"David's secretary," Marina drawled, rising from his chair with deliberate grace. Her eyes raked over Lily with slow, calculated disdain-from her sensible heels to her neatly pinned-up hair. "Hmm. I don't see what all the fuss is about."

Lily kept her expression neutral, though her fingers tightened around the coffee tray. "Can I help you with something, Ms. Laurent?"

Marina smirked, circling her like a predator. "Oh, I'm just. assessing the competition." She paused, tapping a manicured nail against David's desk. "Tell me, how does it feel? Playing house with someone else's man for five years?"

Lily didn't flinch. "If you're referring to my work, all records are up to date. Would you like me to pull the files?"

Marina's smile faltered. She hadn't expected this calm, this wall of professionalism that made her barbs feel childish. This wasn't the reaction she'd come for, and her voice sharpened."Cute. But we both know you were just a placeholder."

She leaned in, her whisper venomous. "David told me everything. How lonely he was. How. convenient you were."

She smirked. "Did you really think he'd settle for a glorified coffee-fetcher?"

Lily's pulse roared in her ears, but her reply was steady. "Our arrangement is over. And since this is a workplace, I suggest we keep things professional. Mr. Hadison dislikes distractions."

"Ooh, listen to you," Marina mocked, eyes flashing. "Like you know him so well."

She plucked the coffee cup from the tray, swirling the dark liquid. "Let me guess-Ethiopian beans? 96 degrees? Pathetic. You could brew this for him every day for the rest of your life and he'd never see you. You know he only loves it because it was my favorite once."

Lily's heart stuttered. She had suspected, but hearing it was another kind of wound.

"Still in denial?" Marina taunted. "Then let me show you who he'll choose."

Before Lily could react, Marina flung the scalding coffee-not at Lily, but over her own hand.

"Ah!" Marina's sharp cry echoed as the cup clattered to the floor, right as David strode into the office.

Lily's breath caught. The scene was unmistakable: Marina cradling her reddened wrist, tears glistening on her lashes, and Lily standing frozen-holding an empty tray.

Marina's voice trembled with practiced hurt. "David. I only came to say hello, and she-she just snapped and threw her coffee at me!"

David's head snapped toward Lily, his expression darkening like a thundercloud.

"Lily!" His voice cracked through the office like a whip. "What the hell is wrong with you?!"

Lily stood frozen, the empty tray still clutched in her hands. Her lips parted in stunned disbelief.

"I didn't-"

"Enough!" David cut her off sharply. "You think just because you've worked here for years, you can do whatever you want? That I'd tolerate you attacking someone?"

Lily's hands shook. "David, she poured it on herself. I didn't touch her."

"On herself?" He barked a harsh, disbelieving laugh. "Marina treats her hands like treasures. And you expect me to buy that pathetic excuse?"

"It's the truth-" Her voice wavered, thick with hurt.

"Apologize." His command left no room for argument.

"I won't apologize for something I didn't do."

David's jaw tightened. "Then you'll face the consequences."

Before Lily could react, he snatched the wine bottle from his desk and upended it over her head.

Ice-cold liquor drenched her hair, streaming down her face, and soaking into her blouse. The sharp scent of alcohol filled the air as droplets splattered onto the floor.

Across the room, Marina's lips curled in triumph-though she quickly schooled her features into false concern. "David, darling, it's not worth getting so upset..." she murmured, fanning the flames even as she pretended to soothe them.

David barely glanced at Lily again, his attention already shifting to Marina's reddened hand.

"Let's get you to the hospital," he said tightly, guiding her toward the door with a protective hand at her back.

As they swept past, Lily stood motionless, liquor still dripping from her chin. The office had gone deathly quiet-every colleague frozen in their cubicles, eyes wide with shock.

*

The office buzzed with whispers the rest of the morning. Lily could feel the stares burning into her back as she worked-pitying, mocking, triumphant.

She was in the restroom cleaning the last traces of wine from her collar when Jenny's unmistakable giggle echoed off the tiles.

"-wish you'd seen her face when Mr. Hadison dumped that drink on her!" Jenny crowed to her gaggle of followers. "All these years playing the perfect secretary, and look how he treats his little pet."

"We should celebrate tonight," another voice chimed in. "Finally, the gold-digger gets what she deserves."

Lily's reflection in the mirror stared back at her-hair still damp, eyes red-rimmed but dry. Something inside her snapped.

She yanked the decorative watering can from the windowsill and flung the contents in a wide arc.

A chorus of shrieks filled the air as Jenny and her cronies stumbled back, dripping.

"You crazy bitch!" Jenny screeched, mascara running down her cheeks.

"No," Lily said calmly, setting the can down with a clink. "Just returning the favor for all those times I covered your incompetence."

"Let's see-" She ticked off on her fingers. "You can't format a spreadsheet without breaking the formulas, Claire's reports are always late, and Sophie-" A cold smile. "Well, we all know who actually writes your presentations."

"So what?" Jenny still had no guilt. "Blame yourself for being so stupid!"

Lily caught Jenny's wrist mid-swing and shoved-hard. The other woman went sprawling on the wet tiles.

"Go ahead, report me," Lily said, hoisting her bag onto her shoulder. "My resignation's already on David's desk. I'm more interested in seeing how long before he realizes none of you can handle your own projects."

Then she turned her heels toward the hallway.

When Lily walked out of the building, the afternoon sun glared unforgivingly bright.

Lily pulled out her phone and typed with steady fingers:

> David -

The signed divorce papers are on your desk.

P.S. You'll need a new secretary."

Then she hit send.

The message arrived mid-afternoon: brief, coldly formal, unmistakably David.

> Dinner. 7 PM. Delphine's. Dress appropriately.

Lily hadn't expected the invitation.

She stared at the text for a long moment, thumbs hovering.

Delphina's?

The five-star restaurant he'd once said he'd take her to after the successful completion of the Aether Project.

He never had. Business got busy. Delays piled up. Marina's return took priority. But now, months later, it was happening.

Why now? Perhaps it was his idea of a farewell meal.

She didn't answer the message. She just showed up at 7 sharp, dressed in a sleek black dress she'd bought two years ago on impulse, back when she still hoped he'd take her somewhere nice without a reason. She'd left the tag on until tonight.

The waiters greeted her with reverent familiarity, guiding her through the quiet restaurant to a table near the tall windows. The place was empty. Every seat, every table, every candle belonged to them.

A romantic, candlelit dinner for two. Lily couldn't help but frown. What was his game? An apology? She might as well believe the sun would rise in the west. The public humiliation he'd dealt her today was the real David Hardison.

He was already seated, waiting, in an impeccable charcoal suit, his tie loose, his expression inscrutable.

He didn't even look up as she approached.

She also said nothing, taking her seat across from him. A glass of wine already waited beside her plate.

He poured himself a drink, swirling it like this was a routine thing.

"You booked a whole restaurant," she said flatly, "for a woman you don't love."

He paused, the glass halfway to his lips. "This dinner is what you earned. You handled the Aether Project flawlessly. Better than any of my executives."

"So this is. a professional bonus?"

He finally met her gaze.

"Why? Are you expecting something else too?"

A humorless laugh escaped her. Of course. She should have known better.

"Of course not. If this is payment for my work, I intend to enjoy it."

A waiter materialized, stiff and silent, bringing course after exquisite course as if this were any ordinary anniversary dinner. But it wasn't. The air between them was thick with unspoken cuts.

David didn't speak, and Lily made no effort to fill the silence. She used to be the one weaving conversation, straining for his attention. Now, all she wanted was to finish this meal and disappear, clean and final.

He watched her eat. She wasn't picking at her food as she used to; she ate with a focused, almost defiant pleasure, her manners impeccable yet alive. He found it irritatingly fascinating-this new, untamed version of her who seemed to look right through him. She'd grown far too unruly lately.

"About the divorce you mentioned-" he began, just as dessert arrived-a dark chocolate ganache with spiced raspberry coulis.

Lily's phone buzzed softly on the linen.

It was a message from Noa.

"Stocks dropping. Marina scandal is everywhere. Someone leaked the gala photos."

"He's using the dinner to delay the divorce announcement. Protecting his company. Not you."

Lily's stomach turned. The chocolate turned to ash in her mouth.

Of course.

This wasn't romance. It was damage control.

She set her spoon down. "You could've just asked me to cooperate. You didn't need this elaborate dinner."

David's expression shifted, just slightly. "I thought you'd appreciate the gesture."

"I might've, if it were genuine."

He leaned back in his chair, watching her. "So. You've heard."

"I have eyes, Mr. Hardison, and ears too."

The flicker of tension darkened his gaze. "You want to discuss this here?"

Lily folded her napkin carefully. "You can delay the public announcement. I won't go to the press. I'll play along if that helps. But the divorce goes on."

His jaw flexed.

"Why are you in such a rush now?" His voice was low, tightly controlled. "You were perfectly fine being my wife for five years. Knowing I loved someone else, you slept with me and married me. Willingly."

"I was a fool," she said quietly.

"No," he snapped, "you were desperate. Don't act like this was some noble sacrifice. You wanted something. And you got it."

Her eyes narrowed. "What exactly do you think I wanted?"

"You tell me," he said coldly. "Power? Status? Money? You knew I wasn't offering love. You still signed that contract. So don't give me this teary victim act now."

She stood, slowly, deliberately.

"I stayed because I hoped," she said. "Hoped one day you'd see me. Not as a placeholder. Not as a secretary. But as a person. A woman who gave you everything she had, even when you never asked."

His laugh was bitter. "Spare me the monologue. If this is about money, my lawyers can increase the settlement."

Lily's fingers curled into fists. The anger built like a storm breaking in her chest.

"You think everything's about money," she whispered. "That's the only language you understand, isn't it?"

David didn't flinch. "It's the only language that gets things done."

Without thinking, without warning, Lily slapped him.

The crack of palm against cheek echoed through the empty restaurant like a gunshot. The waiter dropped a fork somewhere behind the bar. A candle flickered dangerously.

David didn't move.

His head stayed turned, a red mark blooming on his cheek. His expression unreadable.

Lily's breath came in fast, ragged pulls. Her pulse throbbed in her temples.

"I'm done," she hissed, grabbing her clutch. "This time, for real."

She turned too fast. Her elbow knocked the tall glass vase beside her. It teetered, then toppled, water and orchids spilling toward the floor.

Before she could flinch, David lunged.

His arm wrapped around her waist, yanking her back just as the vase shattered inches from her feet. Shards bounced off his forearm, slicing through fabric and skin.

"Shit," he muttered through gritted teeth.

Lily stared at him, stunned. "You're bleeding..."

"I've had worse." He looked down, checking her legs, her hands. "You okay?"

She nodded, still breathless.

He let her go a second later, stepping back like the moment never happened.

A waiter approached with a towel. David flicked his gaze toward him-a silent dismissal.

Blood soaked through the cuff of his white shirt, a dark red trail winding down his wrist.

Lily grabbed a napkin and reached for him. "Let me-"

"I said I'm fine."

"David."

He caught her wrist, his grip firm but not harsh. His eyes held hers, intense and unyielding.

"You don't get to slap me and then play the caring wife," he said.

"You don't get to accuse me of gold-digging and then throw yourself in front of a flying vase."

They stood like that-frozen, tethered by years of silence and buried truths. Then David's hand fell away.

"If you truly care," he said, his voice low, "then accompany me one more time."

Lily didn't know what was wrong with her. Maybe it was the flash of something raw in his eyes, but she found herself nodding before she could think better of it.

She thought he was taking her home, but his car pulled up in front of a hospital.

As if sensing her inner turmoil, a wry, almost teasing smirk touched his lips as he stepped out. "What did you think I wanted you for?"

Shame flushed Lily's cheeks. 'God, what were you thinking? Do you really believe he wanted a farewell sex? His Marina is back. He doesn't need a stand-in anymore. Get a grip, Lily.'

"To get your arm stitched up, obviously," she said, too quickly. "I'm not a coward. Once we're done here, my obligation is over."

The procedure wasn't complicated, but the wound was deeper than she'd thought, aggravated by an old scar. Lily's stomach twisted. Guilt, confusion, and something softer-something terrifyingly close to affection-churned in her chest.

The sterile smell of the VIP room was sharp. David sat perfectly still, not even flinching when the tweezers dug in to remove a shard. Lily stood a few feet away, arms wrapped around herself, teeth worrying her lower lip. She couldn't decide whether she hated his stubborn silence or respected his ironclad control more.

The doctor finished the dressing, then glanced toward Lily. "He'll be fine, but he needs rest and careful attention. You're his wife, aren't you?"

Lily opened her mouth, but no words came out.

"She is," David answered coldly before she could respond. "Make sure she knows the aftercare."

The doctor nodded and began explaining the medication schedule and dressing changes. Lily listened carefully, her hands trembling just a little as she took the instructions. Once they were alone again, the silence stretched.

Lily turned to him. "Why did you do that?"

David raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"You got hurt. For me."

He let out a humorless chuckle. "Don't flatter yourself."

Her eyes narrowed. "I'm not, I'm trying to understand. You didn't have to..."

"You were in the way," he muttered, looking away. "It was a reflex."

Lily stared at him. "That's a poor excuse for someone who just threw himself in front of a falling vase."

His eyes met hers again, colder now. "It doesn't matter why I did it. You're safe. That's all."

His words sounded noble, but something inside her fractured. She wasn't stupid. She'd seen the panic in his eyes when she stumbled, the way he hadn't hesitated for a second. That wasn't just instinct. It couldn't be.

But before she could press further, the door flung open.

"David!"

A shrill, high-pitched voice echoed in the room.

Marina walked in like a storm wrapped in silk and perfume, her heels tapping loudly against the floor, her eyes taking in the scene like a snake spotting prey. Her gaze flicked between David on the hospital bed and Lily standing near him.

"How cozy," she drawled, her voice dripping with venom.

Lily instinctively took a step back.

"Marina," David warned, his tone low.

"You got injured and instead of calling me"-she emphasized the word like poison on her tongue-"you're here playing house with her?"

"I didn't call anyone," David said flatly. "She was there."

Marina ignored him. She was only getting started. "Of course she was. This bitch is always around when something goes wrong! You're nothing but a shameless homewrecker, you know that? You think pretending to be caring will bring him back to you?"

Lily stayed silent. The insult stung more than it should have.

"She's here because she's my secretary," David said sharply. "And I don't need to explain myself to you."

Marina's eyes widened, then narrowed. "You don't? Are you defending her now, David? Do you have any idea how it tears me apart that she played my part beside you for five years?"

"I'd protect anyone in danger. A stranger. A cat. Even a dog," David said, his tone ice-cold. "Don't confuse basic decency with affection."

Lily's throat closed up.

Of course.

That was all she was.

A cat. A dog. Just another soul on the street he happened to save because he had a 'moral duty.'

Just moments ago, she had almost believed-almost hoped-he might still care. But hearing him lump her with stray animals...

"Got it," she whispered. Her hands shook slightly, but she forced them still. "Thanks for clearing that up."

She turned toward the door.

But before she could leave, Marina grabbed her arm. "Wait."

Lily looked back, frowning.

"I ordered David some proper meals. All organic, prepared by his nutritionist. I. I'm not familiar with the area near the hospital. Could you pick them up for me? I would go myself, but I'd hate to get lost."

Lily stared at her.

Seriously?

"Do I look like your errand girl now?"

"Just do it," Marina shrugged, offering a fake smile. "You're already here. And you did admit he got hurt because of you, didn't you? It's not too much to ask."

Lily glanced at David.

He wasn't looking at her. He leaned back against the pillows, his eyes closed, as if distancing himself from the entire scene.

But she understood. He was endorsing this, too.

Remembering the raw wound on his arm, she let out a slow breath and nodded. "Fine."

If this was what it took to erase the guilt, she'd do it.

Marina handed her a slip of paper with the address. "Don't be long. David hates cold food."