Over the years, Lucien Cole had appeared on little more than a handful of magazine covers. He was not an actor who had taken on a single film or television role, yet his popularity had only continued to grow.
His online fans were still ridiculously devoted. Yes, he also had online fans as the number one young business mogul with a net worth running into the billions.
They flooded social media every few weeks, begging him to go into the entertainment industry and complaining that they had run out of old interviews, photographs and clips to obsess over because of his busy schedule as a business man.
That devotion had once been a nightmare for Lina.
When the original Lina had been exposed for clinging to Lucien and refusing to divorce him, his powerful fanbase had descended on her without mercy.
They insulted her online.
They dug into her private life.
They exposed personal information that should never have been made public.
Some even sent threatening messages and disgusting packages to her home.
The constant harassment had eventually pushed her to a breaking point.
She had disappeared from the world entirely. Even accompanying her husband to big events had taken a while until they had forgotten.
Thinking about what had happened, Lina couldn't help but shudder.
Lucien Cole was dangerous.
Not because he was violent.
Not because he had ever threatened her himself.
His existence alone was enough to bring an army of people down on anyone they believed had wronged him.
One thought kept repeating in her mind.
Stay away from Lucien Cole, and you'll be safe.
Lina stared at the enormous poster of him hanging on the bedroom wall.
She had endured it for two years.
Three whole years of waking up to his face.
Three years of staring at the man she had married while he barely came home.
Two years of watching a photograph of her husband receive more attention from her than the actual man ever had.
She finally couldn't take it anymore.
Lina raised her middle finger towards the poster.
"You arrogant bastard."
She stared at his handsome face.
"How could I have been so blind?"
Lucien's photograph continued to stare back at her with the same cold, distant expression.
Lina scoffed.
"You wouldn't even notice if I disappeared, would you?"
She thought about the woman who had been the reason for their divorce.
A beautiful face appeared in her mind.
Lina raised an eyebrow.
"A shameless woman and a heartless man. You two really were made for each other."
She couldn't help laughing after saying it.
Her insult was vicious.
And strangely satisfying.
Lina walked over, grabbed the corner of the poster and ripped it straight from the wall.
The paper tore loudly.
She crumpled it into a ball and threw it into the bin.
She stared at the clean white wall.
Much better.
She opened the bedside drawer.
Three thick sketchbooks were sitting inside.
Lina paused.
She already knew what they contained.
She opened the first one.
Lucien.
The second.
Lucien again.
The third was filled with even more drawings of Lucien.
Some were simple pencil sketches.
Others were carefully shaded portraits.
The original Lina had drawn him over and over again.
She had treasured these sketchbooks.
They had been among her most precious possessions.
Lina looked at them for a moment before quietly placing them into her suitcase.
She could throw away the man.
She couldn't throw away the memories that belonged to the woman she used to be.
She moved to the wardrobe.
There was an entire section filled with Lucien's photographs, magazine covers and posters.
Some had been collected by Lina herself.
Others had supposedly been gifts from Lucien.
She had treasured every single one.
She hadn't known that most of those gifts had been purchased by Lucien's secretary.
Lucien himself had probably never even remembered giving them to her.
Lina stared at the collection.
Then she opened the bin.
One by one, she threw the posters and magazines inside.
The gifts went into a cardboard box.
She didn't destroy them.
She simply didn't want them in her life anymore.
Once she had finished, Lina packed a few changes of clothes and the valuables she had brought with her.
She had lived in this house for three years.
There was far too much to take in one trip.
The rest could be collected by a moving company later.
There was only one thing left.
The divorce agreement.
Lina opened the bedside table and found the envelope exactly where it had been left.
She stared at it.
One month after their wedding.
That was when Lucien had handed her the divorce papers.
The original Lina had been completely immersed in the happiness of becoming his wife.
She had believed she had finally married the man she loved.
Then Lucien had placed the papers in front of her.
She had thought it was a joke.
Lucien himself had probably forgotten if he had given out such papers.
When she realised it wasn't, her entire world had collapsed.
She had cried for an entire night.
It had taken her more than two months to recover.
Lina looked at the agreement now.
Then she picked up the pen.
There was no hesitation.
She signed her name.
**Lina Hart.**
She put the agreement into an envelope and sealed it.
Done.
She picked up her suitcase and headed downstairs.
She had barely reached the bottom of the staircase when she nearly collided with the old housekeeper who had looked after her since she married into the Cole family.
The old man stared at the suitcase in her hand.
"Mrs Cole, where are you going?"
Lina paused.
"I'm going to find Lucien."
The housekeeper's face brightened.
"Are you taking the young master his soup?"
Lina blinked.
"My what?"
The old housekeeper looked confused.
"Have you forgotten? The young master has always had a weak stomach. It usually gets worse around this time of year, especially when the weather begins to turn cold."
He smiled.
"Every year around this time, you make him stomach soothing soup and personally take it to his office."
Lina stared at him.
Then she remembered.
There really had been such a scene in her past life around this time.
The old her really cared about this man.
The old Lina had spent an entire afternoon making soup for Lucien.
She had carried it all the way to his office, hoping he would appreciate the effort.
Instead, Lucien had barely looked at it before telling her,
"You don't need to do this. You know my meals are personally prepared by a professional chef here ."
Lina's lips twitched.
What a waste of perfectly good soup.
She looked at the housekeeper.
"Is the soup still there?"
"Yes, Mrs Cole."
"Good."
She placed her suitcase beside the staircase and walked straight into the kitchen.
The moment she entered, a rich, comforting aroma filled the air.
Lina lifted the lid from the large pot.
A pale white broth bubbled gently inside.
Pork bones and peanuts had been simmering together for at least three or four hours.
The smell was incredible.
Lina turned off the stove, added a little salt and ladled the soup into a bowl.
She made another bowl and carried it to the table.
The housekeeper immediately looked alarmed.
"Mrs Cole, that's for the young master."
"I know."
Lina sat down.
Then she pushed the second bowl towards him.
"This one's yours."
The old housekeeper stared at the bowl.
"Mine?"
"Yes."
"You've been cooking this all afternoon."
"And?"
"You made it for the young master."
Lina picked up her spoon.
"Not anymore."
The old housekeeper hesitated.
Lina looked up at him.
"The soup I made is not for Lucien."
Her voice was perfectly calm.
"He can drink someone else's soup from now on."
She smiled.
"He won't get a single drop of mine."
The housekeeper stared at her.
Something about the woman's expression made him feel strangely uneasy.
Yet Lina was smiling.
And when she smiled, the sharpness disappeared from her eyes.
She looked exactly like the gentle young woman he had known for the past two years.
The old housekeeper eventually sat down.
He cautiously took a sip.
His eyes widened.
The soup was delicious.
The pork had been simmered until it was tender enough to fall from the bone. The rich meatiness of the broth blended beautifully with the mild sweetness of the peanuts, creating a deep flavour without making it heavy.
Lina watched him.
"Well?"
The old housekeeper nodded quickly.
"Delicious."
"Then finish it."
Lina picked up her own bowl.
She ate two bowls without stopping.
The warmth spread through her stomach, leaving her feeling comfortable for the first time all day.
She glanced towards the pot.
There was still quite a bit of soup left.
"Would you like another bowl?"
The old housekeeper immediately shook his head.
"No, no. I'm old. One bowl is enough."
He hesitated before adding,
"Any more and I'll have indigestion."
Lina nodded.
"Fair enough."
She stood.
"Then give the rest to the other servants."
The old housekeeper blinked.
"And the young master?"
Lina looked at him.
"You can throw it away if you want."
She paused.
"But don't leave any for Lucien."
The old housekeeper stared at her suitcase.
He looked at Lina.
Then at the suitcase again.
Finally, he gathered enough courage to ask,
"Mrs Cole... did you and the young master have a fight?"
"No."
The old housekeeper visibly relaxed.
Then he frowned.
The old housekeeper had just breathed a sigh of relief, but then he thought, why was Lina dragging a suitcase when she went to find the young master?