The gala dragged on for longer than any other event I had attended. I waited till it was officially over, all because Lucian’s assistant had sent me a message:

“Mr. Dhark will pick you up when the event is over.”

These days, my husband preferred to communicate with me through his assistant. Never directly.

All I could do was obey and wait.

Guests started leaving, laughing, hugging, exchanging business cards.

The violins stopped playing and the lights dimmed, yet I still waited.

I looked at my phone screen every few minutes.

11:00pm.

11:27pm.

11:49:pm.

The Lucian I married was ruthlessly punctual. But tonight, for some reason, he was late.

The women’s gossip rang in my head. “Eva left early. She said she had to meet someone very important.”

My stomach churned.

I moved towards the exit, searching for fresh air, when a familiar face caught my eye _ one I had seen several times in newspapers.

It was Margot Sinclair; top defense attorney. A respected name in every legal circle. A woman who dominated courtrooms. My inspiration. My idol.

She was speaking to another guest when suddenly, her sharp grey eyes flicked towards me.

“Mrs. Dhark.” She greeted, stepping towards me. “We’ve met briefly, many years ago. You’re Claire, right?”

She remembered my name?

“Yes,” I replied, startled. “It’s an honor to meet you properly.”

Margot smiled. “I remember you from the bar admission dinner many years ago. You were an exceptional student _ top of your class, if I recall!”

I managed a tight smile, knowing she wasn’t wrong.

“I heard you stepped away from law shortly after you married Lucian Dhark.” She tilted her head gently. “A shame. You would have made a remarkable attorney, Claire.”

The color drained from my face completely. Margot was polite and calm, but somehow, her words pierced my soul.

I forced a smile. “I… life took me in a different direction.” I whispered.

Margot studied my face for several seconds. It felt like she could see straight through me. Perhaps she saw the old Claire _ the Claire who used to believe she could change the world.

Her eyes softened with compassion and pity.

“If you ever choose to come back,” She touched my arm. “The law will still be here. Always.”

She smiled gracefully and left me alone with my abandoned dreams.

I blinked rapidly to stop the tears from falling. I couldn’t cry again, for the third time in one day.

When the ballroom finally closed, I was the last guest to leave. I stepped outside into the cold night, shivering in my dress.

Finally, I saw headlights. Lucian’s car rolled to a stop in front of me.

He stepped out, wearing an unreadable expression and a loosened tie, as if it had been a long night.

“Claire,” he said simply. There was no apology, no sense of urgency, not even a hint of concern _ Just my name.

I slid into the passenger seat in silence, relieved to escape the cold air. But almost immediately, something hit me before l even buckled my seatbelt: a scent.

It was sweet, it was expensive, it was Eva’s.

My chest burned.

It was the overwhelming scent that filled the air when she walked up to me at the gala _ the scent was impossible to forget.

Lucian joined me in the car and immediately noticed my stillness.

“What?” He asked.

“Nothing,” I replied with a trembling voice, despite my best efforts.

We drove home in heavy silence.

Lucian didn’t ask about the gala, didn’t ask how my night went, he didn’t even look at me. But I wasn’t surprised _ that’s what our marriage had become.

When we got home, Lucian tossed his coat onto the couch and loosened his cuffs. I stood in the doorway, watching him, realizing that he seemed distracted.

I reached for the coat without thinking, ready to help him put it away. A folded piece of paper slipped out from the pocket _ a receipt.

I picked it up with trembling hands.

I probably shouldn’t have opened it, but I did.

GLASS TOWER HOTEL

PENTHOUSE SUITE – 10:42 PM

CHARGED TO: L DHARK

My knees weakened so badly, I thought I would faint.

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