The Billionaire Ex-Wife Returns

Vanessa Saxon was once married to Luca Kensington, the cold and distant CEO of K Group. But when she was seven months pregnant, her adopted sister, Beatriz Langley, falsely accused her of having an affair with her best friend, Daxton Radcliffe, and carrying his child. The worst part? Luca believed Beatriz.

In a fit of rage, Luca demanded their baby be removed prematurely, leading to a tragic event where Vanessa nearly died from the ordeal.

Saved by Daxton, Vanessa disappeared. Now, five years later, she returns—stronger and determined—alongside her daughter, Isla Saxon, to exact her revenge on those who wronged her.

Betrayal

The rain lashed against the window. In the darkness, Vanessa clung to her fading consciousness, counting the sound of water droplets echoing from outside. She strained to hear over the storm, her heart pounding as anxiety coiled tighter within her.

Suddenly, the door creaked open, a sliver of light slicing through the darkness of the room, and a familiar, beautiful face came into view.

The girl in high heels—Beatriz Langley—let out a mocking laugh and flipped on the room’s light. “Tsk... tsk... Still waiting for Luca to save you? Haha... Stop dreaming, Vanessa...”

She casually picked up a knife from the corner and sneered, “The golden girl, the treasure of the Ness Corporation—did you ever imagine this day would come?”

Vanessa watched as Beatriz brandished the long knife and rasped, “Beatriz, if you let me go, I’ll give you anything you want—my shares, the chairman’s position. I won’t fight you anymore.”

Beatriz sighed dramatically. “Back then, no matter what I did, you refused to let me into Ness Corporation. And now? Not only Ness Corporation, but everything the Langley family owns will be mine too.”

Vanessa felt as if she’d been struck by lightning, her body plunging into icy despair. “Beatriz, my mom raised you as her own. How can you be so cruel? She knew nothing of this.”

“So what?” Beatriz looked at her, amused, as though she’d just heard a joke. “Oh, right. Let’s not forget—you betrayed Luca, didn’t you?”

Vanessa’s face was full of despair, her voice breaking as she weakly denied, “I didn’t.”

“I know you didn’t,” Beatriz whispered in an exaggeratedly innocent tone, twirling the knife in her hand. “But Luca doesn’t believe you.”

She raised the long knife with both hands, her voice light but chilling. “I’ve answered all your stupid questions so you can die knowing the truth. Now, go in peace!”

With that, Beatriz lifted the knife and prepared to plunge it into Vanessa’s abdomen.

‘Bang! Bang!’

Suddenly, there was a loud knock on the door. Beatriz’s hand froze mid-air, her face twisting in irritation.

“Beatriz, they’ve arrived,” a man’s low voice came from outside the door.

“What terrible timing.” Beatriz tossed the knife to the ground and looked at the trembling Vanessa with a smirk. “Congratulations, you get to live another hour.”

The sound of the door closing made the weight on Vanessa’s chest finally lift. She let out a long breath, and her heart leaped when she realized—the door wasn’t locked!

Bracing her belly, she forced herself to stand and quickly made her way to the door. She opened it and stepped outside, soon finding the small gate to the back garden. But just as she thought she was safe, Beatriz’s voice suddenly echoed behind her.

“Stop!”

A chill ran down Vanessa’s spine. She didn’t hesitate any longer and ran toward the gate, clutching her stomach. The footsteps behind her grew closer and closer. Just when she thought she’d be caught, a familiar figure appeared at the corner of the street.

Luca!

Without a second thought, she rushed toward him, gripping his suit tightly as she tried to hold back her tears. “Luca, you finally came...”

But the man’s face lacked the warmth and affection it once held. Instead, his expression was cold and impatient. Still, he lifted Vanessa and placed her into the car.

The familiar scent of him brought her a fleeting sense of comfort as she leaned against him, whispering, “Luca... thank God you’re here... our child almost...”

“Shut up!”

Vanessa stared at him in shock, her gaze catching a fleeting moment of hesitation in his eyes.

The car stopped in front of a private hospital.

“I’ll do what Beatriz couldn’t do.”

Before Vanessa could fully grasp the meaning of his words, Luca yanked her out of the car, dragging her by the hair toward the hospital.

Vanessa felt as though she had fallen into an abyss, her entire body freezing as the truth hit her—Luca wasn’t here to save her at all!

“Let me go! Luca, what are you doing?!”

The next second, she was thrown into an operating room. A sharp pain shot through her abdomen, forcing her to curl up in agony. When she looked up, she saw Luca’s cold, disgusted gaze fixed on her stomach, and a chilling realization dawned on her.

“Luca! This is your child!”

Several doctors entered, holding her down, while Luca injected something into her body.

“It’s oxytocin. Stay calm and wait,” he said, his voice flat, devoid of any emotion, as if she meant nothing to him.

Vanessa struggled with all her strength, her vision growing blurry. “You monster! The baby is only seven months old! Are you even human?!”

“You should’ve known this would happen the moment you betrayed me, Vanessa. I’ve already been merciful to you.”

Her chest tightened with unbearable pain. “You don’t believe me either?”

Luca tossed aside the syringe and left the room without a glance back.

Vanessa was strapped to the operating table.

Three hours later, the red light above the operating room flickered off. The lead surgeon stepped out. “Mr. Kensington, the patient experienced an embolism and severe hemorrhaging during the procedure. We tried everything, but... I’m sorry for your loss.”

Luca stood still, his gaze lingering on the door to the operating room, his expression unreadable.

After a long silence, he forced himself to suppress the suffocating pain in his chest.

His secretary quietly approached. “Mr. Kensington, the company...”

Luca closed his eyes briefly. When he opened them again, they were clear and composed.

Without turning around, he said, “Let’s go.”

Outside the operating room, everything fell silent once more.

At that moment, Vanessa fought to open her eyes. Her vision was blurred, and faint voices reached her ears, fragmented and distant: “Take her and leave here now.”

She heard footsteps beside the bed and tried to reach out for help, but her body lacked the strength.

A figure appeared at her bedside, grasping her hand. The voice that spoke was soft yet remarkably clear. “Don’t be afraid; I’m here.”

***

Her Return

Five years later.

In the principal's office of a prestigious kindergarten in the city.

"Look at how your child has treated my son! What if he ends up disfigured?!" A heavily made-up woman rolled up her sleeves and lunged at Vanessa but was stopped by the principal beside her.

"Calm down! Calm down! Let's talk this over civilly!"

Vanessa squatted down, looking at the little girl in front of her, and gently asked, "Tell Mommy what happened."

The five-year-old girl, with ponytails and a fair, round face full of grievances, said, "Today, when we were playing a game, Adrian lifted my skirt... and tried to touch my feet. Mommy, you said that girls' feet shouldn't be touched by others..."

Vanessa's eyes turned icy. "Did he touch you?"

The little girl shook her head. "I hit him when he reached out..."

Vanessa gave a thumbs-up to the little girl. "Well done! If you encounter something like this again, do the same as today, understand?"

The woman beside her scoffed and turned to the principal. "Did you hear that? She admitted it! My son’s face was scratched by her daughter, and this matter must be handled seriously! Otherwise, no one leaves today!"

"And how do you explain your child lifting a girl's skirt?"

"That's just kids playing around! What's the big deal? Besides, she was wearing shorts underneath, right? I think she was hoping someone would see!"

The woman finished speaking sarcastically and picked up her child. "It's okay, Adrian. Mommy's here. Today, I will make those two little brats apologize! Let's see who dares to bully you again!"

The child, puffing up with pride, joined in, shouting, “Apologize! Apologize!”

“Indeed, like parent, like child. Your kid was in the wrong first, and instead of correcting him, you, as his mother, cover for him and call them little brats while wanting to hit someone? Ha! Do you really think this is your family’s territory?”

Vanessa turned her gaze to the principal. “My request isn’t much. Just an apology, and we can put this matter behind us.”

“Apology? That’s laughable! My son just lifted a skirt, and now his face is scratched like this. What if he ends up with a scar or an infection? You think I’m going to let him apologize? Dream on!”

Vanessa’s eyes glinted with anger, her face set in a cold smile. “If I remember correctly, your family is currently negotiating with Cortex over that piece of land in the south of the city, right? Seems you have quite the advantage.”

Mrs. Marwood felt a chill creeping up her spine at the look in Vanessa’s eyes. “What do you mean?”

“Nothing much. Just that the bird ready to be caught might fly away,” Vanessa said, pulling out her phone and sending a text message.

Before Mrs. Marwood could grasp Vanessa’s meaning, her phone rang. Glancing at the caller ID, she felt a sense of foreboding.

“Hello, dear?”

“What have you been doing out there today?! Cortex just said they will never cooperate with the Marwoods again!”

Mrs. Marwood's face changed drastically. "Why?"

"They sent me to ask you! Why? I want to know why too! Get back here now!"

Although Mrs. Marwood did not put her phone on speaker, the voice on the other end could still be heard by everyone in the room.

Vanessa hadn’t expected her assistant to be so efficient. Her eyes narrowed slightly, and she smiled like a cunning fox. "Well? What do you think?"

Mrs. Marwood stared at her, incredulous. "Who are you?!"

"The priority now is to go home and figure things out, not to ask such foolish questions," Vanessa kindly suggested. As for the apology, she could wait a few more hours.

Mrs. Marwood gritted her teeth in anger, but all she could do was leave with her child.

The principal looked at Vanessa with a hint of curiosity, about to speak when a teacher hurried in and said, "Mr. Mone, there's a parent looking for you."

"Take them to see Mr. Sullivan first."

"The visitor is from the K Group."

The principal cast an apologetic glance at Vanessa.

Vanessa understood and turned to leave, taking the child with her.

Just as she was about to hail a taxi at the corner, a Maybach slowly pulled up nearby.

The car door swung open, revealing long legs stepping out.

Luca, dressed in a well-tailored black suit, appeared with a cold expression, standing tall and exuding an air of aloofness that pushed people away.

Then a child came out, clinging to the man's hand.

Vanessa's body stiffened as her gaze fell on the child. This was his and Beatriz's child? Hatred surged in her heart, but she quickly forced it down, managing to return her expression to normal.

Luca, holding the child, was heading to the kindergarten when he looked up and saw a familiar figure.

That person was also looking at him.

Their eyes locked, and the atmosphere around them instantly froze.

Luca's breath caught, and a wave of emotions surged in his heart, but he quickly returned to his usual demeanor.

"Mommy, this uncle looks a bit scary."

Vanessa averted her gaze and bent down to pick up the little girl. "It's okay, don’t look at him. We're going home."

Treating Luca like air, Vanessa walked past him, but a hand grabbed her.

"Are you not going to give me an explanation?"

A smile that didn't reach her eyes appeared on Vanessa's face as she asked knowingly, "Who are you?"

Luca furrowed his brow, his tone laced with anger. "You didn't die."

"Surprised?" Vanessa leaned closer to his ear and whispered softly, "Too bad you didn't get what you wished for."

After saying that, she ignored Luca and turned to leave.

Luca was stunned for a second, watching Vanessa's figure disappear around the corner. He quickly chased after her.

He was only a second too late; by the time he caught up, she was already gone.

A surge of anger rose within him, and he turned to grab the child standing by the car and lifted him inside. He took out his phone and called his assistant.

"Find out who took Vanessa away five years ago."

***

Vanessa Isn't Dead

In the taxi, Vanessa smirked as she watched Luca leave, a fierce determination flickering in her eyes.

The pain she had endured five years ago would be returned to them a hundredfold!

Suddenly, the little girl tugged at her shirt and called out worriedly, “Mommy, what is going on?”

Vanessa quickly suppressed her emotions and turned to face her, a gentle smile on her lips. “Oh, nothing. What do you want to eat today, Isla?”

“I want spaghetti, with shrimp and meatballs!”

Vanessa chuckled and pinched the little girl’s tummy. “You little glutton, you already have so much meat on you!”

The little girl puffed up her cheeks, turned her head away, and pretended to be angry. "Mommy is bad!"

"Hahaha! Okay, okay, Isla has no meat on her tummy!" Vanessa continued to tease her.

"Oh no, Mommy, stop laughing!" The little girl complained, grabbing her hair in frustration.

"I won’t laugh anymore; let’s go home and eat."

That night, after putting the child to sleep, Vanessa got up to tidy up.

The living room was pitch black. Vanessa sat by the floor-to-ceiling window, looking out at the bright lights outside, her mind swirling with thoughts.

Memories from five years ago flooded over her like a deluge.

She had loved Luca for seven years, shamelessly clinging to him, trying to melt the ice between them. In the end, she finally married him. For his sake, she stepped back from the Saxon family, giving up the opportunity for further studies abroad, so she could spend more time with him.

Even though he didn’t come to her most important birthday, even though he didn’t show up when she returned home in the rain with a high fever, even though after their marriage he never stayed overnight at home, leaving her the subject of endless ridicule from others. It was understandable; after all, they had a marriage of convenience for the sake of benefits, and he didn’t care about her.

She still remembered how she tried her best to fulfill the role of ‘Mrs. Kensington,’ naively believing that one day she would touch Luca’s heart.

Until he personally administered oxytocin to her and sent her onto the operating table.

These memories tortured her day after day.

If it weren’t for Daxton appearing and taking her away, she might have already turned into a pile of bones by now.

But she was no longer the naive Vanessa who had been used and was unaware of it five years ago.

She had returned, and everything was just beginning.

Suddenly, the doorbell rang, interrupting her thoughts.

Vanessa walked to the door and peered through the peephole, seeing a man holding several takeout boxes that clashed with his expensive dark blue suit.

Raising her eyebrows in surprise, Vanessa reached out to open the door.

"What brings you here?"

Daxton walked in with the items, changing his shoes as he spoke. "I heard about what happened to Isla at the kindergarten today. I was a bit worried, so I came to check on her. Is she asleep?"

Vanessa's gaze shifted slightly, but in the end, she didn’t say anything, only responding with a soft "Yeah."

"Then I guess I won't enjoy this," the man said, placing the food on the table. "What are you dazed for? This is from your favorite place."

With her expression returning to normal, Vanessa walked over to sit down, though she had little appetite.

Daxton, familiar with the place, opened the wine cabinet and poured two glasses of red wine. "How's the company preparing for everything?" he asked.

"Red wine with snacks—just like you, President Radcliffe," Vanessa replied, taking the wine glass. "It's almost ready. Tomorrow, we’ll attend the first bidding."

Daxton always had confidence in her. He secretly observed her expression, hesitating over whether to ask that question.

Vanessa chuckled lightly. "You want to ask about Luca?"

"Nothing escapes your eyes."

"There’s no possibility between me and him." Vanessa downed her glass of red wine, a hint of fatigue flickering in her gaze.

‘What about me?’ Daxton still didn’t have the courage to voice that thought. He chuckled, changing the topic. "I’m worried that Luca might do something to Isla."

"I won’t give him that chance."

After chatting a bit more, Daxton left.

As she tidied up the mess in the living room, she returned to lie beside the little one. Watching the sleeping child, she gently kissed her fair cheek, a hint of determination flashing in her eyes.

She wouldn’t let Isla come to any harm!

...

The next day, at K Group, in the president's office.

Luca stared at the information displayed on the computer, remaining silent.

'That child was actually named Isla Saxon and did not carry the Radcliffe last name?'

Lost in thought, he was suddenly interrupted by a knock at the door.

"Come in."

Beatriz wore a black dress that accentuated her perfect figure, her face adorned with delicate makeup, and her hair casually draped down, exuding elegance and confidence.

With a gentle smile, Beatriz said softly, "You didn’t come home last night. Grandpa asked me to come take a look, but I didn’t expect to find you at the company."

"Is there something you need?"

The colder tone than usual pierced Beatriz's heart like a thorn.

For five years, no matter how well she performed, even after using every means to move into the Kensington mansion and being recognized by Mr. Kensington as part of the family, Luca still refused to get engaged to her.

She knew that Luca always held Vanessa in his heart but could never let go of the betrayal she had caused. Given Luca's personality, he would never turn back.

Besides, the only person standing beside Luca now was her.

She just needed to confirm it.

Maintaining her smile, Beatriz tentatively said, "Vanessa isn't dead, you know?"

Luca processed the documents in his hand, not even sparing her a glance.

***

Angry

Beatriz observed Luca’s expression, unable to discern his emotions, and immediately continued her probing. "Forget that for now. I'm here today to discuss whether we should change Ezra's school. I’m worried about him being in the same kindergarten as Vanessa's child."

With a loud ‘bang,’ Luca slammed the folder shut, a flash of anger flickering in his eyes. "Get out."

Meeting his gaze, a chill spread through Beatriz's heart. She remained still and continued, "Vanessa and Daxton are not good people. How can their child be any better? I heard that she even got into fights with other kids in kindergarten, and I..."

"Have you said enough?"

"This is the truth! Five years ago, she betrayed you and slept with Daxton, colluding to deceive you. These..."

Luca's dangerous gaze wrapped around Beatriz like a snake, his thin lips parting slightly. "Get lost."

Realizing that Luca was genuinely angry, Beatriz smartly chose to leave, secretly breathing a sigh of relief. Although she had angered Luca, she at least knew that the thorn in his heart remained, unable to be erased.

With this, she felt reassured.

However, Vanessa was in Beatriz's eyes, plotting and calculating. She was more than willing to continue the unfinished business from five years ago.

Only Luca remained in the office. He pinched the bridge of his nose, pushing aside all the chaotic thoughts.

The secretary entered with a pile of documents and hesitated upon seeing his fatigued expression. "Mr. Kensington, regarding the bidding conference this afternoon..."

"Proceed as usual."

The secretary nodded, "I just received news this morning. In addition to the usual competitors, there’s a formidable opponent this time." Handing the documents to Luca, he continued, "This company has strong capabilities overseas. The owner is a foreigner who has always intended to develop in the domestic market. They recently established a branch, and the owner is Miss Saxon."

Luca paused for a moment, then quickly returned to normal. "Proceed as usual."

"Understood."

Meanwhile, Vanessa was busy preparing the bidding materials to hand over to her assistant.

"It's almost time. Go prepare the car."

"Okay."

At one o'clock in the afternoon, cars from various companies began to arrive at the X Business Building as scheduled.

Vanessa and her assistant arrived early. They noticed that other companies were represented by vice presidents accompanied by relevant personnel, a group of ten or so, looking imposing and unstoppable.

In contrast, Vanessa's group consisted of just the company owner and a secretary, exuding an aura of being out of place.

Everyone else was greeting each other, but Vanessa’s surroundings felt cold and desolate.

"I didn’t expect our company to be so low-profile," Vanessa remarked with some emotion.

"It’s not just low-profile; it’s completely unknown, boss. Look at their expressions—thirty percent smile, seventy percent mockery," the assistant grumbled, handing Vanessa a glass of champagne. "They really have no vision."

Vanessa chuckled lightly, her gaze falling on a familiar figure not far away.

Beatriz Langley, representing Ness Corp to participate.

A surge of hatred crossed Vanessa's face as she tightened her grip on the glass in her hand.

Beatriz also glanced over, sending a provocative look in Vanessa's direction.

Vanessa raised her glass, a smile curving at the corners of her lips as she returned the gesture with the same smile.

At 1:30 PM, it was time to enter.

Vanessa was assigned to the left side of the front row.

Once everyone settled in, they realized that a no-name small company had managed to take a seat above them?

Focusing on the prepared materials, unfriendly remarks drifted into her ears.

"How come I've never heard of this company?"

"I heard it’s a newly established small company. The people here are quite young; they’re probably just here to gain some experience."

"I’m afraid they won’t even be able to speak up later."

Laughter followed from the crowd.

Vanessa cast a cold glance at the speaker, her smile remaining on her face but not reaching her eyes. With her red lips parting, her tone was calm yet firm: "If you don’t conduct prior research on opponents you’re unfamiliar with, then if I were your boss, I would have fired you on the spot for such a blunder."

The few individuals who spoke were relatively high-ranking within their company. Being publicly reprimanded by Vanessa, their faces turned a mix of red and black, and just as they were about to retaliate, the door to the conference room was pushed open.

The clients had arrived.

The entire room fell silent as the head of the advertising department began to announce the bidding rules and the order of presentations.

Beatriz stood up, her face lit with a confident smile, as if she had already secured victory, and walked up to the podium.

After a round of discussion, applause erupted in the hall. Enjoying the praise, Beatriz looked towards Vanessa with a smirk and said, "This time, Ness Corp is collaborating with the K Group, and we have the most robust resources and experience, which cannot be compared to those small, lesser-known companies. Having a little self-awareness would do them good—especially those who don’t know their limits and still try to take on big projects. ."

Her words were pointed, drawing the crowd’s attention to Vanessa, who faced their derisive gazes.

Vanessa raised her eyelids to look at Beatriz and smiled. "I remember there’s a gazebo the locals are reluctant to tear down. It can’t be forcibly demolished, so renovation is the only option. Yet, in your so-called plan, it hasn't been mentioned at all, has it?"

Just as Beatriz opened her mouth to explain, Vanessa didn’t give her the chance.

"Ness Corp and K Group’s design aims to establish a commercial district. Setting aside the fact that the proposal has a short-lived, plastic aesthetic, don’t you think a gazebo would feel completely out of place in a modern architectural setting?"

Beatriz kept her smile but said nothing.

"I assumed Ness Corp would’ve conducted a field investigation, but I didn’t expect such a basic oversight."

***

So Close

Catching the hint of sarcasm in Vanessa’s tone, Beatriz's eyes flickered with anger.

"Well, I’m quite looking forward to seeing what President Saxon can come up with that’s better than Ness’s proposal."

Her tone seemed calm, but internally, Beatriz was burning with rage.

"Next, please."

Vanessa prepared her materials, stood up, and walked to the front.

"Let me introduce myself, I'm Vanessa Saxon from Cortex Group." She pulled up her PowerPoint presentation and continued, "Everyone, please take a look. This is the design draft we created after our company conducted a field investigation..."

Before she could finish, she was interrupted: "I thought President Saxon's design draft would be something fresh. There's nothing innovative at all; it’s overly complicated. If we proceed with your proposal, it will be costly without any appealing features. Isn’t that just a facade?"

Vanessa smiled slightly, "But compared to other companies, we place greater emphasis on the building's value retention, rather than chasing after a plastic aesthetic like Ness Corp. The rationality and diversity of the architectural structure can ensure its longevity, so I believe the term 'facade' is more suited for Ness Corp."

Beatriz clenched her hands tightly, watching Vanessa on stage, her charming smile making Beatriz want to rush up and slap her twice!

Suppressing her anger with great effort, she forced a polite smile and said, "It’s just painting a big pie, saying pretty words without being able to present anything substantial."

Vanessa calmly pressed ‘next page.’ "These are the projects I’ve personally led over the years, and along with my team, we’ve restored several ancient buildings. This is my capability."

At the end, she displayed a comparison of Cortex Group's and Ness Corp's data.

"The data speaks for itself; Cortex is indeed superior to Ness."

The crowd's gaze turned to the PowerPoint, and Cortex's data was indeed impressive.

An invisible slap landed on Beatriz's face. Looking at the scornful eyes of those around her, she could only maintain her smile, her hands clenched tightly as she secretly ground her teeth.

‘Vanessa Saxon! Just wait!’

The bidding ended at six in the evening.

Once in the car, Vanessa handed her assistant a business card.

"Look into this person and see if you can set up a meeting."

"Mariah Hutchson from VH? Are you planning to poach her, boss?"

"The company is newly established; we need to recruit talent."

...

Back at the company, Vanessa hadn’t even settled into her seat when her assistant brought her some materials.

"Boss, it was reported a few days ago that Mariah Hutchson is suspected of leaking commercial secrets. It’s said that the police have set up a related investigation team, and her home has been searched."

Leaking commercial secrets?

Vanessa opened the documents and read through them carefully, feeling something was off.

From her understanding of Mariah, she didn’t seem like the type to do something like this.

The materials indicated that a press conference had recently been held regarding a new type of special drug, and the project lead for the new energy development had been announced.

She had heard a bit about both projects while abroad and had previously been told there hadn’t been much progress. Now, they had seemingly been successfully developed.

Vanessa squinted and pondered, "Look into the person in charge of the new special drug."

The assistant gave an ‘OK’ gesture.

"Also, send the address of the new energy warehouse to my phone."

"Understood."

After leaving the company, she followed the navigation in her car, arriving at the destination after dark.

The location was on the outskirts of the city, surrounded only by a solitary warehouse, enveloped in darkness, seemingly deserted.

Vanessa parked in the shadows, cautiously approached with her phone, and wary of surveillance, decided to sneak around to the back of the wall, planning to climb over and take a look inside.

The wall wasn’t too high; with Vanessa’s agility, it was a breeze to scale it. She landed steadily and, using the faint light, saw a pair of leather shoes right in front of her.

"What a coincidence."

A familiar voice entered her ears, and Vanessa looked up in disbelief to find Luca’s face, smirking slightly.

"Mr. Kensington, long time no see."

The two locked eyes, each confirming the purpose of the other’s visit.

But Vanessa didn’t want to accompany him, so she turned and headed into the back yard.

She opened a window that wasn’t locked and, shining her flashlight inside the warehouse—

Empty!

Vanessa's gaze darkened as she pondered.

Just as she suspected, the new energy project was nothing but a gimmick.

She pulled out her phone to record a video and was just about to leave when she suddenly noticed faint footsteps approaching her. Timing it perfectly, she turned and swung a punch, only to have it firmly caught in Luca's broad hand.

Vanessa instinctively retracted her hand as if it had been electrocuted. Just as she was about to speak, the sound of a key unlocking the door echoed from outside, followed by several people laughing as they walked in.

Luca's expression changed; he quickly pulled Vanessa into the narrow space between the walls.

The newcomers turned on the lights and sat down diagonally across from them, starting to play cards and drink.

Vanessa cursed inwardly and then realized just how close she was to Luca... so close that they were almost touching!

Their breaths mingled, and an unusual sensation surged between them.

Luca scanned the surroundings, gently patted Vanessa’s head, and motioned for her to look straight ahead.

There, half-hidden, was a small door.

Vanessa understood his intent and nodded.

The man prepared to count down using his lips, but his gaze suddenly caught sight of a large dog sniffing around, approaching them.

Vanessa saw it too, her heart leaping to her throat, hoping that the dog wouldn’t have a keen sense of smell.

In the next moment—"Woof woof!"

Without hesitation, Luca grabbed Vanessa's hand and dashed toward the small door like the wind.

The others noticed and rushed out with clubs and hammers in hand.

The two ran for their lives, with Vanessa allowing herself to be pulled by Luca, not slowing down for a second.

***