The moment Melanie stepped outside of the club, she walked into her car and took a few calming breaths! It had taken everything in her to call out Adam. And she had come out the winner. Something that she had almost not expected. Even if he had been pretending, Adam Collins was too combustible. He'd been keeping her on the backfoot ever since he returned, keeping her unbalanced with his magnetism.
Thankfully she had done well and put him on the back foot. She had seen it—the exact moment he realized he wouldn't be able to fool her. That slight shift in his gaze, the way his eyes sharpened with reluctant respect. It had been small, but she had caught it. And it mattered to her.
For the past two days, all she had done was cry over what she had lost. Her first love, her trust, her innocence—shattered like fragile glass. She had grieved over the illusion of what could have been, drowning in the ache of betrayal while desperately trying to figure out what came next.
She'd given up so much for Spencer, made so many compromises that she had lost herself. And the confidence in her decisions. Dare she take a risk with Adam or would it be better to simply give up everything, accept her losses, learn her lesson and move on?
Thankfully, Laela had been there for her. She'd cursed and cursed Spencer for her, helped her dig up some information about Adam and even guided her on how to handle the meeting so that she would not be on the back foot because of his deviousness.
It was because of her decision that she had finally decided to take Adam up on his proposal. Why should she be the one to lose everything when Spencer was the one who was in the wrong. Why should she have to be the only one to restart her life?
And now, it was time for the next stage of the new plan. Melanie took a deep breath and put the car in drive.The starry eyes Melanie with romance in her dreams was gone. It was now to take back what belonged to her. To use Adam the way he wanted to use her.
***
Inside the Collins Mansion, Spencer paced anxiously, his fingers twitching at his sides. His grandfather would be arriving any moment, and he still had no idea where Melanie was. The uncertainty gnawed at him, and for a brief second, he considered postponing the entire plan. They'd been married three years. They could remain married for longer. He didn't have any problem with Melanie as his wife for another few years.
As for Hallie, since Melanie was missing and had probably beent aken by Grif, Spencer could not possibly abandon her immediately. If she went public about the abuse and how he divorced her after that, things would turn bacd for him fast.
And so, just when he was about to call Hallie to let her know his plan, Melanie walked in.
Spencer froze.
At a glance, he could tell, that the older man had been a monster probably. In a couple of days, he'd almost made her unrecognisable.
Her clothes were unfamiliar, hanging off her frame in a way that made her look smaller, almost fragile. At first, he felt pity for her. After all, she was the one who was sacrificed for his ultimate gain. But then her expression sent a chill down his spine.
Her usually bright eyes, though swollen from tears, looked dull and lifeless. Her face was bruised, the evidence stark under the soft glow of the chandelier. A fresh cut had been placed on her lip.
Shaking off the unease he felt on seeing her, he moved toward her, his only thought to pull her into his arms, to offer whatever comfort he could and make this entire matter go away... for now.
Spencer reached for her, his hands hovering just before they could touch her arms. But before he could pull her in, Melanie stepped back and glared at him," Stay away from me."
Spencer hesitated, his arms falling to his sides. "Melanie, listen—"
She shook her head, a humorless laugh escaping her lips. "No, Spencer. You've done whatever you wanted. You made your choices. Now it's my turn."
"Melanie, please. I didn't mean—"
Again, she shook her head, her expression unreadable. "You didn't mean for things to go this far? You didn't mean for me to end up like this? Then what did you mean, Spencer?" With that, she walked away from him, her goal clear. She needed to go to her room and get her things so that she could get away from him forever.
Spencer gulped and sighed but had no words to say other than shout from behind her,"Mel! I'll make it up to you!"
She stopped.
For a moment, he thought she might turn back, that she might give him a chance to explain. And she did turn—but the smile on her face wasn't one of warmth or forgiveness.
"Really?" Her voice was deceptively light. "And how exactly are you planning to do that, Spencer? Give me a little extra money in the divorce settlement? A generous payout to soothe your guilt? That should make you feel better, right?"
Divorce?
His fingers clenched into fists at his sides. "Why are you talking about divorce?" he asked, his voice slow, careful, as if saying it out loud would make it real.
Melanie let out a soft chuckle, shaking her head. "You must really take me for a fool, Spencer." Her gaze locked onto his, cold and unflinching. "Did you think I wouldn't see through you? That I wouldn't figure out why you've waited this long? I know about the inheritance. I know the conditions you have to meet before you can claim it."
Spencer felt the blood drain from his face. His breath caught in his throat as he stared at her, struggling to mask the shock he knew was written all over his face.
"How did you know?"