Severed

The atmosphere in the room was thick with an ambiguous tension, yet Jaylyn inexplicably caught a hint of coldness and indifference in Haiden's words.

She raised her head and met his gaze.

The room fell deadly silent; the others seemed stunned by his remark, not daring to make a sound. Only Evie, the young woman standing beside Haiden, turned visibly pale.

In the seven years they had been together, no one knew the true depths of Jaylyn and Haiden’s private entanglements. This was the first time Haiden had ever brought such a scandalous, intimate detail out into the open.

Was he lingering on the past? Evie peeked at him nervously. Sensing her unease, Haiden gently squeezed the girl's hand.

Jaylyn took the entire exchange in stride. Her expression didn't so much as ripple.

"No need," Jaylyn said, her voice steady and clear. "If you like it that much, keep it as a collectible."

When it came to the messy ledger between her and Haiden, neither owed the other. The break was clean. Since he didn't care about saving her face, she certainly wasn't going to compromise her own dignity.

Jaylyn left the Sovereign Tower and brought her belongings back to her own apartment. The things she had left at his penthouse were just a random assortment of clothes, daily necessities, and some gifts he had bought her. Neither she nor Haiden were sentimental people; these trivial items held no special weight in her heart.

She had just finished unpacking and was changing into a fresh outfit for an evening gathering when her Aunt Annelise came into the room. Annelise frowned at her and asked flatly, "Have you cut ties with Haiden completely?"

"Yes," Jaylyn replied, unfazed.

"Good. You're not getting any younger. You've passed the age of playing around, and a man like Haiden was never someone you could afford to provoke." Annelise let out a breath of relief, her tone turning earnest. "Jaylyn, don't forget the trust fund. Do you want the Brennan family to remain in ruins forever?"

The Brennan family had fallen from grace seven years ago—bankruptcy, severe illness, and a domino effect of ruin. The only real asset Jaylyn possessed now was a trust fund, originally intended as a dowry from her late mother.

The condition for its activation? She had to get married.

"Men are unreliable. You know your own situation better than anyone. Finding someone stable to marry and propping up the Brennan family isn't a bad thing..."

Jaylyn remained silent.

She had heard these words countless times over the years. Before she graduated college, she had nothing to her name but a pretty face. Then she met Haiden. She had worked herself to the bone, fighting ruthlessly to stand as an equal by his side.

Outsiders called her the most vicious attack dog at Holland Enterprises. She was highly capable, unapologetic, and known for returning favors tooth for nail. Her specialty was relentless, aggressive persistence. Words like "gentle," "graceful," or "submissive" had absolutely nothing to do with her.

Yet, despite fighting her way through the mud for seven years, all she had earned was Haiden's cold finality.

She remembered the day she had unabashedly brought up marriage. The man had merely looked at her with chilling detachment.

"Marriage?" he had scoffed softly. "What exactly is our relationship? Don't cross the line, Jaylyn."

He was right. Throughout their seven years, she was his secretary, his bedmate, his lover. Everything but his actual girlfriend.

After a long silence, Jaylyn finally spoke, her voice calm and resolute. "I know, Aunt Annelise."

Satisfied, Annelise handed her a sleek business card. "Take some time to meet him. Julian Kensington. I don't want to rush you, but if it's a good fit, give it a try."

Jaylyn didn't refuse. She took the card.

She was never one to turn back until she hit a brick wall. But now that the wall had been hit, she was pragmatic enough to accept reality and move on.

Later that evening, her phone rang. It was her friend Cora,Chloe and Paige, calling to say she had booked a table for a celebratory dinner to welcome Jaylyn back to the single life.