Audrey's POV
Soon, the car pulled up in front of the Anderson Law Firm. I stepped out with an extra layer of smile I didn't bother to hide.
"Well, my job here is done. Can I take you out to dinner?" Simon asked.
"No," I said firmly.
"Come on, Audrey, have I not scored even a little point in your heart?" he teased.
"I'll let you know," I replied, trying not to smile. I adjusted my dress and walked inside.
People noticed. A few smiled as I passed through the foyer, whispers of recognition drifting behind me. "Oh my, this takes me back twenty-five years," Steph said, beaming. Steph had been my father's former assistant and was now a partner at the firm. "You really are your mother's daughter."
He wasted no time putting me on cases to work. I sank into the files and motions and felt that familiar, satisfying blur of being useful, of becoming something steady again.
Jeremy's POV
It had been a few days since Audrey and I finalized the divorce. I'd gone back home because the company was in trouble. I tried to revoke the divorce, but it was done; there was nothing I could do. Still, I couldn't stop thinking about her. I needed to find a way to win her back. I couldn't lose her.
"Boss… someone just bought all the shares of the company," Jason said.
"What? Who? When? Find out!" I snapped. I knew Skylight had been struggling lately, but I didn't realize it had gotten this bad.
"Jeremy, is it true? We lost the company?" my mother asked, her voice trembling.
"Does that mean we're poor now? No, brother, that can't be!" Rosemary, my younger sister, cried.
"We need to reconcile with Simon," my father said suddenly. "With his trust fund, he can save the company."
"And you really think he'll help us?" my mother asked, disbelief etched across her face.
"He's my brother, and this was his father's hard-earned company. He won't let it go down," my father insisted.
My mother shook her head. "And you think your stepbrother will help us? In case you haven't noticed, he hates us."
"What if you charm Audrey again, brother? You can do it. She wants a baby, try harder, and you two will be together again, and all our financial problems will be solved," Rosemary urged.
"I need to think," I said. "My family can't be ruined. I won't beg my uncle, he hates me, and I won't swallow my pride to plead for help."
"Relax. Mum, Dad, Rosemary, I'll take care of everything. For now, cut down on expenses. We can't afford to throw money away," I told them.
"No way," Rosemary protested. "You need to find a way to get us out of this. If this gets out, I'll lose my friends, my face. Audrey is your wife; she has to help. I know a way." She turned and walked off.
"You need to fix this," my mother said and left as well.
I had no options left but one: go back to Salvador to talk to Audrey, make her forgive me, and get her to help. I couldn't think of anything else.
Outside my office, I saw Adel. "Jeremy, we need to talk," she said.
"Don't let her in," I told the security guard, then climbed into my car.
The flight to Salvador felt longer than usual, maybe because I spent every minute rehearsing what I'd say to her. Every word felt wrong. Too weak, too defensive, too desperate.
When the plane touched down, I checked into a hotel near the Anderson Law Firm. I knew Audrey was back at work there; everyone in the industry did. The thought of her walking those halls again, confident and untouchable, sent a sharp twist through my chest.
The next morning, I waited outside the firm. Her black car pulled up right on schedule. She stepped out, flawless as always, dressed in a dark suit that screamed power. I almost forgot to breathe.
"Jeremy?" Her tone was flat, unreadable, as if she were surprised to see me but not interested enough to show it.
"Can we talk?" I asked quietly. "Just five minutes, Audrey."
She looked at me for a long second before giving a small, polite smile that didn't reach her eyes. "Five minutes," she said, and turned toward a nearby café.
Inside, I sat across from her, suddenly aware of how exhausted I looked next to her calm composure.
"What do you want, Jeremy?"
"I want us back," I said. "I made mistakes, I know that. But I can fix things. I need you, Audrey. You're all I've ever wanted. I see that now, and our baby, we could have another one. I will only love you."
She tilted her head, studying me. "I was the side character, remember? She killed our baby. I will never forgive you."
"That was a mistake," I said quickly. "I thought I cheated and lied."
She gave a quiet laugh, sharp and humorless. "Cheated? So you married me to make my life hell?"
I swallowed hard. "I can explain everything if you just—"
She leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms. "This isn't about us anymore, Jeremy. Skylight is gone, and you need my money."
My heart froze. "You know about that?"
"Oh, I know," she said, her eyes gleaming with something I couldn't quite place — triumph, maybe, or something colder. "The universe has a way of balancing things, don't you think?"
Before I could reply, her phone buzzed. She stood up, slipping it into her bag. "Five minutes are up. Take care of yourself, Jeremy."
And just like that, she walked away, leaving me staring after her, realizing too late that maybe, just maybe, if I hadn't seen her come out of that luxury car back at the University, maybe this wouldn't have happened.
I sat in my hotel room long after Audrey left, her last words replaying in my head: Skylight is gone.
Something in her tone bothered me. She said it like she already knew how.
A knock on the door snapped me out of it. It was Simon. My uncle. The last person I wanted to see.
"Simon," I said through gritted teeth. "If you came to gloat—"
He smirked, walking in without an invitation. "Nephew. I'm only here to deliver the truth."
"What truth?"
He tossed a folder to me, "The new owner of Skylight Corporation."
I froze, staring at the file. "Who?"
Simon folded his arms, watching me like a cat cornering its prey. "Audrey."
The word hit harder than any punch. "What?"
"She owns it now. Every share, every asset, everything that used to be yours." Simon leaned closer. "Seems she's finally learned how to play the game."
I could feel the blood drain from my face. Audrey. My Audrey. She'd taken my company.
Simon chuckled as he turned toward the door. "You really should've treated her better. Some debts come due, Jeremy. Well, good for me,"
After he left, I sat there for what felt like hours, staring at nothing. Rage. Regret. A strange kind of admiration. They all burned together until I couldn't breathe.
So, I did what I do best when everything falls apart: I went drinking.
By the time night fell, I was two bottles in when Rosemary called.
"Jeremy, meet me at the Vino Bar at eight. Audrey will be there," she said quickly.
"Why would she—"
"She agreed to talk. Please, don't mess this up."
Her words slurred through my head as I downed another shot. Audrey. At the bar. Maybe this was my last chance.
So I agreed.
I didn't know if I was going there to beg, to fight, or to win her back, maybe all three, but one thing was clear: I wasn't leaving without seeing her again.