By the time dawn broke, the divorce papers were already waiting on Seraphina's desk.
She stared at the envelope for a long moment before opening it. Somehow, she wasn't surprised.
A knock sounded at the door.
"Come in," she said.
Derek walked into the room as if nothing unusual had happened the night before. His suit was perfectly pressed, his expression calm and composed. If anyone had seen him like this, they would never believe he had just destroyed someone's life on national media.
He placed a pen beside the documents.
"Sign it," he said simply. "Let's keep this dignified."
Seraphina didn't answer immediately. Instead, she flipped through the pages slowly, reading every clause with careful attention.
There it was.
The infidelity clause.
Because of the scandal from the gala, Derek now had legal leverage over her shares in Lumina Tech. The document stated that control of the company would temporarily transfer to him until the board completed its review.
Seraphina looked up at him.
"You prepared this before last night," she said.
It wasn't a question.
Derek didn't bother denying it.
"You were busy building the company," he replied calmly. "I was busy securing it."
For a brief moment, silence filled the room.
Seraphina studied his face, wondering how long he had been planning this. Weeks? Months?
Maybe even longer.
In the end, she picked up the pen.
Derek's eyebrows lifted slightly, as if he hadn't expected her to agree so quickly.
"You're signing it?"
"Yes."
Her voice was steady.
She signed her name at the bottom of the page without hesitation.
Not because she accepted defeat.
But because she wanted to see how far their greed would take them.
Derek collected the papers with quiet satisfaction and left without another word.
The real collapse began only hours later.
First, Seraphina lost access to several internal systems at Lumina Tech. Her login credentials were suddenly "under review."
Then the board announced an emergency meeting regarding the scandal.
Investors started withdrawing their support one by one.
By afternoon, the media had already chosen its version of the story.
Golden CEO exposed as unfaithful wife.
The headlines spread across every news platform like wildfire.
Seraphina's phone buzzed endlessly with messages and notifications.
She ignored most of them.
Her mother called twice.
Seraphina watched the screen light up… and let it ring until the call ended.
Evelyn, on the other hand, posted a public statement online.
A tearful one.
She spoke about "unexpected love," about how she had never meant to hurt her sister, and how Derek had been her "only support during a difficult time."
The internet loved it.
Within minutes, thousands of comments appeared praising their "brave romance."
Seraphina closed the article quietly.
She didn't cry.
Instead, she opened her private laptop.
Lines of data filled the screen as she logged into a system that Derek clearly didn't know existed.
If this had become a war, then emotions would only slow her down.
Seraphina leaned back in her chair, her expression slowly turning cold.
They thought they had already won.