When Soren stepped out of the jewelry store, Evangeline had already vanished from the escalator. 

Poppy slipped her arm through his, her mood transformed as she admired the ring on her finger–her earlier worries seemed to melt away. 

“So, what made you suddenly think of giving me a ring?” she asked, though she already suspected the answer. 

Soren paused, considering. “You’ve done so much for Fawkes Enterprises. I figured you deserved a gift.” 

Poppy smiled slyly. “You could’ve picked anything, but you chose a ring? You do realize what a ring means, don’t you?” 

Soren pressed his lips together, saying nothing. 

Instead, he countered, “Do you like it?” 

Poppy could tell he was dodging her question, and that only lifted her spirits further. 

His evasiveness was proof enough–the whole business of the gift was just a cover. As for the real reason, she was pretty sure she’d already guessed it. 

Maybe things weren’t as dire as she’d feared. 

At the very least, she still mattered to Soren. 

She squeezed his arm, gazing up at him, her eyes soft and warm. “I love it.” 

“That’s good.” 

“But what I really love is the man who gave it to me.” 

Her expression was as gentle as ever. 

Soren looked as if he wanted to say something, but only mouthed a few words before awkwardly pulling his hand free. “I have something to take care of later. I’ll have Gregory drive you home.” 

Poppy blinked, a little surprised, but quickly nodded. “Alright.” 

Soren watched as Poppy got into the car and drove off. 

Chapter 181 

Once the car disappeared from sight, he stood for a moment in thought, then turned and headed back into the mall. 

The sales associate recognized his striking features immediately and hurried over with a bright smile. “Did you leave something behind, sir?” 

“No,” Soren replied coolly. “That ring I picked earlier–bring me another one.” 

He didn’t notice, just around the corner, Poppy had had Gregory turn the car back. She stood not far off, watching Soren’s silhouette. When she glanced down at the ring on her finger, a sudden realization dawned on her about why he’d chosen to give her a ring. 

She clenched her fist, nails digging half–moons into her palm. 

The next day, Evangeline checked off a date on her calendar, marked in red. Then she called Gregory, letting him know she’d be picking up Soren’s identification documents later. 

She’d already asked exactly what papers were needed for a divorce. 

A couple of days ago, she and Gregory had made arrangements. 

Whenever Soren needed paperwork handled, he rarely accompanied her himself; Gregory would just hand her the necessary documents, and he was used to it by 

now. 

Still, this time Gregory was a little puzzled. He couldn’t recall anything Evangeline needed to handle lately. 

After a moment’s thought, he decided he’d better check with Soren. 

He called Soren, who was busy inspecting the final preparations at the hotel for the birthday celebration. 

Without giving it much thought, Soren said, “Just give them to her.” 

He couldn’t think of anything Evangeline needed to do, but she’d always been trustworthy. He had no qualms about letting her have the documents. 

Besides, he was still a bit annoyed with her after yesterday. He had no desire to chase her down for a conversation–he’d see her later anyway, and whatever it was could wait. 

With clear instructions, Gregory gathered the documents. 

Chapter 1 

Within half an hour, Evangeline arrived at the entrance of Fawkes Enterprises 

When Gregory came downstairs, he saw her dressed in a crisp white blouse and black trousers–simple, but distinctly formal. 

It struck him as both unfamiliar and oddly familiar. 

Unfamiliar, because Evangeline rarely dressed like this. 

Familiar, because he had the nagging sense he’d seen her wear something like it before. 

A strange, indescribable feeling washed over him. 

Handing her the documents, Gregory couldn’t help but ask, “Miss Whitmore, what are you taking care of today?” 

Evangeline considered for a moment, then answered quietly, “I’m filing for divorce.”