Chapter 7
334 Words
The Woman from His Past
The conference room was suffocatingly silent.
Ami stood frozen, unable to take her eyes off the beautiful woman standing beside Evans. Vanessa looked elegant and confident, as if she belonged in the room far more than Ami ever could.
"So," Vanessa said with a smile that didn't reach her eyes, "this is your new wife."
Evans' face remained unreadable.
"What do you want, Vanessa?"
"I came to congratulate you." She laughed softly. "Although I never imagined you'd marry someone so... ordinary."
The insult stung.
Ami lowered her head, but before she could speak, Evans stepped forward.
"My wife deserves your respect."
Vanessa's smile disappeared.
"Oh? You're defending her already?"
"I don't repeat myself."
The icy warning in his voice made even the board members uncomfortable.
Richard Sterling watched the exchange with amusement. This was exactly the chaos he wanted.
Vanessa leaned closer to Ami.
"Do you know why Evans chose you?"
Ami swallowed nervously.
"No."
"Because you're convenient."
Those words pierced Ami's heart.
She knew the marriage was fake, yet hearing it from someone else made the truth hurt even more.
Evans' eyes darkened.
"Leave."
Vanessa shrugged.
"I'll leave... for now. But secrets always find their way into the light."
As she walked out, she deliberately brushed past Ami's shoulder.
Before disappearing, she whispered just loud enough for Ami to hear,
"Ask him about Isabella."
Ami's heart skipped a beat.
Who was Isabella?
When the meeting ended, Evans drove home in complete silence.
Several times, Ami wanted to ask him about the name, but every time she looked at his cold expression, the words died on her lips.
That night, while passing the library, Ami noticed a faint light under the door.
Curious, she gently pushed it open.
Inside, Evans stood alone, staring at the same old photograph she had seen before.
His usually emotionless face was filled with sorrow.
For the first time, Ami realized...
The ruthless billionaire was hiding a pain no amount of money could erase.
- Writer
