"Since you walked in on your own, did you really think I'd just let you walk away that easy?" James's voice was ice-cold, making the air feel a few degrees colder.

Maria didn't even flinch. She shot back, just as cold, "So I get the wrong room and suddenly that gives you permission to act like this?"

James had only meant to scare her a little, but she wasn't backing down at all. "Do you talk this tough when you're explaining things to David too?"

"Whatever happens between me and him-how's that any of your business?" she snapped, especially biting on those last few words.

But deep down, the pain hit hard. The man standing in front of her used to mean everything to her. And now, he was the one who wounded her the most.

James's jaw twitched, fists clenching until his knuckles went white.

Maria, not wanting to waste another minute with him, leaned toward her brother and whispered, "Let's just go. Ella's home, probably waiting for us."

Daniel Lewis was about to nod when James shot out a cruel line, his tone razor-sharp. "Carrying out your affair so well even your kid knows? Impressive."

Daniel's eyes flared red with rage. He turned on James, fuming. "You seriously got a death wish, don't you?"

He was at his limit. Just as he was about to step forward, Maria gripped his wrist tightly and blocked him with her body, muttering over and over to let it go.

Seeing this only riled James up more. He scoffed, "If he's that tough, let him take a swing."

Maria's glare was chilling. She locked eyes with James and said, "You're gonna regret this."

James snorted, "Regret what? Not punching him myself today?"

Maria gave a bitter chuckle, didn't even bother replying.

When she came back to the country, she'd already pictured what might happen if James ever found out who Ella really was.

At first, she figured he'd try to take the kid from her.

But then she remembered, James never loved her-so he probably wouldn't care about their child either.

Still, knowing how he was, he just might want custody. Because Ella had his blood.

She couldn't help but wonder-once James realized Ella was his daughter, and remembered what he'd just said today... how exactly would that make him feel?

She stared him down, so intently that James started to feel uneasy, though he quickly masked it, wearing that stone-cold face again as he looked to Daniel. "From the way you two talk, you knew she had a family and a kid, and still decided to play side piece?"

"Mind your damn business." Daniel snapped, now more convinced than ever that the divorce was the best thing that could've happened to his sister.

He'd met James a few times before-and clearly, the guy didn't remember him at all. And to throw out an accusation like that? It was obvious. His sister's heart must be icy cold now. No way she felt anything for this man anymore.

"Even if they got married abroad, bigamy's still illegal. You ever thought about what this means for you?" James's gaze grew colder - the guy in front of him was getting more ridiculous by the second.

"She didn't marry him. There was no marriage," Daniel Lewis blurted out, then froze the second he realized what he'd just said. James's eyebrow arched, clearly amused.

He'd been suspicious about Maria and David for a while. They'd suddenly appeared super close. So now... Ella might not even be David's kid?

Reading the look on his face, Maria cut in, voice like ice, "Stop guessing. I didn't marry David, but the child is his. He's swamped with work back here, and I've been overseas. We just haven't had the time - I came back this time to finally get married."

James's expression immediately darkened. "You better not count on that happening."

Maria let out a sharp laugh, completely unfazed, then grabbed Daniel's arm and headed for the door. Just as they reached it, she paused, nudging him to step out first - she had a few more words for James.

The door opened, closed again. James scoffed at her figure. Giving her an out, and she still lingers?

Maria spun around, crossing her arms in front of her with a sarcastic smirk. "You know, it's wild to me - we were married for two years, and you never even recognized my own brother. Impressive, really."

James blinked, taking a step toward her, a flicker of shock-maybe even hope-crossing his face. "Wait, what? Your brother?"

"That so-called 'side piece' you just mentioned is Daniel Lewis - my actual, blood-related little brother. We've been through everything together."

James was stunned. The two of them didn't look anything alike. how could they be siblings?

Now he remembered - she'd said she had a brother. There were a few brief meetings back then. But it had only been, what, five years? And he couldn't even remember Daniel's face. No wonder Daniel had looked at him like that earlier.

James frowned deeply, a wave of guilt hitting him hard.

Maria chuckled without humor. "Believe me or not, whatever. Just don't show up in my life ever again. As for the contract - my lawyer will handle it."

With that, she turned sharply and left, not sparing another glance.

James sat down heavily, emotions tangled up.

Andrew walked over, sighed, and handed him a drink. "Here. Maybe this'll knock some sense into you."

James drained the glass, fingers tracing the rim. "So, you think I messed up too?"

Andrew paused, then said quietly, "You used to be impulsive, yeah. but even in your worst moments, you never dragged kids into it."

James dropped his gaze. Thinking back, he realized how big he'd messed up - not recognizing Daniel, and then dragging an innocent child into the fight.

"I was wondering why you suddenly wanted to grab drinks. Now I get it - ran into someone from the past," Andrew muttered, cracking open two more bottles. One of them he just handed straight to James.

Andrew had just gotten home when he got a call from James. The guy only said two words-"Night Palace."

Given how long they'd been friends, Andrew knew that was James-speak for "I'm in a bad mood." No questions asked, he headed out.

They'd barely sat down and ordered drinks when Maria walked in with someone else.

"So," Andrew started, raising an eyebrow, "you gonna tell me what's up with you and Maria today?" Then added with a smirk, "She's back-you should be thrilled, no?"

James completely ignored that last part and gave him a quick rundown of everything that'd gone down today.

"She has kids?" Andrew frowned slightly.

"With David," James replied through gritted teeth, practically chewing on that name.

Andrew had heard of David, but he didn't know all the drama between him and Maria. Judging by James's face turning forty shades of green, though, this was just the beginning of a mess.

Despite his own complicated love life, Andrew could see things more clearly than most-James included.

"She's back. Maybe think about not screwing it up again," he threw in casually.

"There's nothing to screw up. I'm not into her," James muttered, staring into his drink.

"Then why insist she stays as your assistant?"

"She vanished abroad without a word and came back flaunting her kid like nothing happened. Now she's pushing back? You think I'd let that slide?"

Andrew chuckled. His eyes had seen stuff-too much, probably.

"You heard her just now," James said. "She wants to take me to court. I'm putting that in your hands."

"Hard pass," Andrew shut him down immediately. "Honestly? I don't think she did anything wrong. I'm not about to be part of your revenge squad. You've got a whole legal team-go ask them."

James's lips twitched, maybe from annoyance, maybe something else, but he didn't argue.

Meanwhile, Maria had just spotted Daniel Lewis at the front. She instinctively glanced over to where Richard Lewis and his wife had been earlier.

"They gone yet?" she asked.

"Haven't seen them since I stepped out. Must've left already. Let's bounce too."

She nodded and looped her arm through his. "Come stay at home tonight, okay? Hotels are lame, and Ethan and Ella won't shut up about missing you."

Hearing the kids' names softened Daniel's expression a little. "Alright. I miss them too."

On their way home, the siblings spotted a little bakery and made a quick stop for some cake. Back when Maria was in the final months of her pregnancy in Seryndal, she could barely keep anything down-whatever she ate just came right back up.

They were strapped for cash and couldn't afford help, so everything was on their own shoulders. She didn't dare tell Daniel Lewis how bad it was; she worried he'd get too stressed and drop out of school altogether.

But she had no choice-she had two babies to feed. So every day, she'd rack her brain trying to cook something she could stomach. The only thing that went down okay was soft, fluffy cake-and she just so happened to like it too. She ended up baking it every other day.

After the twins were born, it was too early to tell what traits they'd inherited, but their love for cake? Totally passed down. Just one piece would quiet any tantrum. Didn't matter if they were crying or fussing-give 'em cake, problem solved. Daniel used to joke that these two were way too easy to please.

Now, years later, whenever they looked back, all the rough parts were kind of blurry. The sweet memories were what stuck.

When they pulled into the driveway, Ethan and Ella ran out beaming. The second they spotted Daniel, their excitement shot through the roof, and they basically launched themselves at him. He scooped them up, one in each arm, like it was nothing.

"Go wash your hands, then you can eat cake," Maria said, shaking the bag in her hand.

The four of them sat down together, watching TV and munching away. Warm, peaceful, and full of simple joy.

As night fell, Maria gave the twins a bath and tucked them in with a bedtime story. Once they were fast asleep, she kissed each of them on the forehead and went back to her room.

Sleep wasn't coming anytime soon. She picked up her phone and dialed. "Find out everything you can about the new company Richard Lewis and his wife just started. The more detailed the better. Let me know the second you get something."

Those two had been absolutely ruthless back then.

Well, she could play that game too.

Next, she made another call. "Mr. Smith, go to Bennett Group tomorrow. I've sent you the info. Just get me out of the contract, no matter what it takes-sue, pay, whatever."

There was no way she was going to keep working in the same place as James. Just seeing him made her sick.

The next morning, Maria woke up to the smell of breakfast. Ethan and Ella were already seated and eating in the dining room.

Daniel was nowhere to be seen-probably off chasing down more leads on Richard and his wife's whereabouts.

He'd picked up breakfast. That was typical of him-he might seem easygoing and a bit careless, but he was super thoughtful. He could even braid hair. Ella often said her uncle's braids were way better than her mom's, which always made Maria laugh and roll her eyes.

While they ate, Maria let the kids know she had something to handle today, and that Isabella would be coming over to hang out with them.

Even though Isabella seemed unreliable, she showed up in less than an hour.

Grabbing a piece of the cake Maria had bought the day before, Isabella mumbled through a mouthful, "Seriously, I'm like your live-in nanny. It's always me watching the kids. And when it's not me... it's still me."

"You're definitely not a nanny," Maria said with all seriousness.

Isabella raised an eyebrow and plopped down next to her, blinking at her with expectant eyes. "Then what am I? Don't tell me I'm the most important person in your life?"

Maria closed her laptop with a perfectly blank face. "I said you're not a nanny because nannies get paid. You don't." Then she bolted.

Sure enough, a second later, Isabella exploded, hurling pillows one after another at her. Good thing Maria ran fast-none hit the mark.

When she came back out, Isabella was already goofing off with Ethan and Ella. Maria had changed into a sharp-looking outfit.

"Where you headed?"

"To sue James." Maria grumbled as she changed her shoes. "I'm gonna make that guy pay. I'm breaking this contract, no matter what!"

Isabella didn't doubt her for a second. "Alright, go kick some ass, but don't be late coming back."

Maria met up with Mr. Smith outside the Bennett Corp building.

A receptionist led them to a conference room on the 25th floor and brought them two cups of coffee. "Mr. Garcia is on his way. Please wait a moment."

Maria had no complaints about the staff's service and asked out of curiosity, "Isn't Andrew supposed to be here?"

Andrew was both a lawyer and James's close friend-his presence would've made more sense.

The receptionist smiled politely. "Not sure about the details. I'll get back to work now."

While waiting for the other lawyer, Maria chatted with Brandon Smith.

He said the contract from James had some legal gray areas and they had about a seventy percent chance of winning. The only catch-it could drag on. Whoever has the stamina wins.

Maria didn't even hesitate. "I can wait. I don't care how long it takes-I'm winning this."

Brandon nodded seriously.

He had been recommended to Maria by someone in Shadowglint and was known as a courtroom ace. Contract cases were apparently easy mode for him, so Maria fully trusted him.

About ten minutes later, Joseph Garcia strolled in. He and Brandon exchanged a firm handshake. Maria, though, looked impatient. "Can we start now?"

"Give it a moment-one more person's joining us," Joseph said politely.

Maria frowned slightly. Who else? Andrew Johnson?

The last person she expected walked through the door-James himself. He actually showed.

He sat down without a word, smoothed his sleeves neatly, and gestured to Joseph to begin.

Joseph looked soft-spoken but switched to business mode like flipping a switch-sharp, quick, and relentless. No matter what Brandon brought up, he parried smoothly without a hiccup.

Of course, Brandon wasn't backing down either. No raised voices, but the tension was thick-it was a full-on clash.

Two hours passed. James was off to the side, already immersed in his laptop, while the lawyers were still locked in a back-and-forth, nowhere near reaching any agreement.

Seeing Maria's face getting darker by the second, James was in a surprisingly good mood. "Why waste your time? This is my turf. Beating me in court here? Keep dreaming."

Maria shot him a sharp look. "I don't care what it costs, I will cancel the contract! Being your secretary makes my skin crawl."

James frowned, clearly not happy, but remembering how he'd misjudged her the day before, he forced himself to stay calm.

She glanced over at her lawyer, wiping sweat off his forehead, and muttered, "You think we have a chance?"

"Absolutely."

Brandon, who had started to lose steam, suddenly looked fired up and confident again.

Maria felt a little more at ease after that. No rush. If they didn't win today, they'd come back tomorrow. Or the day after. She had time.

Another hour ticked by. Bored, Maria pulled out her phone and started texting Isabella, who happened to be playing Jenga with the kids. She had already lost multiple rounds and now had sticky notes all over her face-one on Ethan's face and two on Ella's.

Isabella texted: [What did you give birth to?! These kids are monsters and they're only four!!]

Those double exclamation points told Maria just how much Isabella was struggling. Maria couldn't help but laugh, her eyes crinkling, a soft smile spreading across her face, showing all eight of her pearly teeth.

James just stood there, staring. He thought she was texting David again, and that irrational flame in his chest lit up once more.

He leaned over to whisper something to Joseph, his lawyer, his tone cold: "Whatever it takes, win this."

Joseph nodded seriously, dabbing his forehead with a tissue.

Maria's brows furrowed when she heard him. If they were going all in, her side didn't stand a great chance.

She thought it over but got nowhere. So she just looked down and kept chatting with Isabella. Then a call popped up-the caller ID showed it was someone from Shadowglint. Her heart skipped as she stepped outside to take it.

"I heard you're back," came that familiar voice on the other end.

"Yeah," she replied, flat. "Got orders for me?"

"The organization wants you to get inside Bennett Group. There's a big task in the pipeline."

Maria paused. Was this for real?

She pressed, skeptical, "You mean James's company?"

"Exactly. How soon can you get in?"

Maria rubbed her temples, already seeing where this was going. She gave in. "Couple of days, tops."

There was a pause on the other end. When he spoke again, his tone was noticeably more relaxed. "I trust your skill. Go for it."

She clenched her jaw but swallowed the urge to curse.

Back in the conference room, she looked visibly deflated. Shooting James a glare, she sighed deeply and sat down next to her lawyer.

"It's off," she said under her breath.

Brandon looked confused. "Huh?"

Maria let out another long sigh. "I'll be his secretary. No need to push this anymore."

Her voice wasn't loud, but in the small room it carried easily. Brandon heard it loud and clear. So did James. His posture straightened instantly, and a smug smile tugged at the corner of his lips.