After stepping out of the restroom, Roselyn made her way back to the private room. The meal had already ended, and not long after, everyone began to leave.

Later that night, Roselyn returned home, but Adrian still hadn't shown up. She took a shower, then went straight to bed without waiting.

Sleep came easily, and the night passed without dreams.

Morning arrived, and Roselyn followed her usual routine by heading to work.

Once she completed last month's report, she walked over and knocked on Gerald's office door.

Gerald skimmed through the document, then gave an approving nod.

After she left, Gerald stayed seated for a moment before opening his drawer. He took out the resignation letter she had handed in the previous day and stood up, heading toward HR.

When the elevator doors slid open, he ran into Nate Robinson, the CEO's assistant. "Morning, Nate," Gerald said with a friendly smile.

Nate returned the greeting with a nod.

As the elevator began moving, Nate glanced at him. "Which floor are you heading to?"

"I'm going to the tenth," Gerald replied.

A brief pause followed before Nate spoke again, his tone light. "Handling paperwork with HR too?"

Gerald raised the document slightly. "Not exactly. I'm turning in a resignation. It's for Ms. Hudson."

Nate's expression shifted, surprise flickering across his face. "Wait, whose resignation?"

"Roselyn Hudson," Gerald answered, looking at him with mild confusion.

The reaction felt stronger than expected.

For a moment, Gerald wondered if Nate also didn't want to lose someone like her.

Gerald let out a quiet breath and shook his head. "I did what I could to change her mind, but she wouldn't budge. She said her health couldn't keep up with the job anymore. At that point, I had no grounds to argue. Nothing comes before that."

Nate was one of the few people who knew about Adrian and Roselyn's marriage.

Nate's eyes lowered to the name signed at the bottom of the document. There it was, written plainly. Roselyn Hudson. The sight caught him off guard for a brief second.

A faint, knowing curve formed on his lips. From what he had seen, Roselyn never showed any signs of being unwell. For her to suddenly claim illness felt questionable.

It looked more like a calculated move. Another way to draw Adrian's attention.

Another attempt that leaned into drama.

The elevator chimed as the doors opened. Gerald stepped out, while Nate stayed behind with the file before heading back toward the executive floor.

After passing the documents to a secretary, Nate noticed another one preparing to deliver a separate batch to the CEO's office.

Nate stepped forward and reached out. "Let me take those. I need to speak with Mr. Riley anyway."

With visible relief, the secretary handed them over. "Thanks, Nate. I owe you one. Coffee's on me next time."

She didn't mind at all. Her workload had already piled up.

Once she walked off, Nate approached the office door and knocked.

From inside, Adrian's voice came through, steady and low. "Come in."

Nate entered, placing the documents down before giving a thorough update on ongoing matters and the schedule for the day.

When he finished, he paused, weighing his next words. "There's something else I need to bring up."

Adrian lifted his gaze. "Go on."

Choosing his words with care, Nate continued, "It concerns your wife..."

Thinking back to the previous night, Adrian immediately assumed Roselyn had stirred up something again. His expression turned grim at once.

Nate hadn't even finished when Adrian cut him off, "You don't need to bring her up anymore. Whatever she does has nothing to do with me."

"Got it," Nate replied, pressing his lips together as he held back the rest of what he planned to say.

Anyone could tell Adrian had run out of patience with Roselyn. If that wasn't the case, he wouldn't react this way just hearing her name.

At this point, Adrian clearly had no interest in anything related to her.

With nothing more to add, Nate gathered the signed documents and walked out of the office.

Around noon, Roselyn headed to the company cafeteria. A few coworkers glanced at her, surprise showing on their faces.

After picking up her tray and finding a seat, someone she was familiar with came over and sat beside her.

The colleague leaned closer and spoke in a quiet tone. "Roselyn, you're not heading home to cook for your husband today?"

She knew Roselyn was married, but she had no idea who her husband actually was.

Roselyn pushed her food around with her fork. "Not today."

Before this, she would leave every noon to cook. Adrian rarely returned home, so she would pack the meals and bring them to him instead.

Seeing him eat what she made had once been enough to make her happy. That routine had gone on for years.

Later, she learned those meals often ended up thrown away.

Curiosity got the better of her colleague. "Did something happen between you two?" she asked.

Roselyn took a bite before answering, "He's seeing someone else." Her tone was casual as she spoke while chewing.

The colleague stopped talking and focused on her food.

The news shocked her. If she were in Roselyn's place, she would have confronted him right away. Yet Roselyn stayed composed.

Later in the afternoon, around three, Roselyn received a message from her business partner, Roger Gill.

It was the same topic as before. The Medical AI Research Department had contacted her again for the third time, and Roger asked if she wanted to turn it down once more.

He added a reminder. Chances like this didn't come often. If she rejected it again, there likely wouldn't be another offer.

Roger studied at the same university as Roselyn, though he was two years ahead of her. Back when his company ran into a technical issue, their professor had pointed him in her direction.

Roselyn proved that recommendation right. In the lab, she took charge of a team and built one of the first medical diagnostic systems powered by AI.

When the project launched without problems, he gave his word that she would receive twenty percent of the company's shares as payment.

Since then, the profits from that system had grown fast. True to what he said, he made sure her dividends reached her account every quarter.

That arrangement placed Roselyn among the company's shareholders.

Three years before that, Adrian told her she should study financial management, saying she would take charge of the family's assets one day.

She took him at his word.

Leaving her original field behind, she joined Adrian's company and handled the accounts with care, making sure every record stayed accurate and in order.

Each budget she prepared was reduced as much as possible, which helped keep the company's cash flow steady.

And yet, what did she gain from all that?

That thought lingered as she read Roger's message, and this time, she gave her answer. She agreed.

The moment her reply reached him, his call came through. "So you've decided? You're really coming back?"

Roselyn's eyes moved over the documents she held. "I've made my decision. I'll return, but I need one month to complete my resignation."

Silence followed for a second before he spoke again. "I'm relieved you said yes. I didn't think you would. Roselyn, we still need you here. Come back."

Three years away from her field left her unsure. "Things have changed fast in AI. I've been out of it for years. I don't know if I can keep up right away."

Roger brushed that aside. "No one has beaten the algorithm you created. Stop doubting yourself. There's a conference on Computer-Aided Drug Design next week, and they want you there. Will you attend?"

Roselyn gave a small nod. "I'll attend."

With her decision already set, turning down that kind of chance made no sense anymore.

"Alright."

Once the call ended, she moved without delay and returned to work mode. Even after three years, her knowledge had not faded away.

Her attention had simply stayed on Adrian for too long. She had placed her marriage above everything, and over time, her edge in her field slipped.

Later that evening, she returned home and settled in front of her computer, going through recent updates in the industry while brushing up on her skills.

Dinner came, yet Adrian still had not shown up. She forced herself to eat a few bites before setting the fork aside.

Donna noticed it right away. "Ma'am, you haven't been eating much these past few days. Are you feeling sick?"

Instead of answering at once, Roselyn walked to the calendar. She pulled off the page marked for the second, and dropped it into the trash.

"I'm fine. It's just the heat. I don't really feel like eating."

Even Donna could tell something was off. Adrian, who should have seen it first, had not noticed anything at all.

Donna kept quiet after that. In her mind, Roselyn's lack of appetite came from Adrian staying away for days.

After her shower, Roselyn stepped out and caught sight of Adrian entering with his briefcase.

For a brief moment, Roselyn stopped. Seeing him tonight was not something she expected. Since the affair, coming home had not been something he did often.

Did he come back for a reason?

That thought didn't linger. Without reacting, Roselyn turned away and picked up the hairdryer as if he hadn't walked in.

Not sparing her more than a glance, Adrian moved past her and went straight upstairs to the study.

Even after getting used to that kind of distance, something still stirred in her chest. It didn't last long before it faded.

Once her hair was dry, she sat down with her laptop and pulled up materials related to CADD, continuing where she left off.

Three years had already slipped by while she focused on Adrian. Now that she had woken up to it, she knew she had to push harder than before if she wanted to catch up.

Upstairs, Adrian sat at his desk going through emails. After some time, his throat felt dry, and he reached to the side out of habit.

His hand came up empty. A faint crease formed between his brows when he realized there was no water waiting for him.

Before, the moment he stepped inside, Roselyn would come over without delay. She would pour him a drink and ask what he needed.

She used to remind him to sleep earlier, drink less coffee, and take better care of himself. He never paid much attention to any of it.

So now she was still angry?

Fine.

Without calling for anyone, Adrian grabbed the empty glass and went to get water himself. After taking a few sips, he returned to his desk.

Work pulled him back in right away.

Then his phone buzzed against the surface.

Adrian picked it up and unlocked the screen. A message from Emma appeared, along with a short video.

In it, she wore a thin silk nightgown. Holding a glass of red wine, she tilted it slowly and let the liquid spill along her collarbone before it ran down her skin.

The image carried a teasing pull, enough to stir something he didn't bother to suppress.

"Room 1008. The hotel next to your place. You've been busy all night. Hungry? Want something quick?"

Adrian's throat tightened at the message, and the look in his eyes shifted.

With one hand, he loosened his collar while typing his reply. "Stay there. I'm on my way."

Roselyn stayed focused on the materials for some time, but a dull ache began to spread through her stomach. Setting the work aside, Roselyn picked up her cup and went downstairs to get water.

Halfway down the stairs, she came face to face with Adrian, who was slipping on his coat. "Something came up at the office. I need to leave," he said without much thought.

His eyes shifted to Roselyn's posture, noticing how her hand pressed against her stomach. "What's going on?"

Keeping her expression steady, Roselyn gave a small smile. "It's nothing. My stomach's acting up again, same as before."

A hint of irritation showed on his face. "I'm busy right now. I don't have time for this."

She had used that same reason before whenever he was about to leave, trying to make him stay.

After hearing it over and over, he no longer took it seriously.

For a second, Roselyn didn't react. His words didn't make sense to her at first. Did he really think she was making it up?

A bitter curve formed on her lips. The ache in her stomach deepened, and something in her chest followed.

Explaining herself to him had been pointless. She was already in pain, yet he still chose to doubt her.

This was the man she once loved for years.

A thought crossed her mind without warning. If her condition were truly something serious, would he feel anything at all?

She didn't need an answer. The way he stood now made it clear that even if she collapsed in front of him, he would likely assume it was another act.

He might even walk past her and still go see Emma.

Roselyn shook her head and pushed those thoughts aside. None of it held weight anymore. The divorce had already entered its waiting period.

When this month came to an end, she would walk away from everything. Bit by bit, things were finally shifting toward something better.

After Adrian walked out, Roselyn took her medicine and followed it with a full glass of water. The discomfort eased, though it didn't disappear completely.

She didn't stay up long after that. Returning to her room, she shut her laptop and went straight to bed.

The next morning, her phone rang and pulled her awake. It was Saturday, and Greta Hudson, her grandmother, appeared on the screen.

As soon as she picked up, Greta's aged voice came through. "Roselyn, are you coming home today?"

Still groggy, Roselyn hesitated before it came back to her. On her days off, she made it a habit to visit twice each month.

Since her schedule never stayed the same, Greta would always call ahead to check.

Truthfully, aside from Greta, no one else in the Hudson family looked forward to seeing her. That had never been a secret.

Letting out a yawn, Roselyn replied, "I'm free today, Grandma. I'll come by later."

Warmth filled Greta's voice right away. "That's good to hear. I'll ask Mary to cook the dishes you like."

After the call ended, Roselyn glanced at the time. It was only 7:10 in the morning.

She ran her fingers through her hair, dropped back onto the bed, and rested a little longer before finally getting up.

By the time she came downstairs after washing up, breakfast was already set. Donna greeted her with a gentle smile. "Good morning, Mrs. Riley. Your breakfast is ready."

Roselyn responded with a small nod, "Morning."

Only one portion sat on the table, and that told her everything she needed to know. Adrian hadn't come back last night.

Placing a glass of warm milk in front of her, Donna spoke again. "Mr. Riley got home very late, so he used the guest room. He left early this morning too. Said he had documents waiting at the office, so he skipped breakfast."

Roselyn made a quiet sound in response and didn't press further.

She could tell Donna meant well, trying to keep the peace and avoid another clash.

But whatever stood between her and Adrian had already grown beyond fixing, like something that had built up for too long.

Once she finished eating, Roselyn told Donna she was heading out, picked up her keys, and walked out the door.

Roselyn stepped into the Hudson residence, but Greta was nowhere in sight. The place felt empty, with no one else around either.

Mary, the housekeeper, approached right away, took her belongings, and handed her a glass of water.

Mary's tone stayed light and welcoming. "Roselyn, you're finally back. Greta went out with the others. You should drink some water first."

Roselyn accepted it, murmured her thanks, and took a sip.

From upstairs, a soft voice drifted down. "Roselyn? Did you just arrive?"

A slim figure appeared along the staircase and made her way down slowly. The white dress she wore gave her a gentle and harmless look.

The moment Emma reached the bottom, her face brightened. She moved closer without hesitation.

She turned once in front of Roselyn. "Take a look at this. Do you think it suits me?"

Roselyn let out a faint smile. "It looks fine."

She couldn't ignore it. Emma was already tied to Adrian, yet she stood there like none of it existed, like she had nothing to answer for.

That act made Roselyn feel disgusted.

Emma shifted her gaze toward the kitchen. "Mary, bring out something fresh. It's too warm today, and Roselyn just got here."

"Of course." Mary gave a quick glance before leaving.

Emma gestured toward the scissors on the coffee table. "If you like it, I'll keep it. Can you help remove the tag?"

The scissors resting there looked heavy, the kind used for fabric, and the blades caught the light.

Roselyn leaned forward, picked them up, and scanned the dress. "Where did they attach it?"

"Check near the neckline. It should be there," Emma replied.

Roselyn's gaze dropped, and what she saw made her chest tighten. Marks lined Emma's neck, and a necklace rested against her skin.

So Adrian hadn't been working last night. He had been with her.

This was Roselyn's favorite custom necklace—the "True Love." It had taken the designer two full weeks of discussion with her to get every detail right.

Now it rested on Emma instead.

Emma had done it on purpose.

A sarcastic smile appeared on Roselyn's face.