Chapter 2

At the entrance of the MG Tower elevator, a tall man was on the phone. Maria's pupils shrank slightly. He stood there, dressed in a tailored suit, tall and striking. His left wrist, still wearing that familiar watch, lifted the phone as his flawless side profile radiated even more maturity and charm than she remembered. From that distance alone, he already looked like someone straight out of a luxury ad—cool and composed. James heard the sound of heels approaching and turned his head slightly, revealing a sharp jawline. He froze for a second, then his eyes sharpened, locking onto Maria. Their eyes met. Maria gave a slight, confident smile—calm and poised. She looked even more stunning than before—bold features, arched brows, those almond-shaped eyes filled with allure, a delicate nose, soft full lips. Every subtle movement was naturally graceful and hard to ignore. Maria didn’t avoid him. She stepped up next to James, her gaze fixed on the elevator's descending numbers. Even though he was still on a call, she could clearly feel his eyes pinned on her the whole time. Moments later, he hung up. “Maria.” His voice was low and edgy, almost like he was grinding his teeth. “Where the hell have you been these years?” Maria gave a faint smile. “Does that really have anything to do with you?” She glanced up at him, her tone calm but distant. “Aren’t you with Amelia now? How’s that going? Married? Kid already?” James’s brows furrowed. “That’s not true.” Just then, the elevator doors opened. Inside stood a gorgeous woman in a white dress. Her calm face lit up instantly. “James…!” Something twisted in Maria's chest, pain creeping in without warning. So that was why she ran into James here—he was picking up Amelia. Lifting her chin, Maria kept it cool as she walked past Amelia without sparing her so much as a glance. Amelia blinked in surprise, then quickly put on a sweet face again. “James! What a coincidence! I was just here for a variety show taping—didn’t think I’d bump into you.” She tucked a few loose strands behind her ear, her cheeks flushing with a delicate pink, soft and shy like a flower trembling in the breeze. “James, how about we go to your place today?” Inside the elevator, Maria clenched her fists, sneaking a glance at the two of them outside. Her face stayed expressionless. The elevator doors slowly closed. James took a step forward, but Amelia followed closely, grabbing his arm. He managed only a final glance. With a sharp breath out, James pulled his arm back, clearly irritated. “I don’t have time for this.” His eyes dropped to Amelia, his tone cold. “If I remember right, you decided on that variety show gig last minute, didn’t you?” His gaze was dark and detached. Amelia White bit her lip, eyes darting around nervously, completely avoiding his gaze. She'd bribed James’s assistant just to find out he was coming here today. Coincidentally, she got invited to a variety show by this company. Her sudden appearance wasn't a coincidence—it was all planned. An excuse for a "chance encounter." But hearing James say that now meant he’d figured everything out. With a pitiful pout, Amelia looked at him and said softly, “James, your mom asked me to go back with you… I called but you didn’t answer, so I figured this was the only way…” “I didn’t really have a choice.” James gave her a look of thinly veiled annoyance. “I told you I’m busy. If you want to go, go by yourself.” He couldn't be more done with this. With that, James strode straight into the other elevator and disappeared upstairs. … Reception Conference Room. The coordinator grinned warmly. “Congratulations, Ms. Lewis, and welcome aboard.” Maria extended a hand with a polite smile. “Looking forward to working together.” The handshake didn’t last more than a second. “Ms. Lewis, I might not be able to introduce you to our CEO until tomorrow—he’s being replaced.” Maria was momentarily stunned. “What?” “Our entertainment company’s being acquired by the Bennett Group! And guess what? The new CEO—he’s like, stupidly handsome. I mean, he’s totally good enough to debut as a celeb himself!” The girl across from her looked thrilled, but Maria’s smile froze. Her brows creased. So James came here for the acquisition today? Seeing him again earlier had made her heart clench, yes—but more than anything, it just felt like dodging a bullet. Thank god the divorce was done. She had a new life now. As the founder of a luxury brand under Shadowglint, she had only joined this company to evaluate its potential as a partner. But now? With all this happening, she had no intention of sticking around. “Sorry, I’d like to cancel the contract.” The coordinator was visibly shocked. “Huh? Why?” Maria offered an apologetic smile. Why? Because the last thing she wanted was to get tangled up with her ex-husband again. She made up a quick excuse and brushed it off. The coordinator left looking disappointed. Maria slung her bag over her shoulder, pulling out her phone as she walked out of the room. “Send someone else to take over the review… yeah, I’ll be backing out from this end.” Before she could put her phone away, the door opened with a quiet click. A tall man stepped inside—broad shoulders, lean frame, still looking exactly like the man she used to know in every line and gesture. Maria looked up. James stood at the door, lips curled with a faint smile. “Heard you want out of the contract,” he said casually. “Well, bad news. The acquisition is finalized. That makes you my employee now. And if you want out,” he raised his hand and made an eight with his fingers, “it’ll cost this much.” “Eighty million.” His deep voice buzzed with that familiar magnetism, as if it crackled right through her, leaving her stunned and burning.