Chapter 2 · She Came Home to a Billionaire Ex

Darian was pushing two luggage carts, and Calanthia trailed behind him.

Calanthia looked much thinner than before. Her hair was cut short, and she wore no makeup, but there was a sharp fierceness in her eyes that hadn't been there before.

Her eyes scanned the crowd, and when she spotted the sign in Bennett's hands, she walked over briskly. "Hello, Ms. Anderson. I'm Calanthia Thornwood."

"Dr. Thornwood, welcome back! It must have been a long journey," Bennett replied, shaking her hand.

She turned to me and introduced, "This is Mr. Vance from Aldrive Group, the business representative for our industry-academia-research collaboration."

Calanthia turned toward me, her carefully rehearsed professional smile slipping from her face.

Her eyes landed on me. Then her gaze shifted to Eamon, cradled in my arms.

Eamon had my features, but his eyes carried a hint of hers.

The little boy, just over two years old, wore a blue vest and wrapped his arms around my neck, studying the unfamiliar woman before him with wide, curious eyes.

"Daddy," Eamon called out and tilted his head, his voice crisp and clear. "Who's that lady?

Calanthia's face suddenly drained of all color. She opened her mouth to speak, but not a single word came out.

Bennett picked up on the awkward vibe and looked from me to Calanthia, then back again.

Darian was about to call out "Calanthia," but the moment his eyes landed on me, his grip on the luggage cart almost slipped.

"A-Aldric?" Darian stammered.

"Darian, long time no see," I replied.

My tone was flat and casual. It was as if I was simply talking about the weather.

Calanthia's eyes grew misty, on the verge of tears. She crouched down and reached out to touch Eamon's face.

Eamon pulled back, burying his face in the crook of my shoulder. "Daddy, I don't know her."

Those words were like a needle, stabbing right into Calanthia's heart.

She stood up, her lips quivering. "Aldric, you…"

"Dr. Thornwood," I cut her off. "The car is waiting outside. Please board, and we have a tight itinerary."

I addressed her as Dr. Thornwood, not Calanthia, not honey, not the person I once knew. Only Dr. Thornwood.

Calanthia froze.

Bennett jumped in to break the tension. "Yeah, let's get in the car. There's a welcome dinner tonight."

I turned and headed outside. Eamon was draped over my shoulder, looked back at Calanthia.

There was no affection in his gaze, just the natural caution kids have for strangers.

Calanthia stood there, her fingers gripping the strap of her bag so tightly her knuckles turned white.

Darian leaned in and whispered something to her, but she just shook her head.

I heard hurried footsteps behind me.

"Aldric!" Calanthia called out.

I didn't stop.

"Aldric, wait!" she called again.

I handed Eamon to the driver, John, and turned back. "Dr. Thornwood, what is it?"

"What did you just call me?" Calanthia asked.

"Dr. Thornwood. That's your title now, isn't it?" I replied.

"I'm your wife!" Calanthia's voice was low, but every word shook with emotion.

I looked at her. Three years. This was the first time I'd seen her face this close.

She looked thinner, older, fine lines at the corners of her eyes, and dark circles etched deep beneath them.

"Dr. Thornwood, as for that…" I said flatly.

I took a document envelope from my coat pocket and handed it to her. "Divorce papers. I mailed them to your address three years ago. You never got them?"

Calanthia's hands were trembling. She murmrued, "I didn't... I really thought you were joking."

"I never joke," I said flatly.

The envelope had an international courier receipt, with Darian listed as the recipient.

Calanthia turned to Darian, shooting him a questioning look. Darian looked away, unable to meet her eyes.

"Let's go. The car's waiting," I said.

I didn't give her time to react. Soon, I turned and got into the car.

Eamon was munching on a cookie in the car, asking in his little kid voice, "Daddy, why was that lady crying?"

"Because she lost something really important," I replied.

"What did she lose?" Eamon asked.

"Once you lose it, you can't get it back," I said.

Eamon didn't really understand. He went "mm" and kept eating his cookie.

Through the car window, I saw Calanthia standing at the airport exit, watching as my car pulled away.

In the rearview mirror, her figure shrank into the distance. I turned my eyes away.

Three years ago, I was the one who turned and never looked back at the airport.

Now, she was the one left standing there, watching me go.

*****

The welcome dinner was held at Verlia Grand Hotel.

The party hall was packed—city officials, heads of research institutions, and top executives from partner companies.

I was seated at the main table, while Eamon had already been taken home by John.

Calanthia was sitting right across from me. She'd changed into a deep navy suit dress and put on some light makeup, hiding the traces of tears beneath her eyes.

But her eyes kept changing as she looked at me.

Chapter 2

Darian was pushing two luggage carts, and Calanthia trailed behind him.

Calanthia looked much thinner than before. Her hair was cut short, and she wore no makeup, but there was a sharp fierceness in her eyes that hadn't been there before.

Her eyes scanned the crowd, and when she spotted the sign in Bennett's hands, she walked over briskly. "Hello, Ms. Anderson. I'm Calanthia Thornwood."

"Dr. Thornwood, welcome back! It must have been a long journey," Bennett replied, shaking her hand.

She turned to me and introduced, "This is Mr. Vance from Aldrive Group, the business representative for our industry-academia-research collaboration."

Calanthia turned toward me, her carefully rehearsed professional smile slipping from her face.

Her eyes landed on me. Then her gaze shifted to Eamon, cradled in my arms.

Eamon had my features, but his eyes carried a hint of hers.

The little boy, just over two years old, wore a blue vest and wrapped his arms around my neck, studying the unfamiliar woman before him with wide, curious eyes.

"Daddy," Eamon called out and tilted his head, his voice crisp and clear. "Who's that lady?

Calanthia's face suddenly drained of all color. She opened her mouth to speak, but not a single word came out.

Bennett picked up on the awkward vibe and looked from me to Calanthia, then back again.

Darian was about to call out "Calanthia," but the moment his eyes landed on me, his grip on the luggage cart almost slipped.

"A-Aldric?" Darian stammered.

"Darian, long time no see," I replied.

My tone was flat and casual. It was as if I was simply talking about the weather.

Calanthia's eyes grew misty, on the verge of tears. She crouched down and reached out to touch Eamon's face.

Eamon pulled back, burying his face in the crook of my shoulder. "Daddy, I don't know her."

Those words were like a needle, stabbing right into Calanthia's heart.

She stood up, her lips quivering. "Aldric, you…"

"Dr. Thornwood," I cut her off. "The car is waiting outside. Please board, and we have a tight itinerary."

I addressed her as Dr. Thornwood, not Calanthia, not honey, not the person I once knew. Only Dr. Thornwood.

Calanthia froze.

Bennett jumped in to break the tension. "Yeah, let's get in the car. There's a welcome dinner tonight."

I turned and headed outside. Eamon was draped over my shoulder, looked back at Calanthia.

There was no affection in his gaze, just the natural caution kids have for strangers.

Calanthia stood there, her fingers gripping the strap of her bag so tightly her knuckles turned white.

Darian leaned in and whispered something to her, but she just shook her head.

I heard hurried footsteps behind me.

"Aldric!" Calanthia called out.

I didn't stop.

"Aldric, wait!" she called again.

I handed Eamon to the driver, John, and turned back. "Dr. Thornwood, what is it?"

"What did you just call me?" Calanthia asked.

"Dr. Thornwood. That's your title now, isn't it?" I replied.

"I'm your wife!" Calanthia's voice was low, but every word shook with emotion.

I looked at her. Three years. This was the first time I'd seen her face this close.

She looked thinner, older, fine lines at the corners of her eyes, and dark circles etched deep beneath them.

"Dr. Thornwood, as for that…" I said flatly.

I took a document envelope from my coat pocket and handed it to her. "Divorce papers. I mailed them to your address three years ago. You never got them?"

Calanthia's hands were trembling. She murmrued, "I didn't... I really thought you were joking."

"I never joke," I said flatly.

The envelope had an international courier receipt, with Darian listed as the recipient.

Calanthia turned to Darian, shooting him a questioning look. Darian looked away, unable to meet her eyes.

"Let's go. The car's waiting," I said.

I didn't give her time to react. Soon, I turned and got into the car.

Eamon was munching on a cookie in the car, asking in his little kid voice, "Daddy, why was that lady crying?"

"Because she lost something really important," I replied.

"What did she lose?" Eamon asked.

"Once you lose it, you can't get it back," I said.

Eamon didn't really understand. He went "mm" and kept eating his cookie.

Through the car window, I saw Calanthia standing at the airport exit, watching as my car pulled away.

In the rearview mirror, her figure shrank into the distance. I turned my eyes away.

Three years ago, I was the one who turned and never looked back at the airport.

Now, she was the one left standing there, watching me go.

*****

The welcome dinner was held at Verlia Grand Hotel.

The party hall was packed—city officials, heads of research institutions, and top executives from partner companies.

I was seated at the main table, while Eamon had already been taken home by John.

Calanthia was sitting right across from me. She'd changed into a deep navy suit dress and put on some light makeup, hiding the traces of tears beneath her eyes.

But her eyes kept changing as she looked at me.