Bill delivered the divorce papers to Waylon Gray with a simple message: his wife had left. Waylon's response was cold and dismissive—he crumpled the agreement with contempt, convinced Alena Wright was playing some calculated game. He had no intention of accepting her departure. Across the city, Alena had already moved into her friend Darcy Harrington's apartment in the downtown district. With her mind made up about the divorce, she couldn't remain in Waylon's penthouse. While Darcy trained abroad for the next month, Alena seized the opportunity to rebuild her life independently. Her background in jewelry design made finding opportunities straightforward. She distributed her portfolio to several prestigious design firms and landed an interview with Cohen Group within days. Walking through Cohen Group's gleaming lobby, Alena froze. The elevator doors were closing, and inside stood Waylon Gray. Her chest tightened with confusion and dread. This building belonged to Cohen Group—she'd deliberately targeted companies outside Waylon's Monarch International empire. His unexpected presence felt like cruel fate intersecting with her carefully laid plans. She steadied herself, remembering that their connection was severed. Whatever brought him here didn't matter. They were strangers now, bound by nothing but the dissolution papers he'd so arrogantly dismissed. Yet as the elevator vanished from sight, doubt crept in. Perhaps it was coincidence. Perhaps not.