Claire sat on the elegant sofa. Her gray silk dress—one of his favorites—was wrinkled.
But she wasn’t alone.
A man sat close beside her, his back toward the door. Too close.
And on the floor near Claire’s feet, something caught the light.
Michael’s breath caught.
It was his wedding ring.
The one he had given her on their tenth anniversary. A custom piece with a brilliant diamond.
Now it lay abandoned on the floor.
Claire slowly lifted her head.
Her eyes met Michael’s.
Her face was pale. A tear rolled down her cheek.
But what shocked him most was not sadness.
It was relief.
Deep, unmistakable relief—as though something heavy had finally been released.
The man beside her turned around slowly.
Michael recognized him instantly.
It was Aaron—the lawyer who worked for his company’s biggest rival. A man with a reputation for ruthless legal strategies.
Everything in the room seemed to freeze.
The ring. Claire’s tear. Aaron’s cold expression.
Michael’s mind raced.
This wasn’t simply betrayal.
It was something worse.
The air felt thick as Michael struggled to process what he was seeing.
“Claire?” he said hoarsely. “Explain this. Why is this man in my house?”
Claire lowered her gaze, tears continuing to fall.