Chapter 2

Time stretched on, unbearable and stagnant, as if every minute refused to tick forward.

The thought of going home held zero appeal. If anything, the mere idea of walking through my own front door made me want to turn right back around. I much preferred staying locked in my office, buried in files and silence, rather than facing what awaited me with Elara.

It had been a week since I'd handed her the documents. A week since I'd put the end of our marriage in black and white. And yet, she still hadn't signed a thing. She was clinging on, refusing to accept the inevitable.

I had no desire to drag this separation out into a messy legal battle. My life was already under enough of a microscope.

The media tracked my every move, and the slightest complication would only throw fuel on the fire.

But dealing with Elara's stubbornness—my soon-to-be ex-wife's sheer refusal to let go—was becoming an absolute ordeal.

Distracted, I twirled a pen between my fingers, my gaze locked on the sketch lying on my desk. César had sent it over earlier that day. It was a necklace of remarkable finesse, every intricate detail meticulously planned. For a few moments, I let myself get lost in the beauty of the design, almost forgetting the mess outside my office.

In two months, I had a major exhibition to host. A massive event for Kaelanuxe.

Every year, our brand drew the world's attention with unique creations crafted from the rarest stones.

Once again, I had to deliver. The workload was already shaping up to be brutal. Adding a complicated divorce to the mix was the last thing I needed.

The door flew open, snapping me out of my thoughts.

Serena stormed in without knocking, practically vibrating with fury. Behind her, Iris hovered in the doorway, looking mortified as she tried and failed to hold my sister back.

"Sir, I'm so sorry," Iris blurted out. "I asked her to wait, but she wouldn't listen."

I gave her a reassuring nod and waved her off. She slipped out immediately, pulling the door shut and leaving behind a heavy, palpable tension.

I closed my laptop and looked up at my sister.

Serena had never been one for boundaries, but even she knew my strict rule about keeping private affairs out of the office. Her being here meant only one thing: she'd decided to blow right past it.

I leaned back in my chair, letting her pace the floor for a few seconds before I spoke.

"What brings you here, Serena?" I asked, my voice perfectly level. "You know I don't appreciate family drama spilling into my office."

She let out a short, humorless laugh, tossing her bag onto my desk before crossing her arms over her chest.

"Tell me what I heard is a lie," she demanded bluntly.

I gestured to the chair across from me.

"If you took the time to sit down and explain, maybe I could actually answer you. Otherwise, I'd prefer you let me get back to work."

She finally dropped into the seat, though her glare remained full of reproach.

"I just spoke with Elara," she said. "And what she told me... it makes no sense."

I offered a slight shrug, feigning ignorance.

"Oh, really? And what exactly did she tell you?"

She stared at me, her irritation spiking. "Are you really going to sit there and act like you don't know?"

I didn't answer.

She let out an exasperated sigh.

"She told me about the divorce papers."

I blinked, my expression impassive. "So what?"

Her reaction was instantaneous.

"What do you mean, 'so what'? Do you even realize what you're doing?"

Her voice trembled, caught somewhere between anger and sheer disbelief.

"What happened between you two? You seemed happy... For once in your life, you actually seemed to care about something other than your work."

I sat forward, meeting her gaze dead-on.

"Things change, Serena," I replied simply. "Feelings do, too."

She shook her head, flatly refusing to accept that.

"I loved her," I added. "But that isn't always enough to make a marriage last."

She fell silent for a moment, as if desperately searching my face for another explanation.

"I don't believe love just disappears for no reason," she finally said. "There has to be something else. Tell me what's wrong. Maybe we can fix it."

Her words had the exact opposite effect of what she'd intended.

I leaned in closer, my gaze hardening to ice.

"What exactly do you see me as? Some broken object you can just fix?"

She froze.

"Since you and Elara have already taken it upon yourselves to discuss my life behind my back, you can go right ahead. You can pass a message along for me."

"Kaelan—"

I cut her off. "Tell her I don't have time to waste on this. I have an exhibition to prepare for. If she hasn't signed by the end of the week, I'll be forced to take other measures."

The silence that followed was suffocating.

Serena stared at me like she was looking at a total stranger.

"What's gotten into you?" she murmured. "This isn't you..."

I didn't answer.

She hesitated, then finally asked the question burning on her lips.

"Is there someone else?"

I took a few seconds before answering—not to think, but to weigh the impact of the words I was about to say.

She leaned slightly toward me.

"It's the only possible explanation," she pressed. "So tell me the truth."

I held her gaze unflinchingly.

"Yes."

The word dropped between us, devoid of hesitation.

"There is another woman."

She was left entirely speechless, visibly reeling from my bluntness.

"That's also why I want this settled quickly," I added.

Silence settled over the room again, thicker and heavier than before.

Her hands clenched into fists.

"You're going to regret this," she finally said. "You have no idea what you're doing."

I stared right back at her, feeling not even a flicker of doubt.

"You're wrong," I replied. "I won't regret ending my marriage to Elara."