Chapter 257

Maxwell Lockwood sat at the dimly lit bar, swirling a glass of deep red wine. His injured arm was wrapped in white bandages.

Thick lashes shadowed the dangerous glint in his eyes.

"Thank you for your assistance, Mr. Lockwood. If you ever need anything, don't hesitate to contact me." The woman across from him slid a business card toward him.

Maxwell picked it up. Eminent Advocates & Solicitors.

Serena Delacroix. Senior Partner.

Memories flickered to life.

Back in university, Maxwell had attended the same school as Victor Langley and Serena.

Victor and Serena had been the golden couple of the law department—brilliant, ambitious, and inseparable.

Their relationship lasted all four years.

Then, for reasons no one knew, they broke up after graduation. Serena vanished overseas, while Victor drowned his sorrows in alcohol before eventually rebuilding his life.

"What a coincidence, Ms. Delacroix. I happen to be in the middle of a rather... complicated case." Maxwell swirled his wine. "I've devoted everything to my wife, yet she wants to leave me for another man. I refuse to grant her a divorce. I'd like to hire you as my lawyer—name your price."

"Mr. Lockwood," Serena said coolly, exhaling a thin stream of smoke, "you can't force love. With your status, countless women would gladly throw themselves at you. Why waste time on someone who doesn’t want you?"

"You've loved before, haven’t you?" Maxwell leaned forward. "Imagine seeing the most exquisite cake in a patisserie window. You crave it—dream about its taste—only to be told it’s already sold, and the baker is dead. Then one day, you see someone else eating your cake. How would you feel?"

Serena smirked, blowing a perfect smoke ring. "You’re being dramatic, Mr. Lockwood. The world is full of equally delicious cakes. You can afford any of them."

Maxwell’s lips curved. "Do you know who my wife’s lawyer is? Victor Langley. The legendary Victor Langley."

Victor Langley was indeed a legal titan.

He’d won landmark cases—high-stakes divorces among billionaires, custody battles, corporate wars. His record? Flawless.

At Victor’s name, Serena’s fingers tightened around her cigarette. Disdain flickered in her eyes before she schooled her expression.

"Fine," she said smoothly. "I’ll take your case."

Her fingers drummed the bar counter. Eyes closing, she whispered to herself, Victor Langley, I’ll take back everything you stole from me.

Maxwell’s smile turned razor-sharp.

You want a divorce, Evelyn?

Over my dead body.

The next morning, after breakfast, Dominic left for the office. Sebastian arrived to pick up the twins, but they refused to go without their mother.

Evelyn couldn’t say no.

The twins attended an elite kindergarten that taught trilingual immersion (English, French, German) alongside arts, sports, and science. The sprawling campus boasted swimming pools, gardens, even a mini aviary.

Luxury cars lined the drop-off zone. Celebrities were a common sight.

That morning, Evelyn’s heart clenched at a scene near the gates.

A chubby boy clung to his grandfather’s leg, sobbing. "I don’t wanna go! Take me home!"

The flustered old man patted his back. "School’s fun! You’ll make friends—"

A nearby mother chuckled. "They all cry at first. He’ll adjust."

Evelyn glanced down at Alexander and Isabella. Both watched silently, their small faces unreadable.

Had they cried like this on their first day?

She squeezed their hands tighter. Passing the wailing boy, she sighed.

Their teacher—a warm-eyed woman—beamed when she saw Evelyn. "You must be their mother! No wonder they’re so beautiful."

Evelyn smiled politely.

After settling the twins in class, she lingered by the window, observing.

Alexander sat rigidly upright, attentive and solemn. The spitting image of his father. Evelyn shook her head.

Like father, like son.

Isabella, meanwhile, was sunshine incarnate—chatty, talented, adored by her classmates. A natural-born star.

Evelyn’s chest ached.

My little sun and moon.