Chapter 8

After moving abroad, Maria still had some savings, so settling in wasn't that hard. As soon as things were in place, she got Daniel Lewis enrolled in a school. She thought he'd push back, but to her surprise, he said yes right away. He told her he’d grown up, couldn't keep acting like a spoiled kid anymore, and wanted to ease her burden. Maria felt a mix of emotions inside and secretly promised herself she’d work hard to give her brother the best she could. Thankfully, Daniel adapted quickly to the new environment. He ended up applying for universities that same year and got into a top-tier school. After hearing Richard Lewis and his wife had shown up in North City, he came back immediately and had been tracking them down these past few days. Just as Maria’s mind drifted back to old memories, her phone buzzed. The message read: “Found them.” Richard and his wife had set up a shell company in North City. The company looked legit on the surface and had fooled quite a few people. Maria shared the findings with Daniel, but she still couldn’t figure out where they got the money to start it. Daniel rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “Maybe it came from what your ex-husband’s family gave your parents when you got married.” A cold smirk appeared on Maria’s face as something clicked. “Yeah, makes sense.” Back then, she’d been lured into marrying James by the generous financial offer his family put on the table. The company went bust, and the money was never in any company account—most likely they hid it in their own stash. Maria had nothing more to say. She shook her head and looked in their direction, feeling nothing but bitter irony. Once it all clicked, Daniel couldn’t sit still. He jumped to his feet. “They dumped us, and now they’re still trying to milk you? Are they even human? I’m going over to confront them!” “Don’t blow our cover!” Maria quickly pulled him back. But their movements had already drawn attention. Noticing Richard and his wife looking over, the siblings exchanged a glance and turned away calmly, pretending nothing had happened. They didn’t have a plan — just kept walking, trying not to get spotted. They didn’t know where they ended up, but the music from the main hall was barely audible now. Only then did they ease up a bit. Sneaking a glance, Daniel spotted Richard scanning the crowd from not too far off. He tugged Maria’s sleeve and whispered to her. Maria didn’t dare glance back. She bit her lip, dragged Daniel along, and ducked into the nearest private room. The room was brightly lit and clearly reserved by someone. Maria was about to apologize and back out. But then she saw someone familiar, her voice caught in her throat mid-apology, and she started coughing uncontrollably. Daniel quickly patted her back and kept an eye on the door, worried Richard might walk in any second. When he looked up again, he finally registered who was sitting in front of them, and his movements froze. But Maria misread his intention, thinking he was about to step in. She grabbed his wrist and whispered, “Let me handle this. Don’t say a word.” Daniel just gave a short hum, his gaze turning colder. "Huh, Ms. Lewis switching men like changing shoes. David in the afternoon, now another guy at night?" James sneered, though his eyes were sharp and hostile. His sharp brows furrowed, glare fixed on Daniel with undisguised animosity. Maria’s forehead creased slightly. Her fingers gave the slightest tremble, but her voice held firm. "Really? My ex-husband, defending David?" James was clearly thrown off by her bold comeback. He froze, having no comeback for once. Andrew tried to smooth things over, sensing the tension. "James said you’re working as his assistant now, right? You’re bound to bump into each other—no need to act like enemies. Come join us for a drink. We haven’t seen each other in ages." Andrew and James had been buddies since they were kids. A charming rich guy turned lawyer, surrounded by an ever-revolving door of girlfriends. Back when Maria and James were married, Andrew would drop by their house now and then; she’d had quite a few interactions with him. They got along okay back then. But with her relationship with James now in ruins, there was no way they’d return to that dynamic. So she turned him down without hesitation. "No thanks. We just stepped into the wrong room. We’re heading out now." Then she grabbed Daniel’s wrist, ready to leave. Deep down, though, she was getting worried—what if Richard Lewis was still after them? "When did you become his assistant?" Daniel finally processed what was going on, gripping her hand tightly, his other hand shooting up to point at James like he couldn’t believe what he was seeing. Maria leaned closer and replied quietly, "I’ll explain later at home." Their closeness lit a fire in James’s chest. He slammed his glass down, voice low and seething. "Point that finger again, and I swear none of you will see the sun come up tomorrow." Daniel just chuckled and looked him straight in the eye. "Go ahead. Try me." Maria knew James well enough; things would get ugly if it kept escalating. She gave Daniel a stern look. "Drop your hand. Right now. Or I’m gonna be pissed." Daniel slowly lowered his hand. Maria’s word was law to him. James watched the whole thing unfold, anger boiling over. He stepped forward without thinking, shoving Daniel aside and pinning Maria against the wall with one arm. She saw the fury burning in his eyes… but underneath, was that—was that lingering emotion? For a second, Maria faltered. But then, she remembered how coldly he’d signed those divorce papers. Her voice came out sharp. "Quit staring at me like that. You’re gonna give people the wrong idea—that you actually cared." There was a flicker in James’s eyes. He moved back a bit, scoffing. "Don’t flatter yourself." Andrew sighed, pouring himself a drink and muttering under his breath, “Clueless, both of them.” Maria straightened her clothes, watching James warily. "What is it you’re even trying to do?"