Chapter 4 Divorce Agreement

Kylie sprang out of bed. A bright smile lit up her face, and excitement filled her voice.

"Really?"

"Yes," her father replied with certainty.

"Then why didn't Mrs. Sloane tell me?" she asked in surprise.

"I only received the confirmation recently," Declan explained. "I haven't had the chance to tell her yet."

Kylie's heart pounded with excitement, her joy completely unrestrained. "What if we keep it a secret for now?" she suggested eagerly. "We could surprise her when we get back. Wouldn't that be fun?"

Declan let out a soft laugh. "I like that idea."

Kylie blurted out happily, "Dad, you're amazing! I love you!"

After the call ended, her excitement didn't fade at all. She kept spinning across the bed and humming to herself, unable to sit still with all the energy bubbling inside her.

Then a thought suddenly crossed her mind. Samira. Over the past few days, life had felt strangely calm since she stopped answering her mother's calls. To avoid those conversations, Kylie started leaving the house earlier. Sometimes she switched off her phone. Other times, she purposely left it somewhere she couldn't reach after school.

After a few days, she grew worried that Samira might get angry with her, so she stopped avoiding the calls that way. Yet something strange happened. The phone never rang.

At first, Kylie assumed Samira had realized she was being ignored and decided to stop calling. But knowing her mother, that didn't make sense. Samira had never been the type to stay silent. If Kylie had done something wrong, she would have scolded her immediately and without hesitation.

It felt impossible that Samira would simply walk away without saying anything.

That thought stirred a feeling Kylie didn't expect. She began to miss her. For the first time in days, Samira's absence pressed on her heart, heavy and difficult to ignore. The urge to hear her voice suddenly became too strong to resist. Kylie grabbed her phone and dialed her mother's number.

But just as her fingers hovered over the screen, another thought stopped her.

Once Merrick returned home, Samira would certainly try to separate them again, just like before. In Goldland, Kylie could still see Merrick whenever she wanted. Soon, that freedom would disappear. The realization tightened her chest and drained the excitement from her.

By the time she finally called, it was already late into the night.

The ringing phone pulled Samira out of her sleep. Just as she was about to answer, Kylie felt a sudden surge of anger and cut the call.

Even though Samira had given up custody in the divorce agreement, she still felt tied to her daughter. When the call ended so abruptly, panic immediately gripped her. Afraid that something had happened, she called back right away.

Kylie saw her mother's name appear on the screen. She turned away and refused to answer.

Even more worried, Samira quickly dialed the manor's landline. Maribel answered almost immediately. After listening to Samira's hurried explanation, the housekeeper spoke in a calm and reassuring tone.

"Miss Kylie should be perfectly fine. She went to bed late last night and only woke up not long ago, so she's still a little sleepy. I saw her earlier. Let me check on her again and call you back."

Those words eased Samira's anxiety somewhat. "Thank you. I'd really appreciate that."

Maribel went upstairs right away. She found Kylie getting ready and told her about Samira's concern. Without the slightest hesitation, Kylie smiled and gave an easy excuse. She claimed she had accidentally dialed her mother's number while brushing her teeth. Maribel didn't suspect anything and returned downstairs to relay the message.

Feeling relieved that her lie had worked, Kylie let out a long breath. A strange sense of triumph lingered in her chest, as if she had just won a small challenge against her mother.

Meanwhile, Samira finally relaxed after hearing Maribel's update. However, sleep refused to return. She spent the rest of the night tossing and turning. When morning came, she arrived at work exhausted, her mind clouded with fatigue.

At the same time, Declan calmly packed a few of his things before leaving the house. Ever since Merrick had called him, he hadn't given another thought to the envelope Samira had sent. The divorce agreement remained forgotten. Without a second thought, he stepped into the car and left.

"Let's go," Declan said calmly.

The car started and drove away from the manor, heading toward the airport.

Samira had no idea that Declan had already left for his homeland. No one had told her.

Two weeks passed after he left the manor. In that quiet space he left behind, Samira slowly adjusted to a calmer life. The days felt peaceful, almost gentle, and she was beginning to appreciate it.

That Saturday morning, she woke up later than usual and enjoyed the rare chance to rest. After washing up quickly, she pulled the curtains open and let the warm sunlight pour into the room. She stretched lazily, watered the plants arranged along the windowsill, and then started making a simple breakfast.

The peaceful morning was interrupted by the sound of the doorbell.

Standing outside was Corinne, her neighbor from across the street. She held a small basket in her hands. "Good morning, Samira. I hope I'm not disturbing you?"

Samira greeted her with a polite smile. "Not at all. I was already awake."

"That's good," Corinne said warmly. "I baked muffins and apple pies this morning. I thought you might like to try some."

Samira felt touched by the gesture. "Thank you. That's really thoughtful of you."

"It's the least we could do after what you did for Sally," Corinne said sincerely. "Without you, that wild dog might've hurt her. My husband and I wanted to thank you earlier, but work kept us busy."

Samira gently shook her head. "It really wasn't anything serious. You're too kind."

After a few more friendly exchanges, Corinne said goodbye and returned home.

Samira then sat down to enjoy her breakfast while reviewing the latest developments in artificial intelligence related to her work.

Later that afternoon, a notification appeared on her phone. Starlight University was celebrating its centenary. Curious, Samira checked the date and realized the event was already underway. The hashtag #StarlightUniversityCentenary was trending everywhere online, shared across countless posts.

The university's reputation alone explained the scale of the celebration. As one of the country's most prestigious institutions, it always drew widespread attention. This time, however, the occasion was even more significant. It marked the school's very first hundredth anniversary, and many distinguished alumni had gathered for the event.

As Samira scrolled through photos and messages, her hands began to tremble slightly. Familiar faces from the past appeared on the screen one after another, stirring memories of her student days. A quiet question rose in her mind. If she hadn't married right after graduation, would she have been among those honored alumni today?

Her chest felt heavy. She slowly closed her laptop.

After hesitating for a moment, Samira finally decided to go to the campus.

When Samira reached the campus, the celebration still buzzed with activity, though many of the distinguished guests had already left. She walked slowly along the familiar paths and eventually stopped in front of the towering science building. At that moment, a voice she recognized called out to her, "Samira?"

Twenty minutes later, she sat in a small café nearby. Beckett Pendleton sat across from her and placed a cup of coffee in front of her. His smile carried warmth and sincerity. "So, how have you been?"

Samira wrapped both hands around her cup of tea. Her voice came out soft but steady. "I'm doing alright... I'm just going through a divorce."

Beckett froze in surprise. Shock crossed his face. "I'm really sorry to hear that."

Samira gave a small shrug. "That's how things turned out."

After a brief pause, Beckett leaned forward slightly. "What about your future? Are you thinking of coming back to work at the company?"

Samira let out a quiet sigh. "I've thought about it, but..."

Seeing her hesitation, Beckett spoke with earnest determination. "Samira, the company needs you. You're essential to it. I truly hope you'll come back and lead it again."

Her gaze wandered for a moment, lost somewhere far away. "I... I don't know..."

Under the intensity of Beckett's stare, a swirl of emotions rose inside Samira. It wasn't that she lacked the desire to return. But six years had passed since she stepped away. In that time, artificial intelligence had progressed at an incredible speed. She couldn't help worrying that she might no longer keep up, much less take back the leadership role she once held so confidently.