Natalie scribbled her signature at the bottom of the divorce agreement. Without risking a second look at the man lounging on the couch, she pushed herself upright and hurried up the stairs toward the bedroom.

Only when she was hidden from Lucas' eyes did she press weakly against the closed door, her body and spirit utterly drained.

Her marriage felt like a dream turned to dust, and she no longer knew where to place the blame.

Perhaps there was no one to blame at all. Love could not be bent to anyone's will.

Drawing in a shaky breath, Natalie opened her wardrobe in silence and began filling a suitcase with her clothes.

Her marriage with Lucas had begun with a child she had not expected. After the boy was born, she had poured all her time into their home, neglecting her appearance. Shopping meant grabbing plain clothes that made it easier to cook, clean, and tend to both Lucas and their son.

Three years had passed in this house, yet every trace of her life could fit inside one small suitcase.

Natalie tugged the case toward the doorway, her eyes sweeping over the bedroom that had been hers for three years. A flicker of hesitation came, but she pushed it aside and walked away.

Downstairs, she found Lucas and slipped the wedding band from her finger right in front of him.

"Take this," she said, offering up the ring in her open palm.

Lucas stared at her hand, his attention catching on the pale imprint left behind by the band, and his eyes narrowed ever so slightly.

She had once lost weight just so the ring would fit, and not once in three years had she removed it.

Seeing how easily she let it go now sparked a feeling in Lucas that he could not name.

Trying to hide any reaction, he flicked his gaze to the suitcase and a crease formed between his brows. "You don't have to leave right away."

"What do you mean?" Natalie frowned at him, a spark of hope flickering before she could stop it.

However, that hope was crushed in an instant as Lucas continued, "It'll take about a month for the divorce to go through. There's time for you to find somewhere else and move out when you're ready."

His cold words left her forcing a brittle smile.

She shook her head and waved off his suggestion without a moment's pause, her voice steady and unyielding. "There's no sense in dragging this out. Let's keep things clean."

This way, there would be no false hopes left behind.

Lucas pressed his lips together, hesitating before turning his face away. "Whatever you want."

"I'm going to check on our son."

Natalie had barely turned to go when Lucas' voice cut through the air, flat and unfeeling.

"Grandma's health has taken a hit these past months. She won't handle this kind of news well. Hold off on telling anyone about the divorce."

At the mention of his grandmother, Natalie's thoughts drifted to Martha Thorpe's gentle smile and warm words.

Out of all the Thorpes, Martha had been the rare one who showed her kindness, even scolding Lucas more than once for treating her poorly.

Because of that, Natalie had no intention of letting the news reach her, whether Lucas warned her or not.

"I won't say a word."

Her readiness took Lucas by surprise. He half-expected her to turn Martha's affection into a weapon and try to fight for her place in the family.

For a long moment, his eyes lingered on her face, dark and unreadable, as if he were seeing her differently for the first time.

"We'll have to keep pretending we're still married in front of her."

"That won't be an issue." Natalie gave a quick nod. "I'm just going to check if Cole's asleep."

Even knowing the odds were against her, she couldn't abandon the thought of keeping her son. Lucas might refuse her custody, but if Colin asked to live with her, his father might reconsider.

Natalie made her way to Colin's room and tapped softly on the door. "Cole, are you still awake? Mind if I come in?"

No answer came. Her shoulders drooped, assuming he'd already drifted off. But then a bright, excited voice floated through the doorway.

"Ella, you have to come by early tomorrow! I want to get you a blueberry cake—your favorite!"

Colin's tender, coaxing tone slipped through the crack, and Natalie's chest tightened.

He once used that same voice only for her. Somewhere along the way, things had changed, and now he hardly spoke to her without distance in his tone.

Her hands curled into fists, then slowly loosened, as if she were forcing herself to gather courage before stepping inside.

"Cole, I need to talk to you about something important..."

The phone was snapped shut in a heartbeat, and Cole shot her a glare.

"Mom, don't you know it's rude to barge in like this?"

Irritation rang loud in his voice, leaving no room for doubt about how he felt.

Natalie felt as though his words had cut her open, sharp and merciless. She faltered, then forced a small, uneasy smile.

"I'm sorry for barging in, but I really need to ask you something, Cole. Would you even consider—"

"No!" Colin snapped before she could even finish, his voice full of irritation. "Why can't you be more like Ella?"

Natalie stood rooted to the spot, thrown by the sting in her son's voice.

"You're useless. All you ever do is spend Dad's money and get in the way. I feel embarrassed just telling anyone you're my mom. I wish Ella were my mother!"

The cruelty in his tone left Natalie stunned. She opened her mouth to respond, but he was already glued to his phone, shutting her out completely.

The name Ella lit up his screen, messages flickering back and forth, and Natalie felt her chest hollow with despair.

She cast one last look at her son before slipping silently out of the room.

It took only a few minutes for her to gather her things, book a ride, and head out, never once glancing back at Lucas.

Lucas sat on the couch, his eyes following her until she disappeared, a strange irritation gnawing at him now that she had left without hesitation.

Natalie made straight for a modest apartment she'd purchased on a whim two years before, a place she once meant for cooling off after fights with Lucas. Now, it was her only safe haven.

Exhaustion weighed down on her, and she had no strength left to think. She washed up quickly and collapsed into bed.

Morning came, and Natalie ordered a ride straight to Thorpe Group. She was determined to hand in her resignation.

Originally, she had joined the company only to be close to Lucas. Divorce erased that reason.

"Would it be possible to process my resignation today?" Natalie asked Jeffrey Tucker, Lucas' assistant.

A bead of sweat rolled down Jeffrey's forehead. He hesitated before replying, "Let me double-check with Mr. Thorpe. Please give me a moment."

Since Jeffrey was one of the few in the company who knew her marriage to Lucas, Natalie could see why he looked so uneasy.

Pausing for a moment, she asked, "Is it really necessary to bring him in?"

Jeffrey's uncertainty showed on his face. "It was Mr. Thorpe who signed off on your hiring back then..."

Not wishing to complicate things, Natalie nodded in understanding. "Thank you for helping out."

Back at her desk, she debated making a quick run for coffee, but the ding of the elevator doors caught her attention.

Lucas strode out, looking every inch the powerful executive in his tailored suit, but his stern expression softened when he faced the woman beside him. The usual chill in his eyes seemed to thaw away.

For a split second, Natalie's breath caught. She hadn't expected to run into that woman.

Ella!

The woman Lucas never truly let go of.

Why would she show up with Lucas in the company?

Natalie's first instinct told her to slip away unnoticed. Before she could move, Lucas' gaze found her.

The sight of her trying so hard to avoid him unsettled him, and the question slipped from his lips before he could stop it. "Why are you at the company?"

Caught off guard, Natalie froze, then faced him reluctantly.

His expression tightened, his eyes narrowing as if silently accusing her of something. She almost laughed at the sight.

Did he really believe she'd stoop so low as to follow him around? What sort of woman did he imagine her to be?

Natalie let out a chilly laugh before answering, "Because I'm still an employee here."

The sight of Natalie made Ella's smile falter for just a moment. Quick to regain her composure, she flashed a practiced smile and said, "Luke, you and Natalie should talk things through. I'll head to the office on my own."

Lucas reached out, catching her wrist before she could take a step. "No need for that. You're my special consultant now."

Special consultant?

The words cut into Natalie, and a heavy disappointment swept over her.

So that explained why Lucas had gone back on his promise.

He'd once promised her that landing the west suburb project would earn her a promotion to consultant.

She remembered how many late nights she'd spent on research and how many drinks she'd had to secure the project. But when she finally delivered the good news, Lucas barely looked up before telling her the role had already gone to someone else.

Although the disappointment stung at the time, Natalie convinced herself he was simply putting the company's interests first.

She realized now how foolish she had been from the very start.

It was clear as day how much Ella meant to Lucas, enough for him to break his rules.

Standing off to the side and watching how well the two fit together, Natalie couldn't help but feel like she had been lost in a fantasy all these years.

She decided to tell Lucas about her resignation, but before she could speak, he spat impatiently, "You signed the divorce agreement. There's no undoing it."

With a faint scowl, Lucas fixed his gaze on Natalie, displeasure flickering across his features, convinced she was having second thoughts and had come just to stir up more trouble.

He believed she had finally changed, but it became obvious this was only another one of her tricks.

That realization only fueled Lucas' contempt and disregard for her.

Natalie, hand curled into a fist at her side, stared at his cold expression. Her eyes bounced between Lucas and Ella as she replied, "Don't worry—I won't get in the way of you and Miss Wheeler."

"What kind of nonsense is that?" At the mention of Ella, Lucas' eyes turned cold, and his voice grew sharp.

"That isn't how it is between Luke and me. You're misunderstanding everything," Ella said gently, her tone laced with innocence.

Had Natalie not been in the middle of it all, she might have believed Ella's soft-spoken act.

"There's no use explaining yourself, Ella. Someone who lives for scheming always assumes the worst." Lucas stepped in front of Ella, glaring at Natalie as if she were nothing more than an adversary.

Despite feeling nothing but disappointment toward Lucas, witnessing this scene still left Natalie hurting inside.

He was so attentive to another woman, yet his wife didn't even deserve an explanation from him.

What a cruel joke life could play.

"Step aside! Ella and I actually have things to do, unlike you, who spends her time nursing old grudges."

When it came down to it, Lucas doubted Natalie had anything worthwhile to say at all.

With him showing nothing but cold indifference, Natalie drew in a steady breath, and the calm she wore faded into something much stormier.

She didn't move a muscle. Instead, she held her ground, which only made Lucas grow even more impatient. Before he could snap at her, Jeffrey walked over.

Catching sight of Natalie standing before Lucas and Ella, Jeffrey paused, surprise flickering across his face for an instant before he slipped back into his usual professionalism.

"Ma'am, did you already speak with Mr. Thorpe about leaving the company?"

Carrying a freshly printed resignation letter, he handed the document toward Lucas.

"Resignation?"

For a heartbeat, uncertainty clouded Lucas' features as he stared at Natalie, clearly not expecting her to go this far. The idea that she would use her resignation to halt the divorce crossed his mind.

"So, what are you up to now? Planning to walk out and then run to my grandmother for sympathy?"

With eyes narrowed, Lucas studied her, searching for some hidden agenda.

If she lost her job, he doubted she would even get by.

"I don't stoop to the levels you imagine," Natalie replied, locking eyes with him, her words firm and stripped of any trace of her old deference.

Lucas felt stung by her reply, irritation bubbling up with no clear reason.

"You better stand by your decision." He grabbed the pen from Jeffrey and scrawled his signature on the page, not a hint of hesitation in his movements. "Just don't come crawling back."

"No need to worry about that." Natalie took the document from his hand before turning away, her steps light, as if she carried no weight from the years spent here.

Without a word, Lucas narrowed his eyes and watched her go.

She was nothing like the woman she'd been before last night. In the past, she might have pleaded for another chance. Now, she left without looking back.

"Luke, are you alright?" Ella asked in concern when she saw his stormy expression.

Her gentle question snapped Lucas out of the haze in his head, dragging him back to the present.

Everything about Natalie was supposed to be in the past now. Their ties had been cut, and her problems no longer concerned him.

Meanwhile, Natalie stepped out of the company building, feeling as if a heavy shroud had finally been lifted. The sunlight poured over her, bright and warm, sweeping away the shadows that had been clinging to her.

She drew in a deep breath, silently promising herself that she would never let anyone make her small again.

There had been a time when she'd loved so deeply that she lost sight of her own worth, but not anymore.

Just then, her phone buzzed, pulling her out of her thoughts.

Natalie pulled out her phone, and the caller ID made her heart flutter unexpectedly.

It was a call from Ruby White, her closest friend and roommate back in school, but after she married Lucas, the bond had thinned to holiday greetings and little else.

Swallowing her nerves, Natalie answered.

A familiar voice came through, saying, "Natty, I'm in trouble! I need your help right now!"

Ruby's panicked voice made Natalie's brows crease, worry flashing across her eyes. "What happened?"

"I accepted a restoration job for a Jonathan Moss painting. But the damage is worse than I thought. No one at the studio—or anywhere else I've asked—can repair it. It wouldn't be so terrifying if it were any other client. But this guy's business is tied up with my family, and if I mess this up, my dad will lose it. He'll probably freeze my credit card, and my whole studio could go under."

Ruby sounded on the verge of tears. "I know you stopped working on commissions after you got married, but I'm desperate. You're my last hope. Can you help me this once?"

Silence filled the line. Ruby remembered how Natalie had once walked away from her flourishing career for Lucas, and her hope began to dim.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't put you in this position. I'll figure something else out..."

"I'll handle it."

"Are you serious?"

Ruby's enthusiasm spilled through the phone, almost impossible to miss.

Natalie knew Ruby had poured her every waking moment into building her studio since their college days. Its reputation was hard-earned, and there was no way she would let it collapse without a fight.

Natalie replied, "From the way you made it sound, I thought you were in some kind of trouble. Just call me if you want help. I've got plenty of time right now."

Ruby's excitement doubled. She wasted no time arranging the details, anxious that Natalie might change her mind.

Morning came with Ruby's calls jolting Natalie from sleep before the sun could fully rise.

When Natalie finally made it to the studio by taxi, she found Ruby waiting outside, waving so wildly it was impossible to miss her. Before Natalie could even say a word, Ruby dashed over and latched onto her arm, holding tight.

"Come on, let's get moving! Everyone inside can't wait to meet you after I told them you could fix the painting. They've been here since dawn, dying to see what you can do."

Ruby's playful excitement made Natalie chuckle without a word.

Walking inside, Natalie quickly saw that Ruby hadn't exaggerated a bit. The place was packed. As soon as the door opened, every head in the room turned to stare.

Most faces looked welcoming, though a few showed doubt, silently asking whether someone so young could really repair the battered painting lying on the desk.

With the entire room watching her closely, Natalie walked straight to the table and started examining the artwork. It was clear how rough things had gotten—age spots, water stains, and traces of pests showed the years of neglect.

"Did you get everything set up for me?" Natalie asked.

"We've got it all ready!" Ruby replied, hurrying her staff to hand over the supplies.

Even with everyone staring, Natalie remained calm. She began cleaning the surface with steady hands, careful not to make the damage worse.

Her graceful fingers stood out against the brittle, yellowed paper, and the sight drew the crowd's attention like a magnet.

Each stroke carried certainty. Bit by bit, the once faded painting regained its form.

"She's done it! Her hands work like magic. It's unbelievable!"

The spell broke when someone finally spoke, and the crowd stirred with renewed energy.

"Would you take a look at my painting too? I'd like to set up an appointment."

"I can pay two hundred thousand if you help me out."

"I'll give five hundred thousand!"

The entire studio was alive with eager voices, each person hoping to win Natalie's attention before someone else did.

When all the business cards had been exchanged, Ruby could no longer hold back her emotions.

"Natty, are you really sure you don't want to make a comeback? Without your help, this studio would never have even existed. If it hadn't been for your marriage, we could've gone even further by now."

Although years had passed since Natalie had worked in the field, her gift hadn't faded. Her reputation still marked her as one of the brightest talents in the industry.

Pressing her lips together, Natalie stayed quiet for a moment before speaking carefully.

"I've left Thorpe Group, and I've actually been thinking of returning. Do you think there's room for me here?"

She tried to make her words sound light, almost playful, hoping to ease the tension in the air.

Ruby's eyes lit up, surprise and happiness mingling on her face. She could hardly believe what she was hearing.

"This is the best news! I really need someone like you. If you join me, I'll set you up with projects, only take a ten percent cut, and I'll give you thirty percent of the shares. Does that sound fair?"

Hearing such generous terms left Natalie a little taken aback.

"Wait, the shares..."

Ruby saw Natalie was about to turn her down and jumped in with a determined look.

"Don't even think of saying no. You're the reason I even have this place. I made a promise to you back then, and I meant every word. This is yours by right."

For once, Ruby's expression grew serious, and the sincerity in her words touched Natalie deeply, making her feel a rush of gratitude.

"Ruby..."

"Enough! If you're feeling moved, just stick around and help me out. Let's turn this place into something big. I want to show my dad that I can do it."

With a mischievous lift of her brows, Ruby broke the heaviness of the moment.

Her playful demand made Natalie laugh, and she nodded firmly, as if setting her mind in stone.

Once the day's work was done, Natalie meant to head home for some much-needed rest. But Ruby insisted on celebrating in a fancy restaurant. Natalie caved in the end, figuring a little conversation wouldn't hurt.

Even under Ruby's watchful care, Natalie, being the guest of honor, ended up drinking far more than she intended.

By the time the glasses had gone around several times, dizziness crept in, and she slipped outside in search of air.

"Natalie? What are you doing here?" a familiar voice called out, catching her completely off guard.