He murmured, "I won't be around until eight at night."

Alexis nodded. "Sure, I'll grab it when I have some free time."

Afterward, she moved to show him out, but Leonel hesitated to leave.

Seeing her, he felt a mixture of emotions. Despite knowing she didn't want to talk, he was reluctant to part ways just yet.

Alexis rose, noticing his Lingering presence.

She stated flatly, "It's time to remove your wedding ring, Mr. Douglas. It might send the wrong message."

Leonel ran his fingers over the ring.

It was Alexis who had slipped it onto his finger. He found it impossible to remove and hesitated to let it go.

On a Friday afternoon, Alexis left work ahead of schedule and returned to the villa.

The white BMW rolled into the villa at a leisurely pace. As it halted, the servant Nova greeted cheerfully, “Welcome back, Mrs. Douglas."

But quickly correcting herself, she added, "I mean Miss Fowler."

Alexis nodded and replied, "I'll head upstairs to fetch something I left behind."

Nova wanted to speak but found herself at a loss for words. She could only watch as Alexis ascended the stairs.

Without a second thought, Alexis ascended the stairs and pushed open the door to the master bedroom. It remained unchanged, with the wedding photo of her and Leonel still adorning the bedside table.

She didn't linger, swiftly making her way into the closet.

She left behind jewelry, gems, and clothing, opting instead to retrieve essential documents for herself and her children from the safe, particularly their passports, which she stowed in her bag.

After gathering what she required, Alexis prepared to leave but caught sight of a piece of glass on the bedside table.

Pausing, she hesitated for a moment before walking over to pick it up. Delicately spinning it around in her slender fingers, she chuckled self-deprecatingly.

In the past, she had deep feelings for him, but now she could only perceive the bitter irony of the situation.

Returning the glass to its original position, Alexis turned to depart, but before she could do so, she found herself enveloped in a firm embrace.