The CEO’s Hidden Bride: Leaving After 2555 Days - Chapter 20: Chapter 20

The familiar city skyline came into view as Evelyn stepped off the plane, but something inside her had shifted. She walked beside Vivian, rolling her suitcase behind her as they chatted animatedly through the airport.
Vivian suddenly spotted her parents in the distance and waved excitedly. After introductions, they immediately invited Evelyn to join them for dinner.
But Evelyn knew they had their own reunion to enjoy. With a polite smile, she declined, not wanting to intrude.
Once they parted ways, Evelyn found herself alone outside the airport—only to be met with a downpour. No taxis in sight, she pulled out her phone to call a ride. Just as she was about to confirm the booking, a sleek black car rolled to a stop in front of her.
She looked up.
Lucas stood there, holding an umbrella.
He was thinner than she remembered, his sharp features more pronounced beneath the dim airport lights. The dark green trench coat he wore made him look almost ethereal, like a shadow against the storm.
It had been months.
Evelyn froze, her breath catching in her throat. He walked toward her, his gaze unreadable.
"Long time no see, Evelyn," he said, his voice low. "How have you been?"
She took an instinctive step back.
"I'm fine," she replied, her tone clipped.
The coldness in her voice made something in Lucas's chest tighten. But he swallowed it down. This was how things were now.
He glanced at her suitcase. "It's pouring. Let me drive you to your hotel."
Evelyn checked her phone—her ride was already confirmed. "No need. My car will be here any minute."
"Then at least take the umbrella," he insisted. "Your luggage will get soaked."
She frowned. Why was he being so attentive now? Suspicion prickled at her skin. "I don’t need your help, Lucas. And I don’t see why we should keep in touch. Don’t you agree, Mr. Sinclair?"
The words were a blade.
Lucas's fingers twitched inside his coat sleeve, but his expression remained composed. "So we can’t even be friends after everything?"
Evelyn pulled out her own umbrella just as her ride pulled up. The driver stepped out to load her suitcase.
"We were barely acquaintances before the divorce," she said, her voice devoid of warmth. "We were never in the same world. There’s no reason to pretend otherwise now."
Lucas stood rooted in place as she opened the car door, snapping her umbrella shut.
But then—something inside him snapped too.
Before the door could close, he lunged forward, gripping the edge. Rain pounded around them, his voice cutting through the noise.
"I never saw you as beneath me, Evelyn. No matter what people said—about where you came from, about us—I never once thought you weren’t enough. You’ve fought for everything you have. You don’t have to diminish yourself."
For nearly a decade, Evelyn had stood alone. No one had ever spoken to her like this.
She turned slightly, meeting his eyes. Then, for the first time in years, she gave him a real smile—soft, fleeting, but genuine.
"Thank you," she said.