Chapter 3 A Quiet Release

Five years earlier, when Jaycob finally joined the Mills family, he found himself fighting on two fronts at once. He was still pouring everything into his own startup while slowly stepping into responsibilities within the larger Mills Group. He had naively believed that coming back into the Mills family would automatically put him next in line. Instead, he walked into a ruthless arena where every decision was scrutinized, and a single misstep could destroy him.

His half-brother, Kristopher Mills, never let up. No matter how much Jaycob achieved, it always seemed to pale next to Kristopher's shadow. The constant pressure wore him down and quietly turned his frustration into resentment.

Day after day he came home to find Kendra quietly tending to the small details-preparing his meals, pressing his shirts, keeping the household running smoothly. She appeared content in that simple, domestic rhythm. And the longer he watched her, the more irritated he grew. Why couldn't she offer him more? Was this really the woman he was supposed to build an empire beside-someone whose only skills were in the kitchen and the laundry room?

Then Valerie stepped into the picture. She told him plainly that she could help him solidify his position in his family. She offered the full weight of her own influential background-every valuable connection, every resource-to strengthen his claim to succession.

After weighing it carefully, Jaycob announced his engagement to Valerie.

In his mind, the plan was simple. Once he married Valerie, he would keep Kendra around in a quieter capacity. As long as she stayed out of the way, he wouldn't mind providing for her financially, maybe even sparing her a little attention now and then.

Kendra had always been easy to satisfy, after all.

Back then, Kendra convinced herself he must have been forced into this arrangement. She worked tirelessly to win over Sharon Mills, his grandmother, which led to her becoming his wife.

And now she stood here, asking him why he had gotten engaged to Valerie.

Jaycob let out a soft, mocking sound. His voice sliced through the air like winter wind. "You actually think you can measure up to Valerie? She comes from a pedigree. She was raised with the finest education money can buy. She understands business inside and out. She has genuine talent-she can actually help me win the fight for control of the Mills empire. And you? What have you ever brought to the table? Nothing. For five years, you've been nothing more than a pretty face."

The words struck one after another, each one sharper than the last. Whatever faint spark of hope Kendra had carried finally flickered out.

And yet, strangely, in that same moment, she felt a quiet release.

She silently forgave the younger version of herself who had lived so small and so patiently for five long years. At last, she released her hold on the relationship.

So Jaycob truly did love Valerie-enough to have saved himself for her all this time.

She still couldn't quite grasp how someone could change so completely and so fast. But none of it mattered anymore.

"Alright," she said in a soft, even voice. "Tomorrow morning. Nine o'clock. Let's get divorced."

With that, she turned the wheelchair and rolled away.

Jaycob didn't lift his eyes from the tablet screen. "Fine," he said flatly.

The front door clicked shut behind Kendra.

......

Kendra left the villa and returned with Alexia to Alexia's modest downtown apartment.

"Sorry, it's nothing fancy," Alexia said with an apologetic shrug. "Business has been tough the last couple of years. This is the best I can do right now."

Kendra gave her a small, genuine smile. "I'm just thankful you're letting me stay. Really."

The guest room Alexia had prepared was small-barely big enough for a single bed and a narrow wardrobe.

After unpacking her suitcase, Kendra stood in the middle of the unfamiliar space and let out a long, slow breath. Ten years ago, she could never have pictured walking away from Jaycob like this.

A gentle knock sounded at the door.

She opened it to find Alexia standing there with two cold cans of beer in her hands. "Want one?"

Kendra felt bone-tired and nearly turned the beer down, but she could see the worry etched on Alexia's face-the last thing her friend needed was to leave her alone with her thoughts. So she gave a small nod instead.

They settled in the living room, where the coffee table was already scattered with chips, nuts, and a couple of bowls of popcorn. Alexia tipped her can back and downed half of it in one long swallow, then turned to look at Kendra.

"Tell me the truth," she said quietly. "What really went wrong these past few years? You two were so wrapped up in each other. You finally made it down the aisle-how did it all unravel like this?"

Kendra didn't answer. She just stared at the rim of her unopened can.

Alexia let out a long breath. "Okay. You don't have to say anything if you're not ready. Still, if I had had any idea things would end up this way, I never would have let you walk away from the studio back then."

She paused, then went on, "The girls you trained-they're all out there now, lighting up bigger stages. And that account of yours... you had more than three million people following you. You stopped posting five years ago, but they're still there. They leave comments every week, asking when you're coming back, holding space for you."

Kendra dropped her gaze to her lap. "That is my fault," she murmured.

For five whole years, she had poured every ounce of herself into Jaycob-his schedule, his comfort, his world. The account she used to update with clips of rehearsals, warm-ups, and quiet moments of joy had sat untouched. To protect herself from the ache, she hadn't even logged in. She had convinced herself the followers had moved on, that no one remembered the dancer who used to share her days so openly. Hearing Alexia say her followers were still showing up in the comments made her eyes burn.

All that time, she thought she was standing up for their love, shielding it from the world. But the marriage had been flawed from the start-and in the end, it had quietly stripped away everything she had once built for herself.

Alexia reached over and gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze. "Hey, don't carry that alone. You've got me, okay? Right now, just rest here and let that leg heal. I'm already thinking ahead. When you're ready, we'll make your return something no one can look away from. You'll step back into the dance world strong, head high, like you never left."

Kendra managed a small smile and nodded. She didn't mention that she had already decided to start looking for a job the very next morning.

The following morning, after a simple breakfast, Kendra was slipping on her coat to leave for the courthouse when her phone hummed with a fresh notification. It came from Aaron.

"An urgent issue cropped up in the Zeross project. Mr. Mills boarded an early plane this morning to sort it out. He might be away for several days."

This was par for the course. Over the last five years, any shift in Jaycob's itinerary reached her not through his own words, but always via his assistant. By now, the pattern felt as familiar as an old scar.

Kendra typed back swiftly. "Any idea when he might return?"

Across town, Aaron paused, glancing uncertainly before passing his phone to Jaycob. "She wants to know... your expected arrival."

Jaycob huffed a sharp, dismissive breath, the atmosphere around him crackling with frost. "Timelines on deals like this shift like sand. Have her hold tight."

Left with little recourse, Aaron sent off. "The undertaking is full of twists-tough to pin down an end date."

He typed another message. "I'll update you the moment he's back in town."

Kendra let the screen go dark without a word. Turning her attention elsewhere, she pulled up the job forms she had fired off late the previous night-each and every one stared back with a blunt rejection.