---- Chapter 19 The divorce agreement was the last thing she had left him. And ironically, it had become the only thing he had to remember her by. He had it laminated, and he looked at it dozens of times a day, tracing her signature with his finger. "Joana, where are you?" he would whisper to the silent house. "| know | was wrong. | don't ask for your forgiveness. | just want to see you one more time." He continued, his voice breaking. "Everyone who hurt you has paid the price-including me. Please, just let me see you." He repeated her name over and over, until his body, ravaged by grief and alcohol, finally gave out and he collapsed onto the floor. The public fallout from their separation was swift and brutal. The news of his affair with Kaylee became a massive scandal. The perfect couple had shattered, and with them, the public's faith in the romantic ideal they represented The company's stock plummeted. Fans who had bought their products because they believed in the love story now felt betrayed and called for boycotts. Insiders, disgusted by his behavior, leaked photos and details of his affair. The public ---- turned on him, his family, and his company with a vengeance. The "Joana" necklace, once a symbol of ultimate devotion, became a public joke. The collector who had bought it was so repulsed by the truth behind its creation story that he sold it at a massive loss Darius bought it back for a fraction of its original price. He held the brilliant, cold jewel in his hand, remembering the passion and love he had poured into its creation. Every detail, from the choice of the metal to the cut of the diamond, had been an ode to her. He had named it after her, a testament to his love. Now, it was just a painful reminder of everything he had lost. Madden Innovations, the empire they had built together, was crumbling. Joana hadn't just been the moral compass; she had been the creative genius, the architect of their most successful and innovative designs. Without her, the company was rudderless, a ship sailing into a storm with no captain. The intense public scrutiny drew unwanted attention from shareholders and federal regulators. They began to dig into the company's recent financials, questioning the series of lavish "investments" Darius had made in the months leading up to Joana's departure. The Michelin-starred restaurant, the acquisition of a private jet service, the massive bids at luxury auctions-they were all exposed as fraudulent uses of corporate funds, disguised as ---- legitimate business deals to impress his mistress. He hadn't just cheated on his wife; he had stolen from the company they built together to finance his affair. Reputational ruin was followed by financial collapse. He was facing massive lawsuits from shareholders, a federal investigation for fraud, and the complete unraveling of his legacy. He lost everything. His company, his reputation, his friends. But none of it mattered. He had already lost his world when he lost her. Years passed. He spent them atoning. He dismantled the corrupt parts of his business, paying back every cent. He poured what was left of his fortune into charities she would have supported. He lived a quiet, solitary life, haunted by her ghost. The global search for her never stopped. He followed every lead, no matter how small, chasing her shadow across continents. She was always one step ahead, a digital phantom leading him on a wild goose chase. And then, one day, after years of searching, a private investigator called. "We think we've found her." He was on a plane within the hour. The trail led him to that ---- small, forgotten coastal town on the other side of the world. He found her in a small flower shop called 'Rebloom', its windows filled with vibrant life. The sea breeze carried the scent of salt and roses. He pushed open the door, a small bell chiming his arrival. She was standing in a pool of sunlight, wearing a simple linen dress, her hands gently arranging a bouquet of white roses. Her hair was shorter, her face weathered by the sun, but her eyes were the same. When she saw him, there was no shock, no anger. Just a quiet, weary acceptance. She was living a peaceful, anonymous life. She had a new name. A new world. A world that did not include him. He stood before her, a broken man, the weight of his years of regret pressing down on him. He opened his mouth to speak, to apologize, to beg, but the words wouldn't come. He saw the simple, silver band on her left hand. She wasn't wearing his diamond. "You're married," he said, the words tasting like ash. She nodded. "| am. He's a good man. He's loyal." That single word-loyal-was a judgment, a final, irrevocable sentence. ---- He had come all this way, hoping for a forgiveness he knew he didn't deserve. But standing here, seeing the quiet, unshakeable peace she had found without him, he finally understood He had not just broken her heart. He had broken her trust. And that was something that could never be undone. He turned and walked away, leaving her to the life she had built from the ashes of his betrayal. He was left with nothing but the ghost of a love he had destroyed, a permanent, echoing reminder of his choices. He would spend the rest of his life alone, just as she had promised.