Kate's pov.
His gaze flicked between me and his phone again before he shook his head.
"You look nothing like her," he said flatly. "There's no way you should have that ring."
A tired breath slipped from my lips.
"I'm telling you the truth, Officer. I am her." My voice trembled despite my effort to steady it. "I lost everything… my child, my husband, the company—everything that made me her, that's the difference."
My shoulders sagged.
"The ring is the only thing left. And I want to lose that too."
"It's not just a ring." Officer Daniel as I'd learnt through his name tag, interrupted. "It's the Velora, priced at over half a billion dollars. You must have stolen it to want to sell it so cheaply."
"I didn't." I burst out. "He gave it to me, okay? I just needed something to start all over with it and chose to sell it."
They exchanged a look.
He leaned closer to Officer Raphael and whispered something under his breath.
Raphael straightened.
"That's not concrete proof, ma'am," he said, almost bored. "Everyone in this country knows the Beaumonts lost a child. Everyone knows Mr. Aiden Beaumont is divorced. You must know that too. That's why you're able to say all this."
The dismissal in his tone burned more than the accusation.
My fingers curled into my palms.
He rose, adjusting his jacket. Daniel followed.
"Well, we are ready when you are."
They turned toward the door.
Before they could reach it—
It flew open.
"Where is she!?"
The voice hit me before the sight did.
My breath stilled.
Aiden.
His eyes scanned the room wildly until they landed on me.
In two strides he was in front of me.
"Are you okay?" His hands hovered near my arm before he cupped my face. "Did they hurt you?"
My heart slammed violently against my ribs.
What is he doing?
Why is he acting like this?
His expression shifted the second he looked at the officers.
"How dare you treat her like this?" He bellowed. "Don't you know she's my wife?"
The officers stiffened.
My gaze widened.
Wife?
What's he talking about?
Alex hurried in behind him. "I'm sorry, sir. I told them to hold her until we arrived. I didn't realize they were troubling her."
Aiden's jaw tightened.
"We're sorry, sir," the officers muttered in unison before slipping out.
His gaze softened when it returned to me.
"Kate…" he said quietly.
I pulled my arm away from his touch.
"They still have the ring," I said evenly. "You should take it back before you leave."
I turned slightly, intending to walk away.
He caught my wrist gently.
"No, Kate." His voice dropped. "I'm not here for the ring."
He tried to take my hands again, but I stepped back.
"I'm here for you."
My eyes stung at both sides, fists clenched tight as I fought to hold them back.
"We need to talk, please." He added.
I shook my head, summoning courage to meet his gaze.
They were soft, like I had always hoped, but it had no meaning now.
"There's nothing to talk about, Aiden." I said, swallowing hard. "We are done. You live your life and I live mine. We are from two different worlds now. Nothing should bring us together."
My breath thinned, like the air between us had suddenly disappeared.
"No, Katie." His voice cracked. "You are my life. The life I want. I know the truth now. You didn't hit Ronald. Ellen did. You were right all along. She never changed. She only came back to destroy us."
A dry chuckle slipped past my lips.
"You know now?" I repeated, my voice trembling with disbelief. "Like you didn't?"
I scoffed. "Don't feign innocence, Aiden. You always wanted me out. With or without Ellen's drama, you would have found a reason."
Before I could step away, he pulled me into his arms.
Too tight.
The button of his grey tuxedo dug into my ribs through the thin fabric of my gown. His grip wasn't gentle. It was desperate.
"You're right," he whispered into my hair. "I never stopped blaming you for losing our baby. I thought if you were gone, the pain would ease. I thought I'd finally breathe again. But it was all a lie."
Something burned low inside me.
"Life has no meaning without you, Kate," he continued hoarsely. "You were the life I was living. The happiness I misunderstood. I'm sorry. I loved you more than anything and—"
I shoved him.
He staggered back, shock flashing across his face as my palms pressed hard against his chest.
"Love?" I let out a hollow laugh, tasting salt as tears slipped past my lips. "And you're only feeling it now because you claim to be hurting?"
My voice shook, but I didn't look away.
"Listen Aiden, every single thing you felt for me vanished the day she disappeared."
My jaw locked, but the tears forced their way through anyway.
"I knew it," I said, my voice trembling. "I felt it. I saw it. I told myself it was temporary. That one day we'd be happy again. But that day never came. Not in three years."
I stepped closer, poking a finger against his chest.
"Now you stand here talking about love. Is that love? Is abandoning me love?"
I wiped my face roughly.
"If you call it love, I call it greed. If you call it pain, I call it guilt."
My voice dropped, chest tightening.
"Don't ever show up in front of me again."
A loud thud echoed before I could take a step and the ground shook beneath us.
My gaze widened.
Aiden!
"Please," he said hoarsely. "I know I hurt you. I know you hate me. I know you're disappointed in me. But just this once… give me one last chance. I'll fix it. I swear I will. Just don't give up on me."
My teeth sank into my lower lip.
"Get up, Aiden." My voice came out strained. "This won't fix anything. We're divorced. It's all over the media. There's no remedy. It's too late."
"I have a plan, Kate." His gaze met mine. "If only you'll—".
I exhaled sharply. "Fine. I'll listen to you. Stand up first."
He rose slowly, brushing invisible dust from his knees like the gesture hadn't cost him anything.
"We should talk in the car," he said softly.
I nodded before I'd talk myself out of it.
The cool evening breeze swept warmly across my face, as we stepped out. He still held my hands tight despite the people gawking at us and held the car door open for me.
"Alex, wait outside." He ordered, immediately we settled and Alex obeyed.
The door shut.
I stared at my hands in my lap, tracing the faint crescent marks my nails had left on my skin.
Why isn't he talking?
My pulse jumped when his fingers closed around mine.
"You were in an accident," he said quietly.
I looked away. "Yes."
Then it grazed his thighs and my gaze snapped at him. A small first-aid box sat beside him, with what looked like a balm in his hands.
"Aiden, there's no time for this." I said, trying to release my hand, but he held them firmly.
"Stay still, this might hurt."
There was a faint cut on the back of my palm that I hadn't noticed.
He applied the balm gently. The sting made my eyes shut instinctively.
"Sorry," he murmured, blowing lightly over the cut until the burn eased.
I pulled my hand back slowly.
"What's the plan?" I asked, forcing my voice steady.
He cleared his throat. "I'll file a notice of discontinuance since the divorce papers have not been finalized yet."
"And why would you do that?"
"Because I can't imagine having my life without you, Kate. I can't."
"No Aiden. It's over. You imagined it just fine when you handed me the divorce papers. You said it, that I was right. We'd never be the same again."
"It wasn't intentional. They were trying to take the child."
My head snapped up. "What?"
He nodded. "Her mother threatened to take the baby if I didn't divorce you. She said she'd only back off if I agreed to marry Ellen. I thought it was absurd. But when she staged that drama… I started thinking maybe it was a sign."
His hands curled around mine again.
Sophia was right.
He had been suffering the whole time.
"Why didn't you tell me?" I demanded.
"You're too selfless, Kate. You would've walked away for the child." His gaze dropped briefly. "You initiated the divorce first. I thought you were already halfway out the door."
My toes curled against my shoes.
"So you are marrying her?"
His gaze snapped at me.
"Of course not. I'll only use her."
A chill ran down my spine.
"Father will be discharged before his birthday. After that, the appointment for Patriarch will be announced." His voice hardened. "If he thinks I made another reckless decision, he'll hand everything to Ethan."
I exhaled sharply.
"We worked for this our whole lives," he continued. "Just play along. Once I secure it, I'll end it. I'll make you my wife publicly. Officially. They and their baby can disappear for all I care. Just… don't leave me."
My throat felt raw.
He looked desperate and exhausted.
And I hated that I understood.
"On one condition," I said.