brought me here.I sat in the car for a second longer than necessary, staring at the building like it might suddenly decide to reject me.Yesterday, I was supposed to start.Yesterday, I had been standing in front of Brandon, talking about the divorce that led nowhere.I exhaled slowly.“Get it together, Thalia,” I muttered, pressing my fingers against the steering wheel.I grabbed my bag and stepped out of the car, the morning air brushing against my face.It didn’t help.My chest still felt tight.I pulled out my phone and called Olivia.She picked up before the first ring even finished.“Please tell me you’re here,” she said immediately.“I’m downstairs,” I replied. “Car park. And I might actually run back into my car if you don’t come get me.”There was a sharp squeal on the other end.“Don’t you dare move! I’

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