{Robert POV}

But when I got downstairs, it wasn't Diana in the kitchen.

It was Nancy, the housekeeper.

Nancy looked up at me, her tone respectful. "Mr. Hamilton, breakfast will be ready in fifteen minutes. Why don't you go wash up?"

I said nothing. My face went cold again. I walked straight to the dining room without a word.

Fifteen minutes later, I sat at the table, arms crossed, staring at the food. I didn't touch anything. The air around me felt heavy.

Finally, I spoke, my voice sharp. "Where's the oatmeal?"

"Oatmeal?" Nancy blinked, then realized. "Oh, you mean that slow-cooked creamy oatmeal Ms. York used to make you? That takes over four hours to cook. She'd go to the organic market just to get fresh milk and oats for it. No one else has the patience to make it like she did."

I shot her an icy look. The message was clear. Make it.

Nancy just smiled apologetically and shrugged.

"Fine. Get me the spicy shrimp sauce." I waved my hand, trying to push down my irritation.

"That's gone too." Nancy's tone was cautious.

"Then buy more." I slammed my hand on the table, anger flaring.

Nancy chuckled nervously. "Sorry, Mr. Hamilton. Ms. York made that sauce herself. It's her own recipe. You can't buy it anywhere, and I don't know how to make it… Mr. Hamilton? You're leaving already?"

I didn't answer. I just grabbed my coat and walked out, slamming the door behind me.

I went straight to the office. My mood got worse by the minute.

My assistant, Tom Parker, dropped a thick stack of files onto my desk. His voice was polite. "Mr. Hamilton, these documents need your signature. Also, this morning's meeting got pushed to eleven because you were late. You have another branch meeting at eleven-thirty. Lunch meeting at noon. Overseas video conference at two…"

The endless list made my face darken. I cut him off. "Why is there so much?"

"It's always like this, sir. But before, Ms. York was here. She'd filter the important files, organize meeting notes, and handle a lot of the workload. HR just got word this morning that she's requested time off." Tom kept his eyes down, afraid to look at me.

"Time off?" My frown deepened. My tone was sharp. "How long?"

"One month."

I laughed. Cold and mocking. "Why not take the whole year off? And of course she picked now. A month before the wedding. She's just waiting for me to crawl back and beg."

She caused this mess. Why should I apologize?

I turned to Tom. "Call her. Tell her to get in here. Her work is her responsibility. I'm not doing it for her."

Tom hesitated. He could tell we'd fought. He reluctantly pulled out his phone to call Diana.

Then my voice cut through the room again. "Do it here. On speaker."

I wanted to hear what she'd say. I wanted to hear her act.

Tom had no choice. He dialed Diana's number in front of me and put it on speaker.

{Diana POV}

I was in my hotel room, finishing breakfast. A plate of scrambled eggs, a cup of hot coffee, and a fruit salad sat in front of me.

When I saw Tom's name on the screen, I hesitated. Then I answered. My voice was flat. Detached. "Tom. What is it?"

Tom glanced nervously at Robert, then asked, "Ms. York, are you not coming to the office today?"

"Why would I go to the office?" I picked up my fork and speared a piece of fruit, my tone calm.

"Well… Mr. Hamilton is swamped. He says you're part of the company. You're a shareholder. Taking this much time off on short notice isn't appropriate." Tom's voice was strained.

I understood immediately. Robert had no one to do his work for him. He was scrambling.

He had no idea that the only reason he'd had time to see other women and party with his friends was because I'd been doing most of his work. I'd handled all the tedious details so he didn't have to.

I smiled faintly. "I requested time off through HR. I followed proper procedure. How is that inappropriate? If we're talking about what's 'appropriate,' I've been working for the company for a year without getting paid a single cent. Maybe Mr. Hamilton should settle my back pay first. Then we can discuss what's appropriate."

Tom looked even more miserable. His face went pale. He glanced helplessly at Robert.

Robert's expression turned ice-cold. Fury radiated off him. He snatched the phone from Tom's hand, his voice tight with barely controlled anger. "Diana, when did you become so obsessed with money?"

I laughed. The sound was bitter. "Yeah, I'm pretty materialistic. Money's great. You can buy cars. Houses. Security. You can even keep a mistress. Without money, why would anyone stay with you?"

I hung up before he could respond. I set my phone down and leaned back in my chair.

My appetite was gone. I closed my eyes.

Jane had given me one month to handle things with Robert.

Most of it would be easy. But there were two problems.

One was my mother. The other was my shares in Apex Global Enterprises.

Apex was a company Robert and I had built together. I owned 51% of the shares. I was the largest shareholder.

I wasn't about to let Robert have them.

But I didn't want any ties to him either.

The only option was to sell.

But a stake worth billions wasn't something just anyone could buy.

I scrolled through my contacts. No one seemed like the right buyer.

Finally, I called my friend Bella Hall.

Bella answered quickly, her voice bright. "Hey, babe. What's up? Calling this early?"

I kept my tone neutral. "I need to ask you about the value of my shares in Apex Global Enterprises. I'm planning to sell them all."

Bella was a corporate M&A lawyer who specialized in stock transactions. She had a strong reputation in the industry.

Bella sounded confused. "Why would you sell? Is Apex going under? Are you guys bankrupt?"

I smiled weakly. "Don't jinx me."

"Then why sell? Aren't you about to get married?" Bella's tone grew serious. She knew I wasn't impulsive.

I paused, then quietly told her that Robert and I had broken up. The wedding was off.

Bella went silent. She knew this was serious.

Over the past two years, she'd witnessed Robert and me fight and make up more times than I could count.

But I'd never once mentioned selling my shares. Those shares represented my relationship with Robert. They were proof of seven years of work.

After a long silence, Bella finally asked, "You're getting married in a month. Are you sure about this? Is there really no way to fix it?"