Jones' residence.
In the bathroom, the sound of running water echoed, surrounded by warm white light, white steam filled the air, enveloping a beautiful silhouette.
"Click—"
The unlocked bathroom door was suddenly pushed open, startling Elly Campbell who was in the shower.
She quickly grabbed a nearby towel, wrapped herself in it, and turned off the hot water. As the steam slowly cleared, the handsome man at the door came into view.
But on that face, a coldness was gathered, and those eyes that resembled frozen ice were resting on her at this moment.
"Adam... Adam?"
Seeing the man before her, Elly couldn't hide her surprise. Obviously, she had not expected him to return at this time.
Adam Jones closed the door and strode toward her, his expression icy. His usually reserved eyes now held a bone-chilling aura as he approached Elly.
"Adam..."
Just as she was about to speak, Adam suddenly yanked her forward, slamming her against the washstand. Her waist struck the marble countertop, making her wince in pain.
Adam ruthlessly yanked away her towel. She snapped her gaze to him, her hands instinctively shielding herself. "Adam, what are you doing?"
"What do you think I am doing?"
His sharp, thin lips curled into a cruel, bloodthirsty smile.With deliberate ease, his well-defined fingers unfastened his shirt, the buttons hitting the floor with crisp, echoing clinks that sent a shiver through Elly. His gaze was dark and terrifying—she had never seen him this ferocious before.
"Adam, let me go!"
Adam's grip tightened around her wrist, immobilizing her and sending a sharp pain through her arm. Elly's brow furrowed even deeper.
"What? Putting on an act again now that you come to my front?"
Putting on an act?
Elly's heart was deeply wounded by this word spoken by Adam.
Three years, three years of marriage, was everything she ever did in Adam's eyes just an act?
"You have made too many complaints to grandma so frequently, tonight I will make your wish come true. After tonight, shut your mouth and behave!"
Elly had no idea what she did tonight to anger Adam, but every word he spoke was like countless knives plunging deep into her heart.
He struggled desperately to break free from Adam, but he was like an enraged beast, intent on devouring her. No matter how hard she fought, she was powerless against him.
Whether it was at this moment only, or her years of feelings towards this man.
A bitter smile tugged at her lips as she stopped struggling.
Sensing her sudden compliance, Adam's movements faltered slightly in his fury, his gaze shifting to Elly.
The bitterness in her eyes struck a deep, hidden part of his heart—one he never wanted to be touched. His brows instantly knit together.
Yet the memory of what she had done to him reignited his suppressed rage, surging back with full force.
...
When it was all over, Elly Campbell stood silently, watching the bathroom still cloaked in steam. There was no trace of joy on her face, nor in her heart.
She had never imagined that a moment meant to be beautiful for both of them would begin like this.
In pain, Elly half-squatted on the floor. Adam Jones only cast her a cold glance before stepping into the shower. After a quick rinse, he wrapped a towel around himself and walked out.
It took Elly a long time to recover from the sharp, tearing pain. Slowly, she got up from the ground and made her way to the shower to clean herself.
Staring at her reflection in the mirror, her face, pale as paper, couldn't mask her delicate beauty. Yet it had never once captured Adam's attention.
With a sardonic tug at the corner of her lips, Elly unexpectedly noticed that Adam Jones was still in the room.
This was the marital bedroom she shared with Adam Jones, yet in three years, his visits could be counted on one hand, let alone him staying the night.
At that moment, Adam, already dressed, sat on the sofa with his long legs casually crossed. He looked down at Elly with an air of superiority.
That look was familiar to Elly, but tonight... it was so sharp that it made her feel utterly humiliated.
Elly raised her eyes to meet his, her voice hoarse as she asked, "Is there something else?"
Standing before her, Adam looked down at the woman—her body marked with wounds, her face pale. But it was her calmness that irked him. His words came out cold and ruthless.
"Sophie is back. I'm giving you one day to get out of here."
Elly's body stiffened. In her stunned gaze, a flicker of disbelief appeared.
"Sophie Baker is back?"
Sophie Baker—Elly wasn't unfamiliar with the name, even though Sophie had never actually appeared in her life. Yet, she had always lingered in Elly's existence.
Elly gazed into Adam's eyes for a long time. Those bottomless eyes, whenever they met hers, were always as cold as bayonets.
She watched him silently, the memory of that tender, sunny-smiled boy becoming more and more distant, fading into blur.
After a long moment, she took a deep breath, as if gathering all her courage, and asked softly, "Adam, in these three years, was there ever a moment... when you liked me?"
As the words left her lips, Elly knew she had crushed all her dignity beneath her feet.
The tears threatening to spill from her eyes were forcefully held back.
Adam's body tensed, caught off guard by Elly's question. A brief flicker of confusion passed through his profound eyes.
But the confusion just passed away in an instant.
He stared at her in silence for a long while before letting out a scornful, mocking laugh. "What do you think?"
Elly saw the mockery in his gaze, as if he were laughing at her for being foolishly lovesick.
She laughed along, feeling the absurdity of her question, realizing how utterly self-unaware she had been.
If Adam had ever liked her, even just a little over the past three years, he wouldn't be humiliating her like this now.
Adam couldn't understand why she suddenly laughed. When he mentioned Sophie, Elly's response had been unexpectedly calm.
It was too calm, in fact, for what a wife's reaction should have been. Watching her like that, Adam's unease deepened.
For three years, she had always been proper and composed, never making a fuss—a considerate wife who never irritated him.
But only he knew how venomous this woman's heart truly was.
...
Whenever he thought of the things she had done, he couldn't help feeling disgusted, feeling like strangling her to death with his own hands.
"I see."
For a long while, the only response Adam heard from Elly Campbell was her calm statement before she walked toward the dressing room.
Adam lifted his gaze, his intense eyes fixed on her slender back. Her reaction hadn't given him the satisfaction of revenge. Instead, it only made his frustration grow deeper.
Elly Campbell emerged from the dressing room in fresh clothes, her hair still damp with water droplets. Without a trace of makeup, her beauty remained undeniable, impossible to look away from.
Though he despised her, hated her to the core, he couldn't deny that she had a face that could topple nations. When he first saw her in his youth, he...
He shut his eyes tightly, unwilling to let his thoughts wander any further.
Elly Campbell hadn't expected Adam Jones to still be in the room. She paused, hesitating for a moment before walking toward him, only to meet his eyes as they suddenly snapped open.
His dark eyes, like a whirlpool, still held a mystery she had yet to understand. At that moment, she found herself wondering: what had been the point of her persistence and effort over the past three years?
"Adam..."
After opening and closing her mouth several times, the many words that had reached her lips were swallowed back down.
Finally, she spoke slowly, "I'm sorry, I didn't know my one-sided feelings can make you so unhappy."
As she spoke those words, a sharp sting pierced her heart.
That dull, lingering ache grew unbearably intense the moment she resolved to finally let go of Adam Jones.
When she looked up again, the reluctance that had resurfaced countless times over the past three years now felt much fainter.
And that simple "I'm sorry" made Adam Jones's heart suddenly waver.
His usually cold eyes lingered on her calm, resigned face, and for a fleeting moment, an unfamiliar panic surged through him.
After speaking, Elly Campbell turned and walked away, the eyes that had once clung to him not sparing him another glance.
As she reached the door, an unsettling panic tightened in Adam Jones's chest. Before he could stop himself, his voice rang out, "Where are you going?"
"I'm going to the hospital to visit Grandma."
Elly Campbell didn't turn back, her response drifting over her shoulder without hesitation.
Adam Jones's heart was in turmoil, irritation surging within him. Why did this damned woman have to say that just now? Did she think he would waver?
Did she think a single "sorry" would erase the disgusting things she had done?
"You don't need to leave. Grandma is still in a coma—it's not convenient for outsiders to disturb."
Outsiders...
Elly Campbell forced a smile, nodding her head, accepting this status.
"Alright, then."
She replied softly, then added, "I'm quite busy these days. I'll move out when I have time."
After three years of holding on, she hadn't expected to fail in the end. All her efforts, all the compromises she made in hopes of reaching Adam Jones, had been nothing more than a cruel joke.
This was the answer Adam Jones had always wanted. Yet, paradoxically, instead of satisfaction, a deeper sense of panic and irritation clawed at him.
He shot a cold glance at Elly Campbell, unable to resist a sarcastic remark. "Do you think dragging it out for a few days will make me change my mind?"
The mocking tone made Elly Campbell frown as she turned to face his cold, disdainful gaze.
"Adam Jones, if three years couldn't change your mind, what difference would a few days make? Or do you have so little confidence in yourself?"
...
She saw him suddenly freeze, and without thinking, her lips curled into a cynical smile. Without sparing Adam Jones another glance, she opened the door and walked out.
For reasons he couldn't explain, a heavy weight settled in his chest at that moment—an unfamiliar ache quietly surfacing within him.
The next second, he abruptly rose from the couch, strode to the floor-to-ceiling window, and watched as Elly Campbell's car slowly disappeared through the villa's gate.
Only when the taillights faded completely into the night, leaving not a single trace of light, did Adam Jones finally look away.
Pressing a hand to his chest, where a dull ache lingered, he closed his eyes. Elly Campbell's calm, almost relieved expression as she spoke to him replayed in his mind, making the unease in his heart grow even stronger.
"One-sided feelings?"
His eyes slowly opened, and as he stared into the silent night, Adam Jones's lips curled into a mocking, cold smile.
"Elly Campbell, in these three years, was it really just one-sided on your part?"
If she had truly cared for him, how could she have... back then?
A shadow briefly flickered in the depths of Adam Jones's eyes, but he quickly buried it, pushing the thought aside.
***
Elly Campbell stood in front of the Jones Corporation building, her gaze rising to the glittering gold letters spelling "Jones Group." She clenched the papers in her hand and walked inside.
"Hello, is Assistant Green available?" she asked politely as she approached the reception desk.
The receptionist, as the face of Jones Corporation, was expected to maintain unwavering courtesy and a smile, regardless of how tedious the task. Even so, her eyes showed clear disdain as she looked at Elly Campbell.
"Do you have an appointment?"
Assistant Green was President Jones's personal aide, and many people sought to get close to him.
Elly Campbell noticed the hostility in the receptionist's gaze but didn't let it bother her. She simply smiled faintly and shook her head. "No."
"I'm sorry, but if you don't have an appointment, you'll need to wait over there for a while."
The receptionist smiled politely and gestured toward a seat in the waiting area, making it clear she had no intention of calling upstairs, effectively declining Elly Campbell's request.
"Okay."
Elly nodded with a friendly demeanor and turned to head toward the waiting area. But as she did, a surprised voice, laced with a hint of respect, came from behind her.
"Madam."
As Robert Green stepped out of the elevator, he spotted the familiar figure in the distance and instinctively called out.
Elly Campbell turned her head, and Robert Green quickly made his way over to her.
"Madam, are you here to see the president? He's currently in a meeting, or would you..."
"No, I'm here to see you."
Elly Campbell curtly interrupted Robert Green, handing over the paper to him.
"Could you give this to Adam Jones? When he has a moment, ask him to sign it, please."
She knew that if it weren't for his grandmother Lady Jones, who pressured him, Adam Jones would never have agreed to marry her in the first place.
This time, she was certain he'd sign the divorce papers quickly and without hesitation.
Without waiting for Robert Green to respond, Elly Campbell turned and left, feeling a sudden weight lift as she ended this three-year marriage with a stranger.
Robert Green stood frozen, his gaze fixed on the glaring "Divorce Agreement" in his hand. A sharp throb in his temples made him wonder.
Was Madam giving him an impossible task?
Had she realized she'd handed him a hot issue, one so scorching he couldn't even handle it?
And the woman at the reception desk was totally startled by how Robert Green addressed that lady.
Madam?
The president's wife?
Did that mean the president was actually married?
But how could there be no news about a man like the president getting married?
...
Recalling her earlier behavior toward the president's wife, the receptionist couldn't help but shudder.
At President's Office—
Adam Jones flipped through the documents in his hands, his face expressionless. The sunlight streaming through the floor-to-ceiling windows bathed him in a soft glow, adding a divine, almost ethereal quality to his already striking, chiseled features.
Yet, no matter how much he tried, he couldn't focus on a single word. His mind kept returning to the image of Elly Campbell's calm, relieved expression as she walked out the door the day before, leaving him with a restless, unsettled feeling.
Robert Green, holding the divorce agreement, hesitantly pushed open the door to the President's office, meeting Adam Jones's gaze.
Adam's eyes were dark and unreadable, making it impossible to discern the emotions lurking beneath the surface.
Noticing Robert's hesitation, he furrowed his brow and asked coldly, "What is it?"
His voice, like his demeanor, carried an inherent chill, capable of freezing any warmth in its path the moment he spoke.
Robert cautiously handed over the item Elly had asked him to deliver.
"Sir, Madam just left this for you."
Adam's brow twitched, and his piercing eyes fixed on the paper in Robert's hand, a sharp glint flashing through them as his gaze darkened.
"Elly sent this?"
The temperature in his voice seemed to drop even further, making Robert nod stiffly in response.
Adam remained silent, his gaze fixed on the elegant signature at the bottom of the agreement—Elly Campbell's name.
A divorce agreement?
Elly Campbell, you really have some nerve!
Anger flashed across Adam's face, a chilling fury that grew as his pupils darkened, harboring a storm of restraint. He stared at the asset division outlined in the agreement, his thin lips twisting into a cold, mocking smile.
His sharp gaze seemed poised to tear the agreement apart with sheer will.
"Sir..."
Despite the bone-chilling atmosphere, Robert continued, his voice trembling, "Sir, Madam also said..."
Adam's cold eyes slowly lifted to meet Robert's, and the latter shivered under the weight of the intense gaze.
"What else did she say?"
The simple words hit Robert like a blow from an ice cellar, relentless and cold, pounding on his head.
"Madam said she wants you to sign the papers quickly and find a time to collect the certificate with her."
Adam didn't respond, his gaze growing even more inscrutable.
With a slight wave of his hand, Robert hastily retreated, feeling as though he'd been granted a reprieve, and carefully closed the office door behind him.
"Divorce?"
Adam's lips curled into a thin, cold smile. "Elly Campbell, why should everything go according to your plan?"
His grip on the agreement tightened, the words "Divorce Agreement" glaring at him. With a dismissive flick of his wrist, he tossed the document into a drawer, shutting it away as if it were nothing more than a trivial matter.
In his eyes, this was just another one of Elly's games, her tactics all too familiar, unworthy of his involvement.
One month later—
Elly Campbell stood frozen, staring at the lab report she had just collected from the director of the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department. The glaring numbers on the page confirmed it—she was pregnant.
The one night she had spent with Adam Jones a month ago had unexpectedly led to this.
"Elly, the baby is developing well, but the work at the hospital is quite demanding. I suggest you take a leave of absence for the first three months."