"This is the contract. Be my wife for a year; I can give you everything—wealth and fame. Consider it my compensation to you."
Waking up from a wild night, those were the first words Louis said to Alice. Louis could vividly remember Alice's expression at that moment. She lowered her head, and when he started worrying she might refuse, Alice agreed without hesitation.
Her gaze lingered on Louis, filled with affection, as though she had fallen in love with him at first sight.
And Louis? He couldn't even recall what he had been thinking at that moment. His mind had been clouded, almost entranced by the love-filled look in Alice's eyes.
It puzzled him. Just the night before, he had been heartbroken over Maya's departure. So, Louis concluded that the quickening of his heartbeat must have been because Alice resembled Maya so much!
But in truth, if Louis had cast aside his inflated ego and looked more closely, he would've realized that Alice bore no resemblance to Maya. In fact, after that day, he never saw Alice wearing white again. Her wardrobe didn't even contain another white dress, as if the white dress from that night had been a mere coincidence.
"Louis, Louis…" Maya's voice broke through his reverie, pulling him out of his memories.
He looked at Maya, his gaze confused. She lowered her eyes and softly asked, "You've been zoning out. Is something wrong?"
From Maya's perspective, Louis had been staring at Alice, lost in thought, as if mesmerized by her beauty.
Maya was fuming. She had come here with Louis today to assert her claim over him. Yet, here he was, gazing at Alice, completely spellbound. How could she tolerate this?
Louis didn't care about Maya's thoughts. If he knew what she was thinking, she wouldn't even be standing beside him now.
He glanced at Alice, who sat quietly to one side, showing no interest in him. A seed of doubt crept into Louis's heart for the first time. Could it be that Alice truly no longer loved him?
But how could that be? Not long ago, she had loved him deeply, as if she couldn't live without him. How could she fall out of love so suddenly after their divorce?
Yet, why was she so indifferent toward him if she still loved him? She showed no sign of wanting to rekindle their relationship.
Just that thought alone made Louis feel a sharp pain in his chest as if a void had opened up—empty and desolate. He frowned slightly, instinctively placing a hand over his heart.
He couldn't even identify this feeling, because even when he had convinced himself he was heartbroken over Maya, he had never felt this way before.
Louis looked at Alice, about to say something, when a voice suddenly rang out:
"Alice, I'm back!"
It was a man's voice that sounded particularly close and familiar to Alice.
Louis couldn't help but frown as he turned toward the person who had just spoken.
It was a rather tall man, though not muscular. Instead, he appeared pretty thin, with pale skin that seemed untouched by sunlight. Dark circles hung beneath his eyes, giving him an overall unhealthy appearance.
Louis narrowed his eyes slightly. Since when did Alice know someone like this? He had never seen her with anyone before. He used to think Alice had no friends at all.
But ever since their divorce, Louis's childhood friend had openly declared his intention to pursue Alice. And now, she appeared here with yet another man, someone entirely different. For the first time, Louis realizes he doesn't truly understand Alice or the people in her life.
Alex instinctively shrank back a little, sensing the intense gaze of the man opposite him. Furrowing his brows, he glanced at Louis, then back at Alice, and softly asked, "Alice, do you know this guy?"
Hearing this, Louis was so angry he almost laughed. What was this? He had been Alice's husband for an entire year, yet this random man dared to ask such a question.
Not only was Louis furious, but deep down, he also felt a twinge of grievance. If his emotions were visible, they would resemble a large, forlorn dog staring at Alice as if accusing her of being heartless enough that even her acquaintances didn't know about him.
But Louis narrowed his eyes at Alex, his gaze as if he could devour the man whole. "Ha, I think I should be the one asking the questions here. What's your relationship with Alice?"
He didn't direct his question at Alice but instead at the unfamiliar man. Based on his recent interactions with Alice, he doubted she would bother answering him.
Alex felt that the man in front of him was intimidating, resembling someone with significant societal power rather than a scientist like themselves. How had Dr. Alice ended up acquainted with someone like this?
To his knowledge, Alice's project was still in its research phase and hadn't reached the point of seeking investors.
Alice observed Louis's furrowed brows. She had always known Louis possessed an exceptionally striking face. When he was serious or frowning, his aura alone could easily make people uneasy.
Yet, she had never been afraid of Louis. Even during their time as husband and wife, no matter how sharp his words were, he never indeed dared to do anything to her. Louis might seem like a mad dog to others, but to Alice, he was nothing more than a silly one.
If the members of the Adonis family—those Louis had overpowered to seize control—or his rivals, whom he had thoroughly crushed, heard Alice's assessment, they would likely bow to her in sheer disbelief.
Alice glanced at Louis, then at Alex, and casually said, "He's my ex-husband." With that, she turned and walked away, clearly unwilling to say more.
The moment her words fell, Louis's frown deepened while Alex was left gaping, his expression one of utter disbelief.