Chapter 2

Luke's eyes were dark and unreadable, while Vespera's were lifeless, devoid of emotion. The atmosphere in the garage was tense. Despite noticing Verspera, the woman didn't bother to distance herself from Luke. Instead, she grew even bolder, wrapping her arms around his neck and whispering something into his ear. Vespera felt disgusted by the scene. She looked away, got into her car, and drove off without glancing back. … Shortly after arriving home, Vespera heard the sound of another car pulling up outside. As she reached up to unfasten the clasp of her necklace before the glass cabinet in the walk-in closet, a towering presence loomed behind her. The man's commanding presence filled the small space, completely enveloping her. His hands pressed against the glass cabinet, angling himself to study her face from the side. "Are you angry?" Vespera avoided his gaze. She took her time putting the necklace away before replying indifferently, "I'm angry enough to kill. You'd better watch your back." Luke fell silent for a moment before speaking again. "The Sowle family is interested in collaborating with us on the Polaris project. I've been in talks with Austin Sowle, their eldest son. That woman is his sister, Tina Sowle." "So if you don't entertain his sister, he won't work with you?" "Vespera, I'm trying to explain. Don't be sarcastic." "I don't think it's necessary to explain." Vespera finally turned to look at Luke. Her gaze seemed to pierce his soul. "Luke, if you're tired of me and want to replace me as the lady of this house, I can step aside." Luke's expression darkened instantly. "What did you say?" She sighed and replied, "We can get a divorce." As Vespera tried to push him away and leave, Luke yanked her back forcefully. Then, he gripped her face and warned, "Don't even think about it." Vespera didn't respond. Not only had she thought about it—she had already taken action. She didn't want to be with him anymore. Luke stayed home until late that night—until an unexpected phone call summoned him away. Vespera caught the faint sound of a tearful voice on the other end of the line. … The next morning, Vespera's lawyer and close friend, Rebecca Snyder, who was handling her divorce, sent her a screenshot. It was a new post from Luke's girlfriend—a photo of two hands, one noticeably larger than the other, forming a heart against a scenic sunrise. The caption read, "When love greets the day". Vespera recognized the larger hand instantly—it was Luke's. She sat frozen, her fingers curled around a glass of water. She wasn't sure how long she had been gripping it. The sharp, clear sound of the cup hitting the surface triggered a feeling of loss in Vespera. It was as if something within her had broken too. Days passed, and Luke never returned home. Their only encounters were in company meetings—him at the head of the table, her among the executives. They didn't look at each other, and Vespera never once went to find him at his office either. Instead, she filled her time searching for apartments and methodically discarding every gift he had ever given her—anniversary presents, birthday gifts, Valentine's Day tokens, wedding mementos. She even sold her wedding ring. Why hold onto reminders of a love she no longer wanted? … That evening, Elena Hortwall, the lady boss of Westfield Group, invited Vespera to join her at a club. At first, Vespera hesitated—it was already close to eleven—but after some thought, she decided to go. Now that she was divorced and would be leaving Eclipse Group, she would need connections for her business ventures. As soon as she stepped into the club, she spotted Elena. "I could have gone up by myself. You didn't have to come down," Vespera said. Elena linked arms with her affectionately as they stepped into the elevator. "I was worried you'd get lost. You've never been here before, have you?" That was true. She hadn't. The two headed upstairs, and Elena led Vespera into a spacious private room. A large screen stood in the center, dividing the space. As they entered, Vespera noticed a few people on the other side of the screen, but Elena didn't take her there. Instead, she led her to a quieter section with only one other person. That person looked vaguely familiar, possibly the girlfriend of one of Luke's friends. The woman seemed to recognize Vespera too. Though she looked slightly uneasy, she still managed a polite smile. After Vespera removed her coat and sat down, Elena left. Vespera lifted the drink given to her, taking a slow sip. From beyond the screen, the cheerful sounds of conversations drifted over—until suddenly, her name was mentioned. "Luke doesn't bring Vespera to our gatherings anymore." "Of course not. Ms. Sowle is young and adorable. He takes her everywhere now, like she's the center of his universe." "Guess Luke finally changed his taste after all these years." "No matter how beautiful Vespera is, eight years in bed with the same woman? He must be bored out of his mind." "She's such a fool. After all that time with Luke, she was just a placeholder. Hey, if he doesn't want her anymore, maybe I should take a shot. I've had my eye on that waist of hers for years." … Vespera's gaze turned ice-cold. She recognized two of the voices; they were friends of Luke, men who had always addressed her as Mrs. Munoz with excessive sweetness. The woman beside her looked mortified, unwilling to meet her gaze. When Vespera rose from her seat, she assumed she was about to flee in embarrassment. But Vespera did no such thing. Instead, she cleared her throat, picked up her drink, and strolled leisurely to the other side of the screen. She leaned against it, tilting her head as she addressed the group in an easy, conversational tone. "Just so we're all on the same page—when Luke and I first got together, he was an inexperienced virgin. So really, wasn't I the one who got to use him for eight years for free?" The room fell silent. Every face on the couch stiffened in utter disbelief. And before anyone could recover, two tall figures stepped into the room. The group stiffened further, eyes darting between Vespera and the men standing behind her, dread settling deep in their bones.