Alicia looked at Sophia’s young, delicate face. The pride and malice in her eyes were obvious. Her heart felt like a cold hand was squeezing it.

She did not know how much time had passed. Finally, she forced out a pained smile.

“It will. It definitely will.”

Sophia smiled in satisfaction. She stood up. “Then, I’ll leave it to you.”

She suddenly seemed to remember something. She pulled out a few photos and tossed them onto the desk. “Oh, and here are some pictures from our bed. Look at them. They might help you understand the case.”

The photos showed a man and a woman entwined. The man’s handsome face shone with decadent desire.

It was Matteo.

Sophia left. Her high heels clicked on the floor. Each tap seemed to strike Alicia’s fraying nerves.

The office was empty except for her.

After a long while, Alicia opened a drawer. She pulled out a box of slim cigarettes she had not touched in a long time.

She took one out and lit it.

Her slender fingers trembled ever so slightly.

Pale blue smoke rose. It blurred her calm, beautiful face.

She smoked slowly and stared at the indecent photos on the desk. Her thoughts drifted far back into the past.

She was twenty-eight at the time. She was already Monhattan’s most sought-after mergers and acquisitions lawyer.

A Vitale family port acquisition triggered a federal investigation. The first time Matteo sat across from her in her office, his shirt sleeves were rolled up to his elbows. His eyes were razor-sharp.

She removed the traps set by the prosecutors. She saved the deal that would decide the transfer of power in the family.

After that, Matteo began seeing her under the guise of a client. He soon grew tired of being just her client.

He dropped off hot coffee when she worked late. Sometimes, he waited downstairs to make sure she got home safely.

The first time a gun was pointed at her, he stepped in front of her.

Later, the old Don became seriously ill. The family erupted into internal conflict.

Alicia handled his personal assets, his trusts, and his legitimized corporate empire. She stayed with him through the most dangerous days.

When Matteo officially took control of the Vitale family, he removed his gloves and placed a ring on her case file.

“Marry me. I’ll love you forever.”

At that time, she had truly believed him.

She thought they had entered marriage after fighting side by side. Now she realized that promises were even less trustworthy than contracts.

The cigarette burned down to the end. Alicia snubbed it out.

She swallowed the sharp pain in her chest and opened her computer. Her fingers typed quickly on the keyboard. Soon, a clear and well-organized divorce agreement was ready.

She pressed the intercom button. “Jenna, please come in.”

The intern, Jenna Carter, entered the office quickly.

Alicia handed her the printed agreement. “Take this divorce agreement straight to court and file it.”

Jenna looked surprised. Alicia said before she could respond, “Both parties have agreed to the divorce.”

Jenna did not ask anything further and took the papers. “When the divorce documents are ready, I’ll call both parties to pick them up.”

“No need.” Alicia stood and picked up her coat. “Just call me when it’s done.”

She said nothing more and walked straight out of the office.

It was the end of the workday, and people streamed past the office building.

Alicia had just stepped out of the building when she saw the familiar black car and the striking man leaning against it.

He wore a simple black shirt and stood tall. His handsome face carried a languid smile.

He drew the attention of many women walking by.

Some approached him for his number, but he politely refused.

When he saw Alicia, he immediately walked forward. He took her bag as if it were no big deal and spoke in a familiar, intimate tone.

“I saw a necklace today. I thought it’d look perfect on you, so I bought it.”

He handed her a delicate velvet box from the car.

People around them shot envious glances at her.

Alicia smiled faintly but did not respond.

Matteo seemed not to notice her mood. He leaned close to her ear. His breath carried the playful, bad-boy charm he always had.

“Alicia, tomorrow is the weekend. I booked a suite at the hotel tonight. The one you said you liked last time. We can relax there.”

He was young, strong, and playful.

Every time he hinted at something like that before, Alicia’s ears would heat up. She would blush, push back a little, and allow him to have his way.

But this time, hearing the same intimate words, a chill ran down her spine.

She looked up at his handsome face that was so close to hers and asked softly, “Didn’t you say I smelled old?”

The neon lights along the street made Alicia’s eyes ache. Matteo did not seem to hear her. He lowered his head slightly. “What did you just say?”

Before Alicia could repeat it, his phone rang.

He looked at the screen, and his face immediately darkened. His grip on her bag loosened.

In the next second, he composed himself. He gave her an almost perfect apologetic smile. “Something came up at the port. I have to go now. Tonight is off the table. I’ll make it up to you another day.”

With that, he got into the car and left. He did not give any extra explanation.

But Alicia saw it clearly.

She had seen the name on his phone. It had been far too intimate to be a random person. The called ID was “Babe.”

She stood where she was. She suddenly felt the necklace was as heavy as a chain around her neck.

Ten minutes later, she drove to the hotel herself.

The suite at the end of the corridor was not fully closed.

Warm yellow light filtered through the gap in the door. It was like a provocative and humiliating invitation to her.

Alicia stopped outside the door. She did not push it open.

She heard Sophia’s voice. She sounded like she was smiling. “Why’re you in such a hurry today? Didn’t you say you were going to be with your wife?”

Matteo said something in a low voice. It was too soft to hear clearly.

Then, she heard the rustle of fabric. Then a woman’s breath. It was drawn out on purpose. Then, she heard the soft sound of high heels falling onto the carpet.

She heard Sophia asking, “So, what is it? You can’t bear to leave, or you just don’t want to?”

This time, Matteo said clearly, “Don’t ask pointless questions at a time like this.”

Sophia seemed pleased. She laughed even more sweetly. “Then, I’ll ask something else. When you hold me now, do you still think of her?”

The room fell quiet for a moment. Then, the man said carelessly, “No.”

The word was like a red-hot knife. It drove straight into Alicia’s heart and twisted again and again. The pain made her whole body seize. She almost lost her balance.

She knew this already. But what she saw and heard with her own eyes and ears hit far harder than she had imagined.

Her whole body turned numb. It felt as if her blood was frozen.

She took a deep breath. She could not stay there any longer. She turned and stumbled away. She almost ran from the place.

Alicia got back into the car. She started the engine and slammed the accelerator.

The sports car surged forward like a wild horse. It raced through the night.

The scenery outside the window rushed past as streaks of color.

Memories flashed through Alicia’s mind. She could not stop them.

She saw Matteo’s burning gaze when he chased her. She saw him drop to one knee when he proposed. She heard the vows he made at their wedding. She remembered the countless times he whispered sweet nothings in her ear.

Before she knew it, her vision blurred with tears.

She did not even notice the intersection ahead.

By the time she realized it, it was too late.

A sharp screech of brakes cut through the air.

Alicia jerked the steering wheel. She turned it all the way. The car went out of control and crashed into the roadside barrier.

Bang!

After the violent impact, everything went dark.

…

Alicia regained consciousness in the hospital.

She slowly opened her eyes. Jenna was by her bed.

“Alicia, you’re finally awake!” Jenna was teary-eyed. “The nurse called Mr. Vitale many times, but no one answered… That’s why I came.”

Alicia’s voice caught in her throat. She did not even have the strength to laugh at herself.

Matteo did not answer the phone.

What important matter could he be busy with? He was with Sophia, of course. He had no time for anything else.

“But there’s good news,” Jenna said. She let out a breath. She sounded relieved. “The baby is healthy. There’s no serious problem at all.”

The baby?

Alicia froze. Her hand moved to her belly.

She was pregnant!

The sudden news felt like a heavy blow crashing into Alicia’s already restless heart.

It took her about three seconds to decide. She was not keeping the baby.

It was not that she could not afford it. With her ability and income, she could easily give the child a comfortable life.

But she did not want her child to be born into the ruins of a broken marriage.

She did not want the child to become another tie between her and Matteo.

Just then, the ward door flew open. Matteo rushed in.

“Alicia!” He strode straight to her bedside. He was clearly worried. “How are you? How did you get into a car accident? Is it serious?”

His concern did not seem fake.

But Alicia only felt tired.

She could no longer tell whether he cared because he loved her or simply out of habit.

She looked at him and said nothing.

Matteo thought she was upset, so he said patiently, “My phone was on silent last night, so I didn’t hear it. I’m sorry, Alicia. This time it’s my fault.”

Every word sounded very proper. Every word felt rehearsed.

Alicia was just about to tell him she was pregnant when Matteo’s phone rang again.

He glanced at the screen, and his face stiffened for a second. Then, he lowered his voice and said, “I’ll step out for two minutes.”

He took the call at the far end of the hallway. His voice was quiet, with a clear note of reassurance.

The call lasted a long time.

Alicia did not wait. She did not mention the baby either.

For the next two days, Matteo did not show up.

He only appeared on the night she was discharged with a bouquet of white roses. It was as if nothing had happened. He even opened the car door for her.

“Let’s not go home yet,” he said. “There’s a private charity dinner tonight. It’s just our circle. It won’t be too noisy. I’ll stay with you for a while. You can get some fresh air.”

Alicia wanted to refuse, but in the end, she got into the car.

She wanted to see how smoothly he could shift between two very different versions of himself.

The event was held at a members-only club.

The guests were either heirs to major conglomerates or long-established figures with close ties to the Vitale family.

Matteo was attentive the whole time.

He kept unnecessary small talk away from her. He even had the waiter replace her wine with a fruit drink.

To others, they looked like a flawless, model couple.

Then, a sudden commotion broke out in the lounge area.

Alicia looked up and saw Sophia standing beside a real estate developer. Sophia’s face was pale, and there was a red mark around her wrist, as if he had just grabbed her.

The man had clearly had too much to drink. He insisted that he had mistaken her for someone else.

Matteo did not rush over or start a fight.

He stopped a few meters away. His expression was cold enough to make people uneasy.

Then, he lifted a hand. The bodyguards behind him quickly stepped forward and pulled the man out of the crowd.

The whole thing took less than ten seconds.

No one dared to step in. No one dared to speak.

Matteo walked up to the man. His clothes were still perfectly in place. He said calmly, “Take him to a private room and let him sober up. Inform his board as well. Starting tomorrow, the Vitale family will end all cooperation with them.”

The man’s face went pale. The alcohol seemed to leave him on the spot. He began to apologize repeatedly.

Matteo did not look at him anymore. He took off his suit jacket and placed it over Sophia’s shoulders. Then, he quietly told a waitress to take her to the lounge.

That single gesture made Alicia stop where she was. She did not even bother to move her lips.

It felt too familiar.

In the past, when she felt unwell after a court hearing, Matteo had draped his jacket over her shoulders in the same way.

When she was surrounded by the media, he had done the same. He pushed everyone aside first, then took her away.

Some gestures done for another woman to show care and affection were painfully obvious.

As if he noticed her gaze, Matteo walked back quickly. His tone was steady and controlled. “She is the younger sister of the former underboss. I can’t ignore it.”

Alicia chuckled. “You really are good at taking care of people.”

She did not say anything else. She turned and walked toward the terrace.