ADRIAN’S POV

    Adrian… Adrian… Adrian…

    I could hear the faint calling of my name in the background, like a distant echo barely piercing through the storm in my mind. But that bdidn’t /bmatter to me right now.

    My eyes were still glued to the screen,pletely fixed on her, even though Olivia had finished talking a while ago. The clip was done, her voice no longer filled the room, but I couldn’t pull myself away. It was like I was frozen, as if some invisible force had rooted me in ce, refusing to let me look away.

    In the past, when I had just married her, I used to take her to lots of business meetings, formal dinners, and high–profile conferences. And God, how I hated those days. Each time I brought her with me, I regretted it. Not because she was malicious or intentionally disruptive, but because she always ended up embarrassing me without even trying.

    At that time, she hadn’t even learned how to hold a champagne ss properly. She would grip it awkwardly or too loosely and often ended up dropping it, making a scene. Sometimes she’d bump into someone important or say something a bit too na?ve for the room, drawing unwanted attention. Every moment felt like I was silently pleading for the evening to end. I remember standing beside her, forcing a smile. but internally wishing I had never brought her along. I saw her as clumsy, out of ce, like she didn’t belong in my world.

    But today…

    Today she seemed different.

    The woman I was looking at now… she didn’t feel like the same Olivia. The way she held the champagne ss this time, with effortless grace. The way she covered her mouth softly whenever sheughed. It wasn’t forced or exaggerated, just subtle, refined, and elegant. Her posture stood out too. She hadn’t slouched or bent for even a second. Since the camera first caught her on screen, she had stood tall and poised, as if

    she’d trained for this moment.

    She looked…posed, polished, and beautiful.

    She looked like someone who belonged in that room.

    She looked so good.

    This was probably the fourth time I had thought about how amazing she looked

    the

    past five minutes, and yet I still couldn’t get over it.

    Looking at her now, I realized something strange.

    Twas actually d she survived.

    Back then, in the chaos of everything that happened, I thought I’d be better off if I never saw her again. I thought her disappearance would mean peace for me. But now, watching her speak, smile, andugh, I couldn’t help but admit the truth: Olivia had always been a nice girl. Sweet, even. I was the one who had been blinded by hate and bitterness. She didn’t deserve to die. She didn’t deserve the pain I put her through.

    Look at how you’ve transformed yourself in five years.

    You’re no longer the Olivia I once knew.

    You’re someone else entirely.

    But just as I was slowly allowing myself to admire her, something happened.

    bChapter /b223

    bFrom /bbthe /bbside /bbof /bbthe /bscreenb, /bsomeone walked up to her.

    A byoung /bman.

    It was the same guy who had been standing beside her earlier. He leaned in close and whispered something binto /bbher /bear. She let out a sol bugh/b, not forced, not polite, genuine. Then she leaned in and whispered something back into his ear, her smile still lingering

    I raised my eyebrows.

    Something about it didn’t sit right with me. A strange wave of curiosity began creeping into me, curling in my stomach like smoke.

    Then it happened, his hand casually went to her waist.

    And she didn’t flinch.

    She didn’t step away.

    She didn’t look ufortable.

    She let it happen like it was normal.

    Like they were… together.

    Wait. Does that mean they were actually in a rtionship?

    She had gotten into a rtionship with this guy?

    Five years.

    I’ve been single for five damn years because I couldn’t even bring myself to imagine being in another rtionship after what Isadora did to me. The betrayal. The lies. The pain. I thought I had built walls strong enough to never feel that kind of emotion again. And yet Olivia? She didn’t waste time. She moved on, just like that?

    And the most ironic part?

    We’re not even legally divorced.

    iWe /inever finished signing the divorce papers. Technically, we’re still married.

    I clenched my fists tightly.

    What was this feeling inside me?

    This tightness in my chest… this heat boiling inside me… this unfamiliar sting I hadn’t felt in years.

    Was this… anger?

    Was this jealousy?

    It looked like it, why else would I feel this pit of anger every time I saw the two of them together?

    I didn’t want to admit it, but the answer was ring me in the face. Each time I caught a glimpse bof /bOlivia and that guy on bthe /bbscreen/b,ughing, whispering, his hand casually on her waist, I felt something rise inside me. Something hot. Something uncontroble.

    And this situation is so funny, because why wouldn’t it be, I am seeing her for the first time in five years and I can’t bcontrol /bbmy /bbemotions/bb? /b

    bChapter /b223

    bAnd /bbjust /bbthen/bb, /ba voice snapped me out of bmy /bspiraling thoughts.

    bAdrian/bb, /bbJames /bsaidb, /bhis tone softer than usual as he gently tapped my shoulder.

    bI /bblinked and shook my head, almost startled, like I had just returned from another dimension, “What is itb?/bb” /bbI /basked, trying bto /bclear the log of emotions clouding my mind.

    James raised his brows. “What is it?” he echoed with a scoff. “Do you even realize how long you’ve been staring bat /bthat screenb? /bbI /bmust’ve called your name three times, and you didn’t respond. It’s like you weren’t even here, like you were lost in your own head.”

    I exhaled, knowing he was right. “Sorry about th And I think you know why I zoned out.”

    I would’ve lied and said it was something else… but you already know when I’m lying.

    He folded his arms across his chest and nodded slowly. “I get it. You’re shocked that she’s alive, and yeah, so am I. It’s a miracle. But Adrian, it’s not that big of a deal anymore. It’s been five years. You’ve moved on. You don’t care about her… remember?”

    I kept my eyes glued to the TV, even though the news station had already gone off the air. Her face was gone, but her presence still lingered in

    was trying to bring me back to reality, to the pressing issues at hand. But my

    the room like a perfume I couldn’t forget. I knew Jamee

    thoughts didn’t care about reality.

    “You heard her,” I said quietly. “She said thepany is hosting an opening ceremony soon, right?”

    James let out a tired sigh, clearly frustrated by my one..

    like Marcus. Or have youpletely forgotten that?”

    x mind. “Did you not hear a word I just said? We have bigger things to deal with,

    “I’ll handle everything else,” I interrupted, my voice firmer now. “But answer my question first.”

    He stared at me for a moment like he wanted to argue, but eventually, he gave in with a grunt. “Yeah, she did. She mentioned a ceremony.”

    “ke Enterprises,” I muttered under my breath, the name still ringing in my ears from the broadcast. “That name sounds too familiar to be random. Look it up. Now.”

    James grumbled under his breath but pulled out his phone and started

    all there.”

    public info I could find. Names, family members, business Ping. A few momentster, he handed me the screen. “Here. All the

    I snatched the phone and began scrolling through the names listed under the ke family.

    And there it was.

    Julian ke.

    My eyes froze on the name. My mind rewound to the past like a movie reel unraveling. Julian, how could I have forgotten him?

    That guy was always around Olivia back when we were married. I never liked him. He was always too close to her. Always too friendly. Too eager. I remembered the way he looked at her, how protective he acted around her.

    But he also died with Olivia, well at least that was what I thought

    Back then, I had thought he was trying to take her from me. And the worst part was, Olivia never corrected anyone. She never exined who he really was. It ate at me.

    And now, here it was, right in front of me. Julian ke. Her brother.

    It hit me like a p across the face.

    “So that means… he was her brother all this time?” I said out loud, more to myself than to Jamesb. /b

    bMy /bbthoughts /bbwere /bbspinning /btoo fast. All those years of suspicion, all that banger/b, miscedb. /bbAnd /bshe never corrected me lot once

    田