Joshua West’s face was darker than a stormy midnight sky. Had Haven Peters really cut him off for good? "Any calls from her lately?" he pressed, urgency sharp in his voice.

"Yeah," his assistant answered, scrolling through the group chat. "Mrs. West tagged you in here."

Even the assistant could tell something was off about her behavior this time around. He hesitated before speaking up. "Joshua, aren't you gonna reply to Mrs. Peters?"

"Hell no!" Joshua snapped, flinging his phone aside in a fit of frustration. The company was tanking hard, and Haven’s silent, stubborn defiance was already wearing his last thread of patience thin.

Fine then, he thought darkly. Let's see who breaks first. Back home, Haven was just a housewife. What did she know how to do besides cook and clean? She couldn't survive a day without him. She’d be crawling back before long. Unlike her, he had other things to keep him occupied outside of work.

"Call Louisa Scott and the rest of the crew. Tell 'em we're going out for drinks," he ordered, already mapping out his night.

"They haven't come back from last time. They're still holed up at the hotel," the assistant mumbled, freezing under Joshua's piercing glare.

To Joshua, Haven would cave eventually. This was just a little phase. If he didn’t hold his ground now, she’d keep pushing the line further and further.

Meanwhile, after a long day out, Haven stepped through the front door, her brother Nelson Carlson right on her heels. Her hair was perfectly styled, her features so delicate she looked just like a porcelain doll.

Nelson’s jaw was set hard. "I gave you that money to leave town, not to primp up and go running back to Joshua West."

He already regretted handing her the travel cash.

"Who said I'm going to see him?" Haven dropped her purse on the sofa, kneading the knot out of her shoulders, and nodded at the credit card on the coffee table. "Here's your card back."

Nelson stared at the card—exactly where he’d left it last night. He picked it up, frowning. "You're not going back to him at all?"

She’d already seen the full extent of Joshua’s betrayal. She just shrugged, dodging any more questions, grabbed her necklace off the table, and headed for her room.

"I won't just sit around here doing nothing. I can handle chores and cook for us. What do you feel like eating for dinner tomorrow?" she offered.

"I’ll hire someone for that. You’re my sister, not a maid," Nelson said firmly, and caught the tiny flinch of her hand on the doorframe.

Had Joshua never hired help around the house? Had he never once stopped to realize none of that work was ever her responsibility?

"Get some rest," Nelson said softly, slipping the card back where he'd found it before heading to his own room.

That soft spring night, gentle rain tapped against the windows. Haven, exhausted from a full day of running errands, collapsed into bed and was out like a light. Across town, Joshua lay wide awake in his hotel room, his mind spinning even through the thick fog of alcohol. Earlier at the bar, he’d run into an old friend with connections to his investors, who’d dropped a bombshell about the company’s plummeting finances.

"Look, I promised Mrs. Porter I wouldn't say anything," the friend had slurred. "But I already pulled my investment, so I don't owe her no silence."

Joshua sobered up instantly. "Pulled your investment?"

Wait a minute—could the mysterious investor that bought up all those company shares not be some contact Haven introduced… but Haven herself?

The friend, drunk and rambling, kept going. "You’re such an idiot, man. Haven’s the most sought-after woman in this whole city. She’s got the looks, she’s got the family name—how the hell did you let her slip?"

"Living with her was just like living with my nagging mom," Joshua scoffed. "No spark after the first month."

But even with all that tough talk, the old memory of how Haven used to look at him, all soft and adoring, twisted something in his chest. Especially now that they were apart. He still didn’t believe she’d leave him for good.

What was really keeping him up, though, was the part the friend said about Haven pulling her own investment out… and there still being a mystery backer keeping the company afloat. Who the hell was that?

Joshua shot straight up out of bed, threw on his coat, and tore out of the hotel for the lakeside villa, desperate for answers about what Haven was really up to.

By the time he pulled up, it was dead late. The villa was dark, only a handful of soft lights glowing from inside. No matter how late Joshua came home, he’d always find Haven curled up on the sofa, wrapped in her favorite blanket, waiting for him.

"I’m home," he called out as he slipped off his shoes, his voice bouncing off the quiet, empty walls.

No answer. He loosened his tie and walked toward the sofa, fully expecting to find her napping there, like she always did.

Instead, all he found on the coffee table was a folded document, and her elegant black pen resting on top. The words *Divorce Agreement* blared up at him, sending a cold shock straight through his entire body. It hit him like a punch to the gut.

He remembered what the housekeeper had said, about Haven moving out. He sprinted down the hall to the bedroom and ripped the closet door open.

Inside hung all his neatly pressed suits and dress shirts… not a single piece of Haven’s clothes was left.

She was really gone.

A wild, unnameable rage surged up in his chest. He hurled the divorce papers aside and slammed the closet door so hard the walls shook.

"So you wanna play hardball, Haven? What the hell kind of game are you playing with me?" he growled to himself, jaw clenched. He refused to bend, refused to play her stupid little games. If she wanted a fight, he’d give her one, right to the end. "I don’t buy that you cut all the ties. You’ll be back here begging me to take you."

Even though Nelson kept insisting Haven shouldn’t lift a finger around the house, she was up before dawn the next morning simmering a pot of soup on the stove. Nelson woke up to the rich, warm scent drifting all through the house.

Haven was dressed in a brand-new designer outfit, her hair pinned up in an elegant twist, sitting at the kitchen table looking as calm and put-together as ever.

"Perfect timing, brother. Come get breakfast," she smiled, pouring him a steaming bowl of the fragrant broth.

Nelson sat down, sipping his soup, and eyed her with faint curiosity. "Are you ever planning to go back to the West family?"

He didn’t mean the West family that had raised Joshua—he meant the West family that had taken Haven in, her birth family. After being thrown aside for so long, she was finally home again, their cherished daughter, loved and protected for good.

Nelson Carlson froze mid-step, lifting his sharp, perceptive gaze. "You’re not getting back in the family unless you’re officially divorced from Joshua West."

Haven Peters dropped her chin, taking a slow sip of her coffee. "I already left the divorce papers with Joshua. He’ll sign and send them back soon. Besides, when we first got married, we never filed the paperwork. It’s not like we’re legally married in the first place, so it’s more of a clean separation than an official divorce."

Their relationship had been over for years, and the unfiled paperwork had always sat with her. They’d had the big wedding, but they never completed the legal registration. Leaving those divorce papers was just her way of making sure there were no loose ends left between them.

She knew her whole family was aware of that fact. None of them ever wanted to dig up that messy, uncomfortable detail.

Skeptical, Nelson sat down across from her and took a sip of his own coffee. Even Aunt Jane’s famous brew couldn’t top this one.

He still couldn’t wrap his head around it: his sister, who’d grown up spoiled rotten, never lifted a finger her whole life, had turned into a total domestic goddess after moving in with Joshua. They’d both been raised with people waiting on them hand and foot, after all.

"What’s up, bro?" Haven caught the look on his face and waved a hand in front of his eyes. "Coffee not good?"

Nelson caught her hand mid-wave, his thumb brushing the faint roughness on her palm. That texture was completely foreign to him, and his worry grew deeper. "You’re really sure you want to come back?"

Haven saw the worry swimming in his eyes and pulled her hand back, turning all her old bitterness into a soft, steady smile. "I was naive back then. I hurt Mom and Dad. Even if I still feel like an outsider now, I owe them a proper apology."

Nelson knew she was just trying to put him at ease. She’d never been this thoughtful before, and that left him with a weird, tight feeling in his chest. "It wasn’t all your fault. We never stopped to ask how you felt, we just pressured you to marry someone you didn’t love. Of course you fought back."

His support wrapped around her, warm and unexpected. "Brother…"

Nelson chose not to pick at old scabs. He switched gears to lighten the mood. "If you’re really set on cutting ties with Joshua West for good, maybe you can come home to see Mom and Dad. I can set it up, and you won’t have to leave again after."

He pulled an invitation out of his suit pocket as he spoke. "Mom’s fiftieth birthday party is tomorrow. This is the perfect opening."

"Mom’s turning fifty?" Haven froze, completely blindsided.

In her head, her mom had always been eternally young and beautiful—more graceful than any other mom she’d ever known. It was impossible to picture her hitting fifty.

Nelson sighed. "It’s been five years since you left."

Haven slipped into a sleek, vintage Victorian-style dress and rode with Nelson to the venue.

"I’m not going in with you," Nelson said as he held the car door open for her. "Mom and Dad don’t know I’ve been talking to you. You’ll have to work things out with them on your own."

"Okay," Haven nodded.

Truth be told, she felt she didn’t even deserve to come back. This apology was long overdue. Now she finally understood how much her parents loved her, and she cherished that more than anything.

As Haven walked toward the private entrance for personally invited, high-profile guests, she spotted Joshua and his mother.

What were they doing here?

"Out of the way!" A sharp voice snapped from behind her, followed by a hard shove that sent her stumbling. When she caught her balance, Joshua and his mother were close enough that she could hear every word.

"Why do you look so pale?" Joshua’s mother griped. "You laze around the house doing nothing all day, and you can’t even take care of yourself. You’re completely useless."

Haven knew that tone better than anyone.

When Joshua first brought her into the West house, his mother never even bothered to give her the time of day. An orphan with no real family connections? She wasn’t worth wasting breath on.

The Wests were old money, and Haven knew they needed a powerful ally to pull them through their current business crisis. Joshua’s mom had been pushing an arranged marriage for him this whole time—looking for someone rich and well-connected to prop up their failing company.

But Joshua had refused to budge. He insisted on marrying her.

Haven remembered how he’d stood by her back then. That’s why she’d secretly poured all her hard-earned savings and the revenue from her overseas business into the West company anonymously. She never told him—she was scared it would bruise his pride.

"Mom, this is Mrs. Rivera’s party. Let’s not talk business here," Joshua said, clearly trying to steer the conversation away from anything that would remind him of Haven.

"Hmph." His mother shoved a business card into his hand, still lecturing. "I told you to marry into a wealthy family and you said no. Look where that stubbornness got us. Now that the company’s on the brink, you need to go talk to the Riveras, see if they’ll bail us out. Otherwise, we’re finished."

A lightbulb went off for her. "I heard the Riveras have a daughter your age. If you marry her, you’ll be part of the family, and we’ll never have to worry about money again."

Hiding in the shadow off to the side, Haven fixed her eyes on Joshua, waiting.

Joshua was quiet for a long moment. Then he nodded, agreeing to the plan. "If that’s what it takes, I’ll marry the Rivera daughter."

Hidden away, Haven tore her gaze away, a bitter, mocking smile tugging at the corner of her mouth.

For half a second, she’d actually expected Joshua to tell his mother no. Firmly.

Shaking off the stupid ache in her chest, Haven checked in through the side entrance Nelson had arranged for her, then slipped down a quiet back corridor that led to the main lounge.

"Congratulations on your big milestone, Mrs. Rivera," the woman purred.

That was Cheyenne Larson, her mother’s sister-in-law—who’d had it out for her mother for as long as anyone could remember. "What an extravagant party, almost like a royal gala. You’ve invited every big name in business, haven’t you?"

Her mother, poised and elegant even under all her event makeup, answered coolly, "What do you want, Cheyenne?"

"Why the long face? You can’t still be upset that your daughter—the one you raised for decades—isn’t here for your fiftieth?"

At the mention of Haven’s name, her mother’s eyes flushed red. She blinked hard, fighting back the tears that pricked her lids. "She’s no daughter of mine. Just an ungrateful stray. Even if she showed up today, I wouldn’t see her!"

"That’s fair," Cheyenne shrugged. "Grandpa went through all that trouble to set her up with a good marriage, and she threw it back in his face. No wonder you’re furious."

Her mother’s deep red painted lips tightened into a hard line. "Let’s hope your own golden girl doesn’t end up disappointing you!"

Haven’s breath caught in her throat. She didn’t even realize her grip had tightened on the silk handkerchief box she was holding until the edge dug into her palm.

Standing outside her mother’s Thanksgiving dinner, Haven felt the sharp sting of whispered gossip behind her back, all on a day that was supposed to be full of joy. She’d spent so long wishing she had her parents’ blessing—but these days, that felt farther out of reach than ever.

Her marriage had turned into nothing but a joke to the whole family. She couldn’t make herself walk in to face her mom, dreading the cold judgment she knew she’d see in those eyes. Maybe she never should have come at all.

She left a gift wrapped on the doorstep, breathed a silent, "Happy Thanksgiving, Mom," and turned to walk away.

She’d just reached the elevator when she ran straight into her brother Nelson, who’d come to walk their mom into the dinner. One look at her tear-streaked face and he frowned, immediately concerned. "What happened? Did Mom say something to you?"

Haven shook her head. "Nah. I didn’t even go in."

"Then why the hell not?"

Her voice came out rough and hoarse when she answered. "I hurt her too bad. No amount of apologizing is gonna fix what I broke. The only thing I can do is stay away, so I don’t bring any more disgrace on this family."

She turned toward the elevator buttons.

Nelson caught her arm before she could go any farther. "If you wanna prove anything to Mom, you gotta show her your marriage isn’t a mistake. Show everyone there’s nothing left to mock us for anymore."

Fresh tears burned Haven’s eyes. "How am I supposed to prove that my marriage isn’t a total disaster? My life with Joshua was never happy, not once."

Was she really supposed to pretend everything was fine with Joshua by her side?

She was done with him. She didn’t even want him knowing she was part of the Rivera family anymore.

Haven’s confusion was written all over her face.

Nelson steered her into an empty guest room and pulled out his phone. While he waited for the call to pick up, he cut straight to the point.

"You never officially dated anyone," he said. "But what if you married someone amazing—someone that checks every box on your list? We can prove to everyone you didn’t make the wrong choice this time."

Haven listened, completely perplexed. "I get what you’re saying, but why would a guy like that even look twice at me?"

"He’s not just interested—he’s already willing," Nelson assured her.

"When?" Haven couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

Instead of answering her directly, Nelson spoke into the phone. "Hey, you got a minute?"

He switched it to speakerphone, and Haven immediately felt self-conscious, heat creeping up her cheeks. Was her brother getting her into some mess again?

The voice on the other end was deep and warm, laced with quiet amusement. "What do I owe this unexpected matchmaking call?"

"I’m dead serious," Nelson said, his eyes locked hard on Haven. "I need you to get over here and help us out."

Standing there, Haven’s embarrassment only grew thicker—especially when dead silence stretched over the line.

Finally, she couldn’t take it anymore. She reached for Nelson’s phone. "Cut it out, Nelson. I can fix things with Mom on my own. This guy doesn’t need to get dragged into our mess."

In their quick tussle, the phone slipped right out of Nelson’s hand. Haven hurried to apologize. "Sorry about that. My brother doesn’t think before he acts sometimes. You heard all that, right?"

The voice on the line chuckled softy. "Wait—did I just hear that correctly? Is that my future wife on the line?"

The out-of-the-blue question left Haven stunned, the blush on her face turning even deeper.

Even through the phone, she could feel how calm and confident the man was, and it made her heart skip all kinds of beats.

She swallowed hard, nervous. "No, I mean… my brother was just messing around."

Unfazed, his voice stayed steady. "You don’t have to answer me right this second, but what’s it gonna be? Are you in or out?"

Somehow, amidst all the chaos and confusion, Haven suddenly knew exactly what to do. She glanced at her brother, and his eyes were steady, full of reassurance.

If there was anyone she could trust completely, it was Nelson. If he said this guy was good people, she believed him.

Her voice shook a little, but she got the word out anyway. "Yes."

The word had barely left her lips when she felt Nelson breathe a soft sigh of relief, like he’d been holding his breath this whole time.

Before she could overthink it, Nelson took the phone back and murmured something to the man. Whatever he said, it was obvious plans were already falling into place from the grin on his face. "He’s gonna join us for Mom’s dinner. Go get ready to meet him."

Nelson practically herded her out the door, Haven’s head spinning with a million different emotions. Everything was moving way too fast for her to wrap her head around it.

"This is a marriage, not a damn game," she protested. "One phone call can’t lock in something this big. Shouldn’t we at least talk first? I don’t even know what the guy looks like! This whole thing’s just gonna be awkward as hell!"

Nelson smiled soft at her panic and lifted an eyebrow. "You got a better plan? Or you just wanna keep letting Mom misunderstand you forever? At least meet the guy. I promise I’ll handle everything else. You don’t gotta worry about a thing."

His tone lightened. "Honestly? I’ve always believed a little serendipity doesn’t hurt anybody. Maybe today’s actually your lucky day."

Serendipity?

Haven caught his drift and gave him a playful shove with her foot. "Are you even really my brother? I’m not that naive!"

Just like when they were kids, Nelson laughed at her little flare of indignation. He reached over and ruffled her hair playfully.

"Hell yeah I am, dear Haven. You’re back now, all grown up. When our big brother hears about this, he’s gonna lose his mind happy."

Haven nodded softly, taking that in.

"I’ll go find Mom," Nelson said, his tone turning serious. "Since you decided to face this head on, hiding from her isn’t gonna fix anything. She’s got a hard shell, but that soft center’s still there. This meeting’s gonna go easier than you think."

With that, Nelson’s expression grew more solemn, a heavy weight behind his gaze.

Haven thought back to the things she’d overheard earlier, and a soft, sad longing settled in her chest. "Does Mom really hate me that much? Will she ever actually forgive me?"