Mission: From Divorcee to Millionaire

A woman clad in black stood at the doorway, her look sharp and polished. But she wasn't the woman he held a bitter grudge against and secretly longed for day and night.

Carly was there on Selena's behalf. She signed Selena's name in the condolence book and handed over the donation to Alex, bringing along a wreath as well. With a deep bow in front of Josh's photo, she laid down a white flower, a gesture filled with solemn respect. Everett's dark eyes were icy, any flicker of warmth gone. He appeared even more gaunt, his tall frame standing like a lone pine or bamboo, his lean silhouette now more formidable, sending shivers down anyone's spine who dared to look.

Carly hesitated to get too close, the weight of her past misdeeds pressing heavily on her conscience. But she had a task to complete for Ms. Selena.

Mustering her courage, she approached Everett, keeping her eyes lowered to avoid his intense gaze. "Mr. Everett, my condolences," she murmured.

Everett's response was frosty, "Who are you speaking for? Your boss, or Selena?"novelbin

Carly swallowed hard, guilt sinking deeper as she stammered, "For... for them..."

Them. It was always about them now.

"Josh adored her, gave her everything, and yet she couldn't even come to bid him farewell."

Everett's voice was flat, recounting the facts as if they were the most mundane things, yet Carly felt a chill run down her spine.

She bit her lip. It wasn't that Ms. Selena didn't want to come; Josh had told her not to. But Carly chose not to explain.

"Alex, show her out."

Alex was a bit miffed too, thinking it was way out of line to bring up such things at a time like this. Still, she kept her composure, her tone firm but polite as she addressed Carly, "This way, please." Carly knew she wasn't welcome and didn't want to linger any longer than necessary. She nodded in acknowledgment and left.

Josh was laid to rest beside Mateo, their gravestones standing side by side-one large, one small. As friends and family slowly departed, Everett remained, a solitary figure against the drizzling sky.

The rain started to gently fall,

wetting the two photographs above. Josh had picked his own photo, the one he thought captured him at his most valiant. Mateo's was a cartoon image, lovingly drawn by Selena.

Everett crouched by the gravestones, pulling out a handkerchief. Despite getting soaked himself, he carefully wiped the raindrops from the pictures. Night descended.

Alex drove Everett back to Moon Bay. Outside the hefty iron gates, a slight figure was huddled, knees drawn to her chest, shivering in the rain, looking utterly forlorn. The headlights caught her, and Alex exclaimed in surprise, "Who's that..."

The woman slowly raised her head.

It was Margot.

She had wanted to be there for Everett as "family" today, but the bodyguards had stopped her from entering Furious but knowing better than cause a scene on such a day, she couldn't bring herself to leave and so decided to wait here.

Margot knew exactly what Josh meant to Everett and understood that today, of all days, he would need her support more than ever.

The car door opened, and Everett stepped out, a black umbrella in hand.

Like a forsaken little creature, she whimpered, "Everett..."

Everett strode toward her, long legs covering the distance quickly. Margot's face lit up with hope, and she reached out to grab his arm to help herself up, but Everett, not even sparing her a glance, walked right past her.