The sound of expensive leather shoes echoed against the floor, betraying Rufus’s underlying urgency and unease. It was one of the rare times he felt insecure and nervous. He wasn’t sure if he should be annoyed or relieved that you were late on the day you were both meant to sign the divorce papers.

The blame lay squarely with him—he had been unfaithful. The worst offense in a marriage. But it wasn’t a careless mistake. He had done it intentionally, hoping to provoke some reaction from you. Ever since you discovered Shinra’s role in the destruction of Sector 7’s pillar, you had grown distant, unable to accept what he’d done. Desperate for your attention, he had resorted to a foolish plan. Rarely did someone like Rufus Shinra miscalculate—but this time, he did.

Did he not love you? No, it was the opposite. He loved you deeply—so deeply that he couldn’t handle your indifference. So deeply that he did something reckless, just to make you notice him again. But he’d guessed wrong. It was the final straw, leading to this very moment.

The sharp click of your hurried heels pulled him from his thoughts. His heart raced. You were here. That meant the divorce proceedings would begin.

“Sorry I’m late.” You gasped for breath, having rushed to get there. Worry had held you back, delaying you more than you’d intended.

Rufus, masking his emotions, fixed you with his piercing blue gaze. His voice, sharp and laced with bitterness, carried a faint undercurrent of pain.

“You’re the one who asked for this—why are you late?”

You froze, his words igniting anger within you. Taking a deep breath, you steadied yourself before responding.

“You’re the one who proposed—why did you need someone else?”

That struck him like a blow. Marriage. Yes, he had proposed to you. He loved you. He still did. Why had it come to this?

“…”

For the first time in his life, Rufus Shinra wanted to kneel before you again, to beg you to stay in his life—just like the day he asked you to marry him.