"Got it."

Dante understood. If Archer Reynolds, the second son of the Reynolds family – a prominent name in the city, rivaling even the Williams Group – had his background information so easily accessible, it would indeed be suspect.

He lowered his gaze to the documents in his hand.

Archer Reynolds, second in command of the Reynolds family. His older sister, Annalise Reynolds, was the true brains behind the Reynolds Group.

After high school, he’d jetted off to the University of California. Three years prior, he’d graduated with flying colors, snagging dual degrees in Architecture and Business Management.

That same year, he’d joined the Reynolds Group's American branch as General Manager and even snagged a gig judging an international architectural design competition. Within two years, he’d boosted the American branch’s architectural endeavors to stratospheric heights, crashing the global market and cementing the Reynolds Group's status as a titan of the construction industry worldwide.

Then, out of the blue six months ago, he’d resigned as President of the American branch, hanging onto his largest shareholder title but dipping out of the front lines.

He’d jetted back home two months ago and slid back into the family biz as a General Manager.

"Mr. Williams, isn't Archer Reynolds coming back as a GM kind of a downgrade? Why the sudden return?"

The assistant was scratching his head. While both were GM roles, in the US, he’d been untouchable, calling all the shots. Back home, Annalise was the CEO. He was just overseeing one department. Plus, the domestic Reynolds Group’s architecture department couldn’t hold a candle to its international operations. Given the current economic slump, the construction sector was in the dumpster.

"Could he be back to challenge his sister for the throne?" The assistant felt like he'd stumbled onto something big.

Dante shot him a look and declared with certainty, "Nah. While outsiders see Annalise as a total boss, I know for a fact she’s completely obsessed with her brother. If Archer wanted the group, he wouldn't need to pull any stunts. He'd just have to ask his sister, and she'd probably hand him the keys without a second thought."

"But that’s the weird part. There’s no logical reason for him to come back. Keep digging. Dig into everyone around him."

"You got it."

"One more thing, sir. Take a look at this."

The assistant slid a stack of photos over to Dante. Dante took them, recognizing award-winning entries from exhibition boards, all architectural designs. The style screamed the same architect.

"Are these the winning entries from the International Architectural Design Competition every year? Who is this person? They’ve placed in the top three for two years running."

Dante nodded, impressed. It was seriously killer. Nailing an award in that competition once was tough; this person had pulled it off for two years straight.

"Sir, each photo has the photographer's credit at the bottom."

"What’s your point?" Dante asked, a little antsy.

Under his stare, the assistant knew better than to drag it out.

"Sir, look at the signature below. Does it ring any bells?"

Dante’s eyes flicked to the signature on the design drafts in the photos. He blinked, then blinked again. It was the exact same signature as the one on his divorce papers.

"She… what school did she graduate from again?" Dante muttered, reaching for Celine's file, but the assistant blurted it out first.

"Ivy University’s Architecture Department. Mrs. Williams was a top-tier student from a prestigious program…"

He trailed off, sensing Dante’s laser focus. The assistant made a hasty excuse and bailed.

So, Celine had been competing in architectural design contests while taking care of him, even snagging first place multiple years in a row.

This meant Celine and Archer had known each other for ages.

Wait, that wasn’t right. Celine had barely left the house during their three years together. Those design drafts must have been submitted online.

Therefore, Archer had probably known about Celine for a while, maybe even low-key investigating her.

Did he come back for Celine? What was his angle?

Celine never saw it coming – Dante asking her out for dinner, just the two of them.

Despite being clueless about his motives, she felt an almost magnetic pull and agreed.

The private dining room was legit. Hand-painted classical bas-reliefs adorned the walls, bathed in strategically placed lighting that created a super cozy, atmospheric vibe.

Even though the restaurant was buzzing, the moment the door clicked shut, the outside noise became a whisper.

Before the food even hit the table, Dante seized the moment, pulling out her file and handing it over.

When it came to her past, it was better to just rip the band-aid off. After all, they’d known each other for years. Even if Celine didn't remember him now, he still trusted her.

"This has all your deets. I bet a lot of it is news even to you now."

Dante poured her some coffee and motioned for her to dive into the documents first.

"You said you don't know me? After reading this, you'll see a lot of discrepancies. Then you'll get why I know you."

Celine hesitated, her eyes fixed on the file.

She was on the fence about opening it. Her gut screamed no. Her past self must have been super sure about wiping everything clean.

But the curiosity was gnawing at her. Why? Why had she chosen to forget?

Dante didn't interject, letting her call the shots.

Watching her waver, then finally reach out and crack open the file, Dante felt an inexplicable wave of relief wash over him.