Chapter One: The Wife No One Knows I stepped into the sleek, modern lobby of Brennan Enterprises, my heart racing with excitement. Today was meant to be a surprise—something I hadn’t done in a long time. I missed the early days of our marriage, when Adrian and I would steal little moments together. Lately, work had consumed him—meetings, business trips, endless responsibilities. But today, I wanted to remind him that I was still here. Still his wife. The lobby buzzed with quiet conversations, employees glued to their phones or hurrying past. A normal morning for them—but for me, this was special. I carried a carefully wrapped gift in my bag: a limited-edition watch Adrian had wanted for months. A small gesture, but one that mattered. I approached the front desk with a bright smile. “Good morning. I’m here to see Mr. Adrian Brennan. I’m his wife, Lily.” The receptionist’s eyes widened for a fraction of a second before she masked her surprise with a polite smile. But I saw it—that
Chapter Two: The Truth Hurts I sat in the dim living room, my body trembling, my chest so heavy it felt like I couldn’t breathe. Tears kept falling, no matter how hard I tried to stop them. I thought I was strong. I thought I could handle anything. But nothing had ever hurt like this. Adrian. The man I loved. The man I trusted. The man I had built my life around. Had been lying to me all along. I went to his office today to surprise him, to remind him that we were still a team. That after everything, we were still us. But I was wrong. The name Sophia wouldn’t leave my head. The way they called her Mrs. Brennan. The way everyone knew her—but no one ever told me. I had given up everything for Adrian. I sold my father’s land, the last piece of his legacy, so Adrian could build his company. I stood by him, supported him, believed in him. I thought we were building something together. But now… I realized I was building a dream alone. The front door opened, snapping me back to rea
Chapter Three I sat at the kitchen table, gripping the edge as I watched Adrian get ready for work. He moved quickly, as if nothing was wrong, as if last night’s conversation never happened. After our talk, I had called his sister, hoping she would remind him of the family we once dreamed of. I could barely look at him, but I had to try. “Adrian,” I said, my voice unsteady. “Your sister called yesterday. She wants to see us. She said it’s been too long since we visited.” Adrian paused, his hand stopping mid-air as he adjusted his tie. His face darkened, and he narrowed his eyes at me. “What did you tell her?” His cold tone felt like a slap. I swallowed the hurt. “Nothing, Adrian. I didn’t say anything about… us. She just wants to see you. Is that so wrong?” He turned to me fully, his jaw tight. “Don’t involve my family in this, Lily. Whatever is happening between us stays between us. The last thing I need is you running to them with your emotions.” His words cut deep. I tried t
: Chapter Four The sun rose too fast, dragging me into a day I wasn’t ready for. My eyes were swollen from crying, my heart hollow from the pain Adrian had caused. His smile at her, the way he kissed her hand, his voice declaring his love for Sophia—it all played in my head, over and over, like a cruel joke I couldn’t escape. I sat on the edge of my bed, staring at the divorce lawyer’s number on my phone. My fingers trembled as I pressed the call button. A polite voice answered. The assistant scheduled my appointment for the afternoon. It was done. I was filing for divorce. I should have felt relief. Instead, a crushing sadness settled over me. I had given everything to this marriage. I had fought for Adrian, sacrificed so much of myself—only for him to destroy me without looking back. He wasn’t worth my tears anymore. But still, they fell. I gripped the steering wheel, listening to the rain hit the windshield. The city blurred past me as I drove, my mind tangled in too many th
Chapter Five: Aftermath and Betrayal I woke up with a start. Light sliced through the dim room, my head pounding, my body sore. For a moment, I didn’t know where I was. The sheets beneath me were unfamiliar. The air smelled of something that wasn’t mine. And then it all came rushing back. The man. The stranger. The night. Panic surged through me as I bolted upright. My clothes were in disarray, my skin humming with the aftermath of what we’d done. My breath came in short gasps. What have I done? I turned my head, my heart hammering. He lay beside me, his back rising and falling in slow, steady breaths. So different from the broken man of last night, the one who clung to me like I was his last lifeline. Now, in the cold light of day, I couldn’t even look at him. I scrambled out of bed, grabbing my clothes with shaking hands. Shame burned my skin. I had come here to escape, to breathe, to clear my mind. Instead, I had done the unthinkable. I needed to leave. Now. As I reached fo
Chapter Six: The Unwanted Encounter I took a deep breath as I sat in my car, staring at the lawyer's building ahead. Today was the day. I had made up my mind. Nothing, absolutely nothing, would stop me from walking into that office, signing those papers, and ending everything with Adrian. Not the pain, not the humiliation, not the past. I was done. I had to be. Adrian had pushed me too far, and now it was my turn to push back. I didn't care how messy it was going to get, how much my heart would shatter in the process. I had made a promise to myself: I would be free. My palms dug deeper into the skin of the wheel as my eyes fixed on the road ahead. Familiar streets now seemed to mesh together as my mind started running riots of memories of Adrian's lies, his deception. I couldn't afford distraction with thoughts of him-not when I was so near the point of finally assuming my life. A weird, peculiar kind of determination was building up in my head, a fire I hadn't felt for a long
Chapter Seven: The Revelation of the Truth - Lily's POV My heart was racing in my chest as my fingers wrapped around the cool metal handle and turned it, the door to the law office creaking open. I tried to steady my breath, but my pulse refused to cooperate. I had to do this. I had to finally bring an end to the nightmare that was my marriage to Adrian. But as I stepped inside, I could already feel him behind me. The steady rhythm of Simeon's footsteps echoed in the silence, growing louder, until it was impossible to pretend he wasn't there. Lily," his voice cut through the air, smooth and commanding, yet underlying that was something sharper. I resisted the urge to turn around, to acknowledge him. Instead, I focused on the receptionist, my voice barely a whisper. "I have an appointment with Mr. Coleman," I said, the words coming out far frailer than I had meant them to. Before the receptionist could say anything, I heard it-his voice, low and insistent. "I'll wait right here."
Chapter Eight: A DealLily's POVThe air was thick in the car as I followed Simeon. He didn't say much, his expression unreadable as his hands gripped the steering wheel. I wasn't quite sure what made me follow him. Perhaps it was the curiosity, the allure of answers, or that strange pull toward him.Simeon had dropped a bomb on me back at the lawyer's office. Adrian's lies and betrayals had already wrecked my trust in humanity, and now here I was, driving behind a man who seemed to hold pieces of a puzzle I wasn't even sure I wanted to solve.My breath caught as his sleek black car turned into a gated estate. The iron gates alone looked to cost more than my car. They slowly creaked open, allowing a glimpse of the sprawling mansion beyond them. The house-or rather, the palace-was a masterpiece in modern architecture: towering glass windows, cascading fountains, and perfectly manicured gardens.I parked behind him, getting out of my car a little apprehensively. The cold night air bit a
Chapter 135: Vincent's DecisionLily's POVThe warmth of the night surrounded us as we gathered in the living room. The smell of freshly cooked food filled the air—my efforts at cooking something that everyone could enjoy. Something that I barely ever got to do anymore, what with the chaos and tension that went into closing business deals, but I was eager to make this night a little more normal. Looking around at the friendly faces of those I loved—Simeon, Nelson, Liora—it was comforting to have them all in one place, as if nothing else in the world mattered for a little while.Liora and Nelson were chatting something softly in the room corner, laughing at a joke they'd just told each other. Their laughter, so free and light, was a rare blessing. It made me smile as I set the table, setting the last dish of salad before them."Is that all?" I asked, trying to push down the little bit of nervousness I felt, even though I knew they'd be happy with the work.Liora grinned. "Lily, this is
Chaprer 135Chapter 135 – The Meeting with Vincent Moore(Lily’s POV)The car ride to meet Vincent Moore was quiet, but it wasn’t a peaceful kind of quiet. It was the kind of silence that came before a big storm. I could feel the tension in the air, thick and heavy, as Simeon drove, his hands firm on the wheel.I stole a glance at him. His jaw was clenched, his eyes sharp and unreadable. He was thinking, planning—getting ready for the battle ahead.I shifted in my seat. “Are you nervous?”He let out a small chuckle, shaking his head. “Nervous? No. Focused? Yes.”I nodded, but my hands were slightly sweaty. This meeting wasn’t about convincing Vincent Moore to reject Adrian. No, we were here to show him something better. Something more promising. If we succeeded, it would change everything.Simeon reached over and squeezed my hand. “Relax. Just follow my lead.”I let out a slow breath and nodded. “Okay.”****We arrived at a private lounge inside a luxury hotel. The atmosphere was excl
Chapter 134 – The Power Play(Lily's POV)The house was alive with activity, each of us immersed in our own work, but there was a strange sense of togetherness in the air. We were all working towards the same goal, though each of us was doing it in our own way.I was in the kitchen, my hands chopping rapidly as I cut vegetables, my mind wandering to everything that was happening around me. The air was thick with the scent of garlic and onions, combined with the warm spices that I had added to the pot. Cooking was always a means of clearing my head, of doing something productive, but today, it was a necessity.If we were going to fight this battle, we needed to be strong. And strength started with a full stomach.I could hear Nelson clacking away on his laptop in the living room, his fingers moving so fast over the keys that the sound was like raindrops hitting a windowpane. Occasionally, he muttered a curse under his breath, his eyes narrowed intently at the screen as he researched mo
Chapter 133 – A Hidden Threat Lily's POVThe night was heavy with silence, the kind that pressed upon my body and made my mind sound louder than it was. I sat at the table in front of Simeon, my fingers closed around the burning mug of tea I hadn't even taken a sip of within the past ten minutes. The room was dim, shadows dancing on the walls, but the real weight in the air wasn't from the shadows—it was from the conversation we were about to have.Liora had just returned from work, her face expressionless, but I could tell by the way her hands were clenched in her lap, the way her lips pressed into a thin line as if she was holding something enormous in.Nelson, standing next to me, said something first to break the quiet. "You seem to have something to say."Liora jerked her head and caught her breath and then at last said her words. "I overheard them talking about this big investor. His name is Vincent Moore. He's deciding if he will invest his money in Adrian's business."My grip
Chapter 132 – The First Foot into the Enemy's Camp (Liora's POV)There was tension in the air that morning.I sat at the end of my bed, staring down at the simple clothes Lily had laid out for me to wear on my first day working for Adrian's company. Blah, professional—nothing flashy. But however plain I looked on the outside, inside my belly was a twisted ball of nerves.Today, I was on enemy territory.Simeon and Lily had been very clear about that—I was not there to do any work. I was there to listen, observe, to learn anything that would help them in taking down Adrian. But as I thought about it, a tiny piece of doubt crept into my mind.Could I really do this?I folded my hands, driving the thought out.I had no choice.Final Instructions from Lily and SimeonDownstairs, Simeon and Lily were already waiting for me. Nelson was present too, reclining on the couch, browsing his phone.Lily examined me from top to bottom, nodding in agreement. "You look ready."I wasn't as certain, bu
Chapter 131 – A Test of Loyalty(Nelson’s POV)1. Digging into the PastTrust was dangerous in our world. And right now, we were trusting a woman we knew nothing about.I didn’t like it.The moment Lily and Simeon brought Liora back, I knew my next task—I had to find out exactly who she was and if she had any ties to Adrian.Simeon didn’t need to say it directly, but I knew him well enough. Before he even gave the order, I was already preparing.So, the next morning, I left early, heading straight back to the village where we found her. The road was just as rough, and the stench of smoke from burning firewood still hung in the air. The people here had nothing.And yet, something about Liora had seemed different from the others. She wasn’t just desperate—she was determined.That could mean she was ambitious. Or it could mean she had a hidden agenda.I was going to find out which one.2. Searching for AnswersI parked the SUV outside a small market where people sold dried fish, vegetabl
Chapter 130 – A New Plan(Lily's POV)The tension between Simeon and me still lingered after the fight about the workers, but we both knew we needed a break from it all—the stress, the brawling, the endless fighting against Adrian. So, when Nelson mentioned a struggling village outside of the city, I saw a chance.We must leave," I told Simeon that morning, eating breakfast. "Those people are needy. You have resources, and this would be a good thing."Simeon folded his arms, sat back in his chair. "Lily, this is not the time for altruism. We have more critical problems to fight."."I know," I said, my tone calm. "But this isn't about giving food or supplies. We need help, and right now, people believe Adrian more because he gives them work. If we help them first, we might be able to find someone useful."Simeon exhaled a harsh breath, rubbing his temples. "You always have an idea, don't you?"I shrugged. "I learned from the best."There was a long silence before he nodded at last. "Fi
Chapter 129 – Nelson's POV 1A Frustrated Nelson I fell back into the couch, staring up at the ceiling, releasing a loud sigh. Not a regular sigh, but a deliberate, exaggerated one, meant to be heard. But of course, no one paid me any attention. Lily was at the other end of the couch, tucked in, staring at her phone, and Simeon was at the desk, flipping through some reports. They were both completely engrossed, like the rest of the world didn't matter. And I was losing my mind. I sighed. Louder this time. Lily didn't even raise her head. "If you're doing that for attention, it's not working." Simeon smirked but kept on reading. "It's Nelson. He always wants attention." I clapped a hand across my chest, faking deep emotional woundedness. "Wow. So that's what I am to you two? Some pitiful supporting character in your romance novel epic?" Lily snorted. "Pretty much." Simeon didn't even object. I groaned, throwing my head back. "I need a girlfriend." This time, there
Chapter 128 – Lily's POVPeaceThere was a crackling tension in the air.I stalked around the room, crossing my arms tightly over my chest, my irritation brewing just below the surface.Nelson sprawled on the couch, his arms stretched over the backrest of it, but even he did not seem settled, his gaze flicking from me to Simeon.And Simeon—he sat behind his desk, crossing his ankles, his fingers idly drumming against the highly polished wood as if he were not the man who had taken the company down.The silence grew, dense and heavy.I could no longer contain it."You had no right to do that."Simeon raised a brow, his dark eyes barely lifting to meet my own. "No right?" His voice was too even, too restrained, and it served only to further infuriate me."Yes, Simeon. No right!" I threw my arms up in the air. "You let go of an entire team of employees today! You didn't even stop to think! Do you have any idea what that's going to do to the company?"Simeon sat back, his expression unyie