Verena headed back to the Jones family estate.

She had thought her parents and her brother would be home, yet when she stepped inside, only her brother, Vince Jones, remained.

Looking around, she frowned and called out, "Vince, why are you the only one here?"

The moment he heard her voice, Vince went still. Once he recognized it, he hurried over to her. "Rena, you're back? Why didn't you tell me ahead of time? I would've gone to pick you up," he said.

Even though she had tried to keep herself composed on the way here, the redness in her eyes gave her away.

As he recalled what he had learned earlier that day, a trace of sympathy crossed his gaze. Without saying much, he reached out and pulled her into his arms. "Rena, what happened? Just tell me. I'll take care of it."

Those words hit Verena harder than she expected, and the calm she had been forcing slipped away in an instant.

Her body gave in as she leaned into Vince, and tears kept streaming down without pause.

"Vince..."

The sound of her voice tightened something in him, and a shadow settled over his eyes.

All these years, he had known exactly what she had gone through.

Guilt sat heavy on Vince, and it only grew stronger when he thought about how the Jones family had needed that marriage with the Hughes family to get through their crisis.

"I've already made up my mind. I'm filing for divorce from Brayden."

For a brief moment, Vince just stood there. Then something bright flickered in his eyes, and he leaned forward slightly. "You're serious about this? You're really going through with it?"

Verena gave a firm nod in response.

A smile broke across his face before he could stop it. Lifting his hand, he wiped away the tears on her cheeks, and his voice carried a quiet sense of relief. "No matter what you choose, I'm on your side."

The tension that had been weighing on Verena finally eased. Her shoulders relaxed, and a small smile followed.

Right when she started to speak again, the sharp sound of Vince's phone cut in.

After a few words from the other end, his expression shifted, and the lightness on his face disappeared.

She caught the change at once. Before he could say anything, she spoke first. "If something came up, then go take care of it. I just need some time to rest."

Once he left, the silence in the house felt unbearable to her.

Instead of staying, she walked over to her closet and pulled out a fitted mini dress. After putting it on, she finished with bold makeup, and then headed straight out into the night, leaving the Jones family estate behind.

About thirty minutes later, Verena arrived at a club for drinks.

During all those years of marriage, she had never stepped into a place like this because of Brayden.

Now, she figured it was time to let everything out.

With a slight curl of her lips, she walked inside without hesitation.

Inside the club, lights flashed while people danced wildly to the music.

Curiosity pulled Verena's gaze from one corner to another. The bartender guided her to a quieter spot, and she settled into the seat without hesitation.

One drink turned into several before long. Glass after glass disappeared into her hand, and she kept going as if the alcohol could wash everything away.

Unseen by her, someone stood above on the second floor, watching every move she made.

That person was Brayden.

Shock flickered in his eyes as he stared down at her.

He knew it was his wife, yet the woman downstairs looked nothing like the calm and composed Verena he remembered.

His gaze stayed locked on her, and he did not look away even for a moment.

Only when he noticed how much she had already drunk did his expression tighten. Without another thought, he got to his feet and headed downstairs.

Back at her table, the weight on Verena's chest mixed with the alcohol, and it hit her fast. She had drunk too quickly, and now the dizziness was starting to take over.

In her hand, the glass tilted slightly as she gave it a slow shake.

Amber liquid rolled along the sides, and the ice knocked against the glass with a soft, crisp sound.

Each sip burned on the way down, yet all she could feel was sorrow. It reminded her of every time Brayden had walked away from her without looking back.

People nearby had already taken notice of her. Among them, one man stepped forward while the others kept their distance.

The seat beside her dipped as he sat down.

Confusion crossed her face, and Verena turned toward the man with unfocused eyes. A faint shine lingered on her lips, catching the shifting lights around them.

"Who... who are you?" she asked, her voice unsteady.

Timothy Fuller did not look away. He kept his eyes on her, and then spoke after a short pause. "It's me, Verena."

Something about his voice and the shape of his face tugged at her memory.

Her head felt heavy, so Verena shook it slowly.

Her hand rose on its own, and her finger touched Timothy's cheek. She looked at him for a second, and then let out a quiet laugh. "You look pretty good. But why do you look like that idiot Timothy Fuller?"

Timothy had grown up in privilege, and his childhood had been tied closely with both her and Brayden.

Back then, the three of them had always been together. After she married Brayden, Timothy had vanished from her life, and she barely saw him again.

Because of that, his face had faded from her memory over time.

A quiet breath left Timothy as he looked at her in that state, yet he chose not to say anything.

Not far away, Brayden had just reached the lower floor when he caught sight of them.

A strange mix of emotions rose in him all at once, unfamiliar and hard to name.

He had no idea Timothy was back.

Seeing Timothy there stirred something in Brayden, and memories from their childhood came back to him.

For a brief moment, his face relaxed.

Right when Brayden started moving toward them, he stopped in his tracks. Verena had already wrapped her arms around Timothy.

Anyone could see how close they were, and it didn't look right at all. But she didn't seem to notice anything.

Her eyes looked unfocused, and she reached up again, tapping his cheek like she was testing if he was real.

"Come home with me. I... I can take care of you," Verena said, her words dragging.

That caught Timothy off guard. His eyes widened, and his face turned red right away.

He kept one arm around her to steady her so she wouldn't fall, and then lowered his voice. "Verena, you're drunk."

She didn't seem sure herself. Blinking a few times didn't help. Everything still looked unclear.

"I'm not drunk," she said, trying hard to sound serious.

Seeing her act like that made Timothy sigh quietly. "Alright, fine. You're not drunk. Just sit down first, okay?"

Timothy tried to ease her back into her seat, but before he could get her settled, Brayden had already walked over.

His expression didn't hide his annoyance at all, and his eyes locked onto Verena.

"What do you think you're doing, Verena?" he said.

Timothy didn't expect to run into him here.

He froze for a second, something complicated flashing in his eyes, and then finally spoke. "Didn't think I'd see you here, Brayden."

Brayden gave a small nod, but his gaze stayed on her the whole time.

When she heard her name, Verena slowly looked up.

The moment she saw Brayden, she pulled her eyes away like she didn't recognize him at all.

"Verena!" Brayden said, clearly caught off guard. His face turned cold right after. He reached out, grabbed her wrist, and forced her to face him.

"Brayden, take it easy. She's drunk," Timothy said as he stepped in when he saw her frown, his tone carrying a hint of irritation.

Brayden didn't care.

Standing closer now, he finally noticed what Verena was wearing.

The dress hugged her body closely.

His eyes moved lower for a second, and his expression darkened.

Without saying anything else, he took off his coat and wrapped it around her. "You're coming home with me."

A sudden lift caught Verena off guard, and she instinctively looped her arms around Brayden's neck.

Their eyes locked.

A sharp chill ran through Verena when she locked eyes with Brayden.

She had already started to sober up a little.

Her sight wavered, and she struggled for a moment before she finally made out who stood in front of her.

"Brayden... is that you?" Verena said, her voice rough from the alcohol as she spoke slowly.

The coat draped over her carried a scent she knew too well, and it helped clear the haze in her head.

"Put me down, Brayden. Let go of me right now!" She stiffened for a second before pushing against him, thrashing with both her hands and feet.

No matter how hard she struggled, she was too weak. It barely affected Brayden and felt more like playful teasing.

"What gives you the right to touch me? Let me go! I said let me go!" she said, refusing to stop struggling.

Brayden's expression turned darker, and he tightened his hold without hesitation, cutting off any chance for her to break free.

"I'm taking her with me," he said to Timothy, his voice low and firm.

Without another word, he turned and headed straight for the door.

From where he stood, Timothy watched everything unfold, and a bitter feeling settled deep in his chest.

He parted his lips as if to speak, but in the end, all that came out was a quiet sigh. No words followed, yet his gaze stayed fixed on them as they walked away.

A shadow passed through his eyes, as though something from the past had resurfaced in his mind.

Brayden moved quickly and pushed the club door open. The cold air rushed in the moment it gave way.

A shiver ran through Verena as she trembled in his arms.

Brayden paused briefly, and then picked up his pace without saying a word. Soon after, he reached the car and got inside.

Elsewhere in the club, a plain-looking man gripped his phone tightly, and excitement showed clearly across his face.

Going out at night to relax led him into something he never saw coming.

Those photos in his hands could secure both a promotion and a raise once they were released.

Despite the club being at its peak, he no longer cared about staying. He packed up right away and left without delay.

Inside the car, as soon as Brayden placed her on the seat, Verena shoved him away.

Breaking free from his hold, she raised her head and spoke with a hoarse voice. "I'm getting out of this car, Brayden. Let me go."

Her resistance continued, yet Brayden gave no response.

He kept his eyes on her without any reaction, as though her actions meant nothing. "Calm down, Verena. Take a look at yourself. Do you even know what you've become?"

Although dizziness still weighed on her, his words struck a bitter feeling within her.

She lifted her head again and faced him, speaking each word with effort.

"What I've become? And what does that have to do with you? Who gave you the right to control me? We're getting a divorce. Whatever I've become now has nothing to do with you!" Verena said, raising her voice at the end.

Red filled her eyes, and even though tears gathered, she held them back.

Seeing her like this caught Brayden off guard, and he paused for a moment.

A frown appeared as he continued to look at her. He seemed ready to speak, yet after some time, he swallowed what he had intended to say.

Instead, he said in a calm tone, "You're drunk."

Hearing that made the feeling inside her grow heavier.

A quiet laugh came from her, and the strength she had been holding onto slipped away at that moment.

What remained in her eyes faded, leaving only exhaustion and confusion behind.

Heat filled the car, and it made her feel more drunk.

Verena's eyes lost focus as her body swayed, and she soon fell asleep.

Seeing that her head was about to hit the window, Brayden felt panic rise in his chest.

Without thinking, he reached out and pulled her into his chest, holding her tightly.

The strong smell of alcohol spread around him. He had always hated that smell. Even so, no sign of disgust showed on his face. Instead, something unfamiliar appeared in his eyes.

For a long moment, he kept his gaze on her before lifting his hand to wipe the tears from her cheek.

His fingers paused when he felt something cool.

Verena's earlier questions stayed in his mind.

After some time passed, he let out a quiet sigh and held her closer.

The car stopped in front of the villa.

Looking down at her as she slept, Brayden picked her up in his arms, his movements gentle and careful.

Once outside, he went straight toward the upstairs bedroom.

Although he moved quickly, the cold wind made Verena press herself deeper into him.

Through the layers of clothing, her cheek rested against his chest.

Brayden's heartbeat grew faster.

Sounds from outside reached Jayde in the living room, and she rushed out at once.

The sight of Verena in Brayden's arms stopped her in place, and shock showed clearly on her face.

She never thought Verena would come back so soon.

Even with questions in her mind, Jayde chose not to ask and quickly stepped forward to open the door.

After they entered the master bedroom, Brayden placed Verena down on the bed.

As he moved to leave, her hand shot out and caught his wrist.

"Don't go..." she said, her voice low and unsteady.

Brayden went still at once.

Different emotions crossed his eyes, and after a long moment, he did not pull away. Instead, he lay down beside her.

Darkness deepened outside the window as night settled further.

While everything remained quiet, several photos appeared online without a name attached.

In those images, a man and a woman held each other closely.

Even under low light, their identities could still be made out.

The woman in the photos was Verena, Brayden's wife.

Comments spread quickly, with people saying that while Brayden had been involved with other women, Verena turned out to be no different, making them a perfect pair.

The photos spread across the internet in just one night.

Soon after, a headline stirred even more noise. "Mr. and Mrs. Hughes Both Cheated!"

By early morning, everyone was already talking about it. The news started to affect TrueLight Group's reputation.

That morning, Brayden checked the trending posts, and his face darkened right away.

He let out a silent scoff, thinking those people had no sense of limits.

Taking photos was one matter, but releasing them online meant they were openly challenging the Hughes family.

A cold look appeared in his eyes as he left the bedroom and went straight to the study next door to handle work.

What followed, however, went beyond what they expected.

While the discussion online kept growing, competing companies used the situation to target TrueLight Group.

Within a short time, the company's name took a hit.

At the same time, some netizens began to boycott TrueLight Group on their own.

Brayden looked at the data on the screen, and a faint smile formed on his lips while his eyes remained unreadable.

His fingers tapped lightly against the desk, and then his phone rang.

The call came from Laurence Hughes, his grandfather.

A brief flicker passed through his eyes before Brayden picked up. "Good morning, Grandpa."

"Brayden, tell me what's going on online," Laurence said, his voice steady.

"I'll take care of it. You don't need to worry," Brayden said.

Laurence did not continue the topic after hearing that. "Alright. I'll leave it to you."

The call ended right after that.

Brayden's gaze returned to the screen as everyone in the online meeting settled into place.

After a brief look around, he spoke in a steady tone. "PR team, give me a solution. I want it now."

"Yes, Mr. Hughes. We're already working on it," the head of PR responded.

The urgent meeting continued inside the study as Brayden stayed focused on the discussion.

In the next room, Verena slowly woke up.

Light streamed in through the window the moment her eyes opened, and she raised a hand to press against her temples as the pain hit.

The effects of the hangover rushed over her.

Looking around, she recognized the room, and her face lost all color.

She could not recall how she had returned to Brayden's house.

Her eyes moved across the space until she spotted her phone. She quickly grabbed it.

After she turned it on and unlocked the screen, a flood of missed calls and messages appeared.

For a brief moment, she stayed still. Another call came in, and she picked it up right away. "Hello?"

"Mrs. Hughes, you finally answered. You have to check the news right now. The company is already in chaos!" the caller said.

Those words made her heart drop, and she opened the news app at once.

A headline stood out on the homepage. Her eyes widened as she tapped on it and saw the photos.

The man in the photo was Timothy, and she knew it right away.

When had he returned?

Nothing from last night came back to her, no matter how hard she tried.

Because of that, she could not figure out how those photos even existed.

A quiet sigh left her as she prepared to get ready and go to the office, but before she could move, the door opened without warning.

Caught off guard, Verena lifted her head, and the moment she saw Brayden, she went still.