h from the air. My hand, clammy and almost alien, clutched the cheap plastic pen, which stood in

e. My gaze flickered to Arthur Cecil, now my legal husband. He didn't spare me a glance,

r her father. The mantra echoed in my mind, hollow and desperate, serving as a shield against the rising tide of humiliation. Arthur's silence was a dismissal, cold and absolute, and I felt profoundly cast aside, a sharp pang of hurt piercing my chest. It felt as though he wanted me to disappear the moment the i

his legal team. A faint, almost predatory smile touched his lips-a flicker of triumph that never quite reached his eyes. He ignored me completely, as if I had already dissolved into the sterile office air,

oid of warmth, "We can proceed with the finalization of the merger now. Have t

ly. "Immediately, Mr. Cecil. Everything is in order. We've ensured all contingencies are c

shifting elsewhere, as if the entire ceremony had been a trivial distraction he was eager to forget. Moving purpos

eparture. Ensure she's

rved a deep, burning wound that made my heart ache. It was undeniably clear-he wanted me gone, hidden from view, filed away like a contract that h

a dis

ent of glass and cold stone, vast and impersonal. My few meager bags, which contained the remnants of my old life, were deposited in the guest wing. The implicat

him a bastard for abandoning his new bride immediately after securing his merger. His reputation a

as a true wife, and the sting of it resonated deeply, confirming that I wa

moved like phantoms around me. Their gazes slid past me as if I were invisible, and I felt their collective dismissal, which reflected Arthur's unspoken direc

s former fiancée. She had been the one he was meant to marry, his great love, before she chose a career in high fashion and modeling, leaving him behind for the glittering lights of fame and opportunity. Even i

delicate, half-used bottle of the jasmine scent. A physical ache settled in my chest, a phantom limb of longing for a life that was never mine. I half-expected Arthur to appear, to acknowledge me, even if it was only to sneer. But he didn't. He remained elusive, his

head housekeeper-emerged from the shadows of the grand foyer. Her

aving no room for argument. "The master suite is strictly off-limits, as are Mr. Cecil's private offices. You will find everything you need

longed to ask something-anything-but t

nsignificant in the echoing space. I forced myself to contin

did not change. Her eyes

nes at home when there are business obligations. Dinner wi

ts had been designed to isolate me-kept away from the public areas where Arthur might entertain. With that, she turned abrupt