Chapter 4

Wendy POV

Before Sam finished speaking, Lucas's brows furrowed tightly.

He didn't even look at what document I was trying to hand him. He grabbed his pen and scrawled his signature with a few quick strokes.

"Wendy, wait for me in the office."

After shoving the document back into my hands, Lucas said with barely concealed urgency,

"I need to handle something outside. I'll be right back."

With that, he strode toward the door. Passing by me, he even bumped my shoulder without noticing.

The impact made me stagger two steps to the side, my waist hitting hard against the corner of the desk.

Immediately, sharp pain shot through my waist.

I let out a muffled groan, cold sweat beading on my forehead.

Lucas seemed completely oblivious. He didn't even turn his head.

The moment he pulled open the office door, a bold, bright female voice full of anger came crashing down.

"Lucas Sterling! What's your problem? You put me in that condition and sent me to the hospital, then just left me there alone without a word? You don't answer calls, don't reply to messages. Do you think I'm that easy to brush off?!"

In the doorway, Melody wore a haute couture dress from the current season, her makeup flawless, but her anger made her features especially vivid and sharp.

She tried to rush in regardless, but Lucas extended his arm to firmly block her outside.

Lucas's face was dark as he warned in a low voice,

"Melody, what are you trying to pull? This isn't a place you should be. Leave. Now."

Blocked by him, Melody stood on her toes to see me standing inside the office.

She paused, then seemed to understand something. Her red lips curved into a mocking, knowing arc.

"Oh..."

She drew out the syllable, her gaze moving between Lucas's tense face and me, saying sarcastically,

"I see why you won't let me in. The current Mrs. Sterling is here."

"Shut up! Get out now!"

But Melody wouldn't comply. Instead, she raised her chin.

"Lucas, you're something else. Got yourself a new wife, so you don't care if the old one lives or dies. But what about Liam? You don't plan to care about him either? He keeps asking for his daddy!"

The word "daddy" hit me like a thunderbolt.

The pain in my waist immediately forgotten, I jerked my head up to look at the man whose back had gone rigid.

"Who's Liam?"

Satisfaction flashed across Melody's face. She was about to speak.

"Melody!"

Lucas suddenly erupted with a low roar.

"You'd better stop while you're ahead. Don't spout nonsense here!"

"What nonsense am I spouting? What I said is clearly..."

"Get out!"

Cutting her off, his face looked terrifyingly dark. He gave Melody no more chance to speak, grabbing her wrist in one motion.

"Wendy, just wait in the office. Don't go anywhere! When I get back, I'll explain everything to you!"

After tossing out that line, Lucas forcibly dragged Melody away, leaving me alone.

Liam... clearly a child's name.

Lucas and Melody have a child?

My body and mind trembled. I could hardly believe this reality.

Lucas never told me he and Melody had a child.

I stayed in the office, waiting for a very long time.

But an entire day passed, and Lucas never returned.

He didn't even send a single message or make a single call.

I pulled at the corners of my mouth, wanting to laugh. Waiting here like this, I really was an idiot.

Just as idiotic as when I believed how much this man loved me and agreed to return to his side.

Then I stopped waiting and quietly left the CEO's office.

I went to the law office, handed the lawyer the divorce papers Lucas had signed, and asked the lawyer to process everything as quickly as possible. Only then did I take a car back to the villa.

Lucas didn't return until late at night.

He'd just taken off his suit jacket and hadn't had time to hang it up when he spotted me sitting quietly on the living room sofa.

"Wendy?"

His movements paused as he walked closer.

"Why aren't you asleep? What are you doing sitting here? Were you waiting for me?"

Sitting beside me, he reached to put his arm around my shoulders.

"Sorry, a project had some issues this afternoon that I had to handle. When I got back to the office, Sam told me you'd already left."

Before he could touch me, I shifted away slightly.

This subtle movement left Lucas's arm frozen in mid-air.

"Lucas."

I slowly turned my head to look at him.

"Don't you have something you should explain to me?"

"Like who Liam is? He's your and Melody's child, isn't he?"