Alice's POV

"What! Babe..." That was all I managed to say before my voice trailed off.

"What's going on here...?" My hands flew to my mouth as I staggered back from the sight before my very eyes.

My own best friend and my husband of three years were in bed, wrapped together naked in our hotel room.

Today was my 27th birthday, and earlier we were just downstairs having a birthday party at a hotel in Paris. I had insisted we celebrate it there, as Paris was my dream city. I had also insisted that my best friend come along with us, too.

I was still downstairs, clearing the table we had used for the party. It was still ongoing, and all of my friends who stayed in Paris were invited. We were going to pull an all-nighter. Hotel rooms were already prepared for every one of them to stay upstairs. I looked around for my husband and couldn't find him, as well as my best friend.

"Have you seen Daniel around?" I asked one of my friends who was still at the table.

"I think he went upstairs with Clara some minutes ago," she responded. I wondered what they were doing to have left me alone downstairs to clean up, especially since the party wasn't over.

They had probably gone into their rooms to get something, so I thought.

I excused myself from the people around and went upstairs straight afterwards. When I got to the passage that led to our hotel room, the first thing I heard was moans, and I wondered where they were coming from.

"I guess some people have already hooked up at my birthday party," I whispered to myself as I went on.

I noticed our hotel room door being a little ajar, only to hear the moans vividly coming from the room.

"Oh, fuck, you're so tight."

The voice was very familiar, and I immediately pushed the door open.

It was Clara, my lifelong best friend, and Daniel, my husband.

They didn't even flinch, considering how naked they were on the bed. Clara had only smirked, like I had disturbed what they were doing.

My legs felt wobbly, and it felt like I could faint anytime soon, but no, I really cannot give them the satisfaction of seeing me faint.

I just left the hotel immediately and headed straight to the car we brought. He might probably have to walk back to the airport barefoot. I drove as fast as I could to catch the next flight back home.

My hands were shaking on the wheel. My chest was burning, and my eyes were blurry with tears. I just needed to leave. I didn't care how.

I was too overwhelmed with getting to the airport, and I drove at high speed. I didn't see the car that was right in front of me, and when I did, it was already too late. I hit it hard, and my body slammed forward.

"Oh my God…" I gasped, quickly pulling the brake. My heart was beating so fast that I thought it would jump out of my chest.

The door of the other car opened, and someone stepped out. I didn't even look at the person's face. I couldn't. I was crying too much.

"I'm so sorry," I said, bowing my head. "I'm really sorry; I didn't see you."

The man stood still, but I didn't give him a chance to speak. I jumped back into my car and drove off before he could even move closer.

I didn't care. I just needed to leave.

By the time I got to the airport, the flight was almost taking off. I ran like a crazy person, dragging my small bag with my heels in my hand. People stared at me, but I didn't care.

I managed to get in, and my heart was still beating fast as I slumped into my seat.

I tried to close my eyes, but I couldn't. Every time I closed them, I saw Clara's smirk and the way her naked body was wrapped around Daniel's, making my stomach turn.

I got up to use the toilet. My head was pounding, and I wanted to wash my face.

Inside, I locked the door and held the sink, staring at myself in the mirror. My makeup was ruined, and my eyes were now swollen. I looked like a ghost.

I splashed water on my face and whispered to myself. "It's okay. You're okay. You just have to keep going."

But when I tried to open the door, it didn't move.

I frowned and pulled harder. It didn't budge.

"What?" I whispered, pulling again. The door was stuck.

"Fine, just what I needed," I cursed under my breath as I made another attempt to pull it open.

I started banging on it.

"Hello? Hello? Can someone hear me?"

The plane shook, and I could hear the hostess outside telling everyone to fasten their seatbelts because of turbulence. My banging was lost in the noise.

Panic rose in my chest as I banged harder, kicking the door now. "Please! Open the door!"

I was breathing fast, and tears were already forming again. I felt trapped.

This went on for a while, and it felt like no one was going to come for me. I know better than anyone that it was too risky to be out here at this crucial point of our flight.

Then suddenly, the lock clicked.

The door opened, and I stumbled out, right into someone's chest.

The strong arms caught me before I could fall, and I looked up quickly, but the plane shook again, and my head hit the side of the door, and pain shot through me.

"Oh…" I gasped, but then everything turned blurry.

The last thing I saw was a pair of eyes looking down at me, and the last thing I heard was a deep voice that was barely above a whisper.

"Careful."

And then I fainted.

Alice's POV

When I opened my eyes again, I was already back in my seat. I did not even know how I got there. My last memory was being in the bathroom, locked in, then someone opening the door. But now, I was back in my seat, and the plane was almost landing.

I wanted to ask the air hostess what had happened, but I was too weak. My head hurt, and my body felt heavy. So, I just sat quietly until the plane landed in the UK.

By the time I came out of the airport, my chest was still tight. My hands were shaking as I dragged my luggage out. I did not even bother to look around. I just called a cab and went straight to the house Daniel, and I had stayed in together.

Everything came rushing back into my head the moment I entered. Every corner held memories I wished I could erase. I dropped my bag on the couch and went straight to our bedroom.

Months ago, a lawyer had given me his card after a seminar. At that time, I never thought I would need him. But right now, he was the only hope I had. I had to look for his business card.

As I searched through the drawer, my hands touched an envelope. At first, I wanted to ignore it, but something in me told me to open it. I pulled it out and tore it open.

There were divorce papers. I couldn’t believe my eyes. My legs almost gave way.

Daniel had already filed for divorce.

Tears rushed to my eyes as I held the paper with shaky hands. My own husband had already planned it all before I even caught him with Clara.

I dropped the paper and sat on the bed, holding my head. My heart was pounding so fast, and I felt both stupid and angry. Stupid for not seeing all of this earlier.

Now, all the signs I've been getting have become clearer. I had trusted them both so much that I'd even leave them together at home sometimes.

But what confused me was why. Why would Daniel betray me like this? We weren't rich, but we were comfortable. I worked as a financial analyst at Sterling & Cross Holdings. The payment was good. We had a good life. Or so I thought.

Then something clicked in my head. Sterling & Cross. The irregularities I had noticed at work. The shell companies, the offshore transfers, and the doctored reports.

Daniel worked there too as an architect. What if he was involved? What if that's why he needed me gone?

My stomach turned. No. It couldn't be. I thought as I argued with all that was coming to my mind at that point.

After sitting for a while, I forced myself up. I went back to the drawer and kept searching, and at last, I found the small white card I was looking for.

I picked up my phone and dialed Mr. Collins’s number. My fingers were trembling as I pressed the call button.

"Hello?" a male voice answered.

"Mr. Collins? This is Alice. I… I don't know if you remember me. You gave me your card some time ago."

"Yes, I remember," he said calmly. "How can I help you?"

"My husband…he cheated on me. And now I just found divorce papers he already filed. I don't even know what to do." My voice cracked as I spoke.

There was silence for a few seconds. Then he said, "Alright, Alice, listen carefully. If he already filed for divorce, that gives us a path to work with. We will not only respond to his papers; we will make sure you get what is yours. You are his wife, and so you have rights. We will demand half of his properties, maybe even more."

Half of his properties?

The words felt like medicine in my ears. For the first time since last night, I felt like I had some energy back.

"When can we start?" I asked quickly.

"First thing tomorrow morning," he said. "Come to my office. Bring the divorce papers you found, and I will prepare the rest."

“Thank you.” I hung up, and I fell back on the bed. I stared at the ceiling, still shaking as I whispered to myself, "This is not over."

The next day came faster than I expected. I went to Mr. Collins's office. He was already waiting for me at his desk.

He asked me everything. How long we had been married. What properties Daniel owned. Where I worked, then he told me exactly what we were going to do.

"We will not fight his divorce. We will sign it, but we will demand half of everything. He will not get away with this."

I nodded. My heart was beating fast, but I trusted him.

When the day of the court finally came, my heart almost fell out of my chest the moment I walked in. Daniel had come with Clara to the court, hand in hand with her as if unbothered by the whole thing.

She was also smiling, as if she were proud to be there.

I swallowed hard and forced myself to look away. I sat beside Mr. Collins, trying to hold myself together.

The hearing began, and Daniel's lawyer spoke first, saying he was filing for divorce because of "irreconcilable differences." My blood boiled as he made it sound like I was the problem.

Then Mr. Collins stood up and spoke. "Your Honor, my client is willing to accept this divorce. However, she has rights under the law. She is entitled to half of all marital properties, including their house, the car, and additional financial settlements. She has given years of her life to this marriage, and she deserves nothing less."

Daniel's face changed immediately as his jaw tightened. He had not expected that. Clara shifted uncomfortably beside him, whispering something into his ear.

The judge listened carefully, and after a few questions and more arguments from both sides, the ruling was made.

I had won!

The house, the car, and a large portion of his assets were given to me.

As we stepped outside the courtroom, Clara walked up to me. "It's funny you're just finding out now," she said. "I've been sleeping with Daniel since the night before your wedding."

I had expected this but hearing it from her still made me freeze. But I would not let her see me weak.

I looked at Daniel, then at Clara, and said,

"Thank God the case is over. And thank God I have my own man now. You're not the only ones cheating."

Their eyes widened.

Then I turned quickly to a luxurious black car that had pulled up. Without even knowing who was inside, I walked straight to it, opened the door, and slid in.

I did not look back. I only imagined their shocked faces as the car door closed.

Inside, my heart was racing as I had no idea whose car I had just entered.

Bryan's POV

I had only stopped at the court because my driver needed to pick up a file from one of the legal officers handling a case against my company. I did not plan to stay long. I just wanted the document and to head straight back to the office.

But then the car door suddenly opened, and a woman rushed in. She was looking tense, and her face was pale.

"Please, drive," she said quickly, with her voice shaking.

The driver turned back, confused. "Ma'am, this isn't..."

"Just go!" she shouted.

Her hands trembled as she pressed herself into the seat, not even looking at me. For a moment, I just stared at her. Something about her felt familiar, but I couldn't place it yet.

"Drive," I said quietly to the driver.

He hesitated for a second, then started the engine and pulled out of the court premises.

I turned my eyes back to her. Her head was bent low, her hair covering half her face. I could see her chest breathing heavily.

Then it hit me. Her face and her voice were very familiar. It was her.

The same woman who had hit my car in Paris months ago, and the one who fainted on the plane back to London.

What were the odds of meeting her three times in three different places?

But something else nagged at me. I had seen her name before. Recently. Where was it?

Then I remembered. The file was on my desk yesterday. The lawsuit from Sterling & Cross Holdings. The list of former employees they claimed had stolen confidential information.

Her name was there. Alice Morgan.

Sterling & Cross. The same company that had destroyed mine five years ago. The same company I had been hunting ever since.

And now she was sitting in my car.

I leaned back slowly, my mind going back to that day in Paris.

It was supposed to be a quiet weekend at my grandmother's mansion. She had called me again, complaining that I worked too much and never visited her. I went only to keep her from sending more messages.

She sat in her big chair with her walking stick beside her. "Bryan Hale," she said, calling my full name the way she always did. "You're thirty-two and still have no wife. Do you think money will keep you warm when you're old?"

I rubbed my temples. "Grandma, please don't start."

She kept talking anyway. "All the girls you bring are the same. Pretty but empty. No sense, no class, and no future. You need a woman who will keep you grounded."

I stood up. "I'm not interested in marriage."

She laughed bitterly. "That's why your life feels cold."

Her words got to me more than I wanted to admit. I left the house angry, got into my car, and drove off without direction.

I was still rushing to the airport when a car hit me from behind. I got down, frowning, ready to yell. But the woman who stepped out looked so scared and flustered that I froze.

She didn't even look at my face. She just bowed quickly. "I'm sorry, sir! I'm so sorry!"

Before I could even say a word, she jumped back into her small blue car and drove off.

I didn't chase her. I just stood there, confused and watching her car disappear.

Something about her lingered in my head for days, but I pushed it aside. I had no reason to remember a stranger. Or so I thought until the next time I saw her.

It was on my flight back to the UK. I had boarded late because of a delay, and to make it worse, my seat in first class had been taken by mistake. I had to settle for a seat in business class, and I was angry the whole time.

Mid-flight, I got up to use the restroom, and when I tried to open the door, it was locked. After knocking twice, I heard a faint sound, like someone falling. I forced the door open, and there she was again.

It was the same woman. But this time, she was on the floor, unconscious.

I called the hostess quickly, and we helped her back to her seat. I didn't say a word after that, but I kept watching her quietly.

I didn't even know her name, yet somehow, I couldn't forget her face.

Now here she was again, sitting beside me in my car. And I knew exactly who she was. Alice Morgan. Former financial analyst at Sterling & Cross Holdings.

The company that had sabotaged Hale Enterprises five years ago. The company that planted false reports, bribed officials, and manipulated contracts to destroy my $500 million development project. The company that nearly bankrupted me.

I had spent three years rebuilding. And the last two years investigating them quietly, gathering evidence and tracking their crimes.

But I was missing something. The smoking gun. Internal documents that proved deliberate fraud.

And Alice Morgan had worked in their finance department. She would have seen everything.

She still didn't look at me. Her eyes stayed glued to the window with her hand clutching her purse tightly.

This wasn't a coincidence. It couldn't be. Three times? Paris, the plane, and now here?

Was she following me? Was Sterling & Cross using her to get close to me?

Or was she running from them?

When we reached the main road, the driver slowed down and looked at me through the mirror.

"Sir, should I keep going?" he asked.

"Yes," I said without thinking.

I could feel her glance at me for the first time. It was quick and nervous. She probably thought I was going to throw her out, but I didn't.

For some reason, I wanted to know why she was running.

We drove in silence for almost fifteen minutes before she suddenly said, "You can stop here."

The driver slowed down near the next corner, and before the car had even fully stopped, she opened the door and got out quickly.

She didn't look back. She just ran across the road and disappeared into the crowd.

I stared through the window until she was gone. I had no idea why, but my chest felt tight watching her leave.

"Let's go," I said quietly.

The driver nodded and turned the car back toward the company.

My secretary rushed to me with files in her hand the moment I entered my office.

"Sir, the new documents from Sterling & Cross just came in," she said. "They're pushing harder on the lawsuit. They claim we breached contract terms on the Silverline project."

"Leave it," I said, taking the folder from her.

After she left, I sat down and opened the file. Sterling & Cross was suing us for allegedly stealing their client. It was nonsense. They were the ones who had stolen from us five years ago.

As I flipped through the pages, I stopped when I saw a printed document titled 'List of Former Employees—Confidential.'

There were dozens of names, each with a small picture beside it. I scrolled through, reading absently, until one name made my hand freeze.

Alice Morgan.

And beside the name was her picture. The same face I had just seen in my car.

For a few seconds, I didn't even breathe. I just stared at the name and the photo, feeling something heavy drop inside my chest.

But there was more. Next to her name was a note in red: "TERMINATED—Suspected of document theft and embezzlement. DO NOT REHIRE."

My jaw tightened.

So, they had fired her. And they had branded her a criminal.

Why?

What had she seen? What had she found?

I leaned back in my chair, my mind racing. This changed everything.

Alice Morgan wasn't working for Sterling & Cross. She was running from them.

And if they had gone so far as to destroy her reputation, it meant she knew something. Something big enough to threaten them.

My phone rang. It was Antonio.

"Bryan, we need to talk," he said. "I just found out something about the woman from the accident."

"I know who she is," I said quietly.

"You do?"

"Alice Morgan. Former financial analyst at Sterling & Cross. They fired her and framed her for embezzlement."

There was a pause. "How do you know all this?"

"She just got into my car outside the courthouse. And her name is on the Sterling & Cross lawsuit file."

Antonio was quiet for a moment. "This can't be a coincidence."

"It's not," I said. "She has something they want. And I need to find out what."

"What are you going to do?" He asked.

I looked at her picture again.

"I'm going to find her. And I'm going to make her an offer she can't refuse."

I closed the file and stood up, pacing to the window as my mind was already forming a plan.

Alice Morgan had evidence, and I was sure of it. And I needed that evidence to destroy Sterling & Cross once and for all.

But first, I needed to find her. And I needed to make sure she trusted me enough to work with me.

Because if Sterling & Cross realized she was still a threat, they would come for her. And next time, they wouldn't just fire her.

They would bury her.