Chapter 1

After eight years together, Ethan Pierce promised me his company's IPO would be my wedding gift.

But on the night the Lancaster family went bankrupt, he wanted to extract our daughter's bone marrow to save his mistress's son.

When I signed the divorce papers, I finally learned the truth, this marriage had been his way of tearing down the Lancaster family from the very start.

It wasn't until Adrian Cooper appeared in my life, the man who had waited twelve years for me, that Ethan finally knelt in the rain, banging on my door. "Autumn, I regret everything!"

I deleted his number and whispered to my daughter. "From now on, Adrian is your father."

Autumn Lancaster POV

Eighth year together, fifth year of marriage. Lancaster Industries went bankrupt.

That same night, the tallest building in downtown Manhattan lit up with massive LED displays announcing Ethan Pierce's company going public.

And he was at Mount Sinai Hospital's VIP ward, keeping his childhood sweetheart Sylvia Sterling company.

Sylvia updated her social media with a new post.

The photo showed Ethan leaning back on a couch, his profile exhausted in sleep, still wearing the custom suit I'd ironed for him that morning.

The caption read: "The one who shelters me from every storm has always been you. Even if the whole world misunderstands me, I only need you."

I stared at those words for a long time.

Eight years ago, when Ethan first introduced me to his friends, he'd said something similar.

It was at a college reunion after graduation. He protected me from behind, smiling at those teasing him.

"Cut it out, she's shy."

Someone asked him. "When did you finally win over Autumn?"

He'd had a few drinks and smiled with pride.

"I didn't chase her." He said, "I finally waited until she came back to me. For this lifetime, she's the only one I want."

I calmly saved the image, then placed the signed divorce agreement on the coffee table in the living room.

Ethan returned early the next morning.

Seeing me sitting by the couch, he froze for a moment.

Then he loosened his tie, his tone carrying a victor's condescension.

"Autumn, what happened to the Lancaster family can't be reversed. That's just business. If I hadn't swallowed Lancaster Industries, someone else would have."

He walked over, habitually reaching to touch my face.

"But don't worry. I promised your father I'd take care of you for life. Even without the Lancaster family, you're still the glamorous Mrs. Pierce."

He called me the glamorous Mrs. Pierce, but when I married him, there was no such thing as Mrs. Pierce yet.

Ethan proposed to me in a small restaurant in New York.

His hands trembled with nerves as he handed me the ring box and said.

"Autumn, I have nothing right now."

"But I'll work myself to death to make money."

"I'll make sure everyone knows that marrying me isn't marrying down."

That day, everyone in the restaurant watched us.

He knelt on one knee, looking up at me, his eyes shining frighteningly bright.

"Autumn Lancaster."

"Will you take a chance on me?"

I smiled and nodded.

I bet on him for life.

Turns out he only bet eight years.

I turned my head away, avoiding his hand, and pushed the agreement in front of him.

"Ethan, sign it."

Ethan's hand froze mid-air.

He glanced down at the title, his expression darkening instantly.

"Autumn, what are you pulling now?" He grabbed the agreement, crumpled it into a ball, and threw it on the floor. "The Lancaster family just went bankrupt and you're already asking for divorce? What will people think of me? That I'm burning bridges?"

"Isn't that exactly what you're doing?" I asked back.

"I said I'd take care of you!" Ethan's voice rose, anger seeping through. "Besides losing the title of Lancaster heir, you haven't lost anything! What more do you want from me?"

I looked up, quietly studying this man I'd loved for eight years.

"I want a divorce. I don't want anything except our daughter. Whatever's left of the Lancaster mess, along with my shares in Pierce Corporation-I'm giving it all up."

"Impossible." Ethan rejected it flatly. "Maya Pierce is Pierce family blood. I will never hand her over to you."

"Pierce family blood?" I suddenly felt like laughing. "Ethan, do you really love Maya?"

"What do you mean by that?"

"Sylvia's son has leukemia, and Maya just happens to be a match. You think I don't know what you've been doing for the past two weeks, running Maya through every medical test imaginable?"

Ethan jerked back half a step.

"You don't want a divorce?" I stood up, pulling my suitcase. "Fine. Then we'll drag this out. But as long as I have breath in my body, neither you nor Sylvia will lay a finger on my daughter."

"Autumn!" Ethan grabbed my wrist. "Let me explain. It's not what you think. Sylvia is just..."

"Just a poor single mother?" I interrupted, prying his fingers off one by one. "Ethan, you've been playing the devoted husband for eight years. Aren't you tired? I'm exhausted just watching."