Emilia POV:

I stared at the cold, legal document on the desk, then at Sophie, who was nestled against Blake's side like a contented cat. The last embers of affection I might have held for him turned to ash.

"Blake is right, Emilia," Sophie said, her voice soft, but her eyes gleaming with victory. "You're making a scene. We're all sad about your grandmother, but you can't blame innocent people."

I ignored her. I picked up the document and flipped through the pages. My lawyer and I had prepared for this day for over a year.

I reached into my own bag, pulled out a much thicker folder, and dropped it on the desk with a satisfying thud.

"No need for yours," I said. "I have my own."

Blake and Sophie both stared. My document was twice as thick as his, filled with red-penned notes and highlighted clauses.

"According to our PR agreement, the end of the three-year term, which was yesterday, was the natural expiration date of the contract," I stated calmly. My voice was quiet, but it cut through the silence of the room.

"As the hired party, I have the right to decline renewal. This is my notice of termination, along with a detailed invoice for the compensation owed to me, as stipulated in the contract."

Blake picked up my folder. His blue eyes scanned the pages, his brow tightening with every line he read.

Sophie leaned over his shoulder. When her eyes landed on the staggering figure in the compensation section, her face went pale.

"That much money? Emilia, you're so greedy!" she blurted out, forgetting her sweet and innocent act entirely.

I smirked. "It's what the contract stipulates, Ms. Price. Unlike some people, I only take what I'm owed."

Blake put the document down, his gaze complex. "You've been planning this."

"I'm always prepared to leave a place I don't belong," I said, meeting his eyes without flinching.

He was silent for a long moment, then gave a curt nod. "Fine. I'll have my lawyers contact yours."

He had agreed.

I didn't want to spend another second in that room. I turned and walked out, not giving either of them a backward glance.

Back in my bedroom, I started packing. The room was filled with expensive things Blake had bought me, gestures to maintain the public image of a happy marriage.

I didn't touch any of them. I packed only my own clothes and the few precious mementos my grandmother had left me.

Mrs. Finch came in, her eyes red, and quietly helped me fold a sweater. "Ma'am, are you really leaving?"

"Thank you for everything these past three years, Mrs. Finch," I said, giving her a quick, firm hug. "But I have to."

Dragging my single suitcase out of the opulent penthouse felt like shedding a heavy, suffocating skin. For the first time in three years, I could breathe.

I didn't go to my old apartment. I checked into a suite at The Langham. I needed a neutral, secure space to plan my next move.

After making some initial calls for my grandmother's funeral, I was exhausted, hollowed out. I decided to go to the hotel bar for a drink.

I changed my clothes and stepped into the elevator. Just as the doors were sliding shut, a hand shot out, stopping them.

The doors opened again to reveal Blake and Sophie. The relaxed expressions on their faces froze the instant they saw me. Sophie, clinging to Blake’s arm, cut off her giggling mid-laugh, and in its place came a fleeting flash of surprise in both their eyes.

She dressed to the nines for a night out.

The small space instantly felt airless. I pressed myself into the corner, turning my face away, pretending they weren't there.

But I could feel Blake's eyes on me, a heavy, scrutinizing gaze.

The elevator stopped at the VIP floor. They stepped out, heading toward a private lounge called "The Captain's Deck," reserved for elite athletes.

As they walked away, Sophie glanced back over her shoulder, her eyes flashing with provocation. She whispered something in Blake's ear, and he actually smiled.

I stood frozen in the elevator, watching them disappear through the lounge doors. The fire I'd been trying to bank down roared back to life.

They thought I was gone, so they could just celebrate?

The doors started to close.

I jabbed the button for the same floor.