Edith took a long walk along the shore, letting the salty breeze clear her

mind.

By the time she returned to the suite, everything finally made sense.

Maybe Justin had only proposed to her out of anger–an impulsive act to get back at Lucille for deceiving him.

That would exin it.

But Edith didn’t need anyone else to convince her to step aside.

Once she’d figured things out, she was always the first to leave gracefully. She nced at their shared suitcase and let out a soft sigh. “Should’ve brought two suitcases from the start,” she murmured.

She packed their things neatly, then settled beside the floor–to–ceiling window to wait for Justin’s return, quiet andposed.

It felt a bit like waiting for a verdict, her eyes calm, though a faint regret crept into her chest.

She caught herself, lips curving in a wry smile. “What, have I really gotten attached to this taste of luxury after just a few days?”

She was still teasing herself when she heard movement outside.

The electronic lock beeped as a keycard slid through.

Justin was back.

He entered, face cold and distant.

Edith looked up, puzzled. Shouldn’t he be happy?

He and Lucille must have cleared up their misunderstanding. Shouldn’t he be filled with relief, maybe even joy at rekindling an old me?

Or was he simply avoiding her now?

16.38

Is that why he looked so closed off?

She stood and moved toward the door. Justin closed it behind him, his gaze fixed steadily on her as she approached.

She stopped about a couple of feet from him, took a breath, and spoke quietly. “Justin, I’ve actually enjoyed these past few weeks.”

Something was off.

Justin’s eyes narrowed, tension creasing his brow. What kind of

conversation started like this?

“Enjoyed it?” he replied, voice clipped. “Well, that’s good. There’ll be more to enjoy.”

Now Edith was the one caught off guard. She looked up at him. “Aren’t you here to talk about divorce? It’s okay, you can just say it—I can handle it.”

She paused. “We’ll just need to find a tactful way to exin things to both our families.”

If Justin was too hesitant to say it, she might as well.

Justin’s eyes narrowed even further. He’d always thought he understood Edith, but her train of thought was a mystery.

He stepped closer, reaching out.

Edith instinctively backed away.

He closed the distance again, and as she retreated once more, he wrapped an arm around her waist. With his other hand, he pressed his palm to her forehead, checking her temperature.

Edith blinked in confusion, staring at him. What on earth was he doing?

After a moment, Justin muttered, “No fever. So why are you talking nonsense?”

“I’m not talking nonsense,” she protested softly.

b2/3 /b

Justin leaned in, studying her face closely.

Her eyes shimmered, clear and deep as ake in autumn.

“Not nonsense? Since I walked in, every word out of your mouth has been nonsense. What, you want a divorce?”

Edith frowned. Wasn’t it him and Lucille who patched things up? She only brought up divorce because she thought he’d struggle to say it himself. Yet somehow, from the way he said it, it sounded like she was the one eager to leave.

She exined gently, “I’m not saying I want a divorce. It’s just that, now that you and Miss Lowell have resolved things, I can step aside.”

Justin’s gaze hardened. She was so generous.

Generous, he thought bitterly, as if she didn’t care about him at all.