Chapter 10

As I held the newspaper in my hands, a bitter sense of irony washed over me. I had once been under the impression that Preston had cast aside our decade-long marriage due to his profound love for Melanie. It now appeared that his devotion was far less than I had imagined. I was lost in thought when Raphael's call came through. "We have finalized the agreement with Novus Group, Samantha." He stayed on the line after saying that. He hesitated for a long time before finally saying, "I'm really sorry about what happened with you and Preston. I met him at an awards ceremony a while ago, and I just assumed that the woman accompanying him was his wife. I really had no idea." I smiled faintly. "It's alright, Raphael. It's all in the past, and I'm honestly in a much better place now." Raphael asked, "May I have the pleasure of pursuing you since you're single now?" I was taken aback by his sudden question. I had always attributed his kindness to our professional relationship, but upon re