As she was reminded of the marriage certificate Caleb had delivered, Nicole clutched the blanket tight. She recalled her overwhelming joy; she had taken countless photos of it and even slept with it in her arms.
The marriage certificate she had considered her most precious treasure was, in the end, a fake.
Her teeth clenched as agitation burned through her, her eyes bloodshot with fury.
Before the others could react, she had already picked up the certificate and flipped it open.
“Wait!” Hayden’s voice rang out sharply, low and tinged with panic, his pupils wide with alarm.
Nicole tightened her grip on the certificate, mocking him inwardly. “So he had the guts to fake a marriage with me, but not enough to admit it?”
“What’s the problem?” she asked coldly.
Hayden swiftly took the certificate from her and handed it to Gloria, saying with forced authority, “You should be more careful with your things. Don’t just drop them anywhere.”
Gloria’s expression froze before she lowered her head and stammered, “I–I didn’t do it on purpose…”
Noticing her guilt and anxiety, Hayden raised a brow. “Step outside with me. I have something to tell you.”
But first, he returned to Nicole’s bedside, gently pulling the blanket over her. His slender fingers brushed
against her pale cheek. “Get some rest,” he murmured.
A surge of bitterness welled up in Nicole’s chest. It took all her strength not to recoil from his touch.
Instead, she lay down, putting distance between them.
Outside the room, Gloria looked at Hayden with a tender smile, her eyes full of adoration. She asked
softly, “Hayden, what did you want to tell me?”
“Are you free next Monday? Let’s finalize our divorce papers.” His voice was calm, but there was an icy
authority to it.
Gloria stiffened, her fingers curling tightly into fists. “So soon? I thought you said you’d tell Nicole the truth
after some time?”
Hayden paused, then said, “I will. But right now, her health and mental state aren’t good. I don’t want to upset her any further. Even so, there’s no harm in starting the process now. The sooner we settle this, the
better.”
The events earlier had only reinforced his decision–finalizing the divorce quickly would save him future
trouble.
Gloria forced herself to smile and pretended to be calm. “Alright. I should be free next Monday.”
Relief softened Hayden’s features. He offered her a faint smile. “I’ll send a driver to pick you up.”
Chapter 13
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Hearing that, Gloria clenched her teeth, barely managing to keep her composure.
She couldn’t understand what he saw in Nicole–a woman who had supposedly schemed against him, gotten pregnant, and used that as leverage to marry him. What could possibly make him fall for her after all these years?
“Fine. If your brain tumor means you can’t handle too much stress, I’ll make sure the blow I deal is heavy enough to finish you off. Then I’ll take the title of Mrs. Spencer for myself.”
With that thought, Gloria pulled out two tickets from her bag and handed them to Hayden.
“This is for my first art exhibition. Since Nicole isn’t doing well, why don’t you bring her? It might lift her
spirits.”
Hayden accepted the tickets. “I’ll ask her. You should head back first.”
Gloria nodded, a glint flashing in her eyes before she turned and left.
When Hayden returned to the room, Nicole was lying still, her breathing steady. Her skin was so pale it was nearly translucent, every vein faintly visible beneath the surface.
The sight made his heart ache. She had grown even paler recently. Once the divorce was settled, he planned to hire several nutritionists to create a diet plan just for her.
Taking her hand, he squeezed it gently, tracing light scratches over her palm in a teasing gesture.
Nicole didn’t move, her lashes perfectly still. Then she felt a shadow fall over her, Hayden’s familiar scent filling the air.
Her eyes snapped open, and she shoved him away just as he leaned in to kiss her.
Hayden’s lips curved into a faint smile. “Why won’t you let me kiss you?”
Nicole sat up and replied, “I’m tired.”
He assumed she was simply too weak for intimacy. Instead of pressing her, he held out the tickets. ” Gloria’s hosting an art exhibition. Come with me.”
Nicole narrowed her eyes, taking a ticket from him to examine the artist’s introduction.
It announced an exhibition by Joanna Muller, a three–time consecutive winner of a prestigious
international art competition. This was her first domestic exhibition and would feature several unreleased
works.
But Nicole knew Joanna personally.
Back when she was a cellist, she had attended an art exchange event where she immediately recognized Joanna’s distinctive style, despite the artist’s attempt to remain anonymous. Coincidentally, Joanna was also a devoted fan of Nicole’s music, having attended five of her concerts.
When they met, they clicked instantly, like lifelong friends. They even exchanged autographs.
Chapter 13
Joanna had been disappointed when Nicole retired from music, but soon after, she too fell ill and stopped painting. Over time, they lost contact.
Nicole realized it had been three years since their last conversation.
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Chapter 14
