The Hidden Billionaire’s Final Goodbye

4. A Husband Without a Place

The clock on the living room wall struck eight. Lucas glanced at it for the third time in ten minutes.

The dining table was set for two. A simple dinner of roasted chicken, mashed potatoes, and Amelia's favorite mushroom soup sat beneath the warm glow of the chandelier. Lucas had spent nearly an hour preparing everything after returning from his delivery shift. He had even bought a small bouquet of white roses.

Tonight was supposed to be different. Their fourth wedding anniversary had passed without a proper celebration, and Lucas had hoped to make up for it with a quiet dinner at home. Nothing extravagant. Just the two of them.

His phone lay beside his plate. No messages. No calls.

Lucas picked it up and dialed Amelia's number. The call rang several times before she answered.

"Hello?" Amelia's voice sounded distracted.

"Are you still at the office?"

"I'm outside."

Lucas glanced at the clock. "It's almost eight."

"I know, Lucas."

"Did you have dinner?"

A brief silence followed. "Not yet."

Lucas looked at the food on the table. "I prepared something. I thought we could eat together."

"Lucas, I'm busy."

He hesitated. "Can I ask where you are?"

"Why?"

"I was just wondering."

Amelia sighed. "I'm with Adrian."

Lucas's fingers tightened around the phone. "Adrian Blake?"

"Yes. We're discussing something important."

"Is it business?"

"Does it matter?"

Lucas remained silent.

Amelia's voice grew impatient. "Please don't start asking unnecessary questions. I'll come home when I'm ready."

The call ended. Lucas stared at the screen, then slowly lowered the phone. The food was getting cold. He looked at the empty chair across from him, and for a moment, he considered putting everything away.

Instead, he sat down, picked up his fork, and took a bite. The chicken was still warm and the soup was delicious, yet he could barely taste either.

***

Amelia walked inside, carrying a designer handbag. Her hair was slightly tousled, and a faint smile lingered on her face. She looked happy—an expression Lucas had not seen when she left the house.

"You're home," he said.

Amelia glanced at him. "Obviously."

Lucas put down the tablet. "I waited for you."

She removed her heels. "Why?"

"I prepared dinner."

Amelia frowned. "Lucas, I already told you I was eating out."

"I know. I just thought—"

"Then why are you making this a problem?"

Lucas stopped speaking and looked toward the dining room. The candles had burned out, and the food had been covered and placed in the refrigerator.

"I wanted to talk about our anniversary," he said quietly.

Amelia's expression changed. "Again?"

Lucas nodded. "I thought perhaps we could spend some time together this weekend."

"Lucas, I have plans."

"With Adrian?"

Her eyes narrowed. "Why are you bringing him into this?"

"I'm just asking."

Amelia let out an irritated breath. "Listen to me carefully. You don't need to arrange my schedule or decide how I should spend my time."

Lucas stared at her. "I'm your husband."

"And that doesn't mean you get to control my life!" Her voice echoed through the living room.

Lucas fell silent. Amelia looked away, apparently regretting how loudly she had spoken, but her next words were even colder: "I need some space, Lucas. I have my own life, my own career, and my own responsibilities."

He swallowed. "I never said you couldn't."

"Then stop acting like I owe you every minute of my time."

Lucas looked at her for a long moment. Finally, he nodded. "All right."

Amelia picked up her handbag. "I'm going upstairs."

Lucas watched her walk away.

***

Margaret Anderson appeared in the living room with a list of instructions.

"Lucas!" she called out while he was wiping the dining table.

"Yes, Mother?"

"Why is the living room still a mess?"

Lucas glanced around. The room was already clean. "What do you mean?"

Margaret pointed toward the sofa. "There are cushions out of place. The coffee table needs polishing, and the curtains should be opened."

Lucas looked at the clock. It was barely nine. "We have guests coming this afternoon," Margaret continued. "Important guests. I don't want them seeing this place looking untidy."

"I'll take care of it."

"And make sure the guest bathroom is clean."

Lucas nodded.

Margaret gave him a disapproving look. "Honestly, what would this family do without you?"

Lucas couldn't tell whether she was being sarcastic. He simply picked up the cleaning supplies, and as he began polishing the coffee table, he noticed a small leather handbag resting on the sofa.

Amelia's. He recognized it immediately. She must have left it there the previous evening.

Lucas picked it up, intending to take it upstairs. But as he lifted it, a receipt slipped from the side pocket. He bent down and retrieved it.

The receipt was from a luxury jewelry store. His eyes moved across the printed details: a diamond necklace, a designer watch, a pair of earrings. The total amount was staggering.

Lucas stared at the receipt, then noticed the payment method: his credit card. The same card he had given Amelia for household expenses, and the same card he had been paying off every month.

Lucas slowly turned the receipt over. There was a handwritten note on the back:

For Adrian's birthday. He'll love it.

Lucas's fingers went still. He read the words again. Then once more.

For Adrian. Not for her father. Not for a business associate. For Adrian Blake.

He placed the receipt on the table. His eyes drifted toward the handbag. Something inside him had changed. He was no longer looking at the situation as a husband trying to save his marriage; he was looking at it as a man who had finally begun to understand what his wife was doing.

Lucas should have left the handbag upstairs. Instead, he noticed a small envelope tucked inside the inner compartment. It was sealed. His name wasn't written on it, neither was Amelia's.

Curiosity made him pause. He pulled it out.

Inside was a printed reservation confirmation for a private villa overlooking the sea. The booking was for the coming weekend: two guests, one bedroom, a private dining arrangement.

Lucas's gaze moved to the final line: Guest names: Amelia Anderson and Adrian Blake.

His breathing slowed. He stared at the confirmation. A private villa. A single bedroom. A romantic dinner overlooking the ocean. This wasn't a business meeting. It wasn't an innocent dinner between friends.

Lucas turned the paper over. A handwritten message was attached to the back:

I can't wait to spend the whole weekend with you.

The handwriting was Amelia's.

Lucas closed his eyes. For four years, he had sacrificed everything for her. He had saved her family's company, paid their bills, swallowed every insult, and convinced himself that if he loved her enough, she would eventually see him.

But now... he wasn't sure there was anything left for her to see.

His phone vibrated. A message from Amelia appeared on the screen:

> Don't wait for me this weekend. I have an important business trip.

Lucas looked at the message, then at the reservation confirmation. A bitter smile crossed his face. He typed a reply: Understood.

He placed the phone on the table. The villa reservation remained in his hand for several seconds, then he folded the paper carefully and slipped it back into the envelope, returning it to Amelia's handbag.

He wasn't going to confront her. Not yet. There was something else he needed to do first.

Lucas walked toward the window and looked out at the garden. His phone vibrated again. This time, the caller ID displayed a familiar name: Daniel.

Lucas answered. "Sir."

Daniel's voice was calm and professional. "The Anderson Corporation's latest financial report has arrived. Their outstanding obligations are increasing again."

Lucas looked toward the mansion. "How much?"

"Approximately thirty million dollars in additional liabilities. The company is also requesting another round of financial support."

Lucas remained silent. For years, he had protected the Anderson family from financial ruin. He had done it for Amelia. But now, he wondered whether he was protecting a family that had never considered him one of their own.

"Sir?" Daniel asked.

Lucas's expression hardened. "Prepare a complete review of every financial arrangement involving Anderson Corporation."

"Understood."

"And Daniel..."

"Yes, sir?"

Lucas looked down at his wedding ring. "Don't approve anything new without my authorization."

There was a brief silence. "Of course, sir."

The call ended. Lucas slowly removed his wedding ring, stared at it for a moment, and placed it inside his pocket.