5
The day I returned from a trip to Rome, Isabelle was waiting for me.
“Serena, your white moonlight is back! Your first love! And he’s loaded now.”
Her unspoken words hung in the air: You married Nicolai for his money, now you can divorce him and marry Dillian!
“He hasn’t contacted you all these years because he still has you in his heart!”
Coincidentally, Nicolai came home on the same day.
He heard every single word.
He stood in the entryway, his suit immaculate, his expression placid, his eyes betraying no emotion.
Isabelle spun around, her face instantly draining of color. She scrambled to her feet, forcing a nervous laugh. “Mr. Payne, you’re
back… I was just joking. Serena wouldn’t actually…”
“I didn’t take it seriously,” he said, his tone perfectly calm. He walked in, suit still on, a gift box from his business trip in hand.
“Nor did I give it a second thought.” He looked down, placing the box in front of me. “You mentioned you were craving that mille–crê
pe cake from Tokyo last time. I brought you one.”
My gaze flickered, but my fingers didn’t move.
My assistant reports my schedule to him. He knew I was coming home today. He must have made a special trip back. I knew his
schedule was packed; getting away couldn’t have been easy.
“…Thank you.”
I heard his soft “Mm” as he turned and went upstairs.
I sat on the sofa, staring at the perfectly crafted cake, and suddenly, it tasted like ash in my mouth.
