Chapter 2

Those words hit Octavia like a sledgehammer, making her vision swim.

She turned to look at Holden. The boy stood stiffly beside Yvaine, his small face tight with defensiveness as he stared at her.

Octavia's heart sank deeper. A mocking smile tugged at her lips. "Fine. I'll leave right now."

She turned and went upstairs, quickly packing a few changes of clothes. Then she went to Ignatius's study and signed the divorce papers, slipping them into the gift box she'd brought.

When she came back downstairs, Octavia held out the wrapped box, her voice low. "Happy birthday. I think you'll like this gift."

Ignatius took the box carelessly. "What scheme are you pulling now?"

Over the years they'd been married, everything she did was seen as manipulation in Ignatius's eyes. Having a child—scheming. Going to work—scheming. Even when she'd been hospitalized with a fever, he'd accused her of faking illness for pity.

After being misunderstood so many times, Octavia had no desire to explain anymore.

She didn't even glance at Holden. She just turned and walked out.

Ignatius watched her leave, and an inexplicable sense of panic stirred in his chest. He looked down at the gift box, half-considering opening it, when Yvaine's startled cry rang out beside him.

"Yvaine, are you okay?" Holden shouted.

"What happened?" Ignatius's attention was pulled away. He casually set the gift box aside.

After leaving, Octavia found a random hotel to stay in.

She collapsed onto the bed, her mind a chaotic mess. Images flashed before her eyes—Holden's face full of rejection, Ignatius's cold, heartless gaze.

A dull, endless ache throbbed in her chest.

She didn't sleep all night.

The next day, she got up and went to the office to report on her work. But the secretary told her the director was meeting with a client and asked her to wait about half an hour.

Octavia had been with the company for three years. Aside from the first six months, she'd spent most of her time traveling for business, so she didn't have a permanent office.

She nodded. "I'll wait in the conference room, then."

The secretary smiled. "Sure, I'll take you there."

When they reached the conference room door, Octavia noticed someone was already inside.

It was Yvaine.

She was wearing a white sleeveless dress today, her long curls draped over her shoulders. Her makeup was flawless, giving her a polished, professional air that contrasted with her usual innocent look.

"That's our company's incoming product manager," the secretary explained. "She's here today to familiarize herself with the environment. Go ahead and wait inside. I need to deliver some materials to Mr. Jones, but I'll come back for you soon."

Manager?

Octavia's thoughts flickered for a moment, but she kept her expression neutral. "Okay. Thank you."

She watched the secretary leave, then turned to enter—only to meet Yvaine's gaze as she looked up.

"Ms. Lavien, what a coincidence." Yvaine smiled.

Octavia didn't feel like talking. She nodded briefly and took a seat.

But Yvaine seemed suddenly eager to chat. "Do you work here? If all goes well, we'll be colleagues soon."

She paused, a faint note of complaint creeping into her tone. "Ignatius is so overprotective. I told him I was just coming in for work, but he insisted on driving me here himself. Oh, by the way, if you're free later, why don't you leave with us? After you left yesterday, Holden kept asking about you."

Octavia listened to the thinly veiled bragging and replied coolly, "No thanks. I'm not into volunteering as someone's babysitter."

Yvaine's expression shifted, but she quickly sneered. "Is it that you don't want to, or that you're not qualified?"

She stood, looking down at Octavia mockingly. "You used underhanded tricks to crawl into Ignatius's bed, then trapped him with a pregnancy to worm your way into the Grimaldi family. And what did it get you? Years of being unloved. He even sent you away under the pretense of work... If I were you, I'd have left long ago out of sheer shame."

Octavia's face paled. Her hands clenched at her sides.

What did Yvaine mean by that?

Her frequent business trips... weren't because the company needed her?

All the strange inconsistencies she'd overlooked suddenly rushed back to her mind.

No wonder when she'd first applied, the company's director had personally interviewed her—even grilling her about her personal and family life. Looking back, he must have been confirming her identity.

And shortly after she'd joined, the company had started tentatively sending her on business trips.

Over the years, she'd probably spent less than two months total actually in Seaside City...

Octavia felt ice flood her veins. Her throat tightened as if stuffed with cotton.

She slowly lifted her eyes to Yvaine's smug expression, her tone calm. "And what do you have to be so proud of? If Ignatius really cared about you, why hasn't he divorced me and made you the real Mrs. Grimaldi?"

Yvaine's smile faltered. The look she gave Octavia turned venomous. "That's only because you're shameless enough to cling to the Grimaldi family and refuse to leave."

Octavia almost laughed. "Do you really think I could stay if Ignatius didn't allow it?"

That single sentence made Yvaine's face change dramatically.

She stared at Octavia, her eyes sharp and cruel.

Octavia ignored the look, her tone laced with amusement. "The great heiress of the Lavien family, rushing over to play nanny the moment a man whispers sweet nothings. I don't know if I should call you foolish or naive."

"Octavia!" Yvaine snapped, as if struck on a raw nerve. She raised her hand to slap her.

Octavia reacted quickly, catching her wrist mid-air. But before she could say anything, Yvaine suddenly screamed and threw herself backward.

"Octavia!"

A man's furious shout rang out from behind her.

In the next instant, a violent force yanked Octavia backward.

Caught off guard, her lower back slammed hard into the corner of a table.

Pain shot through her, forcing a sharp cry from her lips. By the time she managed to recover, she saw Ignatius carefully lifting Yvaine into his arms.

Yvaine was crying in his embrace, looking fragile and pitiful. "Ignatius, don't blame Ms. Lavien. She didn't mean it."

Ignatius's cold gaze swept over Octavia. "Do you have to be this vicious, Octavia?"

Octavia froze. The pain in her back seemed to double suddenly, making it hard to breathe.

"It wasn't me. I—"

She tried to explain, but Ignatius had already turned and walked away with Yvaine in his arms. "Think carefully about how you're going to explain yourself for what you did today."

Octavia watched his retreating figure. The light in her eyes dimmed completely.

She let out a bitter laugh. Her decision was made.

Ten minutes later, Octavia stood in David Jones's office, her tone firm. "Mr. Jones, I'd like to apply for the 'OriginWorld' project at headquarters."

David looked stunned. "Are you sure?"

This project concerned the company's development trajectory for the next twenty years.

With robots on the market becoming increasingly intelligent, humanoid robots were destined to become the next major trend. The company had recognized this potential and secretly launched the "OriginWorld" research initiative.

Half a month ago, headquarters had emailed Octavia to gauge her interest. At the time, wanting to stay close to Holden, she'd turned down the invitation.