Chapter 2

Then Jace’s voice came from inside.

It sounded deeper now, rougher than the gentle tone he used with me.

“Mr. Cole?” he murmured. “Keep calling me that and I might just stop. Are you trying to tease me?”

A soft laugh followed.

“Fine, fine. I was only joking.”

“Then say it properly,” he said, his voice turning warm and coaxing. “What am I to you?”

There was a pause.

Then came her shy answer.

“Baby**”

“That’s better.”

My nails dug into my palms.

I hated that it still hurt.

After everything Jace had done, after knowing exactly how this would end, hearing him speak to another woman with that tenderness still tore something open inside me.

Why?

Why could he still hurt me?

Hadn’t I already died once?

I stood outside the door until the voices eventually faded. When the hallway went quiet, I raised my hand and knocked.

“Come in.”

I opened the door.

Jace was seated behind his desk, looking completely composed. His tie was perfectly straight, his expression unreadable.

As though nothing had happened.

As though another woman hadn’t just been in his office.

His eyes settled on me.

“What are you doing here?”

“I need you to sign something.”

I walked over, took a document from my bag, and opened it to the last page before sliding it toward him.

“What is this?”

He reached for his pen without showing much interest.

Before he could read it, a faint sound came from beneath the desk.

His hand stopped.

Only for a moment.

He leaned back and cleared his throat, pretending nothing had happened.

I kept my eyes on him.

I refused to look down.

“It’s just paperwork for a property transfer,” I said.

He didn’t question me.

Why would he?

I had always been the quiet wife who handled things without making trouble.

“Next time, send someone else,” he said. “You don’t need to come here for something this minor.”

I nearly smiled.

Was he worried I might get tired?

Or was he afraid I’d discover who was hiding under his desk?

“It’s fine. I was already here.”

I gave him a small smile.

“You seem busy, so I won’t stay.”

He barely acknowledged me.

“Hmm.”

Then he signed the document.

Quickly.

Carelessly.

He had no idea what he had just agreed to.

The divorce papers.

I took them back and slipped them into my bag.

“Go home and rest,” he said, still not looking at me. “You look awful.”

“I will.”

I turned and left.

The moment the door closed, I pulled out my phone and made a call.

“It’s me. I’m selling thirty-five percent of my Cole Group shares. I’ll take a lower price.”

There was silence on the other end.

“You’re serious?”

“Yes.”

“When can we finalize it?”

“In one month.”

That was when the divorce would become official.

By then, I would have walked away from the company, the name, and everything I had spent years building.

I lowered my phone.

Jace, in my previous life, you destroyed my family because I sent Allicent away.

You wanted me to pay for that decision.

Fine.

This time, I’ll give you exactly what you want.

And then I’ll take away everything you never believed you could lose.

Before leaving, I stopped in the restroom and splashed water on my face.

The woman staring back at me looked pale and exhausted.

For a second, I barely recognized her.

Then I walked out.

And ran straight into Allicent.

She stood in the hallway with the confidence of someone who already considered the place hers.

“Mrs. Cole,” she said sweetly. “You’re still here?”

Her blouse was slightly open, revealing faint marks on her skin.

She wanted me to notice.

In my previous life, I had used every advantage I had to drive her away.

Money.

Connections.

Threats.

Eventually, she left for New York.

But this time, I was done fighting.

I simply looked away and walked past her.

I didn't say a word.

I had barely gone a few steps when something hot splashed across my back.

I flinched.

The heat soaked through my clothes.

“Oh!”

Allicent gasped behind me.

“I’m so sorry! It was an accident.”

I turned.

She held an empty coffee cup, her face carefully arranged into an innocent expression.

But her eyes were smiling.

“I just**” She lowered her gaze. “President Cole kept me busy earlier. I guess I’m still a little shaky. My hands aren’t steady yet.”

My stomach twisted.

I didn’t need her to say anything else.

Images of Jace and her flashed through my mind.

I felt sick.

I didn’t want to fight over him anymore.

But that didn’t mean I would let her humiliate me.

Before I could reconsider, my hand came up.

The slap echoed through the hallway.

Her head snapped sideways.

At that exact moment, the office door opened.

Jace stepped out.

Allicent immediately dropped to the floor.

She covered her face and began trembling.

“I’m sorry, Mrs. Cole,” she cried. “I really didn’t mean to. Please don’t be angry. I know I was careless.”

Jace’s expression darkened.

“What happened?”

He rushed toward her and shoved me aside.

My burned back struck the wall.

Pain shot through me.

I sucked in a breath.

He didn’t even notice.

He was already crouching beside Allicent.

“Look at me. What happened?”

She grabbed his sleeve.

“I suddenly felt dizzy. Maybe my blood sugar dropped. I couldn’t see properly and accidentally spilled the coffee on her.”

She glanced at me.

“She got angry and slapped me. I know she was upset, but I still feel so dizzy**”

Jace’s jaw tightened.

Then he looked at me.

That cold, accusing stare was painfully familiar.

“She’s just an intern,” he snapped. “Did you really have to hit her over something like this?”

I stared at him.

An intern?

That was all she was now?

He didn't even wait for my response.

Jace slipped an arm beneath Allicent and carefully lifted her from the floor.

“Easy,” he murmured. “I’ve got you.”

Then he carried her back into his office.

I stood there alone, watching the door close behind them.

Something inside me finally gave out.

Tears slipped down my face.

And this time, I couldn’t stop them.