Chapter 3

At ten in the morning, my phone rang with a sharp tone.

"Get the divorce finalized soon. I want to be single again as soon as possible." It was the same unfamiliar number, the tone still cold and direct.

I set down the experiment report I was analyzing and rubbed my tired eyes.

I had stayed up late organizing data, and my mind felt foggy.

"Alright," I replied briefly.

"Tonight at seven, I'll take you to meet my mother to explain things. The place is Aureus Restaurant in the city center. I'll pick you up at your apartment."

I was finally going to meet this mysterious husband.

For a year, he had been just a name on a marriage certificate, without even a photo. "Fine, I'll be ready on time."

I closed my laptop and checked the time.

A few hours remained to prepare, so I needed to get ready.

Back at my apartment, I stood before my wardrobe, choosing carefully.

Though this was just a formality before the divorce, I was meeting Victoria, my elegant and formidable mother-in-law.

More importantly, I needed that twenty-million-dollar settlement to keep my research project alive.

I settled on a sleek black dress, simple yet formal.

At ten minutes to six, I went downstairs to wait for my unseen husband.

The evening was chilly, so I draped a thin coat over my shoulders and stood by the apartment entrance.

That's when I spotted a familiar figure.

The guy from the consulate, the one who blushed, stood at the street corner, seemingly waiting for someone.

He wore a deep blue suit today, still impeccably tailored with expensive fabric.

I watched him with interest, wondering if he'd blush as adorably as yesterday.

Sure enough, he sensed my gaze, glanced my way, and quickly looked away when he saw me watching.

I caught the telltale reddening of his ears.

What an intriguing man.

How could such a successful businessman get nervous over a stranger's glance?

I was chuckling to myself when my phone buzzed.

"Sorry, I can't meet tonight." It was Simon. "I just saw her on the street."

Her? Who was he talking about?

I frowned and kept reading.

"I can't let her see me with you. It'd cause a misunderstanding. If she knew I was married, I'd have to jump into a river to prove my innocence."

I nearly laughed at his ridiculous words. How old was this guy?

"She's truly wonderful, the most amazing person in the world." His messages kept coming. "Sorry for making you come out for nothing. Can we reschedule? I promise I'll make up for your time."

I was about to reply when he sent a photo.

It showed a girl playing the piano on a stage, her silhouette blurry, her face unclear.

She wore a long dress, sitting at the piano with an elegant, focused posture.

"The way she plays is so beautiful. It's the most perfect scene I've ever seen."

I felt exasperated. Did he really need to gush about his crush to his soon-to-be-ex-wife?

I studied the photo closely, and my heart skipped a beat.

The angle, the background, the stage setup... it looked familiar, but the image was too blurry, the lighting too dim to make out details.

Could it be...?

Though unclear, it did resemble how I looked during my high school performances.

I used to play the piano at various school events and had plenty of similar photos taken.

But it could just be a coincidence.

The world was full of girls who played the piano, and similar silhouettes weren't unusual.

I was about to pocket my phone and head upstairs when I noticed a black Bentley parked ahead.

Inside sat the guy from earlier, the one I'd seen at the consulate.

He was looking down at his phone, typing something.

Then he glanced around, his eyes quickly landing on me.

It was that sneaky, cautious look again, like he was afraid of getting caught.

A playful urge hit me, and I decided to walk over and tease him.

After all, we'd crossed paths at the consulate, so it wasn't entirely random.

But as I took a few steps toward him, he reacted like he'd been scalded, fumbling to press the window button.

The tinted window shot up, hiding him completely.

A second later, the car's engine roared, and it sped off.

I stood there, laughing out loud.

How could such a grown man act like a shy kid?

But I had to admit, it was pretty cute.