Chapter 3

Maria stared coldly at him. "Eighty million? You might as well just rob me." Breaking a contract for eighty million? That was next-level audacity. James pressed his lips together. "I already gave you the terms. It's your call." With that, he turned and walked off without a glance back. Maria chased after him. "Don’t leave yet — we need to talk, properly." She grabbed his arm, her tone sharp. "You’re being completely unreasonable." Some people glanced over at the sound of their voices. Maria glanced around. She didn’t want to become today’s office gossip, so she pulled James back. "Let’s talk somewhere private." James didn’t resist and let her drag him back into the empty meeting room. Once inside, he stopped and looked down at her, his gaze dark and unreadable. "You really want out that badly?" Maria shook off his arm. "Yes," she said firmly. "I’m done." He hadn’t hesitated when he agreed to the divorce back then — cold, clean, without an ounce of reluctance. This time, she wouldn't hesitate either. She was completely clear about it now — no more ties. But to her surprise, he didn’t look angry. Instead, his lips lifted in amusement. "Be my secretary. Then I’ll let you go." Maria let out a low laugh, sarcasm dripping from her smile. "Your secretary? Might as well just say you want me working for you again. "Eighty million, right? Fine. Give me your account number." If that much money could buy her peace, then so be it — money well spent. James squinted at her like he was watching some kind of show, clearly doubting she had that much cash. He casually passed her his account info. He picked up the contract she’d just signed and leaned back in his chair, slowly flipping through it like he had all the time in the world. Moments later, his phone pinged. He’d actually received the transfer. James raised an eyebrow and gave her a long, intrigued stare. "Looks like you’ve been doing pretty well these years." Maria smiled, her face bright and confident. "Thanks to you agreeing to the divorce. Turns out life’s been great since you left." That one stung. His eyes dimmed for a moment. She ran a hand through her messy hair and asked, "Am I free to go now?" With that, she spun around and headed for the door, posture full of purpose. James didn’t react to her leaving. He just leaned back, lip slightly curved. "You sure you double-checked the contract?" Maria paused mid-step and turned her head. He looked as composed as ever, slowly swiveling his chair and holding up the contract, spreading it out in front of him like he’d just won a game. "What’s wrong?" Her heart skipped a beat, but thinking back, she was pretty sure everything was legit. "It clearly states that either party can terminate the contract with prior notice and mutual agreement. Which we just did." She flashed a tight smile. "So? We had an agreement, didn’t we?" Still, something about this felt off — like escaping wouldn’t be that simple. "I changed my mind. Unless you come work as my secretary, I’m not letting you go." "You…" Her expression darkened, fists tightening. "You’re seriously going back on your word?" His eyes twinkled with a hint of mischief. "Yeah. What about it?" Maria took a steadying breath. "You have no shame. "You agreed to the deal, I transferred the money, and you accepted it. If you go back on it now, that could be considered fraud. I’ll have my lawyer handle it immediately." James didn’t even flinch. "I can easily send the money back." Maria’s hands clenched into fists. "Great. Then my lawyer will contact you soon." She grabbed her bag and turned to leave, but James caught up and yanked her back, pinning her against the wall. Maria’s patience snapped—she unleashed the skills she picked up at Shadowglint. James was caught off guard, his brows twitching in surprise at her sudden moves. For a split second, he seemed impressed. He smirked and fired back. Soon enough, he had her pushed up against the wall again, using sheer force to pin her down. With his chest brushing hers, James leaned in smugly. “You’ve got skills, I’ll give you that. Too bad you’re up against me.” Their bodies tangled, breath mingling, the air between them thick with tension from the scuffle—and maybe something else. “James…” A soft, startled voice echoed from the doorway. Amelia stood there, eyebrows scrunched, mouth gaping. Unbelievable. She’d only stepped away for a minute, and here was Maria already all over James! Startled, Maria shoved James off her hard. She shook off his hand with a look of pure frustration, like this whole thing had just wrecked her day. Seizing the chance while James was momentarily distracted, she stormed off. Just as she reached the ground floor, her phone buzzed. It was Ella. She forced herself to calm down before answering. “Hello? Ella, what’s up?” “Mommy, come quick! We’re at a restaurant near your office.” Her brows furrowed. “Didn’t I tell you all to stay put at the villa?” “But Mommy, we really wanted to see where you work. And plus, we were curious about the place you grew up, so me and brother came out together.” Maria couldn’t stay mad. Ella’s sweet little voice was like a soft pat on her frustrated soul. “Please, come, Mommy~” “I’m coming.” After hanging up, Maria stepped out of the building. That’s when she heard another set of footsteps behind her—too familiar for comfort. It had to be James. If he tagged along and saw the kids... that’d be a total disaster. He’d cling even harder. Her face sank even more. Instead of heading straight for the restaurant, she jumped in her car and purposely detoured. Without realizing it, she ended up by the sea. Families and couples were scattered along the shore, the salty breeze brushing her cheeks. The familiar scent instantly brought her back. This was the place—where she first felt something for James. Back then, she’d hurt her foot, and James had carried her all the way from the beach to the car. They were pretending to date, keeping up appearances for the family, but that day... her heart had slipped. Maria leaned against the car window, taking in gulps of fresh sea air, telling herself maybe walking a bit would help. Before she could step out, another vehicle pulled alongside. She turned her head—it was James. He parked, window already halfway down, his gaze drifting between her and the playful figures running across the sand. Then he looked at her. “You remembered, didn’t you?” “You’re overthinking it.” Whatever ease she’d started to feel vanished in an instant. Maria twisted her keys, deciding it was time to meet Ella and Ethan. “Leaving already? Not even gonna walk around a bit?” “Not if it means seeing you.” Just in case he got the wrong idea, she shot him a cold glance. “Don’t follow me.” With that, she hit the gas and sped off. James watched her car disappear, eyes narrowing slightly. Maria had changed—so much. Gone was the subdued version of her; now, every word she said had bite. Once she was sure he wasn’t behind her, Maria finally eased up. But when she reached the restaurant where Ella said they were, the scene that greeted her made her freeze on the spot.