Verena headed back to the Jones family estate.
She had thought her parents and her brother would be home, yet when she stepped inside, only her brother, Vince Jones, remained.
Looking around, she frowned and called out, "Vince, why are you the only one here?"
The moment he heard her voice, Vince went still. Once he recognized it, he hurried over to her. "Rena, you're back? Why didn't you tell me ahead of time? I would've gone to pick you up," he said.
Even though she had tried to keep herself composed on the way here, the redness in her eyes gave her away.
As he recalled what he had learned earlier that day, a trace of sympathy crossed his gaze. Without saying much, he reached out and pulled her into his arms. "Rena, what happened? Just tell me. I'll take care of it."
Those words hit Verena harder than she expected, and the calm she had been forcing slipped away in an instant.
Her body gave in as she leaned into Vince, and tears kept streaming down without pause.
"Vince..."
The sound of her voice tightened something in him, and a shadow settled over his eyes.
All these years, he had known exactly what she had gone through.
Guilt sat heavy on Vince, and it only grew stronger when he thought about how the Jones family had needed that marriage with the Hughes family to get through their crisis.
"I've already made up my mind. I'm filing for divorce from Brayden."
For a brief moment, Vince just stood there. Then something bright flickered in his eyes, and he leaned forward slightly. "You're serious about this? You're really going through with it?"
Verena gave a firm nod in response.
A smile broke across his face before he could stop it. Lifting his hand, he wiped away the tears on her cheeks, and his voice carried a quiet sense of relief. "No matter what you choose, I'm on your side."
The tension that had been weighing on Verena finally eased. Her shoulders relaxed, and a small smile followed.
Right when she started to speak again, the sharp sound of Vince's phone cut in.
After a few words from the other end, his expression shifted, and the lightness on his face disappeared.
She caught the change at once. Before he could say anything, she spoke first. "If something came up, then go take care of it. I just need some time to rest."
Once he left, the silence in the house felt unbearable to her.
Instead of staying, she walked over to her closet and pulled out a fitted mini dress. After putting it on, she finished with bold makeup, and then headed straight out into the night, leaving the Jones family estate behind.
About thirty minutes later, Verena arrived at a club for drinks.
During all those years of marriage, she had never stepped into a place like this because of Brayden.
Now, she figured it was time to let everything out.
With a slight curl of her lips, she walked inside without hesitation.
Inside the club, lights flashed while people danced wildly to the music.
Curiosity pulled Verena's gaze from one corner to another. The bartender guided her to a quieter spot, and she settled into the seat without hesitation.
One drink turned into several before long. Glass after glass disappeared into her hand, and she kept going as if the alcohol could wash everything away.
Unseen by her, someone stood above on the second floor, watching every move she made.
That person was Brayden.
Shock flickered in his eyes as he stared down at her.
He knew it was his wife, yet the woman downstairs looked nothing like the calm and composed Verena he remembered.
His gaze stayed locked on her, and he did not look away even for a moment.
Only when he noticed how much she had already drunk did his expression tighten. Without another thought, he got to his feet and headed downstairs.
Back at her table, the weight on Verena's chest mixed with the alcohol, and it hit her fast. She had drunk too quickly, and now the dizziness was starting to take over.
In her hand, the glass tilted slightly as she gave it a slow shake.
Amber liquid rolled along the sides, and the ice knocked against the glass with a soft, crisp sound.
Each sip burned on the way down, yet all she could feel was sorrow. It reminded her of every time Brayden had walked away from her without looking back.
People nearby had already taken notice of her. Among them, one man stepped forward while the others kept their distance.
The seat beside her dipped as he sat down.
Confusion crossed her face, and Verena turned toward the man with unfocused eyes. A faint shine lingered on her lips, catching the shifting lights around them.
"Who... who are you?" she asked, her voice unsteady.
Timothy Fuller did not look away. He kept his eyes on her, and then spoke after a short pause. "It's me, Verena."
Something about his voice and the shape of his face tugged at her memory.
Her head felt heavy, so Verena shook it slowly.
Her hand rose on its own, and her finger touched Timothy's cheek. She looked at him for a second, and then let out a quiet laugh. "You look pretty good. But why do you look like that idiot Timothy Fuller?"
Timothy had grown up in privilege, and his childhood had been tied closely with both her and Brayden.
Back then, the three of them had always been together. After she married Brayden, Timothy had vanished from her life, and she barely saw him again.
Because of that, his face had faded from her memory over time.
A quiet breath left Timothy as he looked at her in that state, yet he chose not to say anything.
Not far away, Brayden had just reached the lower floor when he caught sight of them.
A strange mix of emotions rose in him all at once, unfamiliar and hard to name.
He had no idea Timothy was back.
Seeing Timothy there stirred something in Brayden, and memories from their childhood came back to him.
For a brief moment, his face relaxed.
Right when Brayden started moving toward them, he stopped in his tracks. Verena had already wrapped her arms around Timothy.
Anyone could see how close they were, and it didn't look right at all. But she didn't seem to notice anything.
Her eyes looked unfocused, and she reached up again, tapping his cheek like she was testing if he was real.
"Come home with me. I... I can take care of you," Verena said, her words dragging.
That caught Timothy off guard. His eyes widened, and his face turned red right away.
He kept one arm around her to steady her so she wouldn't fall, and then lowered his voice. "Verena, you're drunk."
She didn't seem sure herself. Blinking a few times didn't help. Everything still looked unclear.
"I'm not drunk," she said, trying hard to sound serious.
Seeing her act like that made Timothy sigh quietly. "Alright, fine. You're not drunk. Just sit down first, okay?"
Timothy tried to ease her back into her seat, but before he could get her settled, Brayden had already walked over.
His expression didn't hide his annoyance at all, and his eyes locked onto Verena.
"What do you think you're doing, Verena?" he said.
Timothy didn't expect to run into him here.
He froze for a second, something complicated flashing in his eyes, and then finally spoke. "Didn't think I'd see you here, Brayden."
Brayden gave a small nod, but his gaze stayed on her the whole time.
When she heard her name, Verena slowly looked up.
The moment she saw Brayden, she pulled her eyes away like she didn't recognize him at all.
"Verena!" Brayden said, clearly caught off guard. His face turned cold right after. He reached out, grabbed her wrist, and forced her to face him.
"Brayden, take it easy. She's drunk," Timothy said as he stepped in when he saw her frown, his tone carrying a hint of irritation.
Brayden didn't care.
Standing closer now, he finally noticed what Verena was wearing.
The dress hugged her body closely.
His eyes moved lower for a second, and his expression darkened.
Without saying anything else, he took off his coat and wrapped it around her. "You're coming home with me."
A sudden lift caught Verena off guard, and she instinctively looped her arms around Brayden's neck.
Their eyes locked.
