The paparazzi had somehow tracked them down that evening, setting up camp and snapping pics of all four of them.

Especially Celine Evans and Archer Reynolds.

Archer Reynolds had his arm slung around Celine's shoulders, them standing shoulder-to-shoulder. Celine was pictured exiting a restaurant, linked arm-in-arm with Archer. Archer was seen affectionately buckling Celine’s seatbelt, and then there were shots of Celine and Archer locking eyes, lost in their own world.

Seeing these photos, a sudden surge of fury ignited within him, a wildfire raging uncontrollably.

Then, he saw it – a photo of Archer Reynolds embracing Celine, a gentle smile on his face.

That fireball seemed to instantly shatter all his defenses, exploding straight to the top of his head. His face turned crimson with heat.

Dante's grandfather watched his grandson’s expression shift, a sliver of relief washing over him.

His grandson still had a spark of hope, it seemed.

After Dante finished scrolling through the photos, his grandfather spoke with grim finality, "You tossed aside the one who genuinely cared for you, messing around even after you were married. Now Celine's run off with the Reynolds family's second son. Are you happy now?"

"I..." Dante was momentarily speechless, unable to retort. The photos only fanned the flames of his anger.

How could they be so chummy?!

The woman who swore she'd loved him for a decade was now practically making out with another man on the street.

Celine Evans, you really don't think anyone could actually like a woman as repulsive as you, do you?

From this moment on, he’d make sure she saw Archer Reynolds for the snake he was, piece by piece.

The next day, back in the office.

"Dig up everything on Celine Evans and Archer Reynolds. Every single detail, from birth to now. I want all that dirt on my desk. And keep my grandpa out of the loop on this."

After his assistant finished outlining the day’s schedule, Dante dropped the bombshell order.

"Got it." The assistant gathered the signed documents and headed out to make the arrangements.

Dante sauntered over to the floor-to-ceiling window of his office, his gaze drifting across to the Reynolds Group building.

As two of the city's titans of industry, the Williams Corporation tower and the Reynolds Group edifice stood facing each other across a narrow river, a distant but direct confrontation.

Archer Reynolds.

Dante's memory of him was still stuck in their high school days.

Back then, Archer was the quintessential golden boy, always glued to his books, consistently topping the class.

But what truly etched Archer into Dante’s mind wasn't his academic genius; it was his infatuation with Isabella Lopez.

He and Isabella had been inseparable since childhood, their bond exceptionally tight. Isabella was also his first love.

They were the golden couple, the epitome of perfection in everyone's eyes – both top students, from wealthy families, and, crucially, both ridiculously good-looking.

Knowing their history, nobody dared to even think about stepping in.

Until their senior year, when Archer suddenly confessed his feelings to Isabella.

Even though Isabella didn't reciprocate, the whole incident caused a massive uproar.

Amidst the whispers and speculation, Archer jetted off overseas.

There was radio silence from him after that. But no matter what, Archer Reynolds was definitely not just some pushover.

The kicker? He and Isabella, the picture-perfect couple, didn't make it either. Because right after college graduation, Isabella, despite his pleas, flat-out left him to pursue her studies abroad.

...

Three days later, back in his office, Dante held Celine's entire life story in his hands, growing more and more gobsmacked with every page he turned.

"Are you absolutely sure this information is legit?" Dante asked his assistant, who stood hovering behind him.

"It's all verified, Mr. Williams. Celine Evans’s parents and the sponsorship certificates from your late father and mother can all back this up."

The assistant leaned in, flipping to the final page. It showed a photo of Celine with her parents, alongside bank transfer records of Dante's parents sponsoring Celine.

Dante froze for a beat, confusion clouding his eyes. Then, after a long pause, it was like a lightbulb went off. His expression shifted, morphing into one of sheer astonishment and crushing regret.

"So, everything Celine said about loving me for ten years was a complete fabrication? She was just using that as a way to pay back a debt she felt she owed my parents, to look after me in their stead, is that it?"

Dante’s gaze locked onto his assistant as he posed the question.

Recalling everything that had gone down during their three years of marriage – the cruel things he’d done to Celine, his self-righteous humiliations – in Celine's eyes, they must have amounted to absolutely nothing.

"Hah..."

Dante suddenly felt like a complete idiot.

No wonder she’d been so hell-bent on the divorce, even willing to walk away with absolutely nothing.

She was just desperate to ditch him and start her own fresh chapter.

How cold-blooded, Celine Evans.

To settle a debt of gratitude, she married him without a second thought, enduring his abuse and torment without flinching. She lived with a man she had zero feelings for for three whole years, yet still took meticulous care of him.

Suddenly, remembering Celine's last words and gentle reminders to him before she left, a sharp, needle-like pain pierced his heart.

Fine. Just dandy. She took such incredible care of him for so long, made him so reliant on her, only to bail without hesitation once he'd gotten used to her presence, leaving his life in utter chaos.

"What about the other person's file?"

Dante took a deep breath, trying to rein in the storm of emotions raging inside him, not forgetting he'd asked his assistant to investigate two people.

The assistant produced another manila folder, hesitating for a moment before handing it over.

Noticing his assistant’s unease, Dante frowned. "What’s up?"

The assistant opened the folder, waiting for Dante to take it before speaking. "Mr. Williams, getting information on Mr. Archer Reynolds was incredibly difficult. That’s why it took until today..."

Seeing Dante nod, the assistant continued, "What we managed to dig up is the absolute best we could do."