A sharp chill ran through Verena when she locked eyes with Brayden.
She had already started to sober up a little.
Her sight wavered, and she struggled for a moment before she finally made out who stood in front of her.
"Brayden... is that you?" Verena said, her voice rough from the alcohol as she spoke slowly.
The coat draped over her carried a scent she knew too well, and it helped clear the haze in her head.
"Put me down, Brayden. Let go of me right now!" She stiffened for a second before pushing against him, thrashing with both her hands and feet.
No matter how hard she struggled, she was too weak. It barely affected Brayden and felt more like playful teasing.
"What gives you the right to touch me? Let me go! I said let me go!" she said, refusing to stop struggling.
Brayden's expression turned darker, and he tightened his hold without hesitation, cutting off any chance for her to break free.
"I'm taking her with me," he said to Timothy, his voice low and firm.
Without another word, he turned and headed straight for the door.
From where he stood, Timothy watched everything unfold, and a bitter feeling settled deep in his chest.
He parted his lips as if to speak, but in the end, all that came out was a quiet sigh. No words followed, yet his gaze stayed fixed on them as they walked away.
A shadow passed through his eyes, as though something from the past had resurfaced in his mind.
Brayden moved quickly and pushed the club door open. The cold air rushed in the moment it gave way.
A shiver ran through Verena as she trembled in his arms.
Brayden paused briefly, and then picked up his pace without saying a word. Soon after, he reached the car and got inside.
Elsewhere in the club, a plain-looking man gripped his phone tightly, and excitement showed clearly across his face.
Going out at night to relax led him into something he never saw coming.
Those photos in his hands could secure both a promotion and a raise once they were released.
Despite the club being at its peak, he no longer cared about staying. He packed up right away and left without delay.
Inside the car, as soon as Brayden placed her on the seat, Verena shoved him away.
Breaking free from his hold, she raised her head and spoke with a hoarse voice. "I'm getting out of this car, Brayden. Let me go."
Her resistance continued, yet Brayden gave no response.
He kept his eyes on her without any reaction, as though her actions meant nothing. "Calm down, Verena. Take a look at yourself. Do you even know what you've become?"
Although dizziness still weighed on her, his words struck a bitter feeling within her.
She lifted her head again and faced him, speaking each word with effort.
"What I've become? And what does that have to do with you? Who gave you the right to control me? We're getting a divorce. Whatever I've become now has nothing to do with you!" Verena said, raising her voice at the end.
Red filled her eyes, and even though tears gathered, she held them back.
Seeing her like this caught Brayden off guard, and he paused for a moment.
A frown appeared as he continued to look at her. He seemed ready to speak, yet after some time, he swallowed what he had intended to say.
Instead, he said in a calm tone, "You're drunk."
Hearing that made the feeling inside her grow heavier.
A quiet laugh came from her, and the strength she had been holding onto slipped away at that moment.
What remained in her eyes faded, leaving only exhaustion and confusion behind.
Heat filled the car, and it made her feel more drunk.
Verena's eyes lost focus as her body swayed, and she soon fell asleep.
Seeing that her head was about to hit the window, Brayden felt panic rise in his chest.
Without thinking, he reached out and pulled her into his chest, holding her tightly.
The strong smell of alcohol spread around him. He had always hated that smell. Even so, no sign of disgust showed on his face. Instead, something unfamiliar appeared in his eyes.
For a long moment, he kept his gaze on her before lifting his hand to wipe the tears from her cheek.
His fingers paused when he felt something cool.
Verena's earlier questions stayed in his mind.
After some time passed, he let out a quiet sigh and held her closer.
The car stopped in front of the villa.
Looking down at her as she slept, Brayden picked her up in his arms, his movements gentle and careful.
Once outside, he went straight toward the upstairs bedroom.
Although he moved quickly, the cold wind made Verena press herself deeper into him.
Through the layers of clothing, her cheek rested against his chest.
Brayden's heartbeat grew faster.
Sounds from outside reached Jayde in the living room, and she rushed out at once.
The sight of Verena in Brayden's arms stopped her in place, and shock showed clearly on her face.
She never thought Verena would come back so soon.
Even with questions in her mind, Jayde chose not to ask and quickly stepped forward to open the door.
After they entered the master bedroom, Brayden placed Verena down on the bed.
As he moved to leave, her hand shot out and caught his wrist.
"Don't go..." she said, her voice low and unsteady.
Brayden went still at once.
Different emotions crossed his eyes, and after a long moment, he did not pull away. Instead, he lay down beside her.
Darkness deepened outside the window as night settled further.
While everything remained quiet, several photos appeared online without a name attached.
In those images, a man and a woman held each other closely.
Even under low light, their identities could still be made out.
The woman in the photos was Verena, Brayden's wife.
Comments spread quickly, with people saying that while Brayden had been involved with other women, Verena turned out to be no different, making them a perfect pair.
The photos spread across the internet in just one night.
Soon after, a headline stirred even more noise. "Mr. and Mrs. Hughes Both Cheated!"
By early morning, everyone was already talking about it. The news started to affect TrueLight Group's reputation.
That morning, Brayden checked the trending posts, and his face darkened right away.
He let out a silent scoff, thinking those people had no sense of limits.
Taking photos was one matter, but releasing them online meant they were openly challenging the Hughes family.
A cold look appeared in his eyes as he left the bedroom and went straight to the study next door to handle work.
What followed, however, went beyond what they expected.
While the discussion online kept growing, competing companies used the situation to target TrueLight Group.
Within a short time, the company's name took a hit.
At the same time, some netizens began to boycott TrueLight Group on their own.
Brayden looked at the data on the screen, and a faint smile formed on his lips while his eyes remained unreadable.
His fingers tapped lightly against the desk, and then his phone rang.
The call came from Laurence Hughes, his grandfather.
A brief flicker passed through his eyes before Brayden picked up. "Good morning, Grandpa."
"Brayden, tell me what's going on online," Laurence said, his voice steady.
"I'll take care of it. You don't need to worry," Brayden said.
Laurence did not continue the topic after hearing that. "Alright. I'll leave it to you."
The call ended right after that.
Brayden's gaze returned to the screen as everyone in the online meeting settled into place.
After a brief look around, he spoke in a steady tone. "PR team, give me a solution. I want it now."
"Yes, Mr. Hughes. We're already working on it," the head of PR responded.
The urgent meeting continued inside the study as Brayden stayed focused on the discussion.
In the next room, Verena slowly woke up.
Light streamed in through the window the moment her eyes opened, and she raised a hand to press against her temples as the pain hit.
The effects of the hangover rushed over her.
Looking around, she recognized the room, and her face lost all color.
She could not recall how she had returned to Brayden's house.
Her eyes moved across the space until she spotted her phone. She quickly grabbed it.
After she turned it on and unlocked the screen, a flood of missed calls and messages appeared.
For a brief moment, she stayed still. Another call came in, and she picked it up right away. "Hello?"
"Mrs. Hughes, you finally answered. You have to check the news right now. The company is already in chaos!" the caller said.
Those words made her heart drop, and she opened the news app at once.
A headline stood out on the homepage. Her eyes widened as she tapped on it and saw the photos.
The man in the photo was Timothy, and she knew it right away.
When had he returned?
Nothing from last night came back to her, no matter how hard she tried.
Because of that, she could not figure out how those photos even existed.
A quiet sigh left her as she prepared to get ready and go to the office, but before she could move, the door opened without warning.
Caught off guard, Verena lifted her head, and the moment she saw Brayden, she went still.
