The room fell into a strange silence.
Evelyn's fingers rested lightly on the pen, her gaze fixed on the document in front of her.
Divorce Agreement.
In her previous life, this piece of paper had felt heavier than a mountain. She had cried, pleaded, and humiliated herself just to delay signing it. She remembered clutching the edge of the table, her voice trembling as she begged Damian not to abandon her.
She had thought that as long as she refused to sign, she could still hold onto this marriage.
How ridiculous.
Now, looking at the same document again, she only felt… relief.
A faint, almost imperceptible smile curved her lips.
Across the table, Damian Laurent frowned.
Something was wrong.
Evelyn Hart was not supposed to look like this.
She should be panicking. Crying. Clinging to him like she always did.
Instead, she was calm.
Too calm.
His fingers tapped lightly against the table, his voice turning colder. "If you're planning to waste time, I won't sit here all day."
Evelyn finally lifted her eyes to look at him.
For a brief moment, their gazes met.
Five years of love.
Five years of humiliation.
Five years of obsession.
All of it… gone.
There was no warmth left in her eyes.
Damian's brows furrowed slightly, an unfamiliar irritation rising in his chest.
That look…
It was as if she was looking at a stranger.
No.
Worse.
As if he meant nothing at all.
Evelyn lowered her gaze again, her fingers tightening around the pen.
Then—
She signed.
No hesitation.
No trembling.
No tears.
Just one clean, decisive stroke.
The sound of the pen scratching against paper was soft… but in that silent room, it felt deafening.
The lawyers froze.
Even Damian's hand stopped mid-tap.
Evelyn placed the pen down gently and pushed the document forward.
"Done."
Her voice was calm.
Indifferent.
As if she had just finished signing a routine contract, not ending a five-year marriage.
For the first time, the room truly fell silent.
Damian stared at the signature.
Evelyn Hart.
Neat. Elegant. Final.
Something in his chest tightened unexpectedly.
He couldn't explain it.
This was what he wanted.
He had waited for this day.
So why… did it feel off?
"You—" One of the lawyers hesitated, clearly caught off guard. "Mrs. Laurent, do you want to review the terms again?"
Evelyn shook her head.
"No need."
Her tone was light, almost careless.
"I trust Mr. Laurent wouldn't shortchange me."
The words sounded polite.
But somehow, they carried a faint trace of mockery.
Damian's expression darkened slightly.
Evelyn stood up.
In her previous life, this moment had been the lowest point of her existence. She had felt like the entire world was collapsing, like she was being abandoned, erased.
But now—
She only felt… free.
She reached up and slowly removed the ring from her finger.
The diamond caught the light, sparkling brilliantly for one last time.
Five years ago, she had treasured this ring like it was her entire world.
Now, it was nothing more than a meaningless piece of metal.
She placed it on the table.
Right in front of Damian.
"I'll return this."
Her voice was steady.
No attachment.
No regret.
Damian's gaze dropped to the ring.
For a split second, something sharp flickered in his eyes.
But it disappeared just as quickly.
"You can keep it," he said coldly. "It's worthless to me."
Evelyn smiled faintly.
"Exactly."
She turned and walked toward the door without another word.
Her steps were steady.
Confident.
As if she had been waiting for this moment for a very long time.
The sound of her heels echoed softly across the room.
Step by step.
Further and further away.
Damian watched her back.
His fingers unconsciously curled slightly.
This wasn't how it was supposed to go.
Evelyn Hart—
The woman who had loved him so desperately she would endure anything—
Was walking away without even looking back.
"Evelyn."
The name left his lips before he realized it.
She stopped.
But she didn't turn around.
"Yes, Mr. Laurent?"
Mr. Laurent.
Not Damian.
Not even a trace of familiarity.
Just cold distance.
The words hit him harder than expected.
A faint crease appeared between his brows.
"Don't play games," he said, his tone turning sharp. "You agreed to this. Don't come back later and make trouble."
Evelyn let out a soft laugh.
It was quiet.
But it carried a hint of ridicule.
"Don't worry."
She finally turned her head slightly, just enough for him to see her profile.
Her lips curved into a faint smile.
"I won't come back."
Not in this life.
Not ever again.
Damian's chest tightened again.
That strange, irritating feeling grew stronger.
Before he could say anything else, Evelyn had already pushed the door open and walked out.
The door closed behind her with a soft click.
And just like that—
She was gone.
The moment she stepped out of the building, the sunlight hit her face.
Warm.
Bright.
Alive.
Evelyn stopped walking.
For a few seconds, she just stood there, letting the sunlight wash over her skin.
She closed her eyes.
She was alive.
Not trapped in a wrecked car.
Not bleeding to death in the rain.
Alive.
Her fingers slowly clenched.
This was her second chance.
And this time—
She would not repeat the same mistakes.
A black car pulled up in front of her.
The driver hurried out and opened the door respectfully.
"Miss Hart, the chairman asked me to pick you up."
Evelyn's eyes flickered slightly.
Chairman.
Her grandfather.
In her previous life, after her marriage fell apart, she had been too ashamed to return home. She had cut herself off from her family, choosing to stay alone… and that decision had cost her everything.
But now—
She would not run anymore.
Evelyn nodded.
"Let's go."
She got into the car.
As the door closed, her gaze turned distant.
Damian Laurent.
Selena Vale.
This time…
She would settle every single account.
Inside the conference room, the atmosphere was still tense.
One of the lawyers carefully handed the signed document to Damian.
"Mr. Laurent, everything is finalized."
Damian didn't respond immediately.
His eyes remained fixed on the door.
Empty.
Quiet.
He frowned slightly, an inexplicable irritation lingering in his chest.
"Investigate something," he said suddenly.
The assistant stepped forward. "Yes, Mr. Laurent?"
Damian's voice was cold.
"Find out what Evelyn has been doing recently."
The assistant was startled.
"…Understood."
After all, wasn't this what he wanted?
So why…
Why did it feel like something had just slipped out of his control?
At the same time, inside the moving car—
Evelyn's phone vibrated.
She glanced at the screen.
Unknown number.
She answered.
A low, unfamiliar male voice came through.
"Miss Hart."
She frowned slightly. "Who is this?"
There was a brief pause.
Then—
"Your divorce was faster than I expected."
Evelyn's eyes narrowed instantly.
Her grip on the phone tightened.
"Who are you?"
The man chuckled softly.
"You'll know soon enough."
The call ended.
Evelyn stared at the screen, her expression turning cold.
In her previous life…
There had been no such call.
Which meant—
Things were already changing.
And somewhere in the shadows…
Someone was watching.