On the tenth day of her cold war with Adrian Harding, Sara Navarro finally hit her limit.
Swallowing her pride, she decided to break the ice and went to find him.
But at the entrance of the club's private VIP room, she froze.
Adrian was there. But he wasn't alone. He was currently getting hot and heavy with his ex.
To be precise, Eva James was clinging to him like a vine, refusing to let go. And Adrian? He wasn't pushing her away.
Sara couldn't hear what was being said, but Eva clearly wasn't in high spirits. She buried her face in his chest, her shoulders shaking with sobs.
Sara had known about Eva's existence long before her own wedding.
Eva and Adrian had been together for seven years. It was no exaggeration to say that Adrian had dedicated the prime of his life to her. In their circle of fame and fortune, a man with Adrian's capital usually had a wandering eye. Yet he had kept himself clean, guarding only her. That kind of devotion was a rarity.
Everyone assumed they would walk down the aisle. Unexpectedly, the relationship ended in a bleak, unresolved mess.
Eva was the one who proposed the breakup. She had left decisively, severing all contact and fleeing abroad.
Fueled by rage and humiliation, Adrian had treated marriage like a joke. He hastily married Sara—who was merely his personal assistant at the time—just to spite Eva.
A metaphorical slap in the face to his ex-love.
But seven years of romance had exhausted Adrian's capacity for passion. After marrying Sara, he was more like a walking iceberg than a husband.
He never remembered her birthday. To him, she wasn't a wife; she was a pet cat he kept around the house. When he was in a good mood, he'd tease her. When he was in a bad mood, he'd ignore her completely.
And never, not once, had he shown Sara the kind of patience he was currently displaying with Eva.
Sara just hadn't expected someone as proud and aloof as Eva James to come crawling back.
*A good horse doesn't turn back to graze on old grass*, the saying went. Sara had thought her life would never intersect with Eva's again. Yet, in the blink of an eye, the woman was right there.
In her husband's arms.
No wonder Adrian hadn't come home for days. Sara had naively thought he was sulking over their argument that night. She had even asked his secretary for his location, rushing over eagerly to make amends.
Instead, reality dealt her a heavy blow. She stood rooted to the spot, her fingers whitening around the handle of her bag.
Perhaps her gaze was too intense. Eva seemed to sense something. She suddenly turned her head, her eyes locking with Sara's.
Life abroad had treated her well; Eva was even more beautiful than she had been three years ago. Tear tracks stained her face, but she didn't look disheveled. Instead, she looked pitiful, fragile—the kind of vulnerability that instantly triggered a man's protective instincts.
No wonder Adrian couldn't resist.
"Ms. James. Long time no see."
Since there was no place to hide, Sara straightened her spine and walked up to them openly.
Eva stared at her for three seconds. Her gaze dropped to the wedding ring on Sara's hand—a matching set with Adrian's—before she finally spoke.
Her tone dripped with thinly veiled mockery.
"It really has been a long time. In the blink of an eye, Assistant Navarro has become Mrs. Harding. Quite the climb."
Eva was born into nobility. She had always looked down on women who traded their bodies for status and wealth.
But over the years, Sara had trained herself to be bulletproof. She merely smiled, refusing to take the bait.
"How did you get here?"
Adrian followed Eva's line of sight, his dark eyes landing on Sara.
Any other wife seeing her husband entangled with his ex might have stormed over, screaming and demanding an explanation. But Sara didn't have that courage. More importantly, she didn't have the right.
Before the wedding, they had signed an agreement: the marriage would last three years. When the time was up, the assets would be settled, the divorce finalized, and they would go their separate ways.
So Sara swallowed the acid rising in her throat and plastered on the smile of a virtuous wife.
"I heard you had a social engagement tonight. I was worried you'd drink too much and upset your stomach, so I came to check on you."
Adrian usually detested people prying into his schedule. Under his unblinking stare, a chill ran down Sara's spine.
But today, Adrian was acting out of character.
Not only did he not scold her, but a faint, unreadable smile played on his lips.
"So thoughtful?"
"Of course. You're my husband. If I don't care about you, who will?"
Sara tentatively stepped forward and looped her arm through his. He didn't hug her back, but he didn't shake her off either. A silent breath of relief escaped her.
However, the sight of their interlaced arms seemed to sting Eva's eyes.
She looked deeply hurt, forcing a strained smile. "Since Assistant... since Mrs. Harding is here, I'll let you two talk. I won't disturb you."
She didn't leave immediately. She lingered for a split second, as if faintly hoping Adrian would stop her.
Unfortunately for her, Adrian acted as if she had ceased to exist. He didn't even spare her a glance.
As if he had truly let go of the past.
Eva could only maintain her forced smile. "No matter what, I'm happy I got to see you today. I don't mean anything by it. I just hope... we can still be friends."
A masterclass in playing hard to get. And sure enough, it hooked Adrian's attention.
Sara could keep the man, but she couldn't keep his heart.
After Eva left the club, Adrian stared in the direction she had vanished, lost in thought for a long time.
Sara couldn't pretend she didn't see it. "The contract still has six months before it expires, but Ms. James is back. Does Mr. Harding plan to end this marriage early?"
