Chapter 1

In all the years Autumn Gray had been married to Damien Caldwell, divorce had never crossed her mind.

And that was because she loved Damien to the moon and back. She loved him so much that she would even die for him.

But now, his first love was back.

…

At the time, Autumn was in the hospital.

The doctor flatly said, "Ms. Gray, the miscarriage caused lasting damage. Your chances of getting pregnant again in the future are very low. Please be mentally prepared."

Autumn's mind went blank.

She had been trying to conceive for three grueling years and only got pregnant two months ago.

That afternoon, a car came swerving out of nowhere, causing her to stumble and fall.

The doctor frowned at her. "Ms. Gray?"

"...Oh, I understand. Thank you, doctor."

Not one to show weakness in front of others, Autumn blinked away her tears before forcing herself to stand up and leave.

The nurses behind her could be heard gossiping, "How come her husband didn't show up for something this serious?"

"Don't get me started. She was sobbing so hard after the dilation and curettage surgery while begging her husband on the phone to come to the hospital, but he never came."

"Geez, he's not even trying to hide how much he doesn't care! Why would anyone still not get a divorce at this point?"

Autumn was now too far to hear the rest of it.

As a matter of fact, Damien hadn't just refused to come. On the phone, he even said, "So what if the baby's gone? Why would you cry about it? I'm busy. Don't bother me again!"

After that, Autumn called him several more times, and of course, he didn't answer any of her calls.

This cold act of his had been consistent for the past three years.

In all honesty, she had already gotten used to it.

This started three years ago. Autumn had saved Hank Caldwell's life by chance.

Hank, Damien's grandfather, took a liking to her and arranged their marriage. If he hadn't done so, she'd never have had the chance to become Mrs. Caldwell with her social standing.

As such, Damien had been unwilling to marry her from the start.

The only reason she kept trying to reach him that day was that she had hoped that he might at least care for the sake of their unborn child.

But it was now clear that she shouldn't have hoped for anything.

Pulling herself together, Autumn stepped outside to call for a cab home. Just as she pulled out her phone, a new message popped up.

It was from Damien's close friend, Barry Walters. He had sent her a video.

The video showed a massive bouquet of roses. There were at least 999 individual roses, so many that they barely fit in the frame.

The camera then panned to the left, revealing Damien. Beside him stood a woman, Emilia Mason.

Autumn's pupils shrank abruptly, her fists clenching.

Someone in the video shouted in a teasing voice, "Emilia, after Damien found out you'd be back today, he planned this whole party to welcome you! He really went all out!"

"Aren't you going to give him a hug? You should hurry up and thank him!"

"Forget the hug—just go straight for a kiss! It's not like you guys haven't kissed before! I still haven't deleted that three-minute-long passionate kiss video!"

Emilia shook her head. "That's not really appropriate now…"

She hadn't even finished speaking when Damien pulled her into a gentle embrace. "Welcome back, Emilia."

His tone and gesture were so gentle and so natural.

The crowd began squealing in delight. "See? Damien doesn't mind at all!"

"You guys should kiss!"

At that point, the video abruptly ended because the message had been recalled.

"Sorry, I sent it by mistake."

The video had been recalled almost instantly. Barry must have thought she hadn't seen it, so there wasn't any further explanation.

Autumn stared at the chat window for a long time, her lips slowly curling into a smirk as she stared.

So, this was the important thing Damien mentioned…

For three whole years, she'd tried to win him over, but Damien never loved her back. What she got instead was watching him reunite with the woman he'd always loved.

She realized then that Damien was even less likely to care about her now.

It was time to wake up from her selfish dream.

Once Autumn got back home, she began packing her things.

Over the years of staying there, she had bought very few things because of her minimalist lifestyle and work. Aside from essentials like clothes and documents, there was nothing else she needed to take.

A single 26-inch suitcase was enough to fit everything, and she was done packing in less than 30 minutes.

Then she waited for Damien to come home.

It wasn't until 2:00 am that the front door finally opened.

As Damien walked past the living room, he locked eyes with Autumn.

Damien wasn't surprised to see her there.

Autumn would always wait up for him just like this whenever he had business dinners and social events.

"You just had surgery. Aren't you going to rest?" Damien asked indifferently, his tone devoid of concern.

"I was waiting for you."

From the moment he walked in, Autumn had been staring at his lips.

The corners of his perfectly shaped lips were rather chapped.

On his white shirt collar were faint traces of lipstick. Even his neck had some.

So, he did kiss her—maybe even did more than that.

Autumn felt her heart ache.

In their three years of marriage, Damien had only touched her a handful of times. And that only happened whenever he was pressured by his elders to have children.

He never initiated a kiss and would always just jump straight into it. There was never any care or tenderness.

It was torture for Autumn every single time, and when she wanted a hug afterward, he would turn away and head straight to the bathroom.

All she ever got was the cold back of his retreating figure.

Damien spotted the suitcase by her side. Understanding what might have happened, he asked, "You saw Barry's video?"

"Yeah, I did." Now that he was close, Autumn could smell the alcohol on him—and the nauseating scent of perfume.

"Let's get a divor—"

Before she could finish, Damien cut in casually, "Since you already know, let's get divorced. You knew what you were getting into from the start. If Emilia hadn't gone abroad, I'd never have married you."

At this point, there was nothing for Autumn to disagree with. "Alright."

"It's pretty late now. Get some rest for today, and you can move out tomorrow—"

"No need. I've already signed the divorce papers." Autumn pointed to the coffee table.

Damien had handed her those divorce papers on their wedding night. It wasn't until today that Autumn had finally signed them.

Damien was caught off guard this time.

He knitted his brows, trying to gauge if she was serious.

"I knew you'd be drinking, so I made some soup to help with your hangover. It's in the kitchen," Autumn added after a pause.

She made it out of habit. In order to win his heart before this, she had handled every little thing for him.

It hadn't been easy going from someone who could barely cook to a master chef.

Every meal she made for Damien, from grocery shopping to serving, took her hours.

Her fingers bore countless scars from cuts and burns.

Nonetheless, Damien was forever picky. No matter how good the food was, he never said it was, even when his face clearly showed he was enjoying it.

Damien was well aware that a single compliment from him would make her happy for days, yet he simply didn't want her to have that satisfaction.

"I'm going to go now." They were husband and wife for three years, and now that it was time to part ways, she had nothing left to say to him anymore.

Damien frowned. "Stay for tonight."

"No, thanks." With her suitcase in tow, Autumn turned and walked out the door.

Damien's face darkened—he didn't like it when she wouldn't do as told.

The front door closed.

Right then, Barry called. "Damien, are you home yet? Did you ask Autumn if she saw the video? Sorry about that. I really didn't mean to do it. But even if she did see it, it should be fine, right? You two fight all the time anyway—"

Damien cut him off, stating, "She's divorcing me."

"What? Divorce?" Barry was stunned, unable to believe his ears. "Over that video? No way. That's just not possible. If she is really divorcing you, I'll eat my hat!"

"I'm the one who suggested it," Damien informed.

Barry went silent for a while.

Damien's request for a divorce had always been pointless. After all, Autumn was known to be clingy and was impossible to get rid of.

"Didn't you ask for a divorce less than a month ago? This topic comes back every month like clockwork."

Barry then teased, "Last time I bet she'd come back in half a day—and I was right. I'm going to bet that she'd be back in one day. If I win again, you owe me another meal!"

Damien glanced at the tightly closed door. He then heard a car engine rumble outside.

Autumn seemed pretty determined that day.

Nevertheless, Damien's sharp eyes showed no concern. "It won't take that long. She'll be back by morning."

Chapter 2

Whenever Damien brought up divorce, Autumn would usually leave for a while before coming back without a fuss and trying to please him in whatever way she could.

There had never been an exception in the past.

Of course, this time would be no different.

For her to leave that determinedly that day was probably because she had just lost the baby.

As for the child…

A look of disgust crossed Damien's gaze. Autumn didn't deserve to bear his child. The pregnancy had been purely an accident.

Now that the child was gone, it was for the best.

…

Her compensation from the divorce was five million dollars.

The bank card and the divorce papers had always been placed together.

If Autumn had signed the papers three years ago, she could have had it all without needing to sacrifice anything.

In the three years she'd spent chasing a fantasy, she had not only wasted her time, her energy, and her feelings, but she had also impaired her fertility.

Whatever.

Dwelling on regrets was pointless and would only make her feel hopeless. Life was about moving forward.

Besides, it was better to have money than not at all.

With the bank card in hand, Autumn called for a taxi in the middle of the night, which took her straight to the entrance of Flery Residences.

This was an upscale luxury development where the price started at 30 thousand dollars per square foot.

Each condominium was generously sized, with just two units occupying each floor.

And one was under Autumn's name.

The property used to belong to her uncle, Darius Green. Ever since what happened to Virginia Green, Autumn's mother, he had settled abroad and left the condominium to her.

Autumn had thought she would never need it, but plans never keep up with changes.

Now that she was divorced, having a place to go was pretty nice.

Autumn dragged her suitcase inside Penthouse No. 1, which was located in Building 7.

She had scheduled a cleaning earlier that afternoon. The place was spotless at a single glance, but the nearly 300-square-foot condominium felt empty.

If it had been before, Autumn would have found living alone in such a large space too cold and lonely.

However, after enduring three years of Damien's cold indifference, she feared nothing now, and she even felt a sense of peace she'd never known.

Feeling both relaxed and completely exhausted, Autumn quickly washed up and fell asleep.

At 6:00 am, a familiar alarm woke her up.

The alarm label read, "Time to make breakfast for my husband."

Autumn was instantly wide awake.

Damien usually ate breakfast at 8:00 am, but since he was picky and would not eat anything simple, making breakfast would always take her one or two hours to prepare.

Even if he got home late from drinking the night before, Autumn would stay up to care for him, sleep around two or three, and still get up early the next morning.

Sometimes, even after all that effort, Damien wouldn't eat, so the lavish breakfast would just go straight to the trash.

But now, she didn't have to get up early anymore, and she no longer had to worry about her efforts being wasted.

Autumn deleted the alarm, put on her eye mask, and went back to sleep.

Though she believed she'd have a hard time falling back asleep, she succumbed to slumber almost instantly.

…

At 8:00 am, Damien opened his eyes with a pounding headache.

He always got headaches after drinking if he didn't take anything to help with hangovers.

Damien had been too tired last night to drink Autumn's soup, so now he was in agony.

On the nightstand, there was a steaming glass of water.

An unperturbed smirk appeared on his face.

Even though she'd left so decisively, she still came back in the end.

Drinking the warm water helped ease his headache. Then he sent a message to Barry. "I won the bet."

Barry was speechless but impressed. "Can't Autumn stand her ground just once? She spoils you more and more each time!"

Then he began to whine. "Losing sucks! Damn, the more I think about it, the angrier I get! Damien, hurry up and introduce me to a woman who loves me to death, please! I want to have a taste of what it's like!"

Damien smiled a little. "Stop acting up."

Then he tossed the phone aside and got up to shower.

He made his way downstairs, but unlike usual, the busy figure he was used to seeing was nowhere in sight.

"Where is she?" he said coldly.

Rosetta Braun, his housekeeper who would occasionally cook for him, came out of the kitchen with breakfast. "Mr. Caldwell, you're up. Breakfast is ready."

Damien frowned at her. "It's you?"

"Yeah?"

"Were you the one who placed the water on my nightstand as well?"

Rosetta nodded. "Last night, Mrs. Caldwell told me she wouldn't be home today and asked me to come early."

Damien was speechless.

Seeing his dark expression, Rosetta became nervous. "Mr. Caldwell, maybe you should have some breakfast first…"

Damien stood there for a moment, then reluctantly walked over.

But on the table were only a glass of milk, two slices of toast, a fried egg, and some cheese.

Autumn usually made him a full breakfast spread. There would always be seven or eight different dishes that were all beautifully presented and sumptuous.

Moreover, the dishes were different every day.

In comparison to that, this was the saddest breakfast ever.

The fire in his chest that had just died down flared up again.

Damien asked coldly, "Is this all you made for me?"

Rosetta trembled from his question. "I… I'm sorry, Mr. Caldwell! Mrs. Caldwell has always been the one making you breakfast, so I don't know your tastes…"

"If you don't know, call and ask!"

Rosetta stammered, "I tried, but I couldn't reach her…"

Damien stared at her wordlessly.

Well played, Autumn.

Still, Damien wasn't worried at all. He believed Autumn would be back sooner or later.

Maybe she'd even show up at his office by noon.

This was her usual roundabout approach to come crawling back.

Regardless, the misunderstanding had already ruined his appetite. He turned and stormed out.

Damien slammed the door behind him, causing the confused Rosetta to wonder what was up with him.

She anxiously called Autumn, but after several attempts, there was still no answer.

Rosetta was puzzled, but then figured it was probably because Damien had brought up divorce again.

In the past, Autumn would usually check in with her about Damien and return at just the right time.

But this was the first time she hadn't answered her phone.

After a moment of thought, Rosetta assumed Autumn had just gotten good at playing hard to get and was just being gone longer to make Damien feel uneasy without her.

That wasn't a bad move at all.

Everyone knew Damien never really cared about Autumn.

Damien was an outstanding man, and temptations were everywhere. If Autumn didn't try harder to get his affection, how could she possibly win over his heart?

…

Since Autumn didn't have to work on Saturdays, she could sleep in until noon.

She hadn't gotten groceries yet, so she ordered a large takeout meal.

After eating, Autumn browsed a technology forum. Some familiar faces had already become industry leaders, but she couldn't find any news about her mentor.

If she were not mistaken, her mentor was busy with research.

What she remembered most vividly was how warm her mentor's gaze was. It was just like Virginia's.

Yet, she had let her down…

As Autumn's eyes reddened, she hesitated for a moment before making a call.

"Olivia, let's meet up."

Olivia Clements was Autumn's friend from university.

She would always be so happy whenever Autumn called, but now her tone lacked enthusiasm.

"I swear you cancel our plans nine times out of every ten invites. I may be your friend, but that doesn't mean you can keep wearing me down like this." She then coldly asked, "Think it through. Are you sure you want to meet?"

After getting married, Autumn had devoted herself to domestic life.

She hadn't meant to neglect her friendships, but she had.

As for Olivia, she had been focusing on her career. Her tech company had already made a name for itself and was a rising star in the industry.

The growing gap between them made Autumn less confident, so she reached out even less.

Taking a deep breath, Autumn slowly said, "I'm getting a divorce."

There was a pause on Olivia's end before she bluntly asked, "Give me the time and place."

…

Autumn went to the courthouse to file the divorce papers. The divorce would be finalized after a month, and only then would she get her divorce certificate.

She was done before three in the afternoon, arriving early at the café where she was meeting Olivia.

She ordered a coffee and drank half of it when her whole body suddenly tensed, making her clutch her cup.

She hadn't expected to run into Damien within less than a day of divorcing him.

Chapter 3

Standing at the entrance of the café was Damien in a tailored suit. With his refined air and model-like frame, many customers couldn't resist stealing glances at him, their amazement plain to see.

Beside Damien was a clean-cut man in his early 30s who was equally poised.

Autumn recognized him.

That was Luther Huffman, a professor in computer science at Averpark University. She'd recently read on a forum that he was currently researching the reliability of data-driven AI.

Behind them was Damien's assistant, Scott Keller, who had a folder in his arms.

Since Caldwell Group was the leading tech company in Havenmoor, Luther was probably there with Damien for a business meeting.

Autumn did not want to run into Damien at all, but leaving right then would only draw their attention. And so, she could only pray that they wouldn't see her.

Alas, luck wasn't on her side that day.

It only took a second for Damien to spot her, his eyes locking onto her with unerring precision.

Their eyes met.

As if he were merely looking at a stranger, Damien looked away coldly.

He couldn't care less that she was there.

Following his gaze, Scott also spotted Autumn. With the same exact nonchalant reaction, he turned and said, "The private room is this way, Mr. Caldwell and Professor Huffman. Please, after you."

Autumn quietly breathed a sigh of relief, only for the three to abruptly stop in their tracks.

Out of the blue, Luther asked, "Mr. Caldwell, do you know the lady by the window? Pardon me for asking, but I couldn't help but notice you and your assistant glancing over to her."

Damien had expected Autumn to appear at the company, but who would have thought she'd find her way there? He wasn't too surprised, but that didn't mean he wanted to see her.

Damien answered perfunctorily, "She's just a housekeeper of mine."

Luther was momentarily stunned.

He had asked not because Damien was looking at her, but because he remembered seeing her at a laboratory in Averpark University.

Averpark University was one of the best institutions in the country—no matter how poorly a graduate did in life, they'd still never need to become a mere housekeeper.

Not only that, he was sure that the person he was thinking about was a true prodigy.

At the moment, Luther's lab was facing a technical challenge. If he could get a genius like that to join his lab, the challenge could be overcome in no time.

But for some reason, that particular person had vanished mysteriously a few years back.

Luther had even looked up all the achievements and other related information of every graduate student, but none of them matched the genius he remembered, as none of them stood out.

Given her brilliance, he believed that a mere handful of her academic papers would've made waves across the field.

Becoming the youngest professor in Averpark University's history would've been a piece of cake for her, and maybe she could even make it into the Computer Science Research Institute's Hall of Fame.

The future of that person had been limitless.

Thinking of this, Luther sighed inwardly. He must be mistaken, so there was no need to dwell on it. "Let's go, Mr. Caldwell."

Without a second glance, Damien entered the private room.

Autumn's fingernails scraped against her cup, producing a harsh, grating sound.

Barry had once visited her and Damien's home and, after tasting her cooking, declared he wanted to marry someone with her culinary skills.

Hearing that, Damien had plainly remarked, "So, a female chef is all it takes to satisfy you."

Maybe it really was true that loving someone could make one dumb.

At the time, Autumn did not think much of that comment.

But looking back now, she found herself laughably pathetic.

Three years of devotion, and all she got in return was the label of a chef and a housekeeper. What a joke.

All of a sudden, Autumn was overwhelmed with discomfort. It was because of the belated realization that caused the pain, making her feel like a thousand tiny needles had pierced her heart relentlessly.

After Damien had entered the private room, Scott walked over and knocked on her table to get her attention.

Autumn snapped out of her thoughts, looking up.

With a displeased expression, Scott asked coldly, "What are you doing here? Didn't Mr. Caldwell warn you not to check his whereabouts anymore?"

When Hank had been seriously ill before, Autumn had to contact Damien's secretary because she was unable to reach him. Eventually, she found him at a bar, completely wasted.

When she tried to help him back then, he had pulled her onto the couch and kissed her passionately, which both shocked and thrilled her.

Damien had always been cold, so that was the first time he'd ever initiated a kiss.

But the very next second, he murmured the name Emilia.

Autumn had instantly gone ice-cold from head to toe, struggling to break free. Once Damien sobered up, he'd flown into the biggest rage since their marriage.

He didn't return home for an entire month and warned her that if it ever happened again, he would make sure that they were divorced, and that even if Hank tried to intervene, he'd still go through with it.

Autumn had been too afraid to ever ask about his whereabouts since then, no matter what happened.

As Damien's assistant, Scott knew how much Autumn cared for Damien, but now he was starting to think something had changed.

She never had the guts before, as she wouldn't dare lose what little favor Damien still had for her.

For her to show up this boldly, did something happen to cause her to snap?

Soon after, Scott had an answer. "If you're doing this because Ms. Mason is back in the country, you really ought to reconsider. Think about what she means to Mr. Caldwell. So don't you think what you're doing is pointless?"

Emilia had returned with a Ph.D. and passed the selection process to join Luther's laboratory.

Luther was a giant in the field. His researchers were all top-tier talents working on cutting-edge AI applications.

Scott believed Emilia's world was far beyond anything Autumn could even touch.

If he were in Autumn's shoes, he'd know his place. If he didn't, with how worthless he was, he'd just be crushed by the sheer difference between him and Emilia when they came face-to-face.

But clearly, Autumn lacked that awareness.

Scott and Autumn had never gotten along.

There wasn't any particular reason for that. It was just that since he was Damien's assistant, his attitude mirrored his employer's.

As such, Autumn had endured all of his cold shoulders and sarcastic remarks.

Back then, her world revolved around Damien, so she was always polite to Scott. No matter how rude and cold he was, she never reacted much.

But now, there was no need to put up with it.

Autumn retorted, "And what exactly is pointless? By your logic, if I really were the kind of jealous stalker you say I am, wouldn't it make more sense for me to stalk him since this morning and secretly follow him everywhere he goes? Why would I even go through such trouble?"

Scott stared at her in surprise.

Autumn had always been meek in front of him. When had she become so sharp-tongued?

But then it dawned on him.

When Autumn lost her baby yesterday, Damien was by Emilia the whole time.

Scott believed that even the gentlest woman would act like this because of such a loss, which was why she was behaving differently.

Still, she wouldn't keep this attitude up for long.

Scott replied expressionlessly, "I don't want to argue with you. Mr. Caldwell doesn't want to see you. Please leave."

Sure, she could stay and be an eyesore to him, but that wouldn't do her any good.

There was no need to be immature.

"I've divorced Damien. Whatever I do now is none of your business. Don't try to tell me what I can and cannot do."

With that, Autumn turned and walked out.

Scott watched her retreating figure, too dumbfounded to do anything but scoff.

How ridiculous of her.

Damien had asked for a divorce countless times. When had she ever really gone through with it?

What was the point of taking it out on him?

And if she was going to make such a bold claim, she should have at least made it believable.

Her wedding ring was still on her finger. Wasn't it even more laughable to say such an obvious lie?

…

After leaving, Autumn texted Olivia. "Let's meet somewhere else."

She had originally planned to go somewhere after meeting up with Olivia, but she couldn't wait any longer.

At the jewelry store, the clerk used a ring cutter to cut the wedding ring off Autumn's finger.

Because of all the strange supplements her mother-in-law, Linda Pace, had fed her over the years to help with fertility, she'd gained weight, and the ring had gotten stuck.

Once cut, the ring was treated as scrap and recycled based on the current market price for platinum.

Autumn had never liked anything too flashy, so her ring only had a few tiny diamonds, which weren't worth very much. The whole thing fetched less than two thousand dollars.

Olivia was so stunned by the paltry amount that she burst out laughing.

"You actually sold your wedding ring? Your act this time is pretty convincing."

Given how Autumn had behaved the past three years, Olivia did not believe for a second that she'd ever truly go through with divorcing Damien.

Chapter 4

Offering no rebuttal, Autumn stared at the faint mark on her ring finger that wouldn't disappear anytime soon. "This imprint looks awful. I should've removed the ring sooner."

Hearing this, Olivia figured Autumn was serious this time.

Even though she couldn't be certain Autumn was serious this time, the latter's attitude toward this was better than ever before.

She knew it wasn't necessary to mock Autumn anymore, but she couldn't stop herself from saying, "Your so-called love isn't even worth a decent meal to me."

Autumn merely replied, "Then let's go. I'll treat you to a meal."

Showing no intention of moving, Olivia raised a brow at her. "My time is precious. Tell me exactly what you want from me first, and I'll see if it's even worth my time to eat with you."

Autumn looked at her wordlessly for a few seconds. "I want to rewrite the thesis I previously stopped working on. I'll need to use your lab to run some data."

The industry was evolving quickly, so she'd have to make a lot of adjustments.

Autumn hadn't dared to bring this up over the phone before because she had felt diffident.

Knowing Olivia, Autumn was sure she would scold her for wasting time all this while. After all, if Autumn hadn't gotten married, she'd have already published her paper when she was still in university.

Sure enough, Olivia looked at her like she was some rare exhibit. "Is this a whim?"

Autumn replied, "I'm being serious."

Olivia scrutinized her.

As she'd been active in the field, she knew that Averpark University's Luther had gained massive attention from top tech companies for his research.

Barely anyone knew that the problem he was working on had already been solved by Autumn three years ago, and that the complete version of Lugi-X was in her company.

Autumn was the sole developer behind Lugi-X, a large language model. Any one of the technical hurdles she'd overcome would have stalled an entire lab.

Autumn was, without a doubt, the most gifted genius Olivia had ever met.

Yet, this genius was a hopeless romantic. Not only did she leave the field to get married, but she had also been reduced to serving tea and playing the role of a secretary.

Olivia simply couldn't understand how a genius like Autumn could waste so much talent instead of moving forward in her field.

"You've been out of the field for three years. Are you sure your thesis still holds any value?"

Autumn answered, "I'll make some adjustments. Once Professor Beck is available, I'll confirm the research direction with her. If she approves, I'll continue."

That was only if her mentor was even willing to see her.

"Then you've got a long wait ahead of you. She's currently fully committed to national research projects and won't be back anytime soon."

Autumn stated calmly, "I can wait."

Now that she was no longer obsessing over making Damien fall for her, time was the one thing she had plenty of now.

Olivia wanted to say something else, but stopped herself. She was well aware that even if Autumn had been out of the field for years, the things she wanted to work on were beyond Olivia's capabilities to comment on.

The world of a genius was always incomprehensible to most.

Hence, Olivia merely said, "Fine. I'll have that meal with you."

Olivia may have a sharp tongue, but her heart was far softer than she let on.

Despite acting like she was reluctant to go along with Autumn, she was actually just putting on an act. If not, she wouldn't even be here.

Autumn chuckled. "Thank you for taking the time to be here, Ms. Clements."

…

Barry was shopping with his influencer girlfriend, whom he'd officially started dating just an hour ago, when he spotted someone familiar.

He tried to go after her, but she was already gone.

He walked into the jewelry store and let his girlfriend pick what she liked while he asked the store clerk about Autumn.

The more he heard, the more excited he got.

That bastard Damien had lied to him!

If Autumn had really gone crawling back to him, how could she have sold her wedding ring?

After thinking it over, he decided to round up his friends.

That night, everyone was already drinking and having a great time when Damien finally arrived.

As soon as Barry saw him, he loudly exclaimed, "Hey, guys, guess what? Autumn suddenly sold her wedding ring. What kind of stunt is she pulling now?"

They'd poke fun at Autumn for a bit at every gathering.

At first, they'd worried Damien might mind.

If Damien so much as frowned, everyone would fall silent. But in the end, they were worried for nothing.

Damien didn't care at all. Even if they joked about Autumn in front of him, he would have no reaction.

But tonight, before anyone could say anything else, Damien calmly stated, "She's just putting on a show for me."

Scott had told Damien word for word what Autumn had said in the café.

Truth be told, he was taken aback, but just like Scott, he believed Autumn was only acting out because of the shock of losing her child.

As such, selling her ring was just another part of her act.

"A show, huh? That does sound like something Autumn would do."

"That trick won't work on Damien, though. Everyone knows he hasn't worn his wedding ring since the day he got married."

Barry scoffed, saying, "Oh, he's definitely worn it on certain occasions. There's no way he'd dare to not wear it in front of Mr. Caldwell Senior…"

Damien gave him an annoyed glance.

Barry immediately cleared his throat and backpedaled. "Yeah, yeah—of course he's never worn it! Not even once!"

Only then did Damien's expression ease slightly.

Barry's lips twitched, and he asked, "Anyway, I saw Autumn head into a different jewelry store afterward. Maybe she was buying a new pair of matching rings to give you. Would you wear it?"

Damien acted like he hadn't heard anything.

As he fidgeted with his fingers, a touch of warmth appeared in his eyes.

Damien was cold and aloof, the epitome of restraint. That gentleness in his expression was extremely rare.

Barry immediately leaned in and saw that Damien was texting Emilia, but the screen went dark almost instantly.

Damien looked up, clearly displeased. "You called me here just for this nonsense?"

It was then that Barry finally realized—even if Autumn were gone for a month, Damien wouldn't bat an eye.

No matter what antics Autumn pulled, if Damien didn't care, it was all meaningless, and Barry still would not get to watch the fun unfold.

Barry clicked his tongue in disappointment. "Well, I may not have won either, but you lost first. You owe me a meal."

He was talking about the bet they made.

Damien went along with it. "Just tell me when."

"Isn't Emilia's birthday coming up? Let's just do it on that day. It'll be more festive."

Damien remarked, "Even if you didn't ask, I was going to invite you anyway."

"Oh? So you already had everything planned. How thoughtful of you."

It was painfully clear whether Damien cared for someone or not.

If Barry remembered correctly, Autumn's birthday had been a month ago.

That night, Damien had been drinking with them. Autumn had called, but Damien was too drunk to answer, so he picked up.

The first thing she said was, "Are you still busy? My birthday's already over."

It had been 1:00 am when she called.

Barry said, "It's me. Sorry, but Damien's drunk. Uh… Happy birthday."

Autumn had gone silent for a few seconds before calmly accepting the fact that her husband had forgotten her birthday.

Without a word of complaint, she'd merely asked Barry to take care of Damien.

At the time, Barry had thought that Autumn was truly a master of emotional restraint.

…

In the early hours of the morning, Damien returned home from Barry's gathering.

As he passed by the living room, something occurred to him, and he glanced at the couch.

Of course, the familiar figure was nowhere to be seen.

Upstairs, the guest room at the end of the hall was dark.

That was Autumn's room, also the room furthest from the master bedroom.

A day had passed, yet she still hadn't come back.

Unbothered, Damien turned back into the master bedroom.

It was now Monday, a workday.

Damien finished washing up and went downstairs. Rosetta bustled around, preparing a lavish breakfast for him.

He glanced at the table, and although he wasn't particularly hungry, he sat down anyway.

Rosetta finally let out a sigh of relief.

These past two days without Autumn around had been rough for her.

As Damien was raised to be well-mannered, he never lashed out at staff without good reason.

Nonetheless, his presence alone was overwhelming. Just being near him made people like her nervous.

"Mr. Caldwell, please take your time eating."

The food she made wasn't bad, but compared to Autumn's cooking, it was subpar.

Damien was already starting to miss her breakfasts, even though it had only been two days. "Did she call you?"

Rosetta had just turned to leave when the question startled her. "W-What?"

Damien knitted his brows, which scared Rosetta even more.

She immediately came to her senses and answered, "No!"

Damien's frown was now a scowl. "Not even once?"

Chapter 5

"Y-Yes, That's right. She hasn't called me, and I'm unable to reach her either. M-Maybe she's blocked me."

Damien dropped his utensils before storming away with a dark face.

Rosetta watched him leave exasperatedly. She had miscalculated—Damien would still lose his temper if he were angered by Autumn.

She had originally hoped Autumn would leave Damien hanging for a few more days, but now she had changed her mind.

Even as an outsider, she could tell that Damien was one who responded better to gentle approaches compared to resistance.

Autumn, of all people, should know that too. She never should've played hard-to-get from the start.

Autumn's tactic was now making her life difficult, too.

How annoying.

…

At the office, after Damien was done with his routine morning meeting, his secretary knocked and entered with a gift bag.

Damien opened it, only to find a plain ring inside.

Barry did mention that Autumn had sold her wedding ring and visited a different jewelry store afterward.

So, she disappeared for two days, only to give him this now?

He reckoned she'd probably show up later with a lunchbox too.

Damien immediately frowned.

He shut the ring box and set it aside, turning his focus back to work.

After a while, he called Scott, his voice cold. "Don't let Autumn into the company today!"

He didn't like Autumn playing mind games with him.

After hanging up, Damien tossed the ring box into the trash.

…

Meanwhile, since it was Monday, Autumn sat at her desk right on time.

After she was married, she didn't go to work immediately. But during a family get-together, when Hank wasn't present, Damien's mother, Linda, criticized her in front of everyone.

According to her, Autumn did nothing but freeload, couldn't get pregnant, failed to take care of Damien, and she felt ashamed whenever she had to talk about her daughter-in-law to friends.

Damien was there too. He didn't defend her, of course. He just let Linda tear into her with cutting, sarcastic words.

That very night, Autumn submitted a job application, not to Caldwell Group, but to Westgate Group.

Although Westgate Group was a tech company founded less than five years ago, it was already valued at over a trillion dollars.

As Westgate Group was like any typical corporate giant, even their secretary roles required graduates from the best universities in the country.

Autumn was a graduate of Averpark University, so her credentials were enough for her to work there.

Since she majored in the highly sought-after field of computer science, she was actually qualified to join the R&D department.

However, such positions demanded that employees work long hours and on weekends. If there were large projects, she'd have to work day and night, and there'd be no time left to care for Damien.

As such, Autumn chose a more relaxed administrative position, becoming a secretary for the CEO's office.

When Hank found out, he urged her to join Caldwell Group. After all, working for their own business would be less stressful and more freeing since she didn't have to work regular office hours.

However, knowing how much Linda disliked her, it would only make it easier for Linda to target and humiliate her if she worked at Caldwell Group. Besides, she would only be accused of coveting the Caldwell family's wealth if she did.

At Westgate Group, she wouldn't have to deal with any of that.

Autumn had drafted a resignation letter last week due to her pregnancy, but she had no plans to send it now.

Since she wanted to rewrite her thesis, she needed to stay updated on industry developments.

Westgate Group, as a leading tech company, gave her access to valuable resources and opportunities.

Her light workload as a secretary also left her plenty of time to focus on her thesis.

Her coworker at the next desk asked curiously, "Autumn, you didn't bring a lunchbox today?"

Every now and then, Autumn would bring a carefully prepared lunch to work, but come noon, she'd leave the office with it. No one knew who she was delivering it to.

She had made those lunches for Damien.

Whenever he drank at social events, she'd wake up early the next morning to make something nourishing for his stomach.

It would've been easier if Damien had just brought the food to work himself, but he thought it was a hassle. He couldn't be bothered to do even the simplest tasks.

Hence, Autumn would bring his food with her and deliver it by taxi during her lunch break.

Fortunately, since his company wasn't that far, she could manage it within her break.

Autumn merely said, "I don't feel like making lunch anymore."

It was no longer necessary.

Right then, Della Coffrey, the head of the secretary's office, burst in, announcing, "Our CEO will be back next Monday. We need to compile and organize documents from all departments to make sure everything is complete and accurate for review."

She then tapped on a desk for emphasis. "Get moving, everyone!"

Westgate Group's growth over the recent years had been nothing short of miraculous. However, the real mystery was its founder.

He had always been overseas expanding markets, and the company's daily operations were overseen by the COO, Robin Pieck.

As such, Autumn had never met the person who truly held the reins of the company.

Once everyone's shock and excitement passed, they threw themselves into their work.

…

Back at Caldwell Group, a woman appeared in Damien's office without an appointment.

Normally, anyone who wanted to meet Damien had to schedule an appointment in advance, but the woman's name was not on the list.

Not only that, Scott personally went down to escort her to Damien's office and even closed the door behind him.

Such special treatment shocked and intrigued the secretarial staff. "Who was that woman? She's stunning and elegant, just like a movie star."

"Mr. Caldwell hates unplanned meetings. It's definitely unusual to see him breaking protocol for a woman."

"Mr. Caldwell has always kept his distance from women. In all my years of working here, I've never seen him alone with a woman in his office before."

Speculation began to spread. "Do you guys think that she is the future Mrs. Caldwell?"

Since Damien kept his marriage a secret, other than his close circle of friends, no one else knew about it.

He had always kept a clean image. There were never any scandals about him.

Now that he was treating one woman differently, of course, people would notice, which made the theory that she might become his wife even more plausible.

Inside the office, upon seeing Emilia, Damien set aside the documents in his hand.

Walking over to him, Emilia leaned forward with both hands on his desk to look at his bare finger. She asked, "Did you not receive the ring?"

Damien froze. "That was from you?"

So, it wasn't from Autumn?

"Since I promised to have a meal with you but had to cancel at the last minute because of Professor Huffman, I got you a gift to make it up to you."

She then showed off the ring on her ring finger. "This brand doesn't have many rings for men. The only decent one I found happens to be the matching piece to the one I'm wearing. It's part of a couple's set.

"I'm wearing this one for fun, and I picked that one for you because it looks nice. You wouldn't mind, right?"

Even though she put it that way, she knew that Damien wouldn't mind.

Coming back to his senses, Damien bent down to retrieve the ring box from the trash.

As he examined the ring box, his earlier disgust dissipated.

Emilia looked awkward for a moment. "You threw it in the trash?"

Giving her a glance, Damien could tell what she was thinking.

He opened the ring box and took out the ring before putting it on his ring finger.

His gaze softened. "I didn't know it was from you."

Emilia's expression finally eased.

Barry had said that Damien would never wear his wedding ring unless absolutely necessary.

The reason wasn't hard to guess.

Damien asked, "Are you mad?"

Emilia shook her head. "I'm not mad. I know that what you hate isn't the ring."

It was a certain someone.

"Do you like it?"

"It's pretty nice." Damien nodded before asking again, "So, what were you busy with yesterday?"

"Professor Huffman's project has run into a problem. I spent the night looking up reference materials, but couldn't get anywhere. Luckily, a fellow graduate of mine has a company working with this technology. I plan to reach out and ask for help."

That company's owner was Olivia. She was a few years younger than Emilia and also a graduate of Averpark University.

Since they were both alumni from a top school, connecting with her should be easy.

Chapter 6

Damien remarked, "You really are exceptional."

Emilia could see pure admiration in his eyes. Such a reaction was within her expectations.

With Caldwell Group now working with Luther's laboratory, any success in Luther's project would inevitably translate into gains for Caldwell Group.

Emilia had returned to the country with one goal, and that was to lead the breakthrough in core technology. She truly believed she had what it took.

This was no longer an era where being a sweet, naive woman could win a man's heart with a few home-cooked meals and acting coy.

Only capable women could catch a man's eye, and Emilia was determined to be that kind of woman.

…

Autumn had been busy all morning. During a quick coffee break in the break room, she grabbed an extra cup for her coworker.

Suddenly, she received a call from Yvonne.

Yvonne Dunn was Damien's secretary.

Their only previous contact was when Autumn had asked her about Damien's schedule.

Although Autumn didn't want to be involved with anyone connected to Damien, Yvonne was just such a kind-hearted young woman.

After a moment's hesitation, she answered the call.

"Autumn, are you doing okay?" Yvonne asked in a whisper.

"I'm fine." Autumn wasn't sure why Yvonne was asking.

In a worried voice, Yvonne said, "Mr. Caldwell just showed a woman around the company. It caused quite a stir, and the executives are already treating her like the future Mrs. Caldwell… I didn't know whether you were aware of this, so I just wanted to let you know. That woman's name is Emilia—"

Yvonne's voice suddenly cut off.

Then came a startled gasp. "M-Mr. Keller… I…"

She had been hiding around a corner, not realizing Scott had walked up behind her.

Scott snatched Yvonne's phone, glanced at the screen, and frowned.

"Is she asking about Mr. Caldwell's schedule again?"

Upon seeing Damien and the woman called Emilia behind Scott, Yvonne froze in fear, unable to utter a single word.

Without waiting for an answer, Scott reported coldly, "Mr. Caldwell, it's Autumn. She's asking about your schedule again."

Scott didn't hang up since he didn't care if Autumn heard.

Autumn's brow furrowed.

She didn't care about Scott's false accusations and was about to hang up when Damien's cold voice could be heard on her phone. "Just ignore her."

That had always been Damien's attitude toward her, so she wasn't surprised, but she still didn't like that he would jump to conclusions without asking for the facts and misunderstand.

The old Autumn would've explained herself immediately. She used to be terrified of Damien misunderstanding her and of the anger that might follow.

But now that they were divorced, there was no need to worry about Damien's mood anymore, let alone care about what he was doing with Emilia.

Yet the next second, she could hear Damien cruelly snap, "You don't need to come to work from tomorrow onward!"

Autumn was stunned. Was he firing Yvonne?

Right. After the first time Autumn contacted Yvonne, Damien had tried to fire her, too.

Back then, Autumn had begged him to let Yvonne stay, and he did, but he had warned her that it could not happen again.

And sure enough, there was no next time.

Damien never made exceptions for her.

"Damien, there's no need to get this upset over a secretary."

That must be Emilia's voice.

She had spoken in a gentle tone, her voice as nice as her name.

Emilia said sweetly, "How about this—lunch is on me. Let's not be upset anymore, okay? Just this once, for me?"

Two seconds later, Damien replied, "Alright."

His tone was neutral, but compared to how cold he'd just sounded, it was already far gentler.

Smiling, Emilia suggested, "Then let's go now."

After that, Damien and Emilia's voices were no longer heard.

Autumn curled her lips into a bitter smile.

She had always thought Damien was hard to pacify. In the past, every time he got upset, she would need days of careful coaxing before he would act indifferent again.

All of it was mentally exhausting—she would lose her appetite, lose sleep, and become unable to focus on anything until Damien had calmed down.

Yet, for Emilia, one sentence was all it took—no extra effort needed.

Scott looked at the phone. He knew Autumn had heard everything.

He was well aware that Autumn hated troubling others. With Yvonne being fired because of her, she would surely feel guilty, which would then eat her up inside.

The punishment might fall on Yvonne, but it would undoubtedly be a psychological blow to Autumn.

Still, he believed this was the only way to keep her from snooping around for information.

Autumn had only herself to blame for always trying to find out about Damien's schedule.

If he were in Damien's shoes, being constantly monitored by a woman would make him feel stifled, too.

Scott waved the head secretary, Amber Lowe, over, who said, "The termination will be processed today."

Scott hummed a response before walking away.

Wednesday was Emilia's birthday. As Damien had instructed, he needed to book out the Havern Restaurant at Bay Plaza and discuss birthday surprise arrangements with the owner.

He was too busy to personally deal with a mere secretary's termination.

Amber took the phone Scott handed to her and was about to return it to Yvonne when she accidentally saw the caller ID. "Autumn."

Knitting her brows, she used a few seconds to place the name, before snapping in frustration, "How dumb can you be? She's just the housekeeper who brings Mr. Caldwell lunch! Was it worth upsetting Mr. Caldwell over her?"

Yvonne, having just been caught red-handed by the CEO himself, had been too frightened to speak.

Only now did she manage to stammer, "S-She's not a housekeeper… She's Mrs. Caldwell…"

"Don't you have eyes? Did you not see Mr. Caldwell and Ms. Mason wearing matching rings? She is the future Mrs. Caldwell. That's not even up for debate."

"But…"

"Enough. Go complete your handover."

Yvonne didn't dare say another word as she quietly took back her phone.

Once Amber was gone, Yvonne looked down and realized the call was still connected.

She jolted in panic. "A-Autumn, are you okay? You didn't hear all that, did you?"

Yvonne hoped against hope that Autumn hadn't heard, but of course, that wasn't likely.

She then quickly added, "Don't listen to them. You're not just some housekeeper… I'm sorry. Truly sorry…"

Damien had kept the marriage secret and forbade Autumn from entering his office.

Every time she brought him lunch, a secretary would come and take it instead. It was no surprise that people mistook her for a housekeeper.

Autumn wasn't bothered by that. What she hadn't expected was that Damien, who almost never wore his wedding ring, now wore matching rings with Emilia.

Damien's hands were beautiful. His fingers were long and fair, and his knuckles were defined.

They look delicate yet strong, and a ring on his slender ring finger had a charm that was hard to describe.

Whenever she got the chance, she would secretly admire them.

Nonetheless, Damien had only worn his wedding ring a handful of times.

She had always thought he disliked the restrictive feel of jewelry. But it turned out that she had overthought it—he just didn't want to wear his wedding ring, plain and simple.

Autumn said, "Sorry. I can't help you keep your job this time."

Though they had only interacted once, Yvonne could tell Autumn was a genuinely good person.

She only wanted to warn Autumn after seeing Damien being so kind to another woman because she was genuinely worried and believed Autumn deserved to know.

Yet, she had ruined everything in the end.

Feeling extremely guilty, Yvonne said, "It's okay, really. I already told you—I was planning to go home and help my parents anyway.

"Getting fired doesn't matter to me. Besides, I was already working on my resignation letter before this."

Yvonne didn't sound like she had only said that to comfort her, and that allowed her to feel relieved.

Then, Yvonne could be heard whispering again. "But why did this even happen? You're Mr. Caldwell's wife. Why is Damien treating you like this?"

Damien wouldn't even let Autumn into his office, yet Emilia could come and go as she pleased! Why was that?

Even if he wanted to keep his marriage a secret, he could've at least said Autumn was a family friend, and no one would've suspected anything.

Besides, Autumn had gone to the trouble of making all those lunches and delivering them to him during her lunch breaks, only to be refused entry. Damien's actions were just cruel beyond belief!

Chapter 7

Autumn didn't like talking about her private affairs, but since Yvonne was genuinely worried about her, she gave a brief explanation. "We're already divorced."

Yvonne was utterly shocked. "You two actually got divorced? But you love him so much…"

Autumn replied calmly, "Yeah, we're divorced."

It didn't take long for Yvonne to accept this news. She could completely understand Autumn's decision.

It was simple. Damien just didn't love Autumn. All of his double standards didn't need much justification beyond that.

"...Will Mr. Caldwell really marry Ms. Mason?" Yvonne quickly realized that she was being too forward and apologized, "I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have asked that. Just pretend you didn't hear that…"

Autumn merely answered, "I don't know."

She had tried to get Damien to feel something for her for three years and failed, so how could she possibly know what he was thinking?

With nothing else to say, they ended the call.

Autumn began thinking about Emilia.

She had actually met Emilia before she met Damien.

But it wasn't until after she married Damien that she learned Emilia was his first love, the one who had always had a special place in his heart.

Her connection to Emilia was complicated.

Simply put, it had to do with her aunt, Christine Green.

After what happened to Virginia, Darius settled overseas, and Christine took over the family business that Autumn's grandfather had built from the ground up.

Then, for some inexplicable reason, Christine fell head-over-heels in love with Emilia's father.

Emilia's mother had passed away early, leaving behind three children, but Christine still insisted on marrying into the Mason family.

And that was how Christine became Emilia's stepmother.

Back then, the Mason family ran a small, insignificant business in Havenmoor. Christine poured all her business resources into helping them, which eventually led to the creation of the present-day Mason Group.

After several years of work, the Masons finally had a seat among the elite families in Havenmoor, and Emilia became a true heiress of a prestigious family.

Before Virginia's accident, Autumn had been very close to Christine. Even after Christine's marriage, they would often meet.

Autumn had once seen Christine as a mother figure, but after marrying Damien, Christine's attitude toward her turned cold.

There were years when they didn't even see each other once.

Autumn had initially assumed it was because Christine had her own family now and didn't have the time or energy to care for a niece.

She was saddened and helpless for a while, but eventually learned to accept and understand Christine's choice by keeping her distance.

In hindsight, Christine's change in attitude wasn't just because she was starting a new family, it was also related to Autumn's marriage to Damien.

Olivia's call broke Autumn's train of thought. "Are you free Wednesday night?"

"I am." Autumn was good at controlling her emotions, so her tone sounded completely normal. "What's up?"

"Let's meet at the Havern Restaurant. My treat."

…

With the CEO of Westgate Group returning to the country soon, Autumn had to work overtime the entire week.

By the time Wednesday rolled around, Autumn didn't arrive at the Havern Restaurant until 8:00 pm.

Just as she arrived at the entrance, she saw Olivia storming out of the restaurant with a sour expression.

"What happened to you?" Autumn asked.

Olivia gritted her teeth, uttering, "I wanted to give you a proper belated birthday celebration, but some asshole had the whole place reserved."

So, this was supposed to be a belated birthday dinner for her?

Olivia had invited her out for her birthday earlier that year.

But that day, Autumn had just discovered she was pregnant. She'd been ecstatic and wanted to surprise Damien with the news on her birthday, so she'd declined Olivia's invitation.

Back then, Damien had promised he'd be home early, but he was still nowhere to be found even when it was already past midnight, and when she called, it was Barry who answered.

Only then did she learn Damien had gone out drinking with friends and completely forgotten her birthday.

The next day, Autumn couldn't bear it any longer and sent him a message, asking if he remembered what day it was yesterday.

She waited an entire day before Damien replied.

Autumn had been so excited while she unlocked her phone to read the message.

As long as he remembered, that alone would be enough to make her happy.

But all the message said was, "I'll be home at eight. Have dinner ready."

Reading the message, Autumn felt like a bucket of cold water had been dumped over her.

She'd seen such messages far too many times in the three years they were married.

Sure, he replied. But it was more like a boss giving instructions to a subordinate.

Moreover, he wouldn't even acknowledge the message she'd sent.

Only someone who completely disregarded her could treat her like that.

That day, Autumn told herself not to expect anything for her birthday anymore and to treat it like any other day. There was no need for elaborate celebrations.

Therefore, she never expected Olivia to go out of her way to give her a belated birthday celebration.

Autumn was deeply moved, even if she wasn't one to show emotions outwardly.

With a calm expression, she merely said, "I'm touched."

"Why would you be touched? I didn't even make a reservation…"

After she was done grumbling, she felt bad for Autumn.

"Forget it. This is my fault. I should've booked a table in advance. Who knew it would be booked out today? This place usually has a lot of empty tables."

As she spoke, she handed Autumn a small gift bag.

Accepting it, Autumn asked, "What's this?"

"Your birthday present. Just hold onto it for now. Go wait by the road, and I'll bring the car around. We'll go somewhere even better to eat."

With that, Olivia headed to the parking lot.

Autumn watched her walk away with her usual flair, then looked down at the gift bag in her hand.

The logo on the bag belonged to a jewelry brand. She had visited this store with Olivia the day she sold her wedding ring.

She peeked at the square box inside and assumed it was probably a bracelet or something similar.

So, Olivia had been secretly planning a belated birthday celebration for her since that day?

Before, Olivia acted like she hadn't even wanted to eat with her, yet she was this thoughtful.

As another wave of emotion swept over Autumn, she couldn't help but smile.

It was the first time in days that she had felt genuinely happy, but her good mood didn't last long.

"Mr. Caldwell, Ms. Mason, Mr. Walters, this way, please!"

Autumn had just reached the roadside when she heard the commotion.

She recognized those last names but didn't think there would ever be such a coincidence.

Yet, when she turned, she saw Damien and Emilia walking side by side, surrounded by Barry and a group of people, heading toward the restaurant.

Damien and Emilia, who were both good-looking and in the center, looked like they were a match made in heaven.

As they walked, Damien looked at Emilia a few times, his gaze filled with a tenderness Autumn had never seen before.

Autumn's pupils contracted, and she involuntarily took a step back.

The manager of the Havern Restaurant greeted them in his uniform. "Mr. Caldwell, everything is ready. We were just waiting on you."

Emilia turned toward Damien upon hearing that. "What did you prepare?"

Damien replied gently, "You'll see."

Emilia, clearly intrigued, asked Barry. "Since he won't tell me, you tell me."

Barry wasted no time in betraying Damien. "You asked the right person. I came to check out the venue before this. Damien knew you liked white, so the whole restaurant is decorated in white.

"Even I was touched by the effort."

Damien coldly snapped, "Shut up."

Emilia was amused. "Keep going. I want to hear."

Barry continued, "He knows you like lilies too. He made a bouquet by hand and had a one-of-a-kind lily necklace custom-made just for you…"

Damien tried to stop Barry from talking, but he was prepared.

He sidestepped quickly, only to spot a familiar figure and freeze. "Autumn?"

Chapter 8

At the moment, Autumn was waiting by the roadside for Olivia's car. She and Damien's party were about 20 feet apart.

With the darkness and other pedestrians around, one wouldn't even be able to see her if one weren't paying close attention.

The moment Barry said her name, everyone turned to look.

Autumn looked at them wordlessly.

Was it awkward? Very.

Even so, the first thing Autumn did was look at Damien's left hand.

There was a simple yet luxurious, understated men's ring on his ring finger that accentuated the length of his already long fingers.

Emilia was also wearing one on her finger.

They were clearly a matching set.

Knowing about it and actually seeing it were two very different things. Autumn suddenly felt her throat tighten.

Right then, two beeps caught her attention, and she instinctively looked over.

Olivia's car had stopped by the roadside. She tilted her head toward the passenger seat, signaling for Autumn to get in.

Without a second thought, Autumn opened the car door, got in, and was gone—all within two seconds.

Barry was stunned. He turned to look at Damien. "Did Autumn just… ignore us?"

She left so decisively and with such a cold expression.

If it were before, she'd never want to leave. She would have done anything to please their group.

Moreover, that cold expression of hers surprised Barry. The woman who had always been invisible now seemed bolder, looking somewhat different from before.

This was just one of the many fights he had seen them have, but there was something odd about Autumn this time, though he couldn't quite pinpoint what.

Damien had looked away ages ago, his voice cold. "Don't mention her."

Barry glanced at Emilia.

Emilia didn't look at Autumn either. She couldn't have made her indifference more obvious.

It was likely that even if Autumn had really come to celebrate her birthday, Emilia could still maintain her noble composure.

Knowing when to be tactful, Barry said, "Alright, I won't mention her anymore. I wouldn't want to spoil the mood."

He then called for the group and led them into the restaurant.

Autumn's appearance was just a minor incident that no one really cared about.

The reason being that although they had met Autumn before, they didn't know her well enough to even greet her, since her quiet disposition had always set her apart from the group.

Besides, they were there to celebrate Emilia's birthday that night. Who would be stupid enough to interact with Autumn?

Barry was the only one who was close enough to Damien to act so boldly.

If they ever mentioned her, Damien would undoubtedly kill them.

After all, with how much Damien treasured Emilia, one would have to be crazy to upset her.

And as for the elegant, aloof, and poised Emilia, who was also the heiress of the Mason family, she would never give Autumn the time of day.

Doing so would be beneath her, seeing as Autumn couldn't hold a candle to her.

That was why no one would mention Autumn, and why they all bent over backward to please Emilia.

Yet, Barry didn't forget to pull Damien aside and whisper, "Did you just see the gift bag Autumn was carrying?"

Just now, Damien had merely glanced at her, so he didn't notice such little things.

Barry, knowing Damien might get impatient, quickly added, "Remember what I told you about Autumn selling her wedding ring and going to another jewelry store?

"The brand of the gift bag she was holding was the same one as the jewelry store she went to. She probably bought a new diamond ring to reconcile with you. But I guess she couldn't give it to you with how awkward it was."

Furrowing his brows, Damien tried to recall what he had seen.

Autumn had indeed had a gift bag in her hand.

He then looked down at the ring on his own ring finger, the one Emilia had given him.

He had already misunderstood once before, but wasn't it a bit too late for Autumn to try to win him over now, after so many days had passed?

Playing hard to get also had its limits.

Damien remarked with cold indifference, "I don't have any fingers for it anymore."

Barry was speechless.

He didn't have fingers for it anymore?

It wasn't as if he only had a single finger!

Before Barry could say anything else, Damien had already walked ahead.

Damien didn't care why Autumn had shown up there or whose car she took to leave.

His most important task that night was to give Emilia a good birthday celebration.

Barry lagged behind the group and, when turning a corner, looked back once more.

Naturally, Autumn was long gone.

Regardless, he was pretty sure the driver was a woman.

That made sense, as Autumn only had eyes for Damien and wouldn't be interested in any other men.

…

While the car drove steadily forward, Autumn's mind was blank.

She couldn't help but compare this birthday to previous ones, and the more she thought, the heavier her heart felt.

After a long pause, Autumn slowly said, "There are 25 days left."

Considering that Autumn had just seen the man she loved deeply with another woman in person, Olivia had thought that she would cry, complain, or act like a bitter woman from the huge blow.

Olivia didn't expect her to suddenly say 25 at all.

"25 days?"

Autumn replied, "We'll be able to finalize our divorce in 25 days and get our divorce certificates."

Olivia turned to see the determination in her eyes.

Damien was handsome and young at only 28 years old, whereas the Caldwell family had long been one of Havenmoor's most elite families.

Since he took over Caldwell Group, Damien had carried out major business reforms, leading the company to new heights.

Even now, with affluent newcomers and rising elites constantly emerging in Havenmoor, the Caldwell family still held its place firmly at the top of the city's social pyramid.

Damien's poise, intellect, and skills were outstanding among his peers. He was indeed a very attractive man.

It was only natural for women to fall for such a successful man, but all these glories were superficial.

Simply liking his looks and what he had to offer wasn't enough to make Autumn lose herself completely. Needless to say, something more meaningful had made her fall for him.

Three years ago, after Virginia's accident, Autumn fell apart and accidentally fell into the sea.

Damien happened to be partying with friends on a yacht when it happened. He rescued Autumn from the water and took her to the hospital, giving her new hope in life.

Olivia could completely understand why Autumn was unable to forget him and move on.

But seeing as Autumn was counting down the number of days until the divorce could be finalized, she now believed this time was different.

Autumn would probably not turn back anymore.

That was a good thing.

Autumn just needed time to adjust. After loving someone so deeply, it wouldn't be realistic if she could move on immediately.

"Don't worry about those scumbags for now. Go ahead and open your gift."

Olivia had been afraid Autumn wouldn't be determined enough to go through with the divorce, but now she felt much more reassured.

Wanting to distract herself as well, Autumn obediently opened the gift bag. She had expected a necklace, but it was a ring.

There was a pair of women's rings.

Autumn was a little puzzled. "Why did you give me two rings?"

Olivia quipped, "Don't be so self-absorbed. I'm not giving you two. These are matching friendship rings. One for each of us."

Autumn was visibly surprised. "No one actually gives rings to friends, no?"

"You and your stereotypes. Diamond rings don't only hold meaning when they're from men. I can give you one too." She then joked, "The ring mark on your finger is too obvious. Wear this one to cover it up. It might just ward off your bad luck as well."

After saying that, Olivia waited for Autumn's response, but she said nothing.

How could Autumn not even say an emotional "thank you"?

She turned her head, only to find Autumn with tears in her eyes.

Olivia had originally wanted to tease Autumn, but seeing how truly sad Autumn was, all she felt was pity and heartache.

She said nothing and continued to drive.

Olivia's silence allowed Autumn to process her feelings in peace.

After a while, Autumn felt a gentle pat on her shoulder. This was the comfort of a true friend, and as for this gift, it was better than any words of consolation.

While clutching the ring box tightly, Autumn patted the back of Olivia's hand to reassure her.

…

After dinner, Olivia offered to drive her home. That way, she could also check out Autumn's new place.

This would be the first time Autumn would have someone over at her new place since moving to Flery Residences, so she decided to let Olivia stay overnight.

But on the way home, Autumn suddenly received a call.

"Autumn, Allen is currently hooked to an IV drip in the hospital. He developed acute gastritis after drinking excessively with a client. Could you come see him?"

Chapter 9

The call was from Chase Kidd, Allen's friend from university.

Allen Gray was Autumn's younger brother, who had just graduated from university that very day.

He and Chase co-founded a gaming company called Infinity Studios.

Back when Darius moved abroad, he left the two siblings ten million dollars and a property.

Allen had chosen the money, and that became the startup capital for their company.

Upon hearing the news, Autumn immediately said, "Okay, I'll be right there."

Olivia drove her to the hospital.

When they arrived, Autumn asked Olivia to wait in the car, then hurried off toward the hospital room.

Just as she reached the door, she heard Allen coldly say, "Why did you call her?"

Autumn stopped in her tracks and did not enter.

Through the narrow gap of the door, she could see Allen lying in bed.

Allen was in his early 20s, but after years of entrepreneurship, he had matured considerably, carrying a vibe somewhere between boy and man.

His face was a little pale, but he still looked spirited, so that reassured Autumn somewhat.

Upon seeing Allen's frosty expression, Chase said in confusion, "She's your sister. If I don't tell her about your condition, who else should I tell?"

Allen's voice turned even colder. "My business has nothing to do with her."

The bewildered Chase asked, "What? Why do you hate your sister so much? I think she's pretty alright."

Not wanting to talk about the past, Allen snapped, "If you want to keep yapping, get out."

"Alright, fine. Rest up, Your Highness. I'm leaving."

As Chase left, he muttered, "I'd kill to have a sister like her…"

Seeing Chase approaching the door, Autumn quickly stepped aside.

The moment Chase saw her after opening the door, Autumn gave him a look.

Chase caught on immediately and pretended not to see her, quietly closing the door behind him.

In the hallway, Autumn took out a bank card from her bag and got straight to the point. "Here's ten million. Keep it for emergencies. Just don't tell Allen it's from me."

After Lugi-X was developed, Olivia bought out its rights from Autumn with 20 million dollars.

All that money was part of Autumn's personal assets.

Since she wasn't a big spender and her salary as a secretary at Westgate Group covered her daily expenses, she had barely touched that money.

Chase was stunned by Autumn casually handing him a "small" fortune.

"Autumn, I only asked you to come see Allen, not to give us money…" Chase trailed off as he felt guilty.

Sensing his guilt, Autumn merely said, "You don't have to be so polite with me. Just take it."

Even with the initial capital from Darius, developing a large-scale game like the one Allen was working on required way more than just ten million.

Allen was great at game development, but to keep the company afloat, he had to deal with investors, and drinking was part of that world.

Autumn had always thought Allen could handle it, so she didn't expect he'd end up in the hospital over it.

Since Chase was fully aware of Autumn and Allen's complicated relationship, he wouldn't call out of the blue like this unless Allen was seriously ill. But since that wasn't the case, it had to be about money.

It wasn't easy for young men to swallow their pride and ask for help.

So, before Chase could refuse again, Autumn stuffed the card into his hand.

He stared at the card. After hearing Autumn's words of reassurance and seeing the genuine concern in her eyes, Chase felt a lump in his throat.

They'd met an investor that day, who had said that he would invest one million dollars if they drank a bottle of liquor.

Allen drank it all without hesitation.

Having worked all day, Allen had barely eaten anything and essentially consumed the liquor on an empty stomach, causing him to vomit midway through.

Unable to bear seeing Allen like this, Chase suggested that they just give up, but Allen stayed stubborn. For that one million dollars, he endured the burning pain in his stomach and kept going.

Yet, after finishing the entire bottle, the investor went back on his word.

He even mocked them, saying young people were easy to fool and had no real talent for making a decent game, his insults ruthless.

If they hadn't been so short on funds, who would've tolerated such humiliation?

Left with no other choice, Chase could only call Autumn in the end.

He knew Autumn was married to none other than Damien, the legendary CEO of Caldwell Group, worth hundreds of billions.

If they could just get Damien to invest tens of millions, they'd be fine.

However, with how strained the siblings' relationship was, there was no way Allen would ask Damien for help.

Chase wasn't as stubborn as Allen. As such, he had secretly tried contacting Caldwell Group, using the fact that Damien was Allen's brother-in-law to get them to hear him out.

In the end, he did get to meet Damien in person and gave a one-minute pitch about their upcoming AAA game that incorporated traditional culture.

He had believed they were close to securing an investment until he was thrown out by security, which stunned him.

What shocked him even more was that Caldwell Group later invested in their competitor.

That was like getting slapped in the face.

Chase didn't dare ask about Autumn's relationship with Damien.

Instead, he said tactfully, "Autumn, I won't keep you in suspense. The reason Allen and I have been going all out is that our company's core tech team was poached by our competitor.

"Our company took a huge hit, and we're on the verge of collapse. So, this ten million means everything to us. Without it, we'd be done for."

Though he'd made it sound dire, Chase didn't sound defeated. In fact, he seemed even more fired up.

"You're now a major shareholder, Autumn. When the game launches and we make money, we'll pay you dividends!"

He and Allen, fueled by their frustration, were determined to finish the game and prove themselves to everyone.

"You can tell me all of that in the future. For now, just focus on what you need to do."

Autumn wasn't able to deal with their business competitors.

All she could do was everything within her power—the rest was up to them.

As Chase felt the genuine warmth and care from Autumn, the humiliation from earlier that night began to melt away.

Once he was feeling more grounded, he asked, "Won't you go in and see him?"

Autumn shook her head, suppressing the bitterness in her heart. "He doesn't want to see me, so I won't go in."

Chase could tell Autumn was sad, but he was just an outsider—he couldn't do or say anything even if he wanted to.

Autumn patted him on the shoulder. "Take care of Allen for me. And if anything happens, just come to me. You should go back in now."

Chase murmured a response before going back inside.

He still had to find a way to explain the ten million to Allen. Luckily, that wouldn't be too hard.

Soon after Chase left, Autumn unexpectedly ran into Britney Caldwell, Damien's younger sister.

Autumn couldn't help but frown.

Britney was the same age as Allen. With loving parents and a protective older brother, she'd been pampered all her life.

Naturally, she relied heavily on Damien.

When Autumn became her sister-in-law, Britney saw it as her stealing her brother away.

And like Linda, Britney had always looked down on Autumn. Hence, she was always rude to Autumn whenever they met.

Autumn had always kept her distance and didn't want to run into her, so she planned to take a detour to avoid her.

Alas, Britney had clearly spotted her long ago. She walked straight over to block Autumn's path.

Autumn had no choice but to stop.

Britney scanned her from head to toe, eyes full of undisguised disdain. "What are you doing here? Why aren't you at home taking care of my brother?"

Everyone in the Caldwell family believed that taking care of Damien should be Autumn's top priority since Damien was way out of her league, and that her own personal matters had to take a backseat.

Back then, when Autumn's care and attention were fully invested in Damien, she'd tried her best to be a good wife, to win over his family's approval and affection.

Even when she was wronged, she'd just take it and suppress her frustration.

Since making a scene would only make things worse and she had never liked conflict anyway, she was used to enduring the Caldwells' criticism.

But now that they were in the process of divorce, there was no need to play along or please anyone anymore.

Autumn said calmly, "I had something to do here."

There was no need for further explanation.

"What could be more important than taking care of my brother?" Britney eyed her suspiciously before asking, "Wait… Don't tell me you're pregnant?"