In the late afternoon, Noreen had just slipped into fresh clothes when the door burst open without warning.

Her head snapped around instinctively, and there stood Caiden, framed by the doorway.

Her lips parted as if she meant to speak, but the words never came.

"It's time to leave. Are you ready?" Caiden pressed, his eyes settling on her with a steady weight.

She wore a misty blue dress so soft it seemed to dissolve into the pale light around her. With every small movement, the silk shimmered faintly, catching the air like water rippling under sunlight.

A delicate slit traced up one side, revealing a fleeting flash of smooth skin that made a stunning contrast with the emerald pendant resting at her neck.

The stone curved perfectly against the gentle slope of her collarbone, rising and falling in time with her measured breaths, gleaming like a tranquil lake beneath a moonlit sky.

Caiden's gaze lingered on the necklace a heartbeat too long, his expression unreadable.

"It looks good on you," he murmured, the rasp in his voice unexpectedly rough.

"Let's go." Noreen slung her bag over her shoulder and stepped through the doorway.

Caiden inclined his head slightly, every inch of him—his tailored suit, his composed posture—exactly as it had been on their wedding day three years earlier. Back then, he would've reached over to smooth a stray lock from her hair. Now, he stood deliberately apart, the two of them casting separate silhouettes across the sunlit floor.

She trailed after him at an unhurried pace, Greta's soft voice from that morning looping in her mind: "He still holds you in his heart." Yet here they were, bathed in the same light, close enough to touch but worlds away.

Tilting her chin, she caught sight of him standing with the sun blazing behind his back, his figure rimmed with gold. His expression was hidden in shadow—just as it had been for the past two years. Always on the far side of the light. Always unreachable.

Her eyes dropped to his hand hanging loosely at his side.

Those long, steady fingers had once clasped hers through burning fevers, rubbed soothing circles on her back when storms rattled the windows, and trembled when sliding the wedding band onto her finger.

Now, that same hand hung mere inches away, yet there might as well have been an ocean between them.

Noreen's fingers gave a faint, involuntary twitch, her pulse thudding so hard it echoed in her ears.

For the first time in two long years, a reckless urge surged through her—to close the distance and reach for him.

The realization made her shoulders stiffen, her breaths turning small and shallow.

Her hand began to rise, trembling slightly, but just as her fingertips hovered near Caiden's, the shrill ring of his phone split the fragile silence.

Caiden stilled. The name "Jessica" lit up the screen, and the sight struck Noreen like a blow she hadn't braced for.

Her hand froze midair before curling back toward herself, fingers knotting around the hem of her dress until the fabric creased.

The fragile courage that had flickered to life only seconds earlier collapsed, leaving a hollow ache blooming in its wake.

When Caiden answered the call, his voice carried a warmth she hadn't heard directed at her in years. The gentle lilt crushed the last trace of hope clinging to her chest.

The call was brief. Once Caiden ended it, he looked at Noreen with a composed expression that only widened the gulf between them. "Have the driver take you there," he said evenly. "I need to pick up Jessica."

Noreen didn't question why Jessica would be at the gathering; she simply inclined her head. "Alright. Go on ahead."

Caiden's gaze lingered on her for a heartbeat before he turned toward the car. Just as he reached it, her voice cut through the quiet. "Will you be back tonight?"

A faint curve tugged at his lips, barely there. "What, can't fall asleep without me around?"

Her mouth pressed into a thin line as she went on, "I have something to talk to you about."

The flicker of amusement in his eyes dimmed. "Let's save this for later."

With that, he climbed into the car and pulled away, leaving her standing in the stillness of the driveway.

...

When Noreen reached the Evans Mansion, she found Caiden and Jessica already settled inside.

Warm laughter spilled through the slightly open door, wrapping the place in an easy, familial glow. She froze on the threshold, unsure if stepping in would shatter that harmony.

With her parents gone since childhood, she had never experienced the comfort of a lively, loving household.

A quiet ache pulsed in her chest—of course she envied them.

Beneath the mellow yellow lights, Caiden leaned in, his usually cool face softened by a rare smile as he listened to Jessica.

Jessica, in a delicate yellow gown, glowed beneath that light, her every movement framed by the Evans family's easy affection.

Ivy reached over with a gentle laugh, setting another piece of food on Jessica's plate, while Caiden's father, Albert Evans, wore an unusually gentle expression.

For Noreen, the scene felt like peering through a window into a world she didn't belong to—an intimate family dinner she had no rightful place in.

"Noreen, you're here," Albert finally said, glancing up with a polite, measured smile.

Every pair of eyes turned toward her, and in an instant, the cheerful chatter dissolved into brittle silence.

Caiden straightened in his chair, the warmth still lingering on his face, but a subtle hesitation flickered through his smile the instant their eyes met.

Noreen's fingers clenched tighter around the gift bag, but she kept her expression soft, the corners of her lips lifting into a quiet, polite smile as she made her way inside.

"Sorry I took so long," she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.

Jessica perked up immediately, waving her over with unrestrained enthusiasm. "Noreen, come sit with me!"

Instead of taking the open seat, Noreen drifted toward the corner, her movements composed but distant.

Caiden's gaze flicked to her, pausing briefly on the necklace glinting against her collarbone before he looked away as if it held no meaning at all.

For Noreen, the Evans family dinner felt less like a warm gathering and more like a quiet trial.

Halfway through the evening, she slipped out quietly to breathe, the cold air outside offering a small reprieve. She hadn't gone far before Ivy followed her.

For a brief moment, Ivy's attention fixed on the necklace around Noreen's neck, something unreadable flickering through her eyes before she smoothed it away.

Suppressing a weary sigh, Ivy turned to the maid and told her to bring Noreen a shawl.

"It's chilly," she said in a calm, detached tone. "Wrap yourself up. What if you catch a cold?"

Noreen offered a faint smile. "I'll be alright. This outfit's already warm enough."

In all the years she could recall, Ivy had never shown her this kind of concern. The sudden warmth felt less like comfort and more like an omen creeping in through the cracks.

Silence pooled between them.

Ivy didn't press on, and Noreen didn't probe.

Eventually, Ivy exhaled slowly, her gaze clouded with something old and heavy. "Cheryl's been gone for two years now. In all that time, you and Caiden have hardly spent a day together. If there'd been a child between you, maybe things wouldn't have unraveled like this."

Noreen kept her head slightly lowered, listening but refusing to give her thoughts away.

"I've truly been fond of you," Ivy went on softly. "I never had a daughter of my own—only Caiden. But watching him live like this… a mother can't help but ache for her son."

Her voice dipped into a low murmur. "If Cheryl hadn't interfered back then, Caiden and Jessica would've married long ago. Their child would already be calling me Grandma by now."

"Just get to the point," Noreen responded, her tone flat. She could already guess where this was heading.

Another sigh escaped Ivy. She reached out, her palm warm and deliberate as it wrapped around Noreen's hand. "You grew up in this house. Affection grows naturally when people live together. Even if I've been hard on you, it's only because I care. No matter what happens, if you choose to, you can still think of me as a mother."

Noreen quietly pulled her hand back, slipping free of Ivy's grasp. "Sorry, but I'd rather not."

From the moment Cheryl had taken her in, Ivy had never truly accepted her.

When Cheryl's health began to decline and she spent most of the year in the hospital, Noreen had been left alone in the house with Ivy.

On those nights, dinner was often a luxury. Ivy's kindness only surfaced when Cheryl was watching.

Once she turned away, Noreen might as well have been a stray tucked in the corner.

The faint softness in Ivy's expression vanished in an instant.

She pulled out a lace-edged handkerchief and scrubbed her palms, turning them over as though Noreen's touch had left something contaminating on her skin. "You've been married for three years and still haven't had a child," she said, her tone sharpening. "Do you have any idea how humiliating it is to face that question at every social gathering?"

Her gaze slid to Noreen's abdomen, a flash of contempt passing through her eyes. "If I'd known you couldn't give me grandchildren, I wouldn't have agreed to this marriage—no matter how much Cheryl insisted."

A bitter laugh escaped Noreen's throat.

During their first year together, Caiden had insisted they enjoy their time alone, and contraception had been their silent agreement.

But after Cheryl's death, something between them shifted without warning. The distance grew so wide that they hadn't even shared a bed since. Under those conditions, how could a child possibly exist?

Yet, none of that mattered to Ivy. "If you can't have children, then we'll find someone who can," she muttered coolly, her lips curving in a faint, dismissive smile. "You and Caiden never had any real feelings to begin with. The person he loves has always been Jessica. I truly like that girl—she's gentle, thoughtful, from a respectable family. She knows how to make us proud."

Her tone turned even colder. "Pick a time to divorce Caiden. I'll make sure you walk away with a decent sum. But if you insist on being stubborn, don't blame me for doing things the hard way. We've known each other for years, and I'd rather not let this get ugly. We need a daughter-in-law who can actually shine in society."

Ivy's blunt words struck Noreen like a blade, leaving a sharp, breathless ache lodged beneath her ribs.

Her fingers curled into her palms, nails biting into flesh until the sting anchored her trembling composure.

She forced her voice steady. "Don't worry. I'll find the time..."

"Mom!" Caiden's voice cut through the air like a whip. Noreen's head snapped up, and she caught sight of him framed in the doorway, his expression carved from ice.

He closed the distance in a few swift strides, the crisp black suit on his tall frame accentuating the hard lines of his face. His gaze flicked across her pale features, cool and unreadable.

"Whose marriage is this—yours or mine?" His voice was low, edged with restrained fury.

"You..." Ivy faltered, the sudden pushback knocking the wind out of her.

A flash of anger twisted her lips as she let out a sharp, humorless sneer. "I'm doing this for your own good. Why can't you recognize what's best for you? Jessica's back now. Do you really expect her to linger around without a proper title?"

Caiden flicked a lighter and brought the flame to the tip of his cigarette, letting it dangle loosely between his fingers. "If you're that attached to Jessica," he said flatly. "Then just treat her like your own daughter-or better yet, move in with the Dales and stay with her. As for Noreen, if she bothers you that much, we'll stop troubling you altogether."

Noreen went rigid, a muted heat rising through her chest even as a knot tightened beneath her ribs.

Her gaze drifted to the burning cigarette balanced between Caiden's fingers, its ember pulsing faintly as a ribbon of bluish-white smoke veiled the clean lines of his face. His words, calm and detached, rang out all the clearer through the haze.

For the first time in two years, she heard him speak up for her.

Her fingers curled against her dress, crushing the fabric into a small, trembling knot in her palm.

Caiden's sudden defense felt like sunlight spilling through a crack in winter's chill-so warm it made her heart ache, yet so brief it hardly felt real.

Ivy's eyes swept across them, sharp and cold, before a derisive laugh slipped past her lips.

As she turned to go, her indifferent gaze slid over Noreen like ice. "Think carefully about what I said. You're clever enough to make the right choice."

As she walked away, Caiden ground the half-burned cigarette into the ashtray, irritation flickering briefly across his face.

His gaze slid to the shawl resting on Noreen's shoulders. "That thing doesn't suit you. It looks awful."

"It was your mother's idea, not mine. I hate it too. Here-take it back." Noreen slipped the shawl off and draped it across his arm with careless precision.

The sharp gesture drew a quiet laugh from Caiden, a humorless curve of his lips edged with resignation.

"Wait here. I'll grab you a coat, then we'll head back," he told her firmly.

She stayed where she was, eyes tracing the line of his retreating back.

She knew him too well. If he truly didn't care, he wouldn't have said a single word.

"Thank you," she murmured, the sound barely more than a wisp of air.

She hadn't expected him to hear her, yet he suddenly turned. Though his expression stayed cool, something flickered in his eyes when he noticed the faint redness at the corners of hers.

"It's nothing. This is between us. No reason for anyone else to interfere," he stated aloofly.

That simple phrase-between us-struck Noreen like a warm current against winter skin, softening her for a heartbeat before leaving a bitter sting in its wake.

Her gaze drifted to Caiden's hand, where the wedding band caught the light and shimmered softly. He'd been wearing it all this time.

Something heavy tightened in Noreen's chest, stealing her breath for a moment.

Once, he had treated her with a kind of tenderness that made her forget how to stand on her own.

Those memories still clung to her like shadows she couldn't shake.

The thought of him defending her just moments ago twisted inside her, turning warmth into something far more painful. She couldn't help wondering where that gentle Caiden had gone-why they couldn't simply return to how they used to be.

Driven by a restless need to know, Noreen quickened her pace and slipped inside, her steps echoing with unspoken questions.

But just as she crossed the threshold, she nearly collided with Jessica.

Jessica caught her by the arm, steadying her with a faintly amused smile. "What's got you running like that? If Ivy catches sight of you in this state, she'll blow up again. Noreen, you grew up with the Evans family-didn't you learn a little of her poise?"

Rigid as a statue, Noreen couldn't tear her eyes from the glittering necklace resting against Jessica's collarbone.

The gemstone was exactly the same design as the one around Noreen's neck.

"This necklace..." Her voice wavered, barely above a whisper.

Jessica brushed a fingertip over the jewel, her lips curving into a bright, self-satisfied smile. "Caiden's the one who gave it to me. He told me it's been passed down in the Evans family."

She leaned in, lowering her voice as her finger flicked lightly toward Noreen's chest. "Oh, and your necklace..."

Noreen instinctively shifted back a step. The gemstone resting against her skin suddenly felt unbearably heavy, squeezing the breath from her chest.

Whatever warmth had flickered to life moments earlier bled away, leaving a chill burrowed deep beneath her ribs.

It hadn't been affection. Just a polite gesture dressed up as kindness.

A low, bitter laugh escaped her lips before she could stop it.

The questions she'd wanted to ask and the fragile courage she'd gathered dissolved like mist, leaving her throat dry and her voice gone.

The sound of Caiden's even footsteps reached her from the end of the corridor, but she pivoted on her heel and walked away without a backward glance.