Chapter 456

Adrian Valentine's arms suddenly felt empty, as if a piece of his heart had been carved out. His fingers clenched at his sides, knuckles turning white, barely restraining the urge to pull her back.

Evelyn Roland remained as composed as ever, her expression mirroring the detachment of their first meeting. Her eyes held nothing—no trace of emotion, as if the entire world meant nothing to her.

Every encounter since their divorce had been filled with her furious outbursts. But this eerie calm sent a chill down Adrian's spine.

"Wife," his voice was rough with emotion. "I won't give up on you."

Evelyn met his gaze, her heart betraying her with an involuntary tremor. Pressing her lips together, she spotted Sophia Blanchet's approaching car and turned away without another word.

Adrian stood rooted in place, watching her leave. No one knew Evelyn better than he did—except for the secrets she deliberately kept from him.

"Chu Chu" was what Sebastian Orlando called her. But "wife" would always belong to Adrian alone.

A wicked smirk curled his lips as he dialed Victor Ashcroft's number. Once in his car, he headed straight for the Lefèvre estate.

The Lefèvre mansion wasn't far from the Valentine residence, its windows blazing with light. Leonard Lefèvre had been caught off guard by Christian Lefèvre's miraculous return. His plans to legitimize Vincent Kemnis had been abruptly derailed.

"Christian, I thought you were gone for good," Leonard stammered. "That's why I brought your brother home."

Christian sneered. "Of course. He is your son, after all."

Sophia Lefèvre's eyes flashed with long-suppressed hatred. She had endured enough.

"Let's divorce." She slammed the papers onto the coffee table. "Go be with that woman."

Leonard's face darkened with rage. "Sophia! There's no divorce in my life—only death! Haven't we coexisted peacefully all these years?"

"Peacefully?" Sophia let out a bitter laugh. "My silence gave you the wrong impression."

Her voice trembled. "If not for the children, I would have left long ago. You ruined my life—marrying me for your career, using the Lefèvre name, then trying to discard me?"

Leonard froze. The woman before him still carried herself with grace and dignity, while the one he truly loved had nothing but gentleness to offer.

Years ago, when his company teetered on the brink of collapse, it was the Lefèvre alliance that saved him. And all this time, he had shamelessly reaped the benefits of both worlds.