After telling Fiona what had happened , Aveline hung up , freshened up , and then took out her suitcase to pack her belongings . Compared to the villa in Parkview Estates , the apartment in Winslow Heights wasn't exactly spacious - it was just over two hundred square meters . Xavier , a man who cherished his solitude , had lived here alone . A year ago , upon her graduation and their engagement , Lauren - already considering Aveline her future daughter - in - law - insisted she move in to see to Xavier's daily needs . Despite his stony silence , Aveline had moved in happily . In just one year , she had filled the space with her presence . The once - empty apartment had been transformed into a cozy home . The plants and flowers thriving on the balcony were ones she had carefully selected at the flower market and had nurtured meticulously every day . She packed only her clothes and daily necessities . As for everything else she left behind - if Josephine hated it and asked Xavier to throw it all away , so be it . With her suitcase in hand , she left without a backward glance , feeling not even a trace of reluctance . There was no way she would return to the Sutton villa to face the barbs of Courtney and Josephine . Nor could she go back to her grandparents . They had never fully recovered from the hit of her mother's passing , and their only wish was for her to be happy forever . She was determined to hide the truth from them until the divorce was finalized . Fortunately , a plan was already in place . She and her university friends had intended to start a studio , and just a few days ago , they had rented a modest apartment of about seventy square meters . She could stay there for a while . All she needed now was some bedding and a few basic kitchenware items . Three days later , around 8:00 p.m. , Xavier emerged from Entora International Airport . He slid into the back of his black Bentley and directed the driver to head to Winslow Heights . En route , his childhood friend Gerald Henderson called . " You landed already ? " " Yes , " he said . 0.00 % 08:28 " Perfect . Join us at Velvet Club . " Rubbing his temple , Xavier declined flatly , " I'll pass . I'm beat . " Gerald urged , " Oh , come on . It's a belated birthday celebration for Josie . You're really not coming ? She'll be devastated . We're all waiting for you to cut the cake . " A faint smile touched Xavier's lips . " On my way . " After hanging up , he ordered the driver to reroute to the club . Just as he stepped out of the car at the entrance , his phone rang again . It was Lauren . " Did you have a row with Aveline ? " she asked . " Why do you ask ? " he responded lightly , pushing open the club's door and stepping inside . " She was supposed to try on the wedding dress , but she cancelled , " Lauren said . Just then , Xavier spotted Josephine waving to him from the staircase . He nodded in her direction and spoke into the phone , " Don't worry about it . She'll show up again in a few days . I'll talk to you later . " After ending the call , he glanced at his phone . Only then did he realize that Aveline hadn't called or even texted him in the past three days . In the past , whether he was away on business or simply in town , she would call him daily . If he didn't answer , she would inevitably message him , checking in on him . A faint smile touched his lips as it occurred to him that they were now legally married . She must have felt entitled to throw these tantrums , now that she was officially his wife . He walked upstairs , and Josephine immediately linked her arm with his , smiling as they ascended together , " You must be starving after the long flight , right ? " Looking at her, he teased lightly , " I've never met anyone who celebrates their birthday three days late . " " I didn't get to blow out the candles or eat any cake that day . Of course , I want a do - over . " She pouted . Just inside the private room , Aveline's hand froze on the door handle as she heard the familiar voices from the hallway . Behind her , Fiona whispered , " Is that Josephine and Xavier ? " 24.45 % 08:28 Of course , Aveline recognized their voices , too . So , Xavier , who had been completely three days , was here . And , unsurprisingly , he was still with Josephine . grid for He had already celebrated Josephine's birthday once - in his exclusive presidential suite at the Beltran Hotel three days ago . Now they needed another celebration at the club ? How hard they tried to invent excuses to be together . Whenever she had wanted to spend a holiday with him , he'd always had a convenient reason to refuse . A belated birthday celebration for her ? That had always been nothing more than a foolish fantasy . The difference in who mattered to him couldn't possibly have been more glaring . Fiona shot a cautious , observing glance at Aveline's face before venturing , " Perhaps we should go out later . " But Aveline had already made her decision to divorce , which meant she no longer cared . She felt no need to hide from them . After all , she wasn't the one engaged in a shameful affair . With that , she pushed down on the handle and opened the door . In the hallway , Xavier and Josephine stood hand - in - hand . Hearing the adjacent private room door open , they turned simultaneously . Xavier seemed momentarily stunned , but his gaze quickly deepened into an unreadable calm , any emotion at seeing Aveline so unexpectedly sealed away . To him , she might as well have been a stranger . Josephine , on the other hand , looked openly surprised . With a sly smile , she arched an eyebrow and reached into Xavier's coat pocket . " Darling , " she cooed in an affectedly syrupy voice , " did you remember to buy me a gift ? " Josephine pulled a red velvet box from his pocket and beamed , " There is a gift ! Thank you , Darling . You're the best . " Xavier glanced at the box , a light , absent smile touching his lips . He said nothing . Meanwhile , Aveline walked out of the private room and turned toward the restroom , her expression utterly serene . Fiona , resisting the urge to roll her eyes , followed closely behind . It was the first time Xavier had seen Aveline so composed when she looked at him . Her gaze as she passed him was like a still lake , utterly without ripples . He found his eyes inexplicably drawn to her retreating figure . 47.85 % 08:28 Chapter 2 11 288 ( Vouchers She had surely grown bold . The title of Mrs. Beltran had given her the nerve to actually . him . Noticing his lingering gaze , Josephine tightened her grip on his arm . " Darling , let's Everyone's waiting for us to cut the cake . " go inside . He shook his head slightly and showed a faint smile as he let her lead him into the private room . Once inside the restroom , Fiona cursed indignantly , " Fuck ! That bitch ! How dare she call him ' darling ' right in front of you ? He's your husband ! Ugh ! Her voice was so fake it gave me goosebumps . " Aveline walked calmly into a stall , her voice flat . " He won't be my husband soon . " Entering another stall , Fiona let out a cold snort . " He still is until the divorce is finalized . " Aveline , what are you thinking ? I don't get it . You want to divorce him just one day after getting the marriage license , but you've been engaged to him for a year . You lived with him , took care of his every need ... How can you just walk away without asking for anything ? I've handled countless divorce cases , but yours is the only one where the settlement agreement is just half a page . Xavier's going to be so over the moon when he sees it . No wonder he didn't even react when he saw you those who didn't know would've thought you were complete strangers . " Aveline remained silent throughout Fiona's tirade . Her mind was fixed on the red velvet box Josephine had pulled from Xavier's pocket . It was from the jewelry brand she loved - known for its unique designs and exorbitant prices , where even the simplest piece cost six figures . She had always dreamed of wearing one of their diamond rings at her wedding , which was how she instantly recognized the case and knew it held a ring worth millions of dollars . Perhaps Xavier had already received the divorce agreement from Fiona's firm . Realizing he could fee of her , he must have rushed to buy that ring to propose to Josephine . Her for her ... eyes drifted down to her own bare ring finger . When they became engag hers off when she he had personally designed a pair of couples ' rings . She had taken low Heights . And Xavi worn his .