Calculated Moves

The heavy oak doors of the corporate boardroom swung open. Oscar Adler stepped into the room, noticeably late for the highly anticipated contract signing. However, he did not look the least bit flustered by his delayed arrival. Instead of the usual crisp, unwrinkled suit jacket, he wore a brightly colored baby suspender strapped tightly over his chest. Inside the secure carrier rested his sleeping newborn daughter, bundled safely in a soft pink blanket.

Oscar gently patted the infant's back, his face beaming with absolute, unfiltered pride. He offered a broad smile to the silent room of executives. "Sorry, I was feeding my daughter, so I came a few minutes late."

Declan sat rigidly at the head of the long, polished mahogany table. He eyed the successful businessman with visible, intense disgust, his brows pulling together in a dark scowl. "The Adler Family is huge. Can't you afford a professional nanny?"

Oscar shook his head, looking deeply reproachful at the harsh remark. "You have a child too, Declan. Can't you understand my immense feelings of becoming a new father?"

Those casually spoken words struck a violent, completely unexpected nerve deep within Declan. His jaw tightened instantly. For the past four years, he had completely neglected his own daughter, May. He had buried himself in endless paperwork and corporate hostile takeovers, leaving the young girl to grow distant. In the beginning, he simply had no time. Now, she would actively hide behind furniture whenever he entered a room. Declan had always prided himself on never owing anyone a single thing in his life, but he undeniably owed that little girl. A sudden, rare pang of unspoken, suffocating guilt twisted like a knife in his chest. He quickly looked down at the legal documents spread before him, masking the uncomfortable emotion behind a cold facade.

The lengthy signing finally concluded, and the room emptied. Carter cornered Declan by the floor-to-ceiling window, blocking his path to the exit.

"You and Stella should not have divorced strictly for the innocent child's sake. The kid is yours. She has no family left, so who else will treat her well? Aren't you afraid she will become pitiful in the future?" Carter placed a firm hand on his friend's shoulder, earnestly urging him to reconsider his hasty decision.

Declan stared out at the sprawling city skyline, his expression sullen. He shoved his hands deep into his trouser pockets. "We're already divorced; what's the use of talking about it now? It's done."

Colin scoffed loudly from the open doorway. He marched over and aggressively slammed his phone down onto the polished table, the sharp clack echoing in the room. "It's specifically because she knows they can remarry that Stella dared to divorce in the first place."

Carter frowned, walking over to look at the illuminated screen.

"Did you not see what that Mercer woman posted?" Colin tapped the glass screen with his index finger. "She explicitly and firmly clarified her relationship with Nolan. She stated on social media that they are just ordinary friends and that she has always treated the skater like a younger brother."

Colin crossed his arms, leaning back with a smug grin, clearly proud of his own twisted theory. "I can assure you right now that that Mercer woman will find a desperate way to attend the elite Entrepreneur Dinner tomorrow night. There, she will publicly apologize to Declan and take full advantage of the opportunity to dramatically propose remarriage."

Carter looked back at Declan, raising an eyebrow. "If she really does this, it's a good chance. Although she is a bit scheming, she has always been a good woman during the marriage."

The next evening, the grand ballroom of the city's most exclusive hotel hummed with the quiet chatter of the elite. Soft classical music floated beneath the massive crystal chandeliers. Declan sat in the cordoned-off VIP section, nursing a drink. He was surrounded by Carter, Oscar, and Colin, all of them highly expectant.

Just as Colin had arrogantly predicted, Stella suddenly appeared at the grand entrance.

She wore a delicate, flowing white dress that perfectly highlighted her slender, fragile frame. The soft fabric stopped right at her knees, paired with matching high heels that accentuated her straight legs. Her light makeup made her look wonderfully pure and entirely vulnerable. She looked exactly like a woman in desperate need of a strong man's protection.

Colin nudged Declan with his elbow and smirked. "I guessed it right! Within 30 seconds, she will definitely look for Declan and come crawling."

Declan kept his head down. He tightly gripped his crystal wine glass, watching her approach out of the corner of his eye. He had deliberately attended the gala without Vanessa by his side tonight, leaving the position next to him conspicuously empty. He slowly raised his chin, adopting a haughty posture. He waited with a hardened heart to see exactly how Stella would repent for her past mistakes and beg for his return.

Stella stopped nearby. Her voice carried a soft, highly grievous tone that drifted over the jazz music, sounding incredibly pitiful. "I've been waiting for you for a long time."

Declan snorted coldly, his lips curling into a mocking sneer. He prepared his ultimate rejection, intending to crush her remaining pride. "If you don't sincerely admit your mistake on your knees, you should..."

Before he could even finish telling her to go away, Stella walked straight past him. She did not cast a single glance in his direction.

She had not come for him at all.

Instead, she stopped directly in front of a mature man standing a few feet away. Gideon Locke offered her a warm, easygoing smile. He was Harper's devoted fiancé and a fiercely loyal friend to Stella, treating her like family.

Gideon reached out and gently guided her by the shoulder. "Sorry, I was stuck in terrible traffic."

Stella looked up at him, her eyes bright and focused entirely on the older man.

"It's a little too noisy here; let's go elsewhere for a quieter chat." Gideon gestured toward the terrace doors.

The two walked away together. Their undeniable intimacy and comfortable banter left the onlooking Colin and Carter utterly speechless. Their jaws practically hit the floor as they watched the pair disappear into the elegant crowd.

Declan remained frozen in his luxurious leather seat. The abrupt, highly public neglect left him entirely dumbfounded. A sudden surge of overwhelming, violently suffocating emotion seized his chest. It was a blinding mix of shock, humiliation, and intense jealousy. He clenched his fist around his drink, squeezing the delicate crystal tighter and tighter as he watched her retreating back.

*Crack.*

The crystal wine glass shattered completely in his grip. The sharp sting of jagged glass pierced deeply into his flesh, snapping him out of his daze. The sudden pain finally forced his dark gaze downward. Blood pooled in his palm, dripping steadily over the shattered remnants of the glass.

Suddenly, a pair of manicured hands reached out from the side, gently taking hold of his profusely bleeding hand.

"Hey, you're injured! Why are you so careless?"