CHAPTER_DETAIL_H1

The moment Winona Wynn pushed open the door to the VIP room, a pair of arms banded around her waist from behind, and a mouth came down hard on hers.

She was taken aback. Having been away from Empire City for three years, she hadn't expected to still recognize his scent so intimately.

It was her childhood sweetheart and husband, Zachary Shaw.

Before a fleeting moment of sweet nostalgia could settle in, the lights in the room blazed on. The crowd, waiting in anticipation, popped party poppers and cheered, "Happy Birthday, Sisi!!"

But when they saw it was Winona in his arms, the cheers died in their throats. Once the realization hit, a thick, awkward silence filled the room.

"Winona, you're back."

"Haven't you been gone for three years? Why are you here now..."

Colorful confetti littered the floor, and the once-vibrant atmosphere turned suffocatingly tense.

The arm around her waist dropped instantly, as if he finally realized he was holding the wrong woman.

She chased the fading warmth and looked up at his face.

After three years, he hadn't changed a bit. In a tailored suit, he radiated a cold, untouchable aura. His striking features—a sharp jawline and deep-set eyes—were impossibly handsome. The immaculate cut of his clothes only amplified his reserved, aristocratic presence, making him seem as unapproachable as solid ice.

If not for that face, Winona wouldn't have spent her entire youth chasing after him like a love-struck fool.

Zachary stood quietly beside her. At over six-foot-two, the harsh lighting cast sharp shadows across his jaw. His expression was indifferent, his dark hair slightly disheveled, but every inch of him screamed of the power and wealth he was born into.

In a metropolis like Empire City, filled with the elite, he sat comfortably at the very top.

Years ago, when everyone else was obsessing over the electric vehicle boom, Zachary had locked his sights on artificial intelligence. He established AI incubators at top-tier universities. Back then, the media couldn't fathom why he wasn't trying to grab a piece of the auto industry pie. Now, with AI dominating the world, everyone was forced to marvel at his business instincts. But by the time his rivals caught on, the brightest minds had already been snapped up by the Shaw Group.

It was too late for anyone else to catch up.

Winona never denied that he was a ruthlessly successful businessman. Back when they were happy, he used to kiss her deeply and whisper her name with quiet restraint.

But three years ago, everything had shattered. It ended in such an ugly, destructive mess that just thinking of his name or face felt like a shard of ice piercing her chest.

Seeing him again, she couldn't keep her heart steady, but she forced herself to maintain a facade of perfect composure.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVERIFY