I didn’t leave the house yet. I stayed and slept in the guest room last night.

After Arzhel and Veronica walked out, the place felt too quiet. Even the maids avoided the living room. I stayed seated at the dining table for a long time, staring at the divorce papers like they might disappear if I didn’t touch them.

Eventually, my phone buzzed.

Adrian.

I ignored the first call.

Then another.

And another.

Until I finally answered.

“Lia, where are you?” he asked, concerned. “You didn’t answer my messages.”

“I’m home,” my voice low from having little energy.

“What happened?”

I looked at the papers again. “He thinks I cheated.”

“What?” he asked in disbelief.

“He saw photos. Someone followed me to the hospital.”

I wondered who took those. But I was not ignoring the possibility that it was my stepsister.

“Damn it,” Adrian muttered. “I didn’t know something like this would happen.”

I closed my eyes. “He already prepared the divorce papers.”

There was silence on the other end.

“What about the baby?”

I swallowed. “He doesn’t believe it’s his.” My voice almost cracked.

“Lia, you need to calm down,” Adrian said. “Where are you now?”

“At home.”

“I’m coming over.”

“No,” I said immediately while shaking my head even if he couldn’t see me. “Please don’t.”

“Why not?” he asked, confused.

“If he sees you here, it’ll only make things worse.”

The line went quiet for a second.

“Then let me at least send my driver.”

I wanted to decline his offer, but I knew very well that without Arzhel, I was literally nobody. No resources, no money, no connections. Adrian was the only one who can help me now.

“Thank you.” I simply said instead.

After I hung up, I finally stood up.

I walked upstairs slowly, back to our room. I was almost dragging my feet. When I reached our bedroom, my chest tightened.

The bed was neatly made. Arzhel’s side was empty.

I opened the closet. Some of my clothes were no longer there.

I looked at the side of the room. I saw three suitcases, and a pile of my unfolded clothes was there. I released a long sigh. He had planned this.

I went to the bathroom and splashed water on my face. My hands were still shaking. When I looked in the mirror, I barely recognized myself.

I grabbed a suitcase and started properly packing my clothes.

As I folded my clothes, another wave of nausea hit me. I rushed back to the bathroom. I almost didn’t make it in time.

When I finished, I sat on the floor while leaning against the wall, breathing hard. I didn’t notice that some drops of tears started falling.

“I’ll be okay,” I said quietly and started wiping my face. “I have to.”

By evening, the house was empty again. I tried to wait for Arzhel. I didn’t know why I still had a little hope, but in the end, he didn’t come.

The driver took me to Adrian’s house.

When I arrived, he was already waiting by the door.

“Come in,” he said gently.

The moment I stepped inside, my strength gave out. Adrian caught me before I could fall.

“Easy,” he said. “Sit down.”

I sat on the couch while he poured me a glass of water.

“Did you eat?” he asked.

I shook my head.

He frowned. “I’ll ask the helper to make something light.”

While he walked away, I stared at the ceiling. My phone buzzed.

I received a message from Arzhel’s lawyer.

“Please review the documents. We expect your signature within three days.”

Was it really over between us?

I locked my phone and placed it face down.

Minutes later, Adrian came back. He guided me to the dining table.

While I ate, he leaned forward to talk.

“You know Arzhel. He won’t let this go easily.” His expression seemed to be a little worried.

I understood. After all, Arzhel was the most powerful billionaire we knew. No one wanted to mess with him. Not even me.

“I know,” I said.

“What are you planning to do?”

“I’ll sign the papers,” I answered.

Adrian’s eyes widened. “Just like that?”

“I don’t want to fight him,” I said. “Not like this. I’m not a fool.”

He sighed.

“And the baby?”

“I’ll raise the baby myself.”

He didn’t say anything for a moment.

“You don’t have to do this alone,” he said as he reached for my hands.

“I know,” I showed a weak smile. “But I need to.”

That night, I barely slept.

Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Arzhel’s face and the expression he had while accusing me of betrayal.

The next morning, my phone vibrated nonstop on the bedside table. I thought it was my alarm at first, but when I grabbed it, my screen was already flooded with messages.

“Have you seen this?”

“Is this true?”

“Lia, please tell me this isn’t real.”

My chest started to feel heavy.

There was a link. I clicked it.

It directed me to a business news article. I read the headline.

“THERON GROUP HEIR FILES FOR DIVORCE AMID INFIDELITY ALLEGATIONS”

I sat up so fast.

The article included photos.

Not just the clinic photos. There were photos of me and Adrian at a café a couple of months ago. A photo of him holding an umbrella over me. Another of him touching my arm while we were talking. Those were from the time he had just come back to the country, and as my childhood friend, we decided to meet, since Arzhel was on a business trip and Veronica annoyed me in my own house.

Below it was a short statement from Theron Group’s legal team.

“Mr. Arzhel Theron confirms that the divorce is due to irreconcilable differences caused by betrayal during the marriage.”

My jaw dropped. I felt dizzy.

This wasn’t just between us anymore. I told him not to humiliate me, and there was a clause in the divorce papers that I wasn’t allowed to talk about it, yet he did. I was just nobody. I was his maid’s daughter. My family was poor. Why did he need to go this far?

I scrolled down.

Netizens were already tearing me apart.

“Gold digger”

“Cheater”

“Poor Mr. Theron”

“She got caught and still tried to lie”

My hands shook so badly that I dropped the phone.

The door opened.

“Lia.”

I looked up. Adrian stood there, his face dark.

“You saw it,” he said. His expression turned into full concern.

I slowly nodded. I felt like those comments took all my energy.

“I just got off the phone with my PR team,” he continued. “They’re already asking if I want to issue a denial.”

“No,” I said immediately.

He frowned. “Why not?”

“Because it’ll make it worse,” I said.

Adrian clenched his jaw. “He crossed the line.”

“He did it on purpose,” I said. “Maybe he wants to remind me who I am, a nobody. Maybe it’s his punishment for what he thought I am, a cheater. He’s making sure to remind me that I wouldn’t succeed without him,” I said, almost in a whisper.

I swung my legs off the bed and stood up.

“I need to go out.”

“Where?” Adrian asked.

“Theron Group.”

He stared at me. “Are you serious?”

“I’ll end this. I don’t want this to go bigger.”

Arzhel knew a lot of businessmen, politicians, and news companies. We were no match for him. I had been no match for him ever since. The only way to end this was to give what he wanted. Divorce.

I took the divorce paper inside my bag. I signed it without second thought.

Within an hour, I was already at Theron Group’s headquarters.

The moment I stepped into the lobby, people started whispering.

Some were secretly glancing at me. Some stared openly.

I walked straight to the reception desk, but the security arrived and stopped me.

“Ms. Analia,” one of them said politely but with authority. “You’re not allowed inside.”

“I’m here to see Arzhel Theron. Please, call him,” I pleaded. “Then I’ll leave right away.”

They hesitated, but I still saw someone talk to the receptionist. Five minutes later, the elevator doors opened.

Arzhel stepped out.

The lobby went silent.

“Why are you here?” he asked, with irritation as always.

“You turned my life into headlines.” I said bitterly.

He didn’t react.

“You shouldn’t have cheated.”

His words hit hard, even though I expected them. Of course, he would insist on those accusations.

“I didn’t,” I said in a tone that showed I was almost out of patience. “And you know it.”

He laughed lightly.

“You’re still lying?”

Suddenly, I started to see him differently, like he would never be the man who would choose me or even believe in me. Instead, he was the one who would always humiliate me.

People around us started pulling out their phones.

“You want the truth?” I said, loud enough just for both of us to hear. “Fine. Let’s talk about the hospital.”

His eyes darkened.

“I was sick,” I continued. “I went there because I was vomiting every morning.”

“And you took your lover with you,” he accused.

“I took a friend,” I snapped. “Because my husband was never home.”

His jaw clenched.

“Say it,” I said. “Say what you really think.”

He stepped closer. “I think you’re a cheater!”

“That’s a lie.”

“You got pregnant by him,” he said coldly, “and now you’re trying to pass it off as mine.”

The air between us felt heavy.

My vision blurred. I could tolerate him treating me like an outsider in our marriage, but him treating our child like an outsider too made my heart ache. Our child, my child, didn’t deserve that.

“Say that again,” I whispered.

He didn’t hesitate. “That child is not mine.”

Before I could say something, he took a step closer and said something low enough for only the two of us to hear.

“Every time we had sex, I used a condom, Lia. There’s no way that child would be mine.”

I let out a short laugh.

“So you don’t remember the last time we had sex a couple of weeks ago? You were so drunk, you couldn’t even open your condom?” His eyebrows started to frown. “You decided to just throw it away and go on without any protection?” I made him hear how pissed I was right now.

He paused. His eyebrows started to furrow while remembering that night. But his expression showed that he didn’t remember anything.

“You’re lying again! But if you really insist that it’s mine, I want proof. And if that’s really mine, I’ll take the child away from you. Only the child, because I don’t need a cheater wife.” He said with a gritted teeth.

Something inside me snapped. What he knew about raising a child, he might end up treating it the way he treated me.

“No need for that. Like you said, this child is not yours. I’ll make sure you never see the baby,” my voice almost cracked.

What I said caught his attention.

“What did you say?”

I straightened my back. “I already signed the divorce paper. I’ll disappear. You won’t hear from me again.”

“And the child?”

“You don’t want the child anyway,” I said bitterly. “So let’s keep it that way.”

For the first time, he looked unsure.

“Lia,” he said slowly, like he was thinking about what to say next.

But before he could finish his sentence, I took the divorce papers from inside my bag and handed them to him.

“Congrats, you finally got rid of me.”

I turned around without waiting for his reaction.

I placed my hand on my stomach.

Once your father found out he made a big mistake, it would be my turn to make him feel how unwanted he was in our life.

Five Years Later

“Look at you. We just came home from New York, and yet you’re already drowning in your work,” Adrian teased me.

He came closer to my desk. I stood up to give him a hug.

“You know I really miss Los Angeles, but work can’t wait. There’s a problem with one of the lands I want to buy to build my new clothing store branch.” I went back to my chair and massaged my temple.

Meanwhile, Adrian sat on the edge of my table.

“Let me guess… someone outbid you?”

I nodded while still massaging my temple. “And of course… it’s Arzhel.”

He raised his eyebrows. A teasing smile spread across his face. “Does he even know you’re home?”

I sighed.

We had literally landed thirty minutes ago from New York, and the first message I received from my secretary was that the owner of the land I wanted to buy canceled our deal because someone offered a higher price. And of all people, why did it have to be Arzhel?

“I don’t care about him. All I want is my land,” I said irritably.

“Then talk to him. Tell him to give you the land,” he suggested.

I rolled my eyes. “Why would I do that? I already paid the owner. It’s mine. He can’t just take it back!”

“And if he refuses?” he asked curiously. “Are you ready to deal with Arzhel?” His voice was more serious and concerned now.

I froze for a moment. Years of memories with Arzhel flashed through my mind. Almost all of them were bad. When we finally divorced, the first two years were like hell for me. I had to work while raising my daughter. And I took care of Adrian’s son too.

Adrian’s girlfriend had died after giving birth, and as payment to Adrian for letting us stay in his home, I offered to help him raise his child, Chris, who turned out to be a sweet little boy. Adrian helped me financially to start my dream company. I owed him a lot.

“Of course I will be fine. He’s no longer part of my life. And I already moved on a long time ago,” I told Adrian.

He just closed his mouth while nodding, as if he was not convinced by my answer, and funny enough, I felt the same way. I was not convinced that I had really forgotten the man who captured my heart for more than a decade.

I set aside that thought. Today wasn’t about my feelings. Today was about my business.

Adrian and I still hated Arzhel for what happened five years ago. It had ruined both our reputations. No matter how many times I tried to build my career, every once in a while, the past still haunted me. I lost count of how many investors I lost every time they found out that I was Arzhel’s ex wife, the woman who had been in the headlines. The woman who they thought was a cheater. Coming back here in L.A. to expand my career was like a gamble. But I would not back down easily. I would show him that I was no longer the weak wife he once had.

I grabbed my coat and bag.

“Where are you going?” Adrian asked.

“I’m going to see Mr. Lowell. I want my land back.”

Adrian sighed. “And lunch with the kids?”

I froze. How could I almost forget? The kids came first, always.

***

The restaurants in the area were all full, so I had no choice but to sit in Arzhel’s favorite restaurant. It was the only place that had an available spot for us.

“I like the food here, Mommy,” Arriana, my daughter, said. Her eyes were shining.

She was like her dad when it came to food. They had the same taste buds that I could never relate to.

“You want more Caesar salad, baby?” I asked her.

She shook her head. She looked so full, just like Chris, who was smiling with his cheeks stuffed.

I paid the bill. I really needed to get out of here because I hated how much this place reminded me of Arzhel.

We went to the parking lot.

Before getting in my car, I saw a familiar figure of a woman. She was facing away from me, so I could not see her face yet. She looked like she was talking to someone on the phone. After a few seconds, she turned around. I froze when I saw that it was my stepsister. She waved her hand to someone and put on a wide smile.

“Arzhel,” she shouted excitedly.

My stomach dropped. I slowly followed her gaze and saw him, Arzhel. He removed his glasses and looked at Veronica with a quick smile. He looked more mature now. I could see some beard and mustache on his face. His muscles had become even more visible, and I could see them under his black shirt.

Arzhel glanced around, his eyes stopping near my car. Before he could see me, I already went inside. He could not see me because of my tinted window, but I could clearly see him. My stepsister was trying to get his attention by acting cute. I rolled my eyes. She never stopped flirting with my ex husband.

Arzhel started to give his attention to her, and I scolded myself when I realized that I had been staring at them for too long.

I looked away and looked at my daughter, who was just beside me.

She was looking outside. I followed her gaze. She was looking at Arzhel and my stepsister. It made my heart ache. She did not know that it was her father outside, flirting with her aunt.

She always asked me, “Mommy, why does Chris not have a mom? And why do I not have a daddy?” I could not even count how many times she had asked that question, and every time she did, I never had an answer, just a million excuses to change the topic.

I fixed Arriana’s hair and kissed it. I did the same to Chris, who was just sitting beside her.

“Let’s go,” I told the driver.

My phone buzzed.

Mr. Lowell. I suddenly remembered about my land.

I sighed. I needed a calm mind before I talked to him. Or else, I would burst.

“Ms. Analia,” he sounded as if he didn’t do something wrong.

I didn’t greet him.

“Your secretary must already have told you about the land?” he continued, but this time, he sounded a little shy and apologetic.

It didn’t erase the fact that I was mad at what he had done. Before I could stop myself, my CEO mode kicked in.

“Yes, Mr. Lowell, and I don’t think it’s such a professional move,” I said irritably.

I heard his long sigh.

“I’m really sorry, Ms. Analia. Mr. Theron wants the land-”

“But I already paid you, and we already sealed the deal,” I cut him off.

“Yes, yes, you’re right, Ms. Analia,” he sounded sincerely apologetic.

I sighed. He was making it hard for me to get mad, but what he did was wrong.

“You must have heard about Mr. Theron. He’s a powerful billionaire. A big portion of that land was actually a gift from his father, and now he wants it for his business. It’s hard to refuse him.” Of course I knew Arzhel very well. “He threatened me. Either I accept his offer to buy it, or he will take the land without giving me any cents.”

I clenched my jaw. So this was really Arzhel’s fault.

“I’m really sorry, Ms. Analia,” his voice almost cracked.

I massaged my temple. I released a long sigh. It seemed like I needed to handle Arzhel myself.

“I’ll go to your company so we can process the termination of the contract.”

After that, I ended the call.

I closed my eyes and breathed. I really wanted this land. Its location was ideal for my new store branch. It was a busy location, with a lot of people going there, a perfect location to build a clothing brand.

As soon as I arrived at Mr. Lowell’s company, I went straight to the receptionist. His secretary was already waiting for me. She was able to recognize me right away.

“This way, Ms. Analia.”

I followed her. We went in the direction of the staircase. There was an elevator beside it. We got in. She pressed the fifth floor.

“He just went to an emergency meeting, but it will be done within ten minutes.”

The secretary said and left us on the sofa outside Mr. Lowell’s office.

I saw Chris yawning. He sat back and closed his eyes, while Arriana was busy playing with her doll.

I took my phone and read some emails. Better to be productive while waiting.

I didn’t know how many minutes passed, but when I looked beside me, Chris was already asleep, and Arriana was nowhere to be found. I looked around. I couldn’t see her.

I stood up and left Chris for a while to look for Arriana.

I walked near the staircase, hoping but worrying that she might really be there and end up hurting herself.

The staircase was empty, but then I heard something break from the sixth floor. It sounded near the staircase. Seconds later, I heard someone crying.

It sounded like Arriana. I rushed up.

Arriana was standing, crying, and seemed frozen. I could only see her back. I noticed the scattered glass vase on the floor. I rushed toward her. I faced her.

“Are you okay, baby?” I said, panicking as I scanned her body for any bruises.

She instantly hugged me. When someone moved and stood up behind her, that was when I realized that she was not alone. I noticed the collected big pieces of glass. Maybe that person set them aside so they wouldn’t hurt my daughter.

I stood up to meet the eyes of that man.

“Thank-”

I paused when I realized it was Arzhel. He was looking at me like his gaze could kill.

“Seriously?” he asked in disbelief.

I frowned.

He looked at Arriana, then back at me.

“That’s your daughter? And you just let her roam around and almost get hurt?” His voice was raised. “You never changed, always irresponsible.” He said those with sarcasm.

It made me boil inside. He had no right to raise his voice in front of me, not even in front of my daughter. And for God’s sake, five years, and he still never forgot the past.

I was about to snap at him, but Arriana stepped forward and reached for his hand.

“You’re still bleeding, mister,” she said with her cute little voice while sobbing.

That was when I noticed the blood dripping from Arzhel’s finger.

I panicked deep inside, worried that he was in pain, but before I could react, he took a handkerchief from his pocket and wrapped his finger.

I silently scolded myself for almost worrying. Maybe it was just normal to feel that way, since he got hurt from helping my daughter. Right, not a big deal.

Arzhel leveled himself to Arriana’s height.

“See, all good,” he showed his wrapped finger to Arriana and flashed a quick smile.

I froze. I never saw him smile after our marriage, when he became cold and distant. But the image of him smiling when he asked me to marry him was still in my mind. Seeing that smile now reminded me of the unmistakable features of Arriana that she got from her father. The eyes. The nose. The lips. You could clearly see it everytime Arriana smiled.

“You can smile now,” Arzhel continued as he stroked Arriana’s hair.

Arriana slowly smiled, and I saw how Arzhel froze for a moment.

He looked at me with emotions I couldn’t name. Confused? Shocked? In denial?

He let go of Arriana’s hair.

He stood up, now with his poker face. He removed the handkerchief from his finger and put it inside his pocket. Then he fixed his coat.

“I’ll ask someone to clean the broken vase. Don’t touch it.”

I didn’t have the chance to respond because he left right away.

I looked at Arriana. She followed Arzhel with her eyes. She looked so disappointed that he already left.

I sat to level with her eyes, then brushed her hair with my hand.

“Are you okay?” I asked, smiling.

She nodded and flashed a smile, which made her look like the happy mini version of her father again.

Then it hit me. Arzhel probably noticed that Arriana looked unmistakably like him, and it might have confused him.

‘If that’s really mine, I’ll take the child away from you.’ Arzhel’s words from years ago echoed in my mind.

What if Arzhel recognized Arriana as his daughter and took her away from me?

I released a long sigh and dropped my pen. Then I leaned back in my chair as I massaged my temple.

My morning just started, but the stress I was feeling was already too much. So many contracts and business proposals to review. And now, I needed to handle the land that Arzhel wanted to get from me.

There were knocks on my door. I sat properly, and seconds later my secretary entered. She had the expression she always had every time we were in trouble.

“Ms. Analia, Architect Zerus and Engr. Lemuel are asking if you will still go through with the building of your new branch?”

I secretly cursed Arzhel in my mind.

“Tell them I’ll contact them tomorrow about it,” I calmly said.

Even if I was stressed, I never showed it to my employees. I wanted them to remember me as the CEO who was always composed and competent.

That was the branding I was trying so hard to build in my career. But Arzhel’s existence always tested that.

My secretary nodded.

“Do you want to set an appointment with Mr. Lowell again, Ms. Analia?” she asked.

“No need. I already settled things with him yesterday. Set an appointment this afternoon with Mr. Arzhel Theron instead.”

She nodded and left.

***

“Ms. Analia, you’re not allowed to go inside yet,” Arzhel’s secretary tried to stop me. But the madness in my head ignored her.

I tried so hard to be calm. He knew we had a meeting, and it was supposed to start thirty minutes ago, but he kept telling his secretary to make me wait outside.

Was this how he treated everyone these past few years? How did he become the most competent billionaire CEO with this attitude?

I kept walking until I reached Arzhel’s office. I pushed the door as hard as I could, the impact created a loud sound.

Arzhel looked away from the documents he was reading and glanced in my direction. He looked annoyed by the sound and the scene I made.

I laughed in disbelief. This was what he was doing the whole time I was outside waiting? I thought it was something really important.

He motioned for his secretary to go outside, which she obliged right away.

I looked straight into his eyes, showing him how mad I was.

“Are you really this unprofessional?” I snapped.

In front of other people, I tried to be calm, but not in front of him.

He went back to reading his documents.

“What do you mean? I’m busy signing millions worth of contracts.”

Was he boasting?

I didn’t answer him. After a few seconds of no reaction from me, he finally set aside the documents.

“So, what brought you-”

My phone buzzed.

Fine. You don’t respect my time. I won’t respect yours either, Arzhel. Let’s get even. I raised my hand to stop him from talking, then answered the call. It made his eyebrow furrow.

“Hello, Adrian?”

I saw his jaw clench, but I didn’t care. I turned around to keep talking.

“Hey, Lia. I’m sorry to bother you. I have an urgent meeting later. Can you also pick up Chris after school?” He sounded apologetic, at the same time cute.

I laughed.

“Is that all? Sure.”

I had no problem with that. After all, they were classmates in transitional kindergarten.

After the call ended, I faced Arzhel again.

He was leaning in his chair, holding his hands together and looking at me seriously.

I ignored his gaze. I walked to his chair and sat down.

“Let’s talk about the land you badly want to steal.”

He smirked and leaned forward.

“Steal? Such a big word, Lia.”

I slowly exhaled to calm myself.

“Just give me back my land, Arzhel,” I demanded.

He smirked.

“Why would I do that?” he innocently asked.

“Because I bought it first!”

“Then you should have offered to buy it at a higher price.”

That was not fair. He paid three times the amount I bought it for. If I matched what he paid, there would be no return on investment for me. And even if the land was big, it was still not worth millions of dollars.

“Is this how you play? Dirty?” I said irritably.

He laughed.

“I don’t know what you are talking about, Lia. I want the land, so I offered to buy it at a higher price. A win win situation for me and the owner.”

Unbelievable. As if he didn’t threaten him.

“Then what about me? It’s not fair.”

“Not my problem, Lia. You already divorced me,” he said without emotion.

He was really unbelievable. A jerk.

“Thank you for reminding me I made the right choice,” I said sarcastically.

I saw his jaw clench for a second.

“Why don’t you ask your husband to buy you new land instead? He’s into real estate too, right”

Husband? Adrian? Did he assume I married Adrian?

“We’re not-”

“He’s really trying to be me,” he cut me off. “Is that how he stole you from me, by copying me?” he said sarcastically.

“No one is stealing me from you, Arzhel. I was never yours anyway!”

I tried to hide my clenched palms. I knew I was lying. He had my heart since the first time we met when we were still young, but he never noticed that. But who cared? We were already divorced, and I had already moved on. Slowly.

His knuckles and jaw clenched again.

He stood up from his chair and walked to his other table with wine and alcohol.

He took a glass, poured whiskey into it, and drank it right away.

“I have an offer,” he paused and walked toward me. “Work for me,” he confidently said.

I laughed. That was the second stupid offer I had heard from him so far. The first one was the time he offered me marriage before. It just gave me scars.

“I am the founder and CEO of my own empire, Arzhel. Do you really think I will lower myself just to work for you? I already lowered myself just to be your wife before. I am no longer that girl,” I said with a poker face.

He smirked.

“Try to think as a businesswoman, Lia.” He went back to his chair. “I’m not saying you fully work with me like an employee. It’s more of a partnership-”

“No,” I cut him off.

“It will benefit your business. Stop acting as if I want this too. This is no good for us emotionally, but for our business, it’s the best,” he said calmly, using his CEO tone.

It made me shift into my CEO mode.

“I’ll let you rent the land,” he continued.

I was about to say something when he raised his hand to stop me. I remained seated and rolled my eyes instead.

“I already bought the land, and the land title was already registered under my name.” He took a piece of document from his drawer and placed it in front of me.

I saw the land title registered under Arzhel’s name. It made me clench my palm.

“There’s really nothing you can do, Lia,” he continued. “Rent the land. I’ll let you rent it for thirty years. That’s more than enough for you to get your ROI. You know the location of that land is really ideal for your business,” he said.

Of course I knew that. That was exactly the reason why I really wanted that land.

I remained quiet. I was calculating the pros and cons of his offer.

“And I’ll let you open a branch in all of my malls,” he added.

I glared at him.

“Think like a businesswoman, Lia. I own eighty percent of all the malls here in Los Angeles. If you partner with me, you can open your branch in all of my malls, hotel spaces, and condominiums. Your clothing brand is currently the talk of the town, so it’s also good for my business. It’s a win win situation. You earn, I earn. Pure business, nothing else,” he said in a bored tone, as if talking to me made him sleepy already.

It was true that he owned almost all the malls here in L.A. That was why I never opened my branch in any of his malls, because I didn’t want connections with him. I was pretty sure he would just decline me.

His offer was really good. It was tempting. But was it worth it?

I really loved the peace I built for myself these past few years. I wasn’t going to let him ruin it.

My phone alarm rang. It meant it was time to pick up Arriana and Chris.

I stood up.

“I’ll think about your offer.”

I didn’t even wait for his reply. But I felt his presence behind me.

I ignored him, but I already reached the elevator and he was still following me.

I irritably faced him.

“You don’t need to send me off, okay?” I said irritably.

He smirked.

The elevator opened.

“Who said I’ll send you off? I’m on my way home,” he said as he went inside the elevator.

I felt the heat in my cheeks, but I tried to hide it and followed him.

When I arrived in the parking lot, my jaw dropped. Someone hit my car. The LED lights were broken, and the mirror too.

I looked at Arzhel, who happened to be behind me. His eyebrows frowned while looking at my car. At the same time, I saw amusement in his eyes, as if he wanted to laugh but was stopping himself.

“You think this is funny?” I snapped at him.

“Relax,” he innocently said.

He called one of his guards.

“Please find out who did this and take care of the car.”

The guard nodded and left.

“I’ll drop you home,” Arzhel offered.

I looked at him.

“No thanks. I’m not going home.”

I took my phone and was about to call my driver, but then I realized that it was his day off, so he was probably somewhere.

I checked the time. It was almost the kids’ dismissal.

I held my phone tightly while looking at Arzhel, who already started walking away.

I bit my lip before calling him.

“Wait.”

I told him where I was heading, and he drove me there.

When we arrived, some of the kids were already outside. It was their dismissal time.

I saw Arriana waiting on one of the benches.

She smiled when she saw me and ran to hug me.

She noticed Arzhel. She gave him a smile, and I didn’t know if I should be happy or not.

Arzhel just stared at her, with no emotion.

“Baby, where’s Chris?” I asked to get Arriana’s attention.

She pointed somewhere, and I saw Chris laughing with his classmates a few feet away.

“I’m sorry, can you look after her for a while?” I told Arzhel and moved Arriana closer to him.

Before he could answer, I already turned around because Chris was about to leave with his classmates.

When I came back, I saw Arzhel talking to an old married couple. I paused when I recognized them. They were one of his business partners before, who knew about our marriage and, of course, our divorce, and me being labeled a cheater.

I heard their conversation.

“Is that your daughter?” the old woman asked while admiring Arriana.

Her question made my heartbeat faster.

“No, she’s my business partner’s daughter.”

The woman looked shocked.

“Really? Sorry, my bad. But she really looks like you,” she said in amusement.

Their car arrived, and they said goodbye to Arzhel.

After they left, I saw Arzhel looking at Arriana. I gulped. He seemed to be scanning her face.

“Arriana,” Chris excitedly shouted when he saw her. He ran in her direction.

Arzhel looked at us. He seemed confused.

I walked toward them.

“Wait, you had twins?” His eyebrows frowned.

Did he just think that Chris was my child too?

“Let’s go, mama,” Chris said.

He would stay in our house tonight until his father went home.

I wasn’t able to answer Arzhel’s question because I led the way to his car.

The ride home was quiet. Aside from Arriana and Chris’s voices as they played, Arzhel and I remained silent.

Arzhel became more serious and quiet, as if something was bothering him. I didn’t dare ask him.

When we arrived home, I thanked Arzhel.

Chris did the same, while Arriana hugged Arzhel.

“Thank you, Uncle Arzhel,” Arriana said with a wide smile and gave Arzhel a little hug on his leg. Then she and Chris ran inside to play.

I was about to follow them when I felt Arzhel’s hand on my wrist.

“I’m just curious,” he started. I looked at him. He looked hesitant at first but still asked, “Are they the kids you insist are mine?”