You're back," he said.
"Yes." I kept my voice calm.
"I want a divorce."
His expression changed, like I had just slapped him.
"No," he said quickly.
"My decision is made," I said firmly.
"You know if you do this, I'll lose half my assets. I can't afford that much over something so trivial," he argued.
"So that's all that matters to you now?" I asked, stunned. "Your money?"
Before he could answer, I saw someone coming down the stairs. I froze.
It was Gabriel.
"The man I spent the night with before my wedding," I whispered to myself.
Luca noticed my shock. "He's my business rival," he said flatly.
Gabriel looked at me with zero recognition on his face. It was like we'd never met. My heart pounded as panic rose in my chest.
I rushed upstairs, gathered all my belongings, and headed back down. Emma appeared at the door.
"Should I help you, Aria?" she said smugly.
Before I could even respond, she grabbed my bags, carried them outside, and placed them in my car boot like I had asked her to.
I got into my car and drove away without looking back.
Later that day, I changed into formal clothes and made it to the office for the board meeting. Everyone was talking around me, but my mind was somewhere else—on Gabriel. His sudden appearance still haunted me.
Then, one of the board members turned to me.
"Aria, have you heard? Fifty percent of the company shares are being sold."
"What?" I said, shocked. Luca never mentioned that. That's why he refused the divorce—because he stood to lose too much.
The meeting ended, and I returned to my office.
My secretary walked in with a stack of documents.
"Ma'am, the potential buyer is requesting a tour of the facilities before finalizing the deal."
"Okay, that's fine," I replied, trying to keep my voice steady.
Two hours later, she returned.
"Ma'am, the buyer is here."
"Send him in," I said, standing to greet him.
The door opened—and I nearly passed out.
It was Gabriel.
The man I had slept with before my wedding.
Luca's business rival.
He walked in, smiling, his hand stretched out as if we were strangers meeting for the first time.
Aria managed a shaky nod, her mind racing. Why was he acting like this? Didn't he remember?
"Tell me," Gabriel said. His voice became low and sounded a bit dangerous. His calm, professional face was starting to change.
"Was our little night before the wedding… maybe part of a bigger plan, more than we thought at the time?"
As Gabriel's gaze swept over her, a flicker of something unreadable crossed his eyes—a fleeting shadow that vanished as quickly as it appeared. Then, his attention shifted to the documents on her desk.