She had just finished breakfast and was about to call the housekeeper to clear the table when she heard a noise at the door.

A bright, cheerful voice rang out, "Good morning, Martha!"

The housekeeper, Martha, responded warmly, "Miss Willa, you're here! Have you had breakfast?"

Sloane looked up and met a youthful, beaming face.

Seeing her, Willa froze. "Slo... Mrs. Thorne, you're here too."

Sloane found it amusing. "This is my house," she said coolly.

Willa fidgeted, clutching the straps of her backpack. "I'm here to give Kaelen an update on the charity foundation's progress."

The casual use of his first name was a dagger to Sloane's heart, but she feigned indifference. "What charity foundation?"

"Kaelen didn't tell you?" Willa asked, feigning surprise. "He's starting a foundation to help orphans like me. He's kinder than a saint."

Sloane pursed her lips and said to Martha, "Go get your master."

Soon, Kaelen came downstairs.

In front of Sloane, the two of them acted perfectly like an investor and his beneficiary.

But the image of them tangled together from the day before kept flashing in her mind.

A fire was burning in her chest, making her whole body ache.

She went to the kitchen to pour herself a glass of ice water and saw Martha making pastries.

"What are you making, Martha?" she asked.

Martha didn't even look up. "Miss Willa loves these. I'm making a batch for her to take with her."

As she spoke, she sprinkled a generous handful of crushed peanuts into the mix.

A bitter taste filled Sloane's throat.

She was allergic to peanuts. This meant none of it was for her.

Martha had watched Kaelen grow up. In fact, everyone in this house—the driver, the gardener, the chef—they were all the Thorne family's people.

Just because Kaelen had once said he didn't like strangers, Sloane had brought them all back.

Before Sloane could say a word, Martha started complaining disapprovingly. "You know, ma'am, you were so cold to Miss Willa. Your tone... you'll scare the poor girl."

A wave of irritation washed over Sloane. If she were that easily scared, she wouldn't be screwing a married man in his own home.

Because of Kaelen, she had always been overly kind to these people. Now, they were lecturing her.

She finally snapped. "Martha, don't forget who signs your paycheck."

Kaelen had left the Sanctuary because the Thorne family had gone bankrupt. When Sloane took over, their business was a mess.

She had risked her own company's ruin to bail out Thorne Industries.

The moment she said it, Martha's face changed. Without even wiping the flour from her hands, she rushed out of the kitchen.

She started wailing to Kaelen, "Master, I don't think my old bones can do this anymore! I was just making a snack for Miss Willa, and the missus chewed me out, telling me not to forget who pays my salary!"

The speed of her transformation was stunning.

And Kaelen's eyes turned to ice in an instant. "Sloane. What the hell is your problem?"

Sloane opened her mouth, but he cut her off. "If you're so unhappy, I'll take Martha and the others and move out."

A sharp pain pierced Sloane's heart. "I didn't..." her voice was hoarse.

Kaelen ignored her, closing a file and handing it to Willa. "This looks fine. You can go. I'll have the funds transferred."

After Willa left, Kaelen went back to his meditation room.

Sloane thought for a moment, then went upstairs and knocked. "Kaelen, don't be angry. There's an auction tonight. Will you come with me?"

Silence. Sloane didn't give up. "I heard they're auctioning a sacred treasure, a thousand-year-old relic."

A few minutes later, the door opened.

Kaelen's expression was still cold. "I'll go to the auction. But I expect you to respect the people around me. They are our equals. There is no high or low."

Sloane didn't explain. She just smiled bitterly. "I know."

They say the divine loves all living things.

But for some reason, in Kaelen's eyes, she always seemed to be the exception.

That night at the auction, many people came over to greet them.

Kaelen never bothered with such pleasantries, so Sloane exchanged a few quick words before hustling him into their private suite.

The thousand-year-old relic came up midway through, with a starting bid of twelve million dollars.

When the bidding reached twenty million, Sloane simply said, "Thirty million."

The number silenced the room. No one else competed.

The moment the gavel fell, she looked at Kaelen, her face beaming. "Kaelen, it's a gift for you. Do you like it?"

Kaelen's voice was frigid. "You have no spiritual inclination. You don't even know the value of a relic. Why waste so much money on it, only to taint it?"

"But since you bought it, donate it to the Sanctuary. I'll have Willa come by tomorrow to arrange for a stupa to be built for it."

Sloane felt as if a bucket of ice water had been poured over her, extinguishing every spark of her enthusiasm.

With that, Kaelen stood up. "This place reeks of money. I'm leaving."

Watching his retreating back, Sloane froze. For the first time, she didn't follow him.

She stood there until he was out of sight, then closed her eyes, remembering the decision she had made that morning.

Every time he failed to respond, she would make another preparation for her departure.

She pulled out her phone and called her assistant, her throat tight. "File the application for Swiss permanent residency."