Chapter 5

~Adeline~

With Mikaela’s help, I settled into one of her apartments for the time being.

That night, after a long, hot shower, I slipped under the duvet and felt my phone buzzed. I reached for it and checked the notification.

A social media tag.

Without thinking much of it, I opened it—only to regret it the moment it loaded.

On the screen were Adrian and Zora, smiling brightly and beside them was Elizabeth; the one who tagged me.

The three of them stood together in the toy section of a store, Zora clutching a large Labubu doll, all of them smiling as though they belonged together.

My gaze lingered on the doll.

Earlier this year, I had bought Zora that same toy.

She had only taken one look at it before frowning and dropping it onto the floor like it meant nothing.

“Pink is my favorite color,” she had said back then, leaving the blue Labubu lying there untouched.

Now, looking at the pink one in her arms, I couldn’t help but wonder—was it really the color she disliked? Or the person who gave it to her?

I let out a slow breath and stopped myself from thinking any further.

My fingers moved instinctively and I blocked any future posts or tags from Elizabeth.

After that, I turned off my phone and closed my eyes.

~☆~

The following morning, I woke up and got ready for work.

The drive from Mikaela’s apartment to Norvax took a little under thirty minutes. By the time I arrived, Tilda was already waiting downstairs.

She bowed slightly the moment she saw me. “Good morning, Vice President Hayes.”

I offered her a small smile. “Good morning, Tilda.”

She fell into step beside me as we walked inside. As i reached the presidential elevator, i pulled out my employee badge and swiped it, granting us access.

As we waited for the doors to open, I noticed the way several employees’ gazes lingered on me.

“That’s the new Vice President, I heard…”

“Isn’t that Tilda? President Kensington’s most trusted person? And he just handed her to that person?”

“I wonder what their relationship is…”

A soft, mocking snicker followed.

“Isn’t it obvious?” That last comment wasn’t even whispered.

My fingers twitched, but I resisted the urge to turn around. Instead, I stepped into the elevator as the doors slid open.

Typical workplace gossip.

If only they knew I was one of the people who built this company.

“What’s my schedule, Tilda?” I asked.

“You have a meeting with Mr. Kensington and several senior researchers in a few minutes,” she replied. “It’s regarding the development plan for the compound of the test drug under the C-25 project.”

I nodded, taking in the information. A few minutes later, the doors opened, and I stepped out, making my way towards rhe data room.

Without hesitation, I bent the handle and walked in.

Immediately, every head turned toward me and a trace of nervousness crept in.

It had been years since I stood in a room like this, under this kind of attention.

Years of playing the role of a housewife and a devoted mother had shaped me into someone I no longer recognized.

However, I was no longer that woman.

Straightening my posture, I stepped further into the room, ignoring the eyes that followed my every movement.

“Is that the new Vice President?” someone whispered.

“I heard she and the president have some kind of relationship…”

“Do you think she slept her way to the top?”

“Well… looking at her face and figure, it wouldn’t be impossible, right?”

Thomas frowned at the words as I took my seat beside him.

“That’s enough,” he said coldly. “Silence.”

The murmurs died down almost immediately and he glanced at me and offered a faint, apologetic smile.

I returned a calm, unaffected one before shifting my attention to the screen in front of us.

Displayed across the large screen was the data for their latest research—Project C-25, a cancer-focused study aimed at slowing the progression of cancer cells.

However, despite years of effort, they had reached a bottleneck.

They were unable to perfect the final compound.

Beside me, Thomas noticed my focused gaze and gently nudged me. “What do you think, Lina?”

At his words, every head turned toward me.

The president—known for handling matters himself—had just asked for the opinion of a newcomer.

The woman they believed had slept her way to the top.

I narrowed my eyes slightly as I studied the data.

At first glance, everything appeared precise, calculated down to the smallest detail, leaving no room for error.

But upon closer inspection…

That wasn’t entirely true.

“Who’s the lead researcher on this?” I asked, my gaze sweeping across the room.

A man stood up. His name tag read Dane.

I glanced from the tag to his smug expression.

No wonder the calculations were off.

He looked like the type who was overly confident in his own abilities.

“Your Tamoxifen calculations are too low,” I said calmly. “That results in weak suppression of cancer cells.”

I paused briefly before continuing.

“On the other hand, your Cytotoxic levels are too high. Excess amounts will disrupt the blood vessels.”

I pointed at the screen.

“Adjust the ratio. Run the test again.”

Dane’s expression shifted between discomfort and irritation.

“Giving instructions like this is risky,” he said. “What if something goes wrong and it ruins our entire results? We won’t just be looking for a breakthrough—we’ll have to start from scratch. I don’t think that’s a risk we should take.”

“Mr. Dane is right,” someone whispered. “He has years of experience. It’s not wise to trust a newcomer.”

Newcomer.

A faint smile touched my lips at the word. With my eyes closed, I could outperform everyone in this room in a medical procedure.

“Your concern is noted, Mr. Dane,” I said calmly, my tone professional, a slight smile still on my lips. “But… when did I ask for your opinion?”

Dane’s expression stiffened.

I didn’t give him time to respond.

“Run the test,” I instructed.

The presenter hesitated, glancing at Thomas for confirmation.

“What are you waiting for?” He said firmly.

With a quick bow, the presenter hurried out. Dane dropped back into his seat, shooting me a subtle glare.

The next hour and a half passed in tense silence.

Then the door burst open, and the presenter rushed in, her face lit with excitement.

“Sir, it’s a miracle!” she exclaimed. “The new formula worked perfectly on the cancerous blood cells!”

Murmurs instantly filled the room.

“What? Really?”

“Mr. Dane was wrong?”

Dane looked stunned, as if even he hadn’t expected this outcome.

One by one, heads turned toward me again—but this time, their gazes were filled with admiration and respect.

“Congratulations, Vice President,” someone said.

“Well done, Vice President,” another added.

Soon, the room erupted into applause. Dane joined in, though his expression made it clear he would rather be anywhere else.

“That’s all for today’s meeting,” Thomas announced. “Refine and further analyze the new formula. Meeting adjourned.”

Chairs scraped against the floor as everyone stood. With lingering glances in my direction, they filed out of the room.

Once it was empty, Thomas reached over and ruffled my hair lightly.

“You’ve still got it, just as expected. Congratulations.”

I smiled, a genuine sense of satisfaction settling in my chest. “Thank you.”

“Let’s have dinner tonight,” he said. “We should celebrate your win.”

“Mm,” I nodded in agreement.

He smiled. “Come on, let’s get back to work.”

The rest of the day passed in a blur of studying the new formula, while the entire company buzzed with the news of a long-awaited breakthrough.

Evening arrived faster than expected and after a thirty-minute drive, we arrived at Castor and made our way inside.

“Reserved table for two,” Thomas told the receptionist.

She smiled politely and led us to our table. “A waiter will be with you shortly,” she said before walking off.

As soon as we were alone, Thomas spoke.

“How are you settling back into work? How’s the workload?”

“Nothing I can’t handle,” I replied. “Don't worry.”

He nodded, and just then, the waiter arrived, beginning to pour wine into his glass.

“And Adrian?” Thomas asked. “What do you plan to do about him?”

The question caused my mood to dip slightly.

“Divorce,” I said without hesitation. “I’m going to divorce him.”

Thomas parted his lips as if to respond, but before he could—

Splash.

The wine spilled onto my dress.

The waiter immediately went pale. “I—I’m so sorry, ma’am. I didn’t—”

“It’s alright,” I cut in, grabbing a napkin and trying to dab at the stain.

When the stain didn’t come off, I stood up.

“Tommy, I’ll use the restroom real quick. Give me a minute, okay?”

He nodded.

“I’m so sorry, ma’am,” the waiter apologized again.

I offered him a tight smile before heading toward the restroom.

‘Good thing I wore something that doesn’t stain easily,’ I thought, dabbing at the mark a few more times as I walked.

But just as I turned the corner, I nearly walked straight into someone.

I stepped back in time, avoiding the collision, then looked up, ready to apologize—only for the words to die on my lips.

Adrian stood in front of me, a frown etched across his face.

“Adeline,” he said coldly, his eyes sweeping over me before he scoffed. “I let the first time go because Elizabeth asked me to, but here you are again, doing the same thing.”

I frowned. “What?”

“You’re following me, aren’t you?”

Something about his tone made my frown deepen, and a scoff escaped me before I could stop it.

“The world doesn’t revolve around you, Adrian,” I said, stepping past him. “Wake up.”

I tried to walk away, but his hand shot out and grabbed my arm the next second.

“Where do you think you’re going?” he demanded. “You left home all day without calling or checking in. Don’t you think you’ve disrespected me enough as your husband?”

Husband?

The word echoed in my mind, and a quiet chuckle rose in my chest.

Ah… he hadn’t seen the divorce papers yet.

“I think,” he continued, his tone hardening, “I’ve tolerated your attitude for far too long. Come home right now, Adeline, or else… I’ll divorce you.”

I pulled my arm free and lifted my chin without hesitation.

“Go ahead,” I said calmly, stepping closer and meeting his gaze directly.

“Divorce me. As a matter of fact, let’s meet at the Civil Affairs Bureau first thing tomorrow morning and put an end to this excuse of a marriage once and for all!”