Chapter 1
**Wedding Day** “Today’s live broadcast is the wedding of Eleanor Green, the heir to Green Holdings, and Henry Hill, the daughter of the Hawthorne Consortium, taking place at The Noble's Haven. This grand event is being hailed as the wedding of the century, with particular attention on the bride, who is six months pregnant…” In front of the mirror, Henry Hill stared at her reflection. The voluminous white wedding dress, adorned with layers of delicate tulle, trailed majestically behind her. Handcrafted blossoms danced across the fabric, reminiscent of a serene lake dotted with blooming white lilies. The dress flared out from her waist, accentuating her rounded belly, a reminder of the life growing inside her. It was a fact she could no longer conceal, so why bother hiding it? After all, her marriage—and all that came with it—was on full display. Henry took a deep breath, her heart racing as she assessed her flawless makeup and the rosy glow on her cheeks. Today was supposed to be the happiest day of her life. They say every bride is a princess on her wedding day, the envy of all. But beneath Henry’s radiant exterior lay an unsettling turmoil. The shadows flitting behind her were a constant reminder that this wedding—one the entire city was eagerly watching—had no room for mistakes. Yet some truths were unavoidable. She couldn’t shake the distraction of William Taylor hovering in the background, anxiety etched across his features like a storm brewing. “William Taylor, what’s wrong?” She turned to him, worry knitting her brow. His gaze fell to her belly, the weight of his unspoken words pressing heavily in the air. “Miss… your husband…” Henry’s heart sank. “What about Eleanor Green?” she prompted, her voice barely above a whisper. William’s face turned grave. “We can’t find him. He’s not at the wedding…” Time ticked away, seconds stretching into what felt like hours. The ceremony was approaching, and outside, chaos reigned. Guests milled about, laughter and chatter filling the air, yet the absence of the groom cast a pall over the celebration. Henry bit down hard on her lip, her anxiety spiraling. With a shaky breath, she finally uttered the words she never thought she'd have to say. “I’ll do it myself…” * The music began to swell, and the noise in the hall faded to silence. As the notes filled the air, Henry made her way down the aisle, each step heavy with certainty and dread. “Do you, Henry Hill, take Eleanor Green to be your lawfully wedded husband?” the officiant’s voice rang out. “I do.” She felt the weight of the word settle in her chest. “And do you, Eleanor Green—?” “Eleanor isn't here, but I believe he would say yes,” she declared, forcing a smile that felt like glass, ready to shatter. What choice did he have? After all, this wedding was a farce without him. Standing there alone, with a crowd that could have easily swallowed her whole, Henry felt the atmosphere shift again, the solemnity of the moment lost in the applause that followed the pastor’s words. Clenching her fists, she sought solace in the pain, as though the sharpness could remind her this was real—not just a nightmare from which she'd eventually wake. Everything was true: Eleanor Green, her husband, showed her no love, leaving her to face their wedding day alone—an unwilling participant in her own humiliation. Tears blurred her vision; she couldn’t understand where it had all gone wrong. All she could do was cradle her belly, that flicker of warmth reminding her she was not alone. At least I’m not alone. In the darkest moments, one tiny life was there with her. "With you, I will never be truly alone," she thought, whispering a silent promise to the little one growing inside her.
Chapter 2
Three Years Later Three years later... The sun blazed in the summer sky, casting a harsh glow over Greenwood Citadel, an eighty-story behemoth that towered into the clouds. The building's silver façade gleamed, almost blinding in the bright light. Yet, inside, the oppressive summer heat was kept at bay by the insulated glass, leaving the office chilled to near frigid temperatures. Alice and her assistant, William, watched their boss, Henry, seated behind a massive desk, hands clasped around a brightly colored gossip magazine. They couldn't dare blink or breathe too loudly. Henry held the magazine up, its cover emblazoned with a striking headline and an even more striking photo — a handsome man in a sharp gray suit, his profile illuminated under camera flashes, and his chiseled features glowing like an artwork in subdued light. Next to him, a woman, once seemingly imposing, now appeared dwarfed in his presence. Henry glanced at the magazine, his eyes flickering with intrigue, yet his demeanor remained eerily calm. “The angle’s fantastic. Who was the photographer? They really captured something special here. We should have them shoot our next issue,” he mused. Alice and William exchanged looks, aware that this wasn’t mere banter. As the head of the public relations department, Henry was a man whose words commanded immediate action. The large, gaudy headline on the magazine couldn’t be ignored: “Green Holdings CEO Eleanor Spotted Having a Night Out with Rising Star Edward.” Everyone in the office knew that Eleanor was Henry’s wife, the same woman he now coolly critiqued while seated in his aloof arrogance. Henry chuckled softly, breaking the silence. “You two can stop hovering. William, with a headline like this, don’t you think the PR team has work to do? Get out of here. Just follow the usual protocol for managing a crisis. You all know the drill; no need to get my approval every step of the way.” But for Henry, it was merely business as usual. If this had happened three years ago, Eleanor’s picture on that cover would have been a dagger to his heart, something he would have shunned in the darkness of his home, drowning his sorrows in whiskey. But three years had changed everything. Time had a way of dulling the edges of passion, and after years of loneliness, Eleanor's affair held no power over him anymore. “Congratulations, Henry. You made your bed, but you might find that you’ll have to lie in it alone,” the memory of her words echoed in his mind, words spoken on the only occasion he’d had her close enough to hear. He’d meant what he said then, and now, after countless lonely nights, she had made sure that their lives drifted apart — a separation filled with unsaid words and unhealed wounds. He never stepped into her room anymore. Any physiological needs had long been catered for outside the confines of their marriage. And the image on the magazine cover was just another reminder of that reality. How many times had she seen similar photos over the years? She had grown accustomed to his absence and the sting of humiliation that had come with it. There was nothing left to be angry about. “Henry said to handle it according to the usual methods. No need for a press conference to over-explain, no need to sabotage Edward. Let’s just keep this under wraps for a while and avoid any unnecessary media buzz leading up to the product launch. Inform Eleanor’s assistant that she’s still expected to attend. We'll skip the Q&A this time,” Alice reported, her voice steady. She had been on this rollercoaster with Henry for two years now. Initially reluctant to accept the authority of someone her junior, she had grown to respect his instincts and opinions. Henry had transformed, and in turn, he had pulled her along in his wake.
Chapter 3
**Meeting Henry Hill** “William Green, the PR draft just came in. The department says you'll attend tomorrow's product launch as planned; there's no need to steer clear,” his secretary said, bowing her head respectfully as she handed a folder to Eleanor Green, who was seated behind the imposing desk. Typically, any department decision would find its way to the CEO’s office, and this particular PR draft—especially regarding the CEO—should have reached her office promptly. The man behind the desk raised his head just slightly at the secretary's words. With long, elegant fingers, he took the folder, his strikingly handsome face—graced by the kind of features that could make hearts race—showing no more than calm detachment as he scanned the document with a quick, unfaltering eye before his brow knitted together, ever so slightly. “Is this the process Henry Hill wrote up?” he asked, already familiar with William addressing his wife so casually. The secretary stood by, maintaining her professional demeanor, eyes straight ahead as she responded, “No, William. After consulting with Alice, Henry just instructed the team to follow the standard procedure. So, this draft was actually written by Alice. Henry has always trusted Alice; he usually only intervenes if she specifically requests it.” Her tone was laden with an unexpected respect for Henry, evoking a deeper response from Eleanor. Her dark eyes narrowed, taking in the secretary's words, intrigued and somewhat suspicious. “Henry?” Ever since Henry got married, he'd sunk into the shadows of the public relations department, managing a small team—far from the heart of Green Holdings, which had once been his claim to fame. Handling the various women in his life? Now that was something Eleanor was all too familiar with. And now, she didn’t even need to deal with rumors swirling around him firsthand? The only time he’d stepped into their private sanctuary post-wedding had been to kick open the door and find Henry in a white wedding dress, lounging on their shared bed, a grin plastered on his face as he cradled his barely-there bump. She had looked up at him with tear-brimmed eyes, holding back a plea for sympathy, but in his gaze, all he saw was annoyance. The theatrics of it all—it was impossible to muster any sympathy for her plight. At company meetings, seeing her relegated to the periphery, barely catching his gaze—it fed a sense of poetic justice within him. At that moment, the secretary caught a glimpse of the stormy depth in William’s gaze, a mixture of inscrutable emotion and undeniable brilliance that lurked beneath. Suddenly, Eleanor stood up, taking long strides toward the door. The secretary hurried to keep pace. Henry Hill was on the phone with a media outlet, attempting to navigate an interview request for Eleanor. He knew her well enough by now; she turned down every media opportunity that came her way, and he was just considering how to decline politely. But before he could finish his thought, the door swung open, and a heavyset man barged in with the force of a tempest. “Henry Hill! What the hell’s going on? You’re ignoring my calls, and here you are yammering away with someone else?” Before Henry could respond, Robert Brooks slammed the desk phone down, exasperation hanging thick in the air. Henry shot him an icy glare, his temper flaring, “Robert Brooks, do you even know whose call that was you just hung up on?”
Chapter 4
Robert Brooks leaned back in his chair, his expression offering no trace of remorse. With a playful grin, he turned effortlessly, planting himself right across from Henry Hill. "Hey, I’ve got to ask," he said, a spark of mischief dancing in his eyes. "What’s up with your husband? He’s nothing but trouble these days—always stealing headlines from me. You’d think he doesn’t want you to be busy at all." Henry knew it was pointless to reason with someone like him. Instead, she picked up a magazine from the edge of her desk and pretended to study it. "I’m sure it was an accident," she muttered. "Still making excuses for him? Seriously, Henry, I don't even know what to say to you," he teased, scrunching his nose in mock disapproval. Looking up, she shot him a quizzical glance. "Robert, don’t you have a gig to prepare for? Didn’t you just win some big award?" The buzz around Robert had been electric since he snagged the Best Newcomer award at the Golden Horse Awards. With his career skyrocketing, he was all over the place, but somehow he had found time to pop by her office unexpectedly. "I’m heading to Bridgeford for a concert tomorrow. I thought I’d swing by to drop off tickets." Henry studied him, noticing how his cool demeanor drew envy from countless women. Dressed in a crisp white shirt—an outfit that last year won Best Dressed—I can see why he garnered so much attention. He leaned comfortably against the desk, a playful smile playing on his lips, his eyes sparkling with mischief. "Shouldn’t you be at rehearsal instead of lounging around in my office?" she inquired, raising an eyebrow. "Nah, what’s the point? Everyone knows I can’t hold a tune," he shrugged, effortlessly dismissive. "If you can’t sing, shouldn’t you practice extra hard?" "What if I suddenly nail it tomorrow? They might think I’m lip-syncing. So, why bother rehearsing?" He threw up his hands like it was the most logical thing in the world. Henry shook her head with a resigned smile. She could never wrap her mind around why fans would spend so much money just to hear him butcher a song live. But he had built his empire on charisma and, let’s be honest, that face of his could sell anything. "Listen, you better show up to my concert tomorrow. I’ve got VIP seats waiting just for you," he pressed, eyes wide. "No can do, Robert. There’s a big new product launch I have to attend." "Seriously? Do you have any idea how much those seats are worth? You can’t skip out on this one!" "Wait, you think I’d just bail on my commitments?" "You don’t understand how many people fight tooth and nail for that spot," he said, playfully tugging on her arm as she rolled her eyes. As they bantered back and forth, Eleanor Green walked into the office, catching a glimpse of them in a rather compromising position. Henry was half-melted into Robert's side, laughter lighting up her face. Eleanor couldn’t recall the last time she had paid such close attention to Henry. Once, Henry had been this remarkable force—student body president, head debater, and crowned campus queen at Noble Academy. Their bond had once felt unbreakable; surely, their friendship would last a lifetime. But now things were different. Now, they were married. That intimacy they shared was a relic of the past. Henry always rocked those bold red outfits that made everyone stop and stare. But today was different. She wore a tailored beige suit that hugged her waist just so, accentuating her long legs that peeked out from beneath a fitted white pencil skirt. Her hair, which once cascaded down her back on their wedding day, was now styled in a chic bob, framing her face elegantly. Even standing beside a man as striking as Robert, she held her own. Their presence together painted a striking portrait—charm and beauty perfectly balanced, a moment caught in time amidst the chaos around them.
Chapter 5
William was fuming. Henry, caught off guard by Robert’s relentless antics, finally pushed him away with a sigh. “Alright, alright... I’ll go, just cut it out.” As he turned, the moment was shattered by an unexpected sight. Outside her office, a man stood there—his figure familiar yet laced with an unfamiliar tension. He was tall, exuding a cool allure, but his expression was so icy it felt as if it could silence the room. He wore perfectly tailored pants that accentuated his long legs, and his presence dwarfed the dashing persona that was Robert. Henry hadn’t anticipated that he would show up at her office. For a moment, he felt uncharacteristically thrown off balance. But he had slayed too many dragons in the years of solo warfare. In a heartbeat, he steadied himself and turned to Eleanor, “William.” The office was stark, a minimalist black-and-white design that echoed how his own space looked. It felt almost clinical, lacking any trace of femininity except for a series of cacti lining the windowsill. Henry wore a mask of composure, betraying no unease at all, even after being caught with another man right in the middle of it all. Eleanor’s meticulously made-up face remained cool, showing no signs of embarrassment. There was something deeper in Eleanor’s gaze when she turned to Henry. “Did you write this proposal?” Her voice was devoid of warmth, distant. “It was Alice’s work. Why? Is there an issue?” Henry shrugged it off nonchalantly. “Does Henry prefer to have company while discussing business? Or is it that your colleagues are so used to this kind of scene that it no longer fazes them?” It was the first time he realized she was playing games right under his nose. Three years of doing this, and it was the first time he understood. So, she finally couldn’t handle it anymore? Robert raised an eyebrow, reaching for Henry again, only to have Henry push him away once more. The pain etched on Robert’s face betrayed the frustration of being rebuffed. This woman! “William, if there’s a problem, just let me know, and I’ll have it fixed.” Henry’s tone remained calm, almost managerial. Eleanor frowned, her eyes drifting over to Robert, still hanging around like a desperate puppy. “Henry has held the position of PR Director for three years now. Shouldn’t you already recognize the issues? That seems to mean this office won’t be able to keep it together much longer, huh?” There was an edge of anger in his voice. Henry couldn’t figure out what had gone wrong to provoke him, so he leaned in, seriousness emerging. “Are you dissatisfied? This is just a draft; we can modify it based on what you want.” “Did you expect me to sit here and ‘report’ to you?” Eleanor tossed the few pages across her desk and stalked out without glancing back. Henry shot an immediate look at Robert and hurriedly snatched up the documents, rushing after her. “Henry, the hotel management department needs your approval on an upcoming event.” A staff member rose as he passed through the cubicles. “Sure, just have them follow the template from last week and present the plan.” “Henry, Robert from Grand Hospitality Inc. wants to talk to you about the gala directly.” “Yeah, let him know I’m available this Saturday.” “Henry, the promotional timeline for the hotel has been sent to your inbox.” “Great, thanks for the heads up.” Eleanor’s frown deepened as her pace quickened, her back sharpened by the avoidance of distractions, leaving Henry seething with frustration.
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