Chapter 2

"Willow?" Sonia waved a hand before Willow's eyes and blinked at her innocently. "Are you really okay? Should I call Quentin and tell him that you'll head home first while I help him in your stead?"

Her expression was naive and oblivious.

Willow's nails dug into her palms as she suppressed her emotions. She forced out a faint smile. "I'm fine. Let's get out of here."

Confronting Sonia now and ruining the peace would only turn her into a laughingstock.

"Oh, okay." Sonia smiled. She wanted to link arms with Willow again, but the latter dodged her.

A number of years ago, Strand Real Estate had already fallen from grace. But after Willow married Quentin, she'd spent the past three years making it rise from the dead. It had gone from being at the bottom of the ladder to being among the top companies in Emperia.

This month, they'd even managed to score a deal with Bassett Corporation. A bright future lay ahead of them.

When Willow came out of the restroom, the party had already started. She still looked as frumpy as ever in her office wear and light makeup. No one at the party noticed her entrance.

Before her, there was a crowd gathered around a handsome man wearing a white suit. He was speaking to them confidently. It was her husband, Quentin.

Instead of approaching him like she normally would, Willow grabbed a glass of wine and sat in a corner.

When had Quentin and Sonia gotten together? How far had they gone behind her back? Had Quentin really fallen for Sonia, or was he just sick of the fact that Willow couldn't bear him a child?

Countless thoughts surged in Willow's mind. Without even realizing it, she downed a few bottles of wine. She started getting drunk.

Her stomach roiled. She stood up, wanting to take a breather outside.

Willow moved past the crowd and stepped into the quiet corridor. She pushed open a window but felt like the slight breeze wasn't enough.

And so, she took her heels off and clambered onto the window. The cool night air made her glasses fog up a little, so she took them off and threw them aside.

However, as soon as she settled down on the window pane, an arm wrapped around her waist and tugged her backward—she fell into a strong embrace.

Willow yelped in surprise and immediately pulled out of her drunken state. As she leaned against the unfamiliar man, she looked up to meet a pair of dark, cold eyes.

"Mr. Bassett?"

Willow had to squint to get a clear glimpse of the man before her. Then, she hurriedly stumbled backward and pushed him away.

The man, Theodore Bassett, wore a black, tailor-made suit, and his expression was cool. His sharp jaw was slightly tense. When he saw how Willow wanted to get away from him, he released her and gave her a calm look. "Ms. Jett."

Willow was much more clear-headed now, thanks to what had just happened. She guessed that Theodore had misunderstood her, so she quickly explained, "I was just trying to enjoy the breeze. Don't get me wrong, Mr. Bassett."

They hadn't had much contact while negotiating the deal, but Willow knew very well how Theodore operated.

"Is that so?" Theodore stuck his hand in his pocket. He scrutinized her expression for a few seconds before looking away. "I thought you were making a run for it because you didn't want to work on this project."

Willow's face turned slightly red at his words, but she didn't let her smile slip. "You jest, Mr. Bassett."

A cool breeze enveloped them as soon as the words were out of her mouth. It was only then that Willow realized she was standing there barefoot. She also had no idea where she'd flung her glasses.

She was a little short-sighted, and the corridor was dark. There was no way she'd be able to find the glasses on her own.

Theodore gave her a look. It had been years.

Since she'd gotten together with Quentin, she seemed to have concealed all her beauty and glory.