Chapter 2

The morning sun streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows of Evelyn's penthouse, casting golden streaks across the sleek marble countertops. She sipped her coffee, the rich aroma mingling with the crisp morning air. Today was the day—the final presentation for the Martin Group’s luxury resort project.

Her phone buzzed. A message from Nathaniel.

"Running late. Meet you at the office."

Evelyn sighed. Lately, Nathaniel had been distant, buried under the weight of his family’s expectations. She knew the pressure of inheriting the Martin empire was suffocating him, but she wished he would let her in.

Her assistant, Gabrielle, burst into the kitchen, her tablet in hand. "The car’s ready. And Gregory just texted—he’s already at the venue, double-checking the models."

Evelyn nodded, smoothing the fabric of her tailored blazer. "Let’s go."

The drive to Martin Group’s headquarters was tense. The city blurred past, but Evelyn’s mind was elsewhere—on Nathaniel’s evasiveness, on the whispers about Isabella Davis’s sudden return to town.

The conference room was packed when she arrived. Executives murmured among themselves, their eyes flickering toward her as she took her seat beside Gregory. Nathaniel wasn’t there yet.

Then the doors swung open.

Nathaniel strode in, his presence commanding the room. His sharp navy suit accentuated his broad shoulders, but his expression was unreadable. Behind him, in a fitted crimson dress, stood Isabella.

Evelyn’s breath hitched.

Isabella smiled, her gaze lingering on Nathaniel before sliding to Evelyn. "Long time no see," she purred.

Gregory leaned in, his voice low. "You okay?"

Evelyn forced a smile. "Perfect."

Nathaniel cleared his throat. "Let’s begin."

As Evelyn launched into her presentation, she could feel Isabella’s eyes on her, assessing, calculating. The slides flickered—blueprints, renderings, timelines—but her focus wavered when Nathaniel’s phone buzzed. He glanced at it, his jaw tightening.

She recognized the name on the screen. Vanessa. Isabella’s agent.

The meeting ended with polite applause, but Evelyn barely registered it. Nathaniel pulled her aside as the room emptied.

"I need to explain," he started.

Evelyn crossed her arms. "Isabella’s working with us now?"

"It’s complicated."

"Uncomplicate it."

Before he could answer, his phone rang again. He hesitated, then stepped away to take the call.

Gregory appeared at her side. "You handled that like a pro."

Evelyn exhaled sharply. "I need air."

Outside, the city hummed with life, but Evelyn felt untethered. She pulled out her phone and dialed Charlotte, her best friend.

"Hey," Charlotte answered. "How’d it go?"

Evelyn stared at the Martin Group’s towering logo. "Isabella’s back."

A pause. "Oh."

"Yeah."

Charlotte sighed. "You need drinks. Tonight. No excuses."

Evelyn managed a weak laugh. "Deal."

As she hung up, a sleek black car pulled up to the curb. The window rolled down, revealing Isabella’s smirk.

"Need a ride?"

Evelyn’s grip tightened on her phone. "I’m good."

Isabella’s smile didn’t falter. "Suit yourself. But Nathaniel won’t always be there to save you."

The car sped off, leaving Evelyn standing there, the weight of those words settling over her like a storm.

"We married for a purpose, Evelyn. I've already failed Isabella once—I won't do it again," Nathaniel said firmly, shutting down any further argument.

Evelyn caught the tenderness in his voice when he mentioned Isabella, and a sharp pang of jealousy twisted inside her. It was painfully obvious his heart belonged only to Isabella, not her.

After a quiet moment, Evelyn exhaled softly. "Fine."

Her subdued tone made his brows knit briefly.

"I won't leave you empty-handed. This estate is yours. I'll transfer fifty million upfront, and—"

She cut him off before he could finish.

It was the first time she had ever interrupted him. Before, she wouldn’t have dared.

"I don’t want anything," Evelyn said, lifting her chin. Her expression was cool, but her eyes held something fragile. "Just one condition."

"What?"

"After the divorce, we never see each other again." Her voice was steady, resolute.

"Are you angry with me?" Nathaniel studied her intently, his voice dropping low.

"Of course not. Why would I be?" She gave him a faint, practiced smile.

She sounded sincere, calm—but Nathaniel wasn’t convinced.

His frown deepened. "I’m making a reasonable offer, not asking you to act out. Isn’t that request a little immature?"

"Immature?" Evelyn countered coolly. "It’s the only thing I’m asking for. Nothing else."

Afraid her composure might crack, she turned abruptly and snatched up the divorce papers. Without reading them, she grabbed a pen from the counter and signed her name in swift, decisive strokes.

Her heart ached. She had loved Nathaniel in secret for ten years, and he’d never known.

Swallowing back tears, she remembered the past year—how tender he’d been, how he’d made her foolishly believe he might love her too.

But she knew the truth. His heart had always belonged to Isabella.

Now, she had to let him go.

Steeling herself, Evelyn met his gaze. "When do we finalize the divorce?"

Nathaniel stiffened. He hadn’t expected Evelyn—always so gentle, so accommodating—to push for this so quickly.

"In such a hurry?" His voice was deceptively calm. "You know we can’t avoid each other forever. My family adores you. Are you cutting them off too?"

"You’re the one who wanted this," Evelyn said, her voice barely above a whisper. "Now that it’s happening, are you going to dictate my life after too?"

She forced another smile, her chest tight. Does this mean you can’t bear to let me go?

Unable to hold his gaze, she murmured, "Or does it mean you don’t love Isabella after all? That you’ve fallen for me instead?"

Nathaniel’s expression darkened, the air between them thickening with unspoken tension.

Finally, he spoke, his voice icy. "Evelyn, I don’t find that kind of joke amusing."

As if loving her was nothing but a punchline. Her smile faltered. "My apologies."

He watched her—always so composed, so careful—and something unfamiliar twisted inside him.

Evelyn drove straight to the architecture firm she co-owned with Gregory Wilson.

Lately, she’d been accused of plagiarizing a design draft, and if she didn’t resolve it fast, the fallout could ruin her reputation.

The moment she stepped into the office, Gregory took one look at her and frowned. "Evelyn, are you okay?"

She shook her head. "It’s nothing."

Glancing at her watch, she asked, "What did Summit Realty say?"

Summit was the client behind the disputed design.

"They want an explanation by tomorrow, or they’ll sue."

"What time’s the meeting? Should we head over now?"

Gregory nodded, falling into step beside her. As they walked, he handed her a folded note. "Someone’s offering a fortune for you to design a diamond necklace."

Evelyn skimmed the details and immediately shook her head. "Not now. Maybe after the divorce."

"You’re divorcing Nathaniel?"

"Yeah."

"His idea?"

Evelyn’s voice was barely audible. "Yeah. Isabella’s awake. He wants to marry her."

Gregory’s jaw tightened, his expression darkening with anger—and pain, for her.

He sighed. "Evelyn, why do you keep hurting yourself like this? A year ago, you never should’ve—"