Seraphina Walton was a wife in name only. After five years of separation, her billionaire husband, Caleb Holden, returns to the city with his "childhood sweetheart" on his arm, flaunting his affection for the world to see. When asked when he will finally divorce Seraphina to give his first love the title she deserves, Caleb only lights a cigarette, his expression cold and indifferent. "I’m already married," he shrugs. "I might as well stay that way. It’s too much trouble to change." But the next day, the divorce papers are slammed onto his desk. Seraphina is done. She offers him her blessing and a graceful exit. Caleb sneers, tossing the papers into the trash with a condescending glare. "Seraphina, stop acting out. She’s just like a family to me." Seraphina doesn't argue. She doesn't cry. She simply vanishes, erasing herself from his world completely. Everyone thought Caleb had finally achieved his freedom. They waited for the grand wedding with his "sweetheart." Instead, they watched as the man who once held the world in his palm turned it upside down in a frantic, bloodshot search. When they finally meet again, the prideful tyrant is gone. Before the woman who once lived in his shadow, the powerful CEO collapses to his knees, his tears falling faster than the lies he once told. "Seraphina, I’ve finally found you... Please, I was wrong. Just look at me once more."

Chapter 1Seraphina Walton found out about her husband Caleb Holden's return to the country through a high school alumni group chat."Guess who I just ran into at the airport? It's Caleb, Caleb Holden!"Someone had uploaded a video of him at the airport.In the footage, Caleb looked impeccable and imposing, striding out of the terminal with a woman cradled in his arms.The woman had her arms wrapped around his neck, burying her delicate face against his chest, while his usually cold eyes seemed unusually tender.Seraphina stared at the screen, lost in a daze.She never expected that after five years of separation, her first glimpse of him would be him brazenly returning with another woman in his arms.She recognized the woman immediately—it was Sylvia Sterling.The only woman Caleb had ever truly loved.The chat was blowing up with excitement."That's Sylvia in his arms, right? Oh my god, are my favorite high school sweethearts finally together?""So he walked away from the vast Holden empire for five years just to chase after her abroad?""Wait a minute, didn't I hear he got married before leaving the country?""Who cares? He's been gone for five years. Whatever miserable woman he married for business should have the decency to sign the divorce papers by now."That single piece of gossip resurrected dozens of long-silent alumni in the group.They chatted feverishly, the messages scrolling by in a blur.After all, the legendary campus romance between Caleb and Sylvia had captivated everyone, and their ultimate breakup had been a source of endless regret.Seraphina watched the notifications pour in, her expression remaining entirely unreadable.Her best friend, Gia Quinn, couldn't take it anymore and fired back in the chat:"You guys are actually cheering for a cheating bastard and his homewrecker? Anyone romanticizing this garbage deserves to have it happen to them."A moment later, Gia's call came through."Sera, just say the word and I'll march over there with you to tear those two apart."Seraphina lowered her gaze, staring at the wedding band on her left ring finger.Truthfully, when she and Caleb first married, they had enjoyed a brief honeymoon phase.But the love he offered was like fast food—its expiration date came and went in the blink of an eye.All that remained was the endless, suffocating drain of a broken marriage.Seraphina slipped the ring off her finger."There's no need, Gia. Now that he's back, I'm filing for divorce."It wasn't the first time she had considered it.She had brought it up once before he left the country.But they had been in the middle of a cold war at the time, and he had thrown the papers into the trash without a single glance.Gia paused for a moment. "That jerk absolutely doesn't deserve you. But if you divorce him, the Walton family..."She trailed off, leaving the thought unfinished.Seraphina knew exactly what she meant.The Waltons had finally latched onto the Holden family's immense wealth and power, and they would never let go willingly.Seraphina masked her emotions. "It's not up to me, and it's certainly not up to my family."She had thought it through completely.Caleb had abandoned everything for love five years ago, and now he was bringing that same love back home. Even if she wanted to keep her position as his wife, it was no longer possible.A long silence hung on the line before Gia let out a guilt-ridden sigh. "I'm so sorry, Sera. If it weren't for me, you never would have fallen into that bastard's trap.""It's not your fault," Seraphina replied. "I made my own choices."...Caleb's return, though unannounced, was done entirely in the open. Like wildfire, the news tore through the city's elite circles in under an hour.After all, Sylvia wasn't the only thing he had brought back.The Holden Group had struggled to penetrate the overseas market for years with minimal success. Yet, in just five short years abroad, Caleb had completely dominated the international sector, firmly establishing their subsidiary's global presence.Back then, Caleb had infuriated Harrison Holden by abruptly leaving the family and fleeing the country, prompting the patriarch to declare he no longer had a grandson.High society assumed the old man would leave him to rot overseas, fully expecting the family empire to be handed over to Julian Holden, Caleb's older cousin.But recently, rumors of Harrison's impending retirement had begun to swirl.And right at this critical juncture, Caleb had returned bearing stellar overseas business records.His motive was glaringly obvious.When Seraphina returned home from work that evening, dinner was already laid out on the dining table.Mrs. Zeller, her housekeeper, had requested to leave early for a family emergency and had gone home after prepping the meal.A thoughtful sticky note rested on the table, reminding her to microwave the food before eating.Weighed down by her thoughts, Seraphina had zero appetite. She left the food untouched and stepped out onto the balcony.She pulled a cigarette from her purse, placed it between her lips, and lit it.The May evening air was still cool and breezy. The curling smoke from her fingertips added an intoxicating edge to her strikingly beautiful features.Seraphina exhaled a cloud of smoke.Down below, an extended Mercedes Sprinter slowly rolled into her line of sight.The vehicle glided to a smooth halt. The doors opened, and Caleb and Sylvia stepped out, one after the other.Five years apart had stripped away his boyish edge. He had always been cold and distant, but now he carried the imposing, mature weight of a seasoned man.Their marital apartment was on the sixth floor. Seraphina couldn't hear what was being said, but she could see Caleb standing with his back to her while Sylvia covered her mouth in a light laugh, before stepping up to wrap her arms around his neck in a tight embrace.As Sylvia looked up, her gaze locked directly with Seraphina's.A faint, triumphant smirk touched Sylvia's lips.Sylvia released Caleb and murmured something else, prompting him to glance up toward the balcony as well.For the first time in half a decade, Seraphina met those freezing eyes.They were utterly unreadable, completely devoid of the panic one might expect from a cheating husband caught by his wife.Ironically, it was Seraphina who felt a sudden, absurd flash of guilt, as if she were the one caught trespassing.How absolutely ridiculous.Seraphina crushed out her cigarette, losing all interest in the spectacle, and headed back inside.Downstairs, Caleb watched her slender silhouette disappear and frowned almost imperceptibly."Caleb," Sylvia said softly, resting her hands on his arm. "You should head up. Ms. Walton might get the wrong idea. Don't start a fight with her the second you get back.""She won't."Caleb replied indifferently, shifting his weight just enough to slip out of her grasp.That woman couldn't care less about him.Sylvia's expression froze as she met his distant gaze.But she recovered in a second, slipping her serene smile back into place."I'm sorry, Caleb, that was out of line. I shouldn't have made assumptions about Ms. Walton. I was just worried she might misunderstand you.""After all, you two haven't seen each other in years."Caleb massaged his temples. "It's getting late, and you haven't fully recovered. Go home and get some rest."...By the time Caleb came upstairs, Seraphina had already showered and changed into comfortable pajamas, standing in front of the full-length mirror to blow-dry her hair.The bedroom doorknob turned, and the door clicked open.Seraphina realized she had been living alone for so long that she had completely forgotten to lock it.She instinctively looked toward the entrance.Their eyes collided without the slightest warning.Seraphina had imagined countless scenarios of what she would say when they finally reunited, but right now, the words were caught in her throat.The five-year gap had bred a suffocating amount of distance and unfamiliarity between them.Seeing him casually step into the master bedroom, she faltered. "You're staying here tonight?""If I recall correctly, this house is under my name."Caleb offered a dismissive reply.Without another word, he reached up to loosen his tie, tossing it carelessly over the nearby rack.She had known for a long time that Caleb had an incredible physique.Broad shoulders, a narrow waist, firm chest, and perfectly defined muscles that always felt incredible beneath her touch.Back when they were still completely enamored with each other, he used to pin her against the walls of their home for endless hours of intimacy. Her favorite thing in the world had been wrapping her arms around his powerful waist, sinking into the pleasure together.But after five years, they were nothing more than strangers.She had lived like a widow for half a decade, and now her dead husband had suddenly crawled out of the grave.Seraphina pressed her lips together and grasped for an excuse. "I have legal briefs to review. I'll take the guest room."Their marriage existed only on paper, and they had seemingly reached a mutual understanding to play the part of a married couple in name only.But Caleb was deeply arrogant and notoriously fastidious; there was no way he would ever sleep in a guest bed.Which meant she had to be the one to leave.She wasn't sure if he even heard her before he stepped into the bathroom. Listening to the running water, Seraphina gathered her skincare and clothes with a sigh of resignation and relocated to the spare room.Although she claimed she needed to work, she couldn't focus on the legal documents in front of her. A moment later, Gia sent her a text.[Your husband is back?][Yeah.][Babe, did you know people are digging into the matching rings he and Sylvia were wearing? The set is worth millions of dollars. She's literally showing it off on her social media right now.]Gia sent a screenshot of a post Sylvia had uploaded just minutes ago.Seraphina stared at the glittering ring on the woman's finger, a sudden pang of misery twisting in her chest.The collection was called 'Soulmates'.What kind of soulmates were they?A homewrecker and a cheating husband? Truly a match made in heaven.Frustrated, she locked her screen and forced her attention back to her work, only to realize she had left a crucial file in the master bedroom.Of course, it was the exact one she needed for tomorrow's case.Reluctantly, Seraphina pushed the master bedroom door open once again.But the moment she stepped inside, her eyes landed on the small adult toy in Caleb's hand, and her face instantly burned hot.Even the tips of her ears flushed crimson.Gia had forced it on her a while back, claiming every woman needed a way to relieve stress and please herself.She had tossed it onto her nightstand without a second thought, completely forgetting he might find it.Caleb's gaze locked onto her, an eyebrow raised. "Five years apart, and my wife has picked up some wild hobbies?"Seraphina was usually easily embarrassed, but the memory of him standing intimately with Sylvia downstairs flared in her mind, fueling a sharp retort."Not as wild as you, Caleb."So what if she had used it?He was the one sleeping around—he had zero right to mock her.Caleb caught the underlying barb. He didn't look away; his stare lingered on his wife, dark, obscured, and profoundly heavy.Seraphina had a famously difficult personality.But she possessed a radiant complexion and stunning features. Even after five years, her sheer beauty could easily make a man overlook her coldness, stubbornness, and fierce pride.Furious, she grabbed her file and turned to leave. But before she could take a single step, the man seized her wrist.A cool wave of cedar and musk invaded her senses.Caleb stepped into her space, nudging her legs apart with his knee as his fingers tilted her chin up, pinning her firmly against the cold wall.Chapter 2Seraphina Walton found out about her husband Caleb Holden's return to the country through a high school alumni group chat."Guess who I just ran into at the airport? It's Caleb, Caleb Holden!"Someone had uploaded a video of him at the airport.In the footage, Caleb looked impeccable and imposing, striding out of the terminal with a woman cradled in his arms.The woman had her arms wrapped around his neck, burying her delicate face against his chest, while his usually cold eyes seemed unusually tender.Seraphina stared at the screen, lost in a daze.She never expected that after five years of separation, her first glimpse of him would be him brazenly returning with another woman in his arms.She recognized the woman immediately—it was Sylvia Sterling.The only woman Caleb had ever truly loved.The chat was blowing up with excitement."That's Sylvia in his arms, right? Oh my god, are my favorite high school sweethearts finally together?""So he walked away from the vast Holden empire for five years just to chase after her abroad?""Wait a minute, didn't I hear he got married before leaving the country?""Who cares? He's been gone for five years. Whatever miserable woman he married for business should have the decency to sign the divorce papers by now."That single piece of gossip resurrected dozens of long-silent alumni in the group.They chatted feverishly, the messages scrolling by in a blur.After all, the legendary campus romance between Caleb and Sylvia had captivated everyone, and their ultimate breakup had been a source of endless regret.Seraphina watched the notifications pour in, her expression remaining entirely unreadable.Her best friend, Gia Quinn, couldn't take it anymore and fired back in the chat:"You guys are actually cheering for a cheating bastard and his homewrecker? Anyone romanticizing this garbage deserves to have it happen to them."A moment later, Gia's call came through."Sera, just say the word and I'll march over there with you to tear those two apart."Seraphina lowered her gaze, staring at the wedding band on her left ring finger.Truthfully, when she and Caleb first married, they had enjoyed a brief honeymoon phase.But the love he offered was like fast food—its expiration date came and went in the blink of an eye.All that remained was the endless, suffocating drain of a broken marriage.Seraphina slipped the ring off her finger."There's no need, Gia. Now that he's back, I'm filing for divorce."It wasn't the first time she had considered it.She had brought it up once before he left the country.But they had been in the middle of a cold war at the time, and he had thrown the papers into the trash without a single glance.Gia paused for a moment. "That jerk absolutely doesn't deserve you. But if you divorce him, the Walton family..."She trailed off, leaving the thought unfinished.Seraphina knew exactly what she meant.The Waltons had finally latched onto the Holden family's immense wealth and power, and they would never let go willingly.Seraphina masked her emotions. "It's not up to me, and it's certainly not up to my family."She had thought it through completely.Caleb had abandoned everything for love five years ago, and now he was bringing that same love back home. Even if she wanted to keep her position as his wife, it was no longer possible.A long silence hung on the line before Gia let out a guilt-ridden sigh. "I'm so sorry, Sera. If it weren't for me, you never would have fallen into that bastard's trap.""It's not your fault," Seraphina replied. "I made my own choices."...Caleb's return, though unannounced, was done entirely in the open. Like wildfire, the news tore through the city's elite circles in under an hour.After all, Sylvia wasn't the only thing he had brought back.The Holden Group had struggled to penetrate the overseas market for years with minimal success. Yet, in just five short years abroad, Caleb had completely dominated the international sector, firmly establishing their subsidiary's global presence.Back then, Caleb had infuriated Harrison Holden by abruptly leaving the family and fleeing the country, prompting the patriarch to declare he no longer had a grandson.High society assumed the old man would leave him to rot overseas, fully expecting the family empire to be handed over to Julian Holden, Caleb's older cousin.But recently, rumors of Harrison's impending retirement had begun to swirl.And right at this critical juncture, Caleb had returned bearing stellar overseas business records.His motive was glaringly obvious.When Seraphina returned home from work that evening, dinner was already laid out on the dining table.Mrs. Zeller, her housekeeper, had requested to leave early for a family emergency and had gone home after prepping the meal.A thoughtful sticky note rested on the table, reminding her to microwave the food before eating.Weighed down by her thoughts, Seraphina had zero appetite. She left the food untouched and stepped out onto the balcony.She pulled a cigarette from her purse, placed it between her lips, and lit it.The May evening air was still cool and breezy. The curling smoke from her fingertips added an intoxicating edge to her strikingly beautiful features.Seraphina exhaled a cloud of smoke.Down below, an extended Mercedes Sprinter slowly rolled into her line of sight.The vehicle glided to a smooth halt. The doors opened, and Caleb and Sylvia stepped out, one after the other.Five years apart had stripped away his boyish edge. He had always been cold and distant, but now he carried the imposing, mature weight of a seasoned man.Their marital apartment was on the sixth floor. Seraphina couldn't hear what was being said, but she could see Caleb standing with his back to her while Sylvia covered her mouth in a light laugh, before stepping up to wrap her arms around his neck in a tight embrace.As Sylvia looked up, her gaze locked directly with Seraphina's.A faint, triumphant smirk touched Sylvia's lips.Sylvia released Caleb and murmured something else, prompting him to glance up toward the balcony as well.For the first time in half a decade, Seraphina met those freezing eyes.They were utterly unreadable, completely devoid of the panic one might expect from a cheating husband caught by his wife.Ironically, it was Seraphina who felt a sudden, absurd flash of guilt, as if she were the one caught trespassing.How absolutely ridiculous.Seraphina crushed out her cigarette, losing all interest in the spectacle, and headed back inside.Downstairs, Caleb watched her slender silhouette disappear and frowned almost imperceptibly."Caleb," Sylvia said softly, resting her hands on his arm. "You should head up. Ms. Walton might get the wrong idea. Don't start a fight with her the second you get back.""She won't."Caleb replied indifferently, shifting his weight just enough to slip out of her grasp.That woman couldn't care less about him.Sylvia's expression froze as she met his distant gaze.But she recovered in a second, slipping her serene smile back into place."I'm sorry, Caleb, that was out of line. I shouldn't have made assumptions about Ms. Walton. I was just worried she might misunderstand you.""After all, you two haven't seen each other in years."Caleb massaged his temples. "It's getting late, and you haven't fully recovered. Go home and get some rest."...By the time Caleb came upstairs, Seraphina had already showered and changed into comfortable pajamas, standing in front of the full-length mirror to blow-dry her hair.The bedroom doorknob turned, and the door clicked open.Seraphina realized she had been living alone for so long that she had completely forgotten to lock it.She instinctively looked toward the entrance.Their eyes collided without the slightest warning.Seraphina had imagined countless scenarios of what she would say when they finally reunited, but right now, the words were caught in her throat.The five-year gap had bred a suffocating amount of distance and unfamiliarity between them.Seeing him casually step into the master bedroom, she faltered. "You're staying here tonight?""If I recall correctly, this house is under my name."Caleb offered a dismissive reply.Without another word, he reached up to loosen his tie, tossing it carelessly over the nearby rack.She had known for a long time that Caleb had an incredible physique.Broad shoulders, a narrow waist, firm chest, and perfectly defined muscles that always felt incredible beneath her touch.Back when they were still completely enamored with each other, he used to pin her against the walls of their home for endless hours of intimacy. Her favorite thing in the world had been wrapping her arms around his powerful waist, sinking into the pleasure together.But after five years, they were nothing more than strangers.She had lived like a widow for half a decade, and now her dead husband had suddenly crawled out of the grave.Seraphina pressed her lips together and grasped for an excuse. "I have legal briefs to review. I'll take the guest room."Their marriage existed only on paper, and they had seemingly reached a mutual understanding to play the part of a married couple in name only.But Caleb was deeply arrogant and notoriously fastidious; there was no way he would ever sleep in a guest bed.Which meant she had to be the one to leave.She wasn't sure if he even heard her before he stepped into the bathroom. Listening to the running water, Seraphina gathered her skincare and clothes with a sigh of resignation and relocated to the spare room.Although she claimed she needed to work, she couldn't focus on the legal documents in front of her. A moment later, Gia sent her a text.[Your husband is back?][Yeah.][Babe, did you know people are digging into the matching rings he and Sylvia were wearing? The set is worth millions of dollars. She's literally showing it off on her social media right now.]Gia sent a screenshot of a post Sylvia had uploaded just minutes ago.Seraphina stared at the glittering ring on the woman's finger, a sudden pang of misery twisting in her chest.The collection was called 'Soulmates'.What kind of soulmates were they?A homewrecker and a cheating husband? Truly a match made in heaven.Frustrated, she locked her screen and forced her attention back to her work, only to realize she had left a crucial file in the master bedroom.Of course, it was the exact one she needed for tomorrow's case.Reluctantly, Seraphina pushed the master bedroom door open once again.But the moment she stepped inside, her eyes landed on the small adult toy in Caleb's hand, and her face instantly burned hot.Even the tips of her ears flushed crimson.Gia had forced it on her a while back, claiming every woman needed a way to relieve stress and please herself.She had tossed it onto her nightstand without a second thought, completely forgetting he might find it.Caleb's gaze locked onto her, an eyebrow raised. "Five years apart, and my wife has picked up some wild hobbies?"Seraphina was usually easily embarrassed, but the memory of him standing intimately with Sylvia downstairs flared in her mind, fueling a sharp retort."Not as wild as you, Caleb."So what if she had used it?He was the one sleeping around—he had zero right to mock her.Caleb caught the underlying barb. He didn't look away; his stare lingered on his wife, dark, obscured, and profoundly heavy.Seraphina had a famously difficult personality.But she possessed a radiant complexion and stunning features. Even after five years, her sheer beauty could easily make a man overlook her coldness, stubbornness, and fierce pride.Furious, she grabbed her file and turned to leave. But before she could take a single step, the man seized her wrist.A cool wave of cedar and musk invaded her senses.Caleb stepped into her space, nudging her legs apart with his knee as his fingers tilted her chin up, pinning her firmly against the cold wall.Chapter 3Seraphina Walton found out about her husband Caleb Holden's return to the country through a high school alumni group chat."Guess who I just ran into at the airport? It's Caleb, Caleb Holden!"Someone had uploaded a video of him at the airport.In the footage, Caleb looked impeccable and imposing, striding out of the terminal with a woman cradled in his arms.The woman had her arms wrapped around his neck, burying her delicate face against his chest, while his usually cold eyes seemed unusually tender.Seraphina stared at the screen, lost in a daze.She never expected that after five years of separation, her first glimpse of him would be him brazenly returning with another woman in his arms.She recognized the woman immediately—it was Sylvia Sterling.The only woman Caleb had ever truly loved.The chat was blowing up with excitement."That's Sylvia in his arms, right? Oh my god, are my favorite high school sweethearts finally together?""So he walked away from the vast Holden empire for five years just to chase after her abroad?""Wait a minute, didn't I hear he got married before leaving the country?""Who cares? He's been gone for five years. Whatever miserable woman he married for business should have the decency to sign the divorce papers by now."That single piece of gossip resurrected dozens of long-silent alumni in the group.They chatted feverishly, the messages scrolling by in a blur.After all, the legendary campus romance between Caleb and Sylvia had captivated everyone, and their ultimate breakup had been a source of endless regret.Seraphina watched the notifications pour in, her expression remaining entirely unreadable.Her best friend, Gia Quinn, couldn't take it anymore and fired back in the chat:"You guys are actually cheering for a cheating bastard and his homewrecker? Anyone romanticizing this garbage deserves to have it happen to them."A moment later, Gia's call came through."Sera, just say the word and I'll march over there with you to tear those two apart."Seraphina lowered her gaze, staring at the wedding band on her left ring finger.Truthfully, when she and Caleb first married, they had enjoyed a brief honeymoon phase.But the love he offered was like fast food—its expiration date came and went in the blink of an eye.All that remained was the endless, suffocating drain of a broken marriage.Seraphina slipped the ring off her finger."There's no need, Gia. Now that he's back, I'm filing for divorce."It wasn't the first time she had considered it.She had brought it up once before he left the country.But they had been in the middle of a cold war at the time, and he had thrown the papers into the trash without a single glance.Gia paused for a moment. "That jerk absolutely doesn't deserve you. But if you divorce him, the Walton family..."She trailed off, leaving the thought unfinished.Seraphina knew exactly what she meant.The Waltons had finally latched onto the Holden family's immense wealth and power, and they would never let go willingly.Seraphina masked her emotions. "It's not up to me, and it's certainly not up to my family."She had thought it through completely.Caleb had abandoned everything for love five years ago, and now he was bringing that same love back home. Even if she wanted to keep her position as his wife, it was no longer possible.A long silence hung on the line before Gia let out a guilt-ridden sigh. "I'm so sorry, Sera. If it weren't for me, you never would have fallen into that bastard's trap.""It's not your fault," Seraphina replied. "I made my own choices."...Caleb's return, though unannounced, was done entirely in the open. Like wildfire, the news tore through the city's elite circles in under an hour.After all, Sylvia wasn't the only thing he had brought back.The Holden Group had struggled to penetrate the overseas market for years with minimal success. Yet, in just five short years abroad, Caleb had completely dominated the international sector, firmly establishing their subsidiary's global presence.Back then, Caleb had infuriated Harrison Holden by abruptly leaving the family and fleeing the country, prompting the patriarch to declare he no longer had a grandson.High society assumed the old man would leave him to rot overseas, fully expecting the family empire to be handed over to Julian Holden, Caleb's older cousin.But recently, rumors of Harrison's impending retirement had begun to swirl.And right at this critical juncture, Caleb had returned bearing stellar overseas business records.His motive was glaringly obvious.When Seraphina returned home from work that evening, dinner was already laid out on the dining table.Mrs. Zeller, her housekeeper, had requested to leave early for a family emergency and had gone home after prepping the meal.A thoughtful sticky note rested on the table, reminding her to microwave the food before eating.Weighed down by her thoughts, Seraphina had zero appetite. She left the food untouched and stepped out onto the balcony.She pulled a cigarette from her purse, placed it between her lips, and lit it.The May evening air was still cool and breezy. The curling smoke from her fingertips added an intoxicating edge to her strikingly beautiful features.Seraphina exhaled a cloud of smoke.Down below, an extended Mercedes Sprinter slowly rolled into her line of sight.The vehicle glided to a smooth halt. The doors opened, and Caleb and Sylvia stepped out, one after the other.Five years apart had stripped away his boyish edge. He had always been cold and distant, but now he carried the imposing, mature weight of a seasoned man.Their marital apartment was on the sixth floor. Seraphina couldn't hear what was being said, but she could see Caleb standing with his back to her while Sylvia covered her mouth in a light laugh, before stepping up to wrap her arms around his neck in a tight embrace.As Sylvia looked up, her gaze locked directly with Seraphina's.A faint, triumphant smirk touched Sylvia's lips.Sylvia released Caleb and murmured something else, prompting him to glance up toward the balcony as well.For the first time in half a decade, Seraphina met those freezing eyes.They were utterly unreadable, completely devoid of the panic one might expect from a cheating husband caught by his wife.Ironically, it was Seraphina who felt a sudden, absurd flash of guilt, as if she were the one caught trespassing.How absolutely ridiculous.Seraphina crushed out her cigarette, losing all interest in the spectacle, and headed back inside.Downstairs, Caleb watched her slender silhouette disappear and frowned almost imperceptibly."Caleb," Sylvia said softly, resting her hands on his arm. "You should head up. Ms. Walton might get the wrong idea. Don't start a fight with her the second you get back.""She won't."Caleb replied indifferently, shifting his weight just enough to slip out of her grasp.That woman couldn't care less about him.Sylvia's expression froze as she met his distant gaze.But she recovered in a second, slipping her serene smile back into place."I'm sorry, Caleb, that was out of line. I shouldn't have made assumptions about Ms. Walton. I was just worried she might misunderstand you.""After all, you two haven't seen each other in years."Caleb massaged his temples. "It's getting late, and you haven't fully recovered. Go home and get some rest."...By the time Caleb came upstairs, Seraphina had already showered and changed into comfortable pajamas, standing in front of the full-length mirror to blow-dry her hair.The bedroom doorknob turned, and the door clicked open.Seraphina realized she had been living alone for so long that she had completely forgotten to lock it.She instinctively looked toward the entrance.Their eyes collided without the slightest warning.Seraphina had imagined countless scenarios of what she would say when they finally reunited, but right now, the words were caught in her throat.The five-year gap had bred a suffocating amount of distance and unfamiliarity between them.Seeing him casually step into the master bedroom, she faltered. "You're staying here tonight?""If I recall correctly, this house is under my name."Caleb offered a dismissive reply.Without another word, he reached up to loosen his tie, tossing it carelessly over the nearby rack.She had known for a long time that Caleb had an incredible physique.Broad shoulders, a narrow waist, firm chest, and perfectly defined muscles that always felt incredible beneath her touch.Back when they were still completely enamored with each other, he used to pin her against the walls of their home for endless hours of intimacy. Her favorite thing in the world had been wrapping her arms around his powerful waist, sinking into the pleasure together.But after five years, they were nothing more than strangers.She had lived like a widow for half a decade, and now her dead husband had suddenly crawled out of the grave.Seraphina pressed her lips together and grasped for an excuse. "I have legal briefs to review. I'll take the guest room."Their marriage existed only on paper, and they had seemingly reached a mutual understanding to play the part of a married couple in name only.But Caleb was deeply arrogant and notoriously fastidious; there was no way he would ever sleep in a guest bed.Which meant she had to be the one to leave.She wasn't sure if he even heard her before he stepped into the bathroom. Listening to the running water, Seraphina gathered her skincare and clothes with a sigh of resignation and relocated to the spare room.Although she claimed she needed to work, she couldn't focus on the legal documents in front of her. A moment later, Gia sent her a text.[Your husband is back?][Yeah.][Babe, did you know people are digging into the matching rings he and Sylvia were wearing? The set is worth millions of dollars. She's literally showing it off on her social media right now.]Gia sent a screenshot of a post Sylvia had uploaded just minutes ago.Seraphina stared at the glittering ring on the woman's finger, a sudden pang of misery twisting in her chest.The collection was called 'Soulmates'.What kind of soulmates were they?A homewrecker and a cheating husband? Truly a match made in heaven.Frustrated, she locked her screen and forced her attention back to her work, only to realize she had left a crucial file in the master bedroom.Of course, it was the exact one she needed for tomorrow's case.Reluctantly, Seraphina pushed the master bedroom door open once again.But the moment she stepped inside, her eyes landed on the small adult toy in Caleb's hand, and her face instantly burned hot.Even the tips of her ears flushed crimson.Gia had forced it on her a while back, claiming every woman needed a way to relieve stress and please herself.She had tossed it onto her nightstand without a second thought, completely forgetting he might find it.Caleb's gaze locked onto her, an eyebrow raised. "Five years apart, and my wife has picked up some wild hobbies?"Seraphina was usually easily embarrassed, but the memory of him standing intimately with Sylvia downstairs flared in her mind, fueling a sharp retort."Not as wild as you, Caleb."So what if she had used it?He was the one sleeping around—he had zero right to mock her.Caleb caught the underlying barb. He didn't look away; his stare lingered on his wife, dark, obscured, and profoundly heavy.Seraphina had a famously difficult personality.But she possessed a radiant complexion and stunning features. Even after five years, her sheer beauty could easily make a man overlook her coldness, stubbornness, and fierce pride.Furious, she grabbed her file and turned to leave. But before she could take a single step, the man seized her wrist.A cool wave of cedar and musk invaded her senses.Caleb stepped into her space, nudging her legs apart with his knee as his fingers tilted her chin up, pinning her firmly against the cold wall.