Chapter 11
Before leaving, I had security escort Serena Sinclair from where she had been sitting all night outside my building.
As the car passed the guard station, our eyes met.
It struck me then–this woman, whose every smile once captivated me, now looked utterly broken. But her disheveled appearance stirred no pity in me.
So this is what it feels like to stop loving someone.
Before my flight, I sent Serena a parting “gift.”
I had my assistant deliver the results of my investigation into Lucas Stone.
The file included proof of Lucas’s ongoing affairs with two other women since returning to Charleston.
Lucas had always claimed his divorce was due to his ex–wife’s infidelity. But the truth was, she wasn’t the one who cheated.
Lucas had been using Serena all along, manipulating her into funding his ventures, securing his deals, and even compromising herself for his gain.
I’d even spoken with Lucas’s ex–wife via video call. She provided ample evidence of his deceit. Her only request? To see Lucas get the punishment he deserved.
As the saying goes, “The truth always comes out.”
Lucas’s financial records from the past two years were a disaster. I reported him for tax fraud and filed a lawsuit to recover the money Serena had funneled from me into his projects.
After my 10–hour flight, I turned my phone back on. It immediately lit up with a flood of notifications, most of them messages from Serena.
I didn’t respond to a single one. It was over.
By now, she must have read the report and received the court summons.
Since Serena refused to sign the divorce papers, I had no choice but to pursue it through the courts.
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By now, she must have read the report and received the court summons.
Since Serena refused to sign the divorce papers, I had no choice but to pursue it through the courts.
A month later, I had settled into my new role at Huxley Innovations in Seattle, but I had to return for the trial.
When I saw Serena in court, she was almost unrecognizable–her eyes hollow, her spirit drained.
When our eyes met, her face lit up momentarily, as though holding onto a shred of hope.
“Elias…” she began, her voice shaky.
But I met her gaze with icy indifference, and the words died in her throat.
The evidence I presented left no room for doubt. The court ruled decisively in my favor: Serena was left with nothing.
As for Lucas, his tax evasion charges landed squarely on him, but he shifted the financial burden of damages onto Serena.
When the verdict was read, Serena slumped in her seat, her body seeming to cave under the weight of it all.
As I stood to leave, she called after me, her voice desperate.
“Elias, please… I can’t repay that money. You know I can’t.”
The once–proud Serena Sinclair, reduced to begging–it was a sight I never thought I’d see.
I remembered our first year of marriage, when she called me to a salon after a woman accidentally stepped on her shoes. Serena had demanded a public apology and compensation.
To appease her, I bought the salon on the spot.
Back then, I would’ve done anything for her.
Now, hearing her pleas, I didn’t even turn around.
“Elias… please, can’t you help me just this once?”
When I didn’t respond, she pressed on.
I cut her off. “Serena, compared to the pain you’ve caused me, this is nothing.”
Her voice cracked as she tried to argue. “Elias, I know I was wrong–terribly wrong.”
“But I do love you. You have to believe me.”
I almost laughed at the absurdity of it. Love? From the woman who betrayed me the moment Lucas returned?
Her “love” now was nothing more than desperation to avoid the consequences of her actions.
Shaking my head, I let out a sigh and walked away without looking back.
Outside, the sky was clear, the sun shining bright.
Five years of marriage had finally come to an end.
Adrian Starr called me the night I arrived in Seattle.
“Do you regret it?” he asked over video.
I knew what he meant. Ford Enterprises was my parents‘ legacy, and my decision to pull it out of Charleston had shocked everyone.
But they misunderstood. I didn’t leave because of Serena Sinclair.
My romantic illusions had been shattered long before. My decision was rooted in a genuine desire to build something better, something lasting, from what my parents left me.
a sigh and walked away without looking back.
Outside, the sky was clear, the sun shining bright.
Five years of marriage had finally come to an end.
Adrian Starr called me the night I arrived in Seattle.
“Do you regret it?” he asked over video.
I knew what he meant. Ford Enterprises was my parents‘ legacy, and my decision to pull it out of Charleston had shocked
But they misunderstood. I didn’t leave because of Serena Sinclair.
everyone.
My romantic illusions had been shattered long before. My decision was rooted in a genuine desire to build something better, something lasting, from what my parents left me.
Six months later, Treopened Ford Enterprises in Seattle.
On opening day, amid the bustling crowd, I noticed Serena standing quietly at the back.
Over these six months, she had paid back some of the money, little by little. I knew she was doing the best she could.
I hadn’t pressed her. Something was better than nothing.
Every time I received a transfer notification from her, I couldn’t help but reflect on how certain people, knowingly or unknowingly, push you forward and force you to grow.
After the ribbon–cutting ceremony, I didn’t approach her.
Instead, I turned to the woman standing beside me–Professor Huxley’s daughter.
For six months, she had been my constant. She helped me navigate the streets of Seattle, and more importantly, she was there to lift me up whenever I stumbled.
On countless drunken nights, she would quietly tell me, “You have to believe in yourself, Elias. You’re a good man.”
After my marriage to Serena ended, I had shut my heart to the idea of love.
But this woman brought happiness back into my life.
As the applause echoed around us, I took her hand, dropped to one knee, and pulled out a ring. It was custom–made by her favorite niche designer, something I had commissioned a month ago.
I had promised her an answer on this day, and I intended to keep my word.
I wouldn’t let go of someone who gave me her whole heart.
Tears streamed down her face as she nodded. “I will,” she whispered.
From the crowd, Serena watched, her eyes glistening with tears.
I knew she had been silently following my life, watching from afar. But there was nothing more I could offer her.
Asl embraced my fiancée, I leaned close and whispered, “Thank you for coming into my life.”
Serena turned away, quietly wiping her tears before walking off.
This time, I didn’t even say goodbye.
hoped, in the vast river of time, our paths would never cross again.
