"Sorry, sir. Ms. Mercer and her gentleman are hosting a celebration upstairs. We're not taking walk-ins today."What? Her gentleman? Then what was Julian?Three years of marriage kept secret from everyone and he'd never once set foot inside Mercer Industries. Now he stood at the security desk with a gift box in his hands, containing a limited edition Birkin, a perfect gift for their anniversary. But the guard just said she was upstairs with ‘her gentleman’. That didn't make sense. Julian was her husband. If anyone should be up there with her, it was him.His stomach twisted. Who was she with?They'd met in college. Back then, she didn’t just smile at him.She waited for him after his late classes, even when it was cold.She saved him a seat in crowded halls.She brought him food when he forgot to eat, and sat beside him until he finished every bite.She held his hand in front of people like she was proud of him.She used to look at him like he was the most important person in her w

The woman stood beside the car, looking perfectly composed in her tailored suit, and smiled at him.Julian stared – he knew that face. She was Gianna Brennan, CEO of Apex Innovations, one of the largest tech companies in the region. The newspapers always referred to her as the Ice Queen because she was cold, untouchable and ruthless in business.There was a story about her that everyone repeated – how the richest man in the city had pursued her for months, sent her gifts, showed up at her office with flowers, and she'd turned him down without a second thought.But right now, she was giving him a warm smile, as if she'd known him for a long time and had been waiting for him."Young Master," she said again.Julian's expression remained hard. "Do I know you?"Gianna laughed softly. "Of course you do. We've met many times."He searched his memory and came up empty. "I don't remember –""This isn't a good place to talk," she said, gesturing to the car. "Please. Let me explain properly."

The security guard at the front desk barely looked up when Julian walked through the lobby of Mercer & Co.The guard nodded at him and waved him through without a word.Julian walked to the elevator and pressed the button for the twentieth floor. The divorce papers were folded in his jacket pocket, crisp and official against his chest.The elevator climbed slowly. Julian watched the numbers tick upward and felt nothing.When the doors opened, he stepped out into the familiar hallway. Colette's office was at the end – glass walls and a polished nameplate that read Colette Mercer, CEO in elegant lettering.The door was half-open.Julian could hear voices inside. Colette's laugh was bright and genuine in a way he hadn't heard in years, maybe ever.He pushed the door open and stepped inside.Colette and Sebastian were standing close together near her desk, heads tilted toward each other like they were sharing secrets. Sebastian said something low and Colette laughed again, her hand resti

Colette stood at the window of her office, staring down at the empty spot where Julian had been standing just moments ago.Her hands were still shaking.She pressed her palms flat against the glass, trying to steady herself, but it didn't help. Her whole body felt like it was vibrating with shock or maybe disbelief or something worse. "I shouldn't have signed," she whispered.Sebastian appeared beside her, close enough that she could smell his cologne."Don't say that," he said gently. "You did the right thing."Colette shook her head, her throat tight. "Julian's always been so calm. So compliant. He never pushes back, never argues. For him to act like this, to ask for a divorce..."She turned to look at Sebastian, her eyes wide and uncertain."Did I go too far?" she asked. "Maybe I did. Maybe I should have –""Stop," Sebastian cut her off firmly. "You didn't do anything wrong, Colette. Julian is the one at fault here. Not you.""But –""Listen to me," Sebastian said, his voice drop

By this time, a small crowd had gathered.They were employees from the building who had come outside for a smoke break or to catch some air, now standing in clusters near the entrance, their phones out, whispering to each other.Some of them had their cameras pointed directly at the scene unfolding in front of Gianna's car.Sebastian was still on the ground, clutching his wrist where Gianna had twisted it, his face pale with shock and pain. Colette knelt beside him, her hands fluttering uselessly over him like she didn't know what to do.And Gianna stood over them both, her expression cold and commanding."Haven't you two made enough of a scene?" Gianna had just said, her voice cutting through the murmurs of the crowd. "Do you really want to keep pushing your luck?"The whispers grew louder as people confirmed her identity, "Is that Gianna Brennan?""The CEO of Apex Innovations?""What's she doing here?""Did you see what she just did to that guy?""Who are those two on the ground?"S