Over the years, Beckett and Samira had slowly grown distant. Their meetings became rare, reduced to brief encounters that happened only once in a while. Each time he saw her again, Beckett noticed the same thing. The lively spark that once defined Samira had dimmed.

He still remembered the woman she used to be. In those years, she carried herself with strength and brilliance. People couldn't ignore her presence. The idea that her name might one day be linked to weakness felt impossible to him.

The thought lingered in his mind. "Precarious."

That word didn't belong to the image he had always held of her, and he struggled to accept it.

Beckett didn't know the exact truth behind her marriage to Declan. Still, the rumors that circulated were enough to make him suspicious. Without pushing her to reveal more, Beckett spoke with quiet sincerity.

"You know, Samira, taking a different path for a while doesn't change who you are. Your talent is remarkable, and it's never too late to return to where you left off. Don't forget, you were the student our professor admired the most. He made that clear throughout his entire career."

Samira formed a faint, bitter smile and answered in a low, amused voice, "If he heard you say that, he'd probably laugh and tell you it was just like choosing the tallest among dwarfs."

The mention of that brilliant but demanding professor brought a different expression to her face. His comments had always been sharp and merciless. Her smile softened slightly.

"I saw in the news that he was attending the ceremony too. Do you know how he's been?"

"He's doing well," Beckett replied. "Still irritated with us, his former students, since we keep giving him reasons to roll his eyes."

A quiet laugh slipped from Samira. Yet her chest tightened with nostalgia. Memories returned of the years she spent under that strict guidance, working tirelessly through the night to perfect research papers and articles.

"Come back, Samira," Beckett said with firm conviction.

Samira tightened her hands around the coffee cup. She drew in a long breath before giving a small nod.

"Alright."

From an early age, artificial intelligence had been Samira's true passion. It wasn't simply a field she studied. It was a world that fascinated her completely, a place where she truly thrived. Yet because of her love for Declan, she had set aside that dream and stepped away from it for almost seven years.

Returning now wouldn't be easy. After so much time away, the road ahead would be filled with obstacles. Still, she believed that with enough determination, she could find her place again.

"Do you have any idea when you'll start?" Beckett asked with curiosity.

"I still have a few projects I need to finish..." Samira admitted. "It might take some time."

"That's fine," Beckett replied easily. "There's no need to rush."

They continued talking for a while longer until Beckett glanced at his watch.

"A friend introduced me to an algorithm expert," he explained. "He's a real prodigy who just came back to town. We have a meeting scheduled soon. Since you're here, why don't you join us?"

Samira gently shook her head, her tone polite but firm.

"Not this time. I don't know your team yet, and I'd rather wait."

"As you wish," Beckett said with a friendly smile.

He soon excused himself and left. When Samira lifted her gaze, she saw Brielle Whitmore, Declan's sister, walking toward her. Samira recognized her immediately. She had seen Brielle's face in the media many times, though she never expected to encounter her here.

"Hello, Brielle," Samira greeted politely.

Brielle studied her for a moment before responding. Her brows drew together slightly as she looked Samira up and down.

"What are you doing here?" she asked at last.

"I came for the Starlight University anniversary celebration," Samira explained.

Brielle looked momentarily surprised, as though she had forgotten that Samira was also one of the university's graduates. The event mainly welcomed professors, current students, and notable alumni. In her mind, Samira had always been just an ordinary graduate, someone without any remarkable achievements.

Still, Brielle didn't dwell on that thought. She had come with a specific purpose. She wanted to make sure Samira wouldn't do anything that could damage the Whitmore family's reputation. Thinking about her son, she spoke without hesitation. "Cain told me he misses your cooking. I'll have my driver bring him to your place later with Declan."

Cain, Brielle's son, was two years older than Kylie. With parents on the verge of separating and a mother constantly absorbed in her career, the boy had grown temperamental and rebellious. Although he enjoyed Samira's cooking, he never treated her with respect. To him, she seemed more like a household servant than an aunt.

For years, Samira had quietly accepted that role. She constantly went out of her way for Declan and tolerated the boy's lack of respect. Now that she had decided to end the marriage, she no longer felt obligated to keep making those sacrifices.

"I'm sorry, Brielle. I'm busy tomorrow," she answered calmly.

She had already made up her mind. It was time to close that chapter and direct her energy toward her career instead of family duties that gave her nothing in return.

Brielle stood there, stunned. Samira had always been accommodating in the past. She had never turned down a request, especially one coming from the Whitmore family. After a moment, Brielle convinced herself that Samira must be extremely busy to let such a chance slip away. Even so, the irritation on her face remained clear.

"Declan and Kylie aren't even here. What could possibly be so important?"

A faint, bitter smile appeared on Samira's lips. Brielle's remark stung, though it wasn't entirely wrong. For years, her world revolved around Declan and Kylie alone. She had pushed aside her own ambitions and lost herself in the roles of wife and mother.

That part of her life, however, had come to an end.

While they were still speaking, several people approached and greeted Brielle warmly.

"Mrs. Whitmore!"

They had come looking for her. One of them glanced at Samira with curiosity and asked, "Mrs. Whitmore, who is this?"

Without hesitation, Brielle answered in a cool voice.

"A friend."

She didn't even mention the family connection. The alumni gathered for the event didn't press the matter any further. A few of them still cast curious glances at Samira, drawn by her quiet elegance. Brielle soon left with them, leaving Samira standing there alone.

In the past, such indifference would've deeply hurt her. Now, it only stirred a faint sadness. Unbothered, she picked up her bag and walked away.

Later that evening, Declan and Kylie returned from their trip. The little girl had fallen asleep before the plane even landed. Declan carried her gently to her room.

As he walked past the master bedroom, he noticed the door slightly open. The room lay in darkness. After placing Kylie in her bed, he realized Samira wasn't there.

The butler arrived with their luggage and offered an explanation.

"Mrs. Whitmore left for a business trip."

The news caught Declan off guard. Samira rarely traveled for work, especially not for something that would keep her away for two weeks. He frowned slightly but said nothing more. The question that crossed his mind faded quickly, slipping away in quiet indifference.

When Declan arrived at the company the next morning, he ran straight into Samira at the entrance.

Samira had no idea that he had already returned from his overseas trip with Kylie, so she halted mid-step. The sudden encounter clearly caught her off guard.

For a brief moment, surprise flashed across Declan's eyes. It disappeared just as quickly, replaced by the cold indifference he always carried. He assumed she had just come back from some work assignment and didn't give it another thought. Without showing the slightest reaction, he walked past Samira as if she were no more than a stranger and continued toward his office without slowing down.

In the past, the moment Samira learned that Declan had returned, excitement would fill her chest. Even if she held herself back from rushing over to him, the happiness would still show on her face. She would greet him warmly with a soft "Hello," no matter how distant and cold he acted toward her.

But this time was different. Samira only looked at him for a brief second before lowering her gaze. Her face stayed calm and empty. There was no sign of happiness or excitement at all. Declan didn't notice anything unusual. He remained wrapped in his own indifference and left without saying a single word.

As Samira watched his figure disappear down the corridor, she couldn't help wondering how long he had already been back.

Then another thought pressed down on her chest. If Declan had returned, it meant the divorce would soon be brought up.

Samira forced herself to stop thinking about it. She had already made up her mind. There was no point wasting any more of her energy on a man who had never seen her as anything more than a responsibility. She returned to her desk and focused on her work again.

About thirty minutes later, the phone on her desk rang.

Caleb's curt voice came from the other end of the line. He told her to prepare two cups of coffee and deliver them to Mr. Whitmore's office.

In the past, when Samira had still been trying to win Declan's heart, she put great effort into mastering the art of making coffee because she knew how much he liked it. She spent countless hours studying every detail. She experimented with different beans, paid attention to the aroma, and adjusted the measurements again and again. When Declan eventually accepted her coffee as the only one he would drink, both at home and at the office, Samira believed she had finally taken an important step closer to him. That small success filled her with pride and gave her hope that their future might slowly improve.

But Samira had misjudged the distance Declan kept between them.

Yes, Declan enjoyed the coffee she made, but that was all it meant to him. The habit never softened the cold attitude he held toward her. No matter what she did, the gap between them remained wide.

Whenever Declan wanted his favorite coffee, he had Caleb contact Samira to prepare it. After the drink was ready, Caleb or another employee usually came to pick it up. Declan almost never allowed Samira to enter his office herself. Only on rare occasions, when his assistants were too busy to handle it, did she get the chance to bring the tray to him in person.

From the tone Caleb used this time, Samira understood that she was expected to deliver the coffee herself. She prepared the two cups carefully, arranged them neatly on a tray, and walked toward Declan's office. The door stood slightly open.

Samira stopped outside for a moment. Just before she knocked, her eyes drifted through the narrow opening, and she suddenly froze.

Merrick was sitting on Declan's lap. Their faces were so close that it looked as if they were about to kiss.

The color drained from Samira's face at once, leaving her pale and stiff.

Startled by the sudden situation, Merrick quickly stood up and stepped away from Declan's lap.

Declan's face hardened immediately, and his voice cut through the room with sharp anger.

"Who told you that you could come in?"

Samira tightened her grip on the tray and spoke quietly.

"I only came to deliver the coffee..."

Just then, Vale, another one of Declan's secretaries, arrived at the doorway. The moment he saw what was happening, his expression changed. Since he was already familiar with the situation, his voice turned cold.

"Samira, you should know by now that this kind of thing is pointless."

Vale didn't bother explaining further, but the meaning behind his words was obvious. In his mind, Samira had deliberately used the coffee as an excuse so she could catch Declan together with Merrick. The cold look in Declan's eyes suggested he believed the same thing.

Maybe in the past Samira might have done something like that.

But now that she had already decided to end their marriage, there was no reason for her to humiliate herself with such tricks. Still, no one in the room gave her the chance to defend herself.

Vale's voice rang out again, firm and impatient. "Leave. Right now."

Samira bit down hard on her lip as tears filled her eyes. Her hands shook, causing the tray to tremble. The hot coffee spilled over the edge of the cup and splashed onto her fingers. The burning heat made her body shiver, but she said nothing. Without another word, she turned around and walked away.

She had barely taken a few steps when Declan's familiar cold voice rang out behind her. "Don't even think about coming back to work next time."

The words sounded like a warning, but it was nothing less than a disguised dismissal.

In truth, Samira had already submitted her resignation. Her departure was only a matter of time. They simply hadn't found someone to replace her yet. Still, being wrongly accused and treated as someone who played petty tricks deepened the pain she already carried.

Samira didn't respond.

She kept walking forward, still holding the tray in her hands.

Behind her, Merrick's sweet and syrupy voice drifted over.

"Come on, Declan. I'm sure she didn't mean anything by it. Let's not stay upset with each other, alright?"

A wave of bitterness rose in Samira's chest, but she forced it down. When she reached the break room, she dumped the coffee into the sink and quickly turned on the cold water. The cool stream ran over her reddened fingers.

She took a small tube of ointment from her bag and applied it with practiced ease. A trace of bitter irony crossed her mind. "Look at me now. I'm practically a skilled cook and waitress."

Before marrying Declan, Samira had never done any housework. She didn't know how to cook, and she certainly didn't know how to make coffee properly. But during the years she spent beside him, she had poured her time and effort into learning everything. She had worked hard to become almost perfect at these things, even though he had never truly appreciated it.

The ointment she used had originally been meant for their child's small cuts and scrapes. It became unnecessary after Kylie followed Declan to Goldland. Still, Samira kept it in her bag out of habit. Today, at least, it proved useful for treating her burn.

After finishing with the ointment, Samira forced down the tight ache pressing against her chest and returned to her desk. She focused on the files in front of her and continued working as though nothing unusual had happened.

Not long after, a faint wave of whispers reached her ears. A few coworkers nearby had gathered and were speaking quietly. "Did you hear? Mr. Whitmore's girlfriend came to the company today."

"Seriously? He has a girlfriend? Who is she? Is she pretty?"

"I heard she comes from a very wealthy family. The receptionist said she's gorgeous and carries herself with an incredible presence."

When Samira stood up to head to a meeting, the conversation stopped at once. The coworkers who had been gossiping looked embarrassed. They forced awkward smiles and spoke quickly.

"We should focus on work first. We can talk about that later."

Samira instantly realized they were referring to Merrick. Still, she said nothing. She gathered her documents and followed them toward the elevator.

After they reached the ground floor, the group walked toward the meeting room. On the way, they ran into Merrick. She stood surrounded by four senior executives from the company. Each of them seemed eager to impress her. They carefully chose their words and behaved with exaggerated politeness, clearly trying to leave the best possible impression.

Merrick wore an expensive designer outfit, and everything about her carried the air of a pampered heiress. Confidence showed in every small movement she made. Even though she spoke politely, the way she carried herself made it clear that she already regarded the executives as people beneath her.

The executives acted overly respectful. Some of them almost looked ready to bow.

"Considering your relationship with Mr. Whitmore, Mrs. Sloane, this is the least we could do."

"You're being too generous with your praise."

Their smiles stretched wide across their faces, but the eagerness in their expressions looked forced.

When they noticed Samira and her coworkers stepping out of the elevator, their expressions immediately darkened. One of the executives frowned and spoke sharply. "Watch where you're going! What if you had bumped into Mrs. Sloane? Don't you people have any manners?"