Chapter 5

The day Marcus left, I went to the airport to see him off. It wasn't that I wanted to; he asked me to, saying he wanted Seraphina to see how generous and understanding his wife was.

I stood at the arrival gate, watching Seraphina emerge with her suitcase. She truly was different. Dressed in a sharply tailored coat, with exquisite makeup, she exuded an undeniable aura. She saw me, nodded slightly, a hint of condescending scrutiny in her eyes.

"Elara Vance, long time no see."

"Long time no see."

Marcus took her suitcase, then turned to me. "You can head back. We're leaving directly."

"Okay. Have a safe trip."

I turned to leave, and behind me, I heard Seraphina's voice: "Your wife has such a good temper."

Marcus laughed: "That's about all she has left."

I didn't look back.

Walking out of the airport terminal, I pulled out my phone and called Mr. Hayes. "He's gone."

"Ms. Vance, all the documents are ready. The investors have confirmed, and the funds are in place."

"When can we arrange the signing?"

"Tomorrow morning at ten, in my law firm's conference room."

"Good."

I hung up, standing in the parking lot, looking up as a plane streaked across the sky. That was Marcus's flight. In a dozen hours, he would arrive on the other side of the world, watching the Northern Lights in the icy wilderness. And I would stay here, watching his shares become someone else's name.

I drove home, passing the basement apartment we'd rented when we first started the company. That place had now been converted into a convenience store. I pulled over, went inside, and bought a bottle of water.

The young cashier asked me, "Miss, did you used to live around here?"

"Yeah, many years ago."

"So, do you ever wish you could go back to the past?"

I smiled. "No. There's nothing good to go back to in the past."

Back home, I opened Marcus's study. He'd left it quite messy before he left, probably while packing. I tidied things up one by one, picking up the clothes he'd thrown on the floor, neatly stacking the documents he'd carelessly left on the desk.

Among these documents, I found an envelope. Opening it, I found a divorce agreement. He'd prepared it long ago, just waiting for my signature. The terms of the agreement were outrageously harsh: I would walk away with nothing, relinquishing all joint property, all company shares, everything.

I stared at the agreement for a long time, then picked up a pen and wrote my name in the signature space. Not agreeing. I added a small note next to it: "Marcus Thorne, I've already taken care of your shares. As for the divorce, let's talk after I'm done with my business."

I put the agreement back in its place and locked the study door. Tomorrow, everything would be different.