Chapter 2

Aniya POV:

I used to be so naive.

When I first met Donnie Winters, he was a legend. A prodigy who had built a global tech empire before his thirtieth birthday. He was on the cover of every business magazine, his sharp jaw and cold, intelligent eyes a symbol of ruthless ambition. I was a student of architectural design, a world away from his, but I found myself drawn to the power and intensity that radiated from him. I developed a secret, foolish crush.

So when my family, their influence waning, announced the strategic marriage to him, I was thrilled. My friends warned me. "Aniya, he' s a machine, not a man. He' s made of ice and ambition."

"I can change him," I' d said, my heart full of the stupid optimism of a girl who had only read about love in books. "Love can melt anyone."

On our wedding night, he stood before me in our palatial bedroom, his tuxedo perfectly tailored, his expression as remote as a distant star. He handed me a prenuptial agreement that was thicker than a novel.

"Let' s be clear, Aniya," he said, his voice devoid of any warmth. "This is a partnership. The Gray family name provides my company with a legacy it lacks. In return, I prevent your family' s business from collapsing. I expect you to be a competent, silent, and graceful Mrs. Winters. Do not expect love. I am not capable of it."

His words were a cold slap, but my foolish heart refused to give up. For five years, I played the part of the perfect wife. I endured his absence, his indifference, his emotional void. My only comfort, the one thing that allowed me to survive the crushing loneliness, was the belief that he was this way with everyone.

That he was simply made of ice.

But seeing him with Bella Adkins, seeing the way his eyes softened, the way he abandoned everything for her slightest whim, proved that he wasn't made of ice at all. He was a roaring fire. Just not for me.

My five years of silent devotion, of patient waiting, of self-deception-it was all a joke. A pathetic, miserable joke.

The laughter that bubbled up in my throat was choked with sobs. In the cold, sterile hallway of the police station, I finally accepted the truth. My marriage was a cage, and I had been rattling the bars for five years, begging for an affection I would never receive.

It was time to get a key.

A few days later, my head still throbbing from the "accident," I found a lawyer specializing in high-stakes divorces. The problem, he explained, was the ironclad prenup Donnie had made me sign. It was designed to be unbreakable.

"He would have to sign the dissolution papers himself, willingly," my lawyer said, his tone grim. "And from what I know of Donnie Winters, that' s not going to happen."

But I had an idea. A desperate, long-shot idea born from the ashes of my humiliation.

I went to the Winters Corp headquarters, a gleaming skyscraper that pierced the clouds. I hadn' t been there in years. Donnie preferred to keep his work life and his "home" life-such as it was-completely separate.

The receptionist looked at me with a mixture of surprise and pity. "Mrs. Winters. I' m sorry, but Mr. Winters isn' t in."

"When do you expect him?" I asked, my voice steady.

She hesitated. "He... he hasn' t been in the office much for the past few weeks, ma' am."

Of course he hadn' t. He was too busy playing house with Bella.

My lawyer had informed me that Donnie was a keynote speaker at a high-profile charity auction that night. An event he never missed. And the guest list confirmed it: 'Mr. Donnie Winters and guest.'

I knew I would find him there.

The ballroom was a sea of jewels and champagne. I spotted them instantly. Bella was clinging to his arm, wearing a diamond necklace so large it looked garish. Donnie looked bored, his eyes scanning the room with his usual detached air.

Then the auction began. A rare Picasso went up for bidding. The price climbed rapidly.

"One hundred million," a voice called out. The room gasped. It was Donnie.

Bella pouted. "I don' t like it. The colors are sad."

Without a moment' s hesitation, Donnie raised his hand again. "I withdraw my bid."

The auctioneer and the entire room froze in stunned silence. Donnie Winters, a man famous for his cutthroat acquisition strategies, had just backed out of a hundred-million-dollar purchase because his girlfriend didn' t like the colors. The whispers were immediate.

"Did you see that?"

"He' s completely wrapped around her finger."

Later, they were looking at the final prize of the night: a one-of-a-kind royal blue diamond necklace, aptly named 'The Heart of the Ocean.'

"Oh, Donnie, it' s beautiful!" Bella squealed, her eyes wide. "I want it!"

The bidding started at fifty million. It quickly escalated, with another tycoon competing fiercely. As the price soared past two hundred million, even Donnie' s brow furrowed slightly.

"Two hundred and fifty million," the other tycoon bid.

Bella tugged on Donnie' s sleeve, her eyes filling with tears. "Donnie, please... I love it so much." She leaned in and kissed his cheek, a calculated, public display of affection.

The crowd watched, breathless.

Donnie' s expression, which had been tight with financial calculation, melted. He looked at her, and that same sickeningly adoring look I' d seen in the photograph appeared on his face.

"Three hundred million," he said, his voice firm.

The room erupted. The other tycoon shook his head and sat down. Bella shrieked with delight and threw her arms around Donnie' s neck. "Oh, Donnie! You' re the best! I love you, I love you, I love you!"

I watched from the shadows, my heart a cold, heavy stone in my chest. He had never bought me so much as a bouquet of flowers. He had called my desire for a simple anniversary dinner "frivolous." But for her, he would burn three hundred million dollars without a second thought.

It wasn' t that he didn' t know how to be romantic. It was that he didn' t want to be romantic with me.

The final piece of my delusion crumbled to dust.

I took a deep breath, the divorce papers clutched in my hand like a shield. I walked out of the shadows and approached them.

"Donnie."

He turned, his eyes instantly turning to ice when he saw me. He instinctively pulled Bella behind him, a protective gesture that sent a fresh wave of pain through me.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, his voice sharp with annoyance.

My own husband, shielding his mistress from me. The absurdity of it was almost laughable.

"I need you to sign these," I said, holding out the papers. My hand was shaking, but my voice was surprisingly firm.

He glanced at the folder with disdain. "I' m busy. Give them to my assistant tomorrow."

"No," I said, my voice rising slightly. "I want this over with. Now."

I needed to be free of him. I couldn' t spend another second as his wife. Not after this.

"I want a divorce, Donnie," I said, the words tasting like freedom and ash. "Let me go."

He stared at me as if I were a stranger who had just spoken a foreign language. He didn' t even seem to register my words. His focus was entirely on Bella, who was starting to get restless.

"Donnie, who is she? She' s scaring me," Bella whined, tugging on his arm.

Before Donnie could respond, Bella snatched the folder from my hand. "What is this? Is she trying to get money from you? Donnie said you can have whatever you want, just leave him alone!"

She flipped open the folder, her eyes scanning the legal jargon.

"Donnie, honey, it' s just some boring papers," she said dismissively. "You' re busy. You told me I could handle anything for you, right? I' ll sign it."

My heart stopped. Donnie had given her a Power of Attorney. The ultimate symbol of trust. A power he had never, ever considered giving to me, his wife.

Before I could process the fresh wave of agony, Bella pulled a small, ornate object from her purse. It was Donnie' s personal seal, his signature stamp, custom-made from a rare piece of jade. It was as legally binding as his signature.

With a flourish, she pressed the seal onto the signature line of the divorce agreement.