Chapter 2

It was true, but it still stung to hear it.

I turned around and saw the woman who used to be my ex-wife's arch-rival. Isabella Montez, I think her name was.

Because of my relationship with Seraphina, Isabella often made snide remarks or tried to mess with me.

Running into her now was hardly a good sign.

I pursed my lips, jumping to conclusions. "You're a wealthy heiress. Why are you buying a small apartment here when you could live in a mansion?"

Isabella looked me up and down, her smile deepening when she saw my suitcase.

"Looks like you really did get kicked out, didn't you? Alex Thorne, what's this? Did you finally wise up and decide to stop being a kept man?"

My eye twitched. "Isabella Montez, if you have nothing nice to say, don't say anything at all! When was I ever a kept man?"

Isabella scoffed. "Fine, play tough. Let's see how long that lasts."

…

Since the apartment was fully furnished, I could just move right in.

That evening, I bought some groceries from the supermarket, planning to treat myself to a nice meal.

I also figured I should start looking for something to do. I could be chill, but I couldn't just do nothing.

Suddenly, the doorbell rang.

I walked to the door and saw Isabella again.

She was holding several takeout containers, all looking warm. "Want to share a drink?"

I was a bit surprised but couldn't really refuse, so I let her in.

Isabella, being a Montez heiress, was used to being pampered. She just had to snap her fingers, and someone appeared with every kind of drink imaginable in my apartment.

We sat across from each other at the dining table. Maybe it was my imagination, but Isabella seemed to be thoroughly surveying my place.

Finally, she contentedly opened a bottle of red wine. "Cheers! To your newfound single status!"

I paused, then realized that with Isabella's connections, finding out about my divorce would have been incredibly easy.

Still, her actions were a little out of character. Was she scheming something?

Especially those eyes of hers, full of a mischievous glint, clearly showing she had something up her sleeve!

Just then, the doorbell rang again.

I wondered why. I'd just moved in, and hardly anyone knew where I lived. Why so many visitors?

I opened the door and found... Seraphina Dubois?

For some reason, Seraphina's eyes were red. She reached out to grab me. "Alex Thorne, come back with me."

I didn't understand what was going on, but I instinctively stepped back, refusing her touch.

"We're divorced, Sera. You shouldn't be grabbing me like that. We need to set some boundaries."

Seraphina clenched her jaw. "I know, but I have no choice."

"My grandfather is sick. He's in the ICU. He always liked you the most. Please, I'm begging you, go see him. It might help him recover."

Mr. Dubois had always been kind to me. Our marriage, in fact, was largely due to his efforts.

But according to the original plot, he wasn't supposed to get sick at this time. What was happening?

Could it be that the news of my divorce from Seraphina had upset him?

Seraphina seemed to guess my thoughts and nodded heavily.

"Yes, it's exactly what you're thinking. But no matter what, just come with me now!"

I was conflicted. On one hand, I didn't want any more ties to my ex-wife. On the other, I didn't want to disregard an old man's kindness.

Suddenly, Isabella appeared.

Without a word, she wrapped her arm around mine and playfully nudged me.

Then, as if to deliberately stake her claim, she said, "Seraphina, you're divorced from Alex now. Is it really appropriate to be clinging to him like this?"

Alex? The way she said my name was a little too intimate, wasn't it?

Before I could react, Seraphina noticed Isabella, and her beautiful face instantly darkened.

"You! Isabella Montez, why are you with Alex Thorne? And why are you being so intimate?"

Seraphina couldn't wrap her head around it. This man she'd always looked down on seemed to have undergone such a drastic transformation.

Isabella kept up the provocation, boldly tracing circles on my chest. "Why?"

"A man and a woman, alone in an apartment, having a candlelit dinner late at night. What do you think, Seraphina?"

Seraphina looked as if she'd been struck by lightning. She froze, completely stunned, before turning and stumbling away, utterly devastated.