Luke stood behind Vespera, his presence exuding an icy chill. Sensing the shift in the room, she glanced over her shoulder. He had been there all along. She quickly turned back, her gaze settling on the short-haired woman in the corner of the couch. Earlier, Tina had been lounging smugly, one leg crossed over the other, idly twirling her hair. Now, her expression had soured; her smile gone, replaced by a murderous glare. It was clear Luke and Tina had been meeting secretly. Their friends' casual demeanor indicated this wasn't a one-time occurrence; it had happened often enough that they no longer bothered to conceal it.

Luke took a step forward. The group, as if jolted from a trance, sprang into action. "We're sorry! We were just talking nonsense," one exclaimed. Another chimed in, "Mrs. Munoz, nothing is going on between Luke and Ms. Sowle!" A third pleaded, "Mrs. Munoz, please don't take it seriously."

Luke grabbed Vespera's wrist, intending to pull her away. Before he could, she threw her drink in his face. The room fell silent; everyone watched, stunned. Then, Vespera smiled widely. "Enjoy your time with your sweetheart," she said. "I wouldn't want to spoil the fun." She lowered her head, trying to free her wrist from his grasp.

Luke's expression darkened. Without a word, he scooped her up, slung her over his shoulder, and strode out.

In the hallway, Vespera struggled fiercely. The elevator doors opened. As Luke turned after stepping inside, her eyes were drawn to his sleek black leather shoes, the tailored black suit pants, and his pale, slender hands at his sides. His fingers were long and elegant. The atmosphere was thick with silence and unease.

Exiting the elevator, Vespera looked up. She saw a pair of deep, piercing eyes staring down at her. Speechless, she lowered her head, covering her face.

Outside the club, Luke tossed her into the back seat of the car before getting in himself. Dizzy and disoriented, Vespera sat up, fearing a concussion. Luke pulled a wet wipe from the car's compartment and began wiping his face. Out of the corner of her eye, she glimpsed something behind the tissue box—a condom.

Before she could speak, Luke demanded, "Why did you come here? To catch me cheating?" Disgusted, she reached for the door handle. The car was filthy.

"Vespera!" Luke yanked her back, his voice filled with irritation. "Where do you think you're going? Are you done yet?"

Her breathing was unsteady. She pressed her fingertips together and murmured, "I want to go home."

Luke called Osbert, who was waiting outside, and told him to drive. The ride was silent. Vespera sat as far from Luke as possible, her complexion pale.

Arriving home, she rushed to the kitchen and drank a glass of ice water. Feeling slightly better, she returned to the living room, where Luke was already seated. Another suffocating silence stretched between them.

Finally, Luke spoke. "I was there to discuss a project. You stormed in and made a scene. I'm so humiliated. Do you have any idea how foolish, how repulsive you looked? You behaved like a shrew."

"Okay. Anything else?" Vespera asked calmly.

"If you still want this relationship to last, stop these unnecessary suspicions. I don’t have time to cater to your emotions."

"Alright. Anything else?"

Luke frowned. "Do you have any idea how annoying you are right now?"

Vespera smiled faintly and stood up. Soon, he wouldn't have to be annoyed anymore. She turned and headed upstairs.

Luke's irritation grew. After a while, he went upstairs, finding her already in bed. He showered and lay down beside her. Vespera turned away, shifting to the edge of the bed. Luke embraced her, forcefully pulling her into his arms. His movements were tinged with anger. His strong frame overpowered her, holding her so tightly she couldn't move. She spent the night rigid in his embrace.

The next morning, Vespera prepared only her own breakfast. When Luke came downstairs, he found her eating alone. As he was about to leave, he changed course and approached her. Leaning close, he said gently, "Let's go out to the sea this weekend, just the two of us."

Vespera hummed in response. Unsurprisingly, the day before the weekend, he canceled, claiming he needed to fly to Holsword. Vespera felt nothing. Perhaps Luke hadn't realized how long it had been since they'd shared a meal or truly spent time together. He'd warned her against divorce, yet treated her as invisible.

That weekend, Vespera packed her books and moved them to her new home. As she arranged them, her phone rang. It was her mother-in-law, Felicia Jensen.

Vespera answered politely, "Hello, Mrs. Munoz."

Felicia's voice held its usual condescension. "Come over. We need to finalize the document we discussed."

"Is that really necessary?"

"It is if I say so."

"Okay. I'll come by this afternoon."

"No, come at noon."

"Fine." Vespera agreed; she had no other plans.

Meanwhile, Felicia watched from the window with satisfaction as Luke and Tina strolled in the garden. She wanted Vespera to see what a truly perfect couple looked like.