The CEO’s Hidden Bride: Leaving After 2555 Days - Chapter 23: Chapter 23

The morning sun filtered through the blinds as Evelyn Winslow returned to work after two days away. Shadowing Vivian Hart during negotiations had been enlightening, and the project progressed with surprising ease—almost too easy.
Lucas Sinclair was conspicuously absent when they met with Croft Group. Instead, he sent his COO in his place. Evelyn exhaled in quiet relief as she handed over the meticulously drafted contract.
Croft Group approved the terms without hesitation—except for one stipulation. They insisted Evelyn act as the primary liaison between both companies for the duration of the contract.
Vivian saw right through it. This was Lucas’s doing. He was using the partnership as leverage to keep Evelyn close. After a moment’s hesitation, she decided to address it directly.
They left the meeting and settled into a secluded café booth.
“Evelyn,” Vivian began carefully, “I know this is personal, but… would you tell me about your marriage to Lucas? How it began, how it ended?”
Evelyn hesitated, then spoke. Seven years—four as classmates, three as husband and wife. Nearly a third of her life.
Yet recounting it now felt distant, as if she were narrating someone else’s story. The love that had once consumed her had dulled with time, leaving only echoes.
When she finished, Vivian sat in stunned silence. No words seemed fitting. The air between them grew heavy.
Seeing the conflict in Vivian’s expression, Evelyn offered a small, knowing smile. Her voice was steady, resolved. “Vivian, I know what you’re thinking. You want this deal, but you don’t want me hurt. I shared this because I need you to understand—I’ve moved on.”
“Whatever Croft Group demands, I’ll treat it as work. Nothing more. I may not be the most experienced, but I won’t let you or the team down.”
Vivian’s eyes glistened. This project was her career’s turning point, and Evelyn was the linchpin.
As much as she hated exploiting Lucas’s lingering feelings, she needed this deal. And Evelyn—stronger than she looked—was willing to see it through.
All the words Vivian wanted to say condensed into a single, silent toast, their glasses meeting with a soft chime.
By late April, Vivian was ready to return to Falverton with four signed contracts. At the airport, they embraced tightly. Then, spotting a familiar silhouette in the distance, Vivian finally voiced the question burning in her chest.
“You loved him for seven years, Evelyn. Now that he’s realized what he lost… are you really walking away?”
Evelyn knew Vivian meant well. But only she understood the agony of those years—the slow, suffocating weight of unrequited devotion.
It wasn’t just longing for someone out of reach. It was believing she held the moon, only to realize it was just a reflection—beautiful, but never hers.
After that, she had no interest in chasing illusions. Some things were meant to be admired from afar.
So she smiled, bittersweet. “Vivian, life doesn’t give second chances. We just keep moving forward.”