She saw him suddenly freeze, and without thinking, her lips curled into a cynical smile. Without sparing Adam Jones another glance, she opened the door and walked out.
For reasons he couldn't explain, a heavy weight settled in his chest at that moment—an unfamiliar ache quietly surfacing within him.
The next second, he abruptly rose from the couch, strode to the floor-to-ceiling window, and watched as Elly Campbell's car slowly disappeared through the villa's gate.
Only when the taillights faded completely into the night, leaving not a single trace of light, did Adam Jones finally look away.
Pressing a hand to his chest, where a dull ache lingered, he closed his eyes. Elly Campbell's calm, almost relieved expression as she spoke to him replayed in his mind, making the unease in his heart grow even stronger.
"One-sided feelings?"
His eyes slowly opened, and as he stared into the silent night, Adam Jones's lips curled into a mocking, cold smile.
"Elly Campbell, in these three years, was it really just one-sided on your part?"
If she had truly cared for him, how could she have... back then?
A shadow briefly flickered in the depths of Adam Jones's eyes, but he quickly buried it, pushing the thought aside.
***
Elly Campbell stood in front of the Jones Corporation building, her gaze rising to the glittering gold letters spelling "Jones Group." She clenched the papers in her hand and walked inside.
"Hello, is Assistant Green available?" she asked politely as she approached the reception desk.
The receptionist, as the face of Jones Corporation, was expected to maintain unwavering courtesy and a smile, regardless of how tedious the task. Even so, her eyes showed clear disdain as she looked at Elly Campbell.
"Do you have an appointment?"
Assistant Green was President Jones's personal aide, and many people sought to get close to him.
Elly Campbell noticed the hostility in the receptionist's gaze but didn't let it bother her. She simply smiled faintly and shook her head. "No."
"I'm sorry, but if you don't have an appointment, you'll need to wait over there for a while."
The receptionist smiled politely and gestured toward a seat in the waiting area, making it clear she had no intention of calling upstairs, effectively declining Elly Campbell's request.
"Okay."
Elly nodded with a friendly demeanor and turned to head toward the waiting area. But as she did, a surprised voice, laced with a hint of respect, came from behind her.
"Madam."
As Robert Green stepped out of the elevator, he spotted the familiar figure in the distance and instinctively called out.
Elly Campbell turned her head, and Robert Green quickly made his way over to her.
"Madam, are you here to see the president? He's currently in a meeting, or would you..."
"No, I'm here to see you."
Elly Campbell curtly interrupted Robert Green, handing over the paper to him.
"Could you give this to Adam Jones? When he has a moment, ask him to sign it, please."
She knew that if it weren't for his grandmother Lady Jones, who pressured him, Adam Jones would never have agreed to marry her in the first place.
This time, she was certain he'd sign the divorce papers quickly and without hesitation.
Without waiting for Robert Green to respond, Elly Campbell turned and left, feeling a sudden weight lift as she ended this three-year marriage with a stranger.
Robert Green stood frozen, his gaze fixed on the glaring "Divorce Agreement" in his hand. A sharp throb in his temples made him wonder.
Was Madam giving him an impossible task?
Had she realized she'd handed him a hot issue, one so scorching he couldn't even handle it?
And the woman at the reception desk was totally startled by how Robert Green addressed that lady.
Madam?
The president's wife?
Did that mean the president was actually married?
But how could there be no news about a man like the president getting married?