Sara was a pragmatist. Illusory love didn't pay the bills; hard currency did.
She immediately began preparing for divorce.
There was no prenup, but the disparity in their status meant she couldn't dream of taking half his assets. The Harding family, obsessed with face and profit, would crush her like an ant if she tried.
Eva had protection.
Sara had nothing.
Even if he offered money, she'd be wary of taking it.
Her only liquid assets were the jewelry, designer bags, and couture in the walk-in closet. Although she had a supplementary credit card, every transaction pinged his phone. She couldn't use it to build an escape fund.
This was why she'd had to borrow money for Simon's care.
Privately, Sara contacted trusted resellers and began liquidating the luxury goods she rarely used. She deposited the cash into an anonymous account in small batches.
Simon's recovery was complicated by heavy scarring; he would need future surgeries. Sara had to plan for their survival.
During those weeks, both she and Adrian were busy.
When Adrian came home, he bypassed the bedroom and went straight to the study. He seemed buried in an endless stream of video conferences and documents.