Chapter 2

The Sterling Residence.

Gwen brought Charlie back, put him to sleep, and checked her phone. Her best friend, Susan Andrews, had sent a news link.

The headline alone made her eyes sting.

#Former Design Prodigy Lynn Serena Makes a Powerful Comeback, Officially Joins The Sterling Group!#

The Sterling Group had created an entirely new design division just for Lynn—a hundred-million-dollar investment with full creative control of one of their luxury jewelry brands.

The attached photo showed Justin and Lynn side by side at the signing ceremony, polished smiles, picture-perfect couple.

A voice message from Susan followed immediately.

[Gwen, did you see this? Has Justin completely lost his mind? Did he forget Lynn almost tanked the company back then?]

[I saw it,] Gwen replied.

[That's it? That's your reaction? One hundred million, Gwen! Remember when your studio needed ten million? What did he say? 'The design industry's too risky, not worth investing in'? And now he throws a hundred million at his ex like it's pocket change?]

Gwen didn't answer.

Two years ago, her studio had secured an international contract. She'd only needed ten million for equipment. She went to Justin—asked him to invest his own money. He was in a meeting and made her wait outside his office for two hours.

When he finally came out, he tossed her one cold sentence: "Stop chasing unrealistic dreams."

The deal fell through. The studio closed. She'd once believed Justin simply didn't trust the design industry. Now she understood. He'd never trusted her.

The comment section was already exploding.

[Mr. Sterling spoils Ms. Serena so much! Dropping a hundred mil just like that—now that's real elite romance!]

[Ms. Serena is a true design genius. Golden couple vibes!]

[She's the only one who deserves to stand next to Mr. Sterling!]

Almost against her own will, Gwen typed a single line: [Funny how generous Mr. Sterling is to outsiders. A hundred million without blinking. I wonder if he's ever been that generous to his own wife.]

The trolls swarmed within seconds.

[Who's this jealous nobody?]

[Mrs. Sterling is basically irrelevant. Hiding at home whining won't make her less pathetic.]

[Get lost. Don't contaminate Mr. Sterling and Ms. Serena's comment section!]

She stared at the flood of venom until the words blurred. Then she shut the page and flung her phone aside.

The ache in her chest wouldn't ease. She inhaled slowly, forced the burn behind her eyes down, and returned to her desk.

Spread open was the sketch she'd spent half a year perfecting: Celestial Eye.

She'd poured everything into this piece—designed to help The Sterling Group secure a hundred-billion-dollar overseas partnership. It hadn't even launched yet and private collectors were already offering three billion for a reservation.

She'd planned to close the deal, then surprise Justin. Prove she wasn't the useless housewife everyone believed her to be.

Now that idea felt bitterly ironic.

The front door clicked open.

Justin walked in reeking of alcohol, suit jacket over his arm, collar loosened. The faint scent of women's perfume clung to him. Lynn's brand.

He saw Gwen at the desk and frowned. "Why are you wasting time on this pointless stuff every night?"

Her pen stilled. She lifted her gaze, eyes turning cold.

Justin, oblivious, walked straight to her. Flat. Commanding.

"The design department will be taken over by Lynn starting today. Go to HR tomorrow and transfer to admin."

Gwen shot to her feet. The chair screeched across the floor.

"Excuse me? You want me to hand the design department to Lynn and demote me to admin?"

"Lynn just got back. She isn't familiar with the environment yet. You should accommodate her." He said it like it was nothing. "She's still upset about what happened back then. She doesn't want to see you in the department. It'll make things awkward."

"What happened back then?" Gwen let out a disbelieving laugh. "Which part? When she claims I 'forced her out,' or when she stole core company secrets and nearly drove you into bankruptcy?"

Justin's expression darkened. "Gwen, mind your words."

"Did I say anything untrue?" She met his stare head-on for the first time. "If I hadn't used my own designs to salvage that deal, The Sterling Group would've crashed. And now you're telling me she's 'upset'? What right does she have?"

"Those designs were Lynn's ideas to begin with!" Justin's voice rose sharply. "You stole her drafts!"

The room froze.

Gwen looked at him as though seeing him clearly for the first time.

Three years. She had believed time would uncover the truth. That sincerity would earn trust.

What a joke.

To him, she was forever a thief. A schemer. A mother who couldn't even take care of her own son.

Tears surged up. She forced them back.

Back then, Lynn had stolen The Sterling Group's most confidential designs and disappeared overseas with the company's biggest proposal. The group teetered on the edge of bankruptcy.

Gwen spent three sleepless days at a foreign headquarters pitching her own original work, negotiating until she nearly collapsed—burning with fever, coughing so hard her ribs ached—just to save the company.

Justin hadn't offered a single word of concern. Now, for the sake of his first love, he was discarding her without hesitation.

"Justin, do you even have a heart?" Her voice shook with fury and unbearable disappointment.

He glared. "Stop being unreasonable. My decision stands. Lynn is more suited for the design department. You stay in admin and take care of Charlie."

The words sliced apart the last thread of hope she held.

She looked at this man she once believed she understood, and something inside her finally snapped. She drew a breath, steadied herself, opened her mouth—

His phone rang.

Lynn's name flashed across the screen.

Justin answered instantly, his voice transforming. Soft. Tender. "Lynn? What's wrong? Are you feeling sick? I'll be right there."

He hung up without looking at Gwen. Grabbed his jacket and rushed out, the front door slamming behind him.

Silence flooded the mansion.

Gwen stood alone in the vast living room. Cold to the bone.

She closed her eyes. When she opened them, there was only clarity. Clean. Final. Resolute.

She walked into the study and drafted the divorce papers. No fight for assets. No alimony. One condition only: custody of Charlie Sterling belonged to Gwen Winston.

She signed her name. Pressed her fingerprint. Folded the papers neatly.

Then handed them to Kerr.

"Please deliver these to Justin."

Her voice was calm. Steady.

"From today onward, I'm finished with Justin Sterling. Completely."