I never told my husband I owned a five-billion-dollar empire. To him, I was still “the useless housewife.” At his promotion party, he forced me to wear a maid’s uniform and serve drinks, while his mistress sat in the place of honor, wearing my jewelry. I kept my head down and served quietly—until his boss saw me and stopped cold.

“He says he wants to return his wedding ring. He’s hoping… well, he’s hoping you might buy it back from him. He says he needs the money for rent.”

Elena looked at her own hand. The ring finger was bare. She had already melted her ring down and donated the gold to a women’s shelter.

“Tell him,” Elena said, her voice devoid of malice, “that NovaStream does not purchase distressed assets.”

“And the ring?”

“Tell him to pawn it. It’s the only thing of value he has left.”

She walked toward her car—a sleek, black phantom. The driver opened the door.

“Where to, Ms. Vance?”

Elena looked at the skyline. For years, her world had been small—limited to the kitchen, the laundry room, and the shadow of a man she tried to build. Now, the horizon seemed endless.

“The airport,” she said. “I have a meeting in Tokyo. And then… maybe Paris for the weekend. Just for me.”

“Understood.”

As the car pulled away, merging into the stream of lights, Elena’s phone buzzed.

It was a text from an unknown number.