Chapter 1
The young woman's file lay on the table.
Vivian Pierce, 18 years old, a first-year music major at Marbridge University.
2 months earlier, she had scraped Derek Lockwood's custom luxury car on the road.
She had expected to face a staggering repair bill. Instead, Derek claimed he would let her work off the debt and made an exception to hire her in the CEO's office at Lockwood Group.
It was a position that normally accepted applications only from graduates of the world's best universities.
I hadn't slept all night.
At 7 a.m., Derek pushed open the door and walked in.
The moment he saw me, his body stiffened. He strode over and asked gently, "Honey, why are you up so early?"
I didn't answer. I stayed where I was and looked at him calmly.
Derek instinctively raised a hand to loosen his tie. "An emergency came up at the office last night. I was dealing with it until after midnight, and it was too late to come home."
The excuse was both absurd and laughable.
Lockwood Group had mature systems and stable operations. What kind of emergency required a CEO worth more than 15 billion dollars and his 18-year-old secretary to work through the entire night?
I slowly raised my hand and placed the file I had been clutching all night in front of him.
Derek's expression changed at once. He stared hard at me, his voice full of accusation and displeasure. "Elise Marlowe, you had me investigated?"
I met his gaze. "Derek Lockwood, let's get a divorce. Give that young woman a proper place in your life."
The fury in his eyes vanished. He let out a heavy sigh, and his features softened. "What are you talking about? There's nothing between us."
He came over, slowly crouched before me, and rested his head against my lap.
When he had been sick and helpless in Karsia, he used to lean on me like this.
Later, when his attempt to regain control had stalled and he had hit rock bottom, he had leaned on me like this too.
His warm breath seeped through the fabric against my knees, carrying a cautious plea. "Honey, trust me."
My body went rigid, but I let him remain there.
Only after a long moment did I say, "Derek, I've been by your side for 15 years. If there really is someone else, you can tell me."
What bound us wasn't only romantic love.
We were family who had depended on each other to survive, partners who had faced life and death together.
During our hardest days, we had split a single bread roll between us.
Now, at the height of our success, half of Lockwood Group belonged to me.
I truly didn't want the two of us to tear each other apart until neither had anything left.
But the man with his head buried in my lap remained stubborn and certain. "Honey, there really is nothing between Vivian and me."
I closed my eyes. Bitterness rose in my chest, but in the end, I forced down all my resolve.
Too tired to argue, I simply let his words stand and said nothing more.
A few days later, Larkhaven's premier annual charity gala took place as scheduled, drawing the city's elite.
I attended as a partner of Lockwood Group and Derek Lockwood's wife.
As champagne glasses clinked around me, everyone praised me as the luckiest, happiest woman in Larkhaven.
Then a clear, sweet voice sounded beside me. "Hello, ma'am."
