Chapter 163

Angela POV

I quickened my pace as I entered the subway station, unable to resist glancing over my shoulder to check if Sean had followed me.

The morning crowd provided welcome camouflage as I scanned the entrance.

Nothing.

No sign of his tall figure or those penetrating green eyes.

A sigh of relief escaped my lips.

Disappointment? I shook my head, annoyed at my own traitorous feelings.

What was wrong with me? This was exactly what I wanted-Sean Shaw out of my sight.

I purchased my ticket and descended to the platform, pushing aside those conflicting emotions with practiced efficiency.

Hours later, I sat in my office , staring blankly at spreadsheets that should have commanded my full attention.

"Angela? Angela?"

I blinked, suddenly aware that everyone at the conference table was staring at me.

"I'm sorry," I said, straightening in my chair. "Could you repeat that?"

The meeting continued, but my focus remained elusive. I nodded mechanically at appropriate intervals, contributed the minimum required comments, and exhaled with relief when it finally concluded.

As I gathered my papers to leave, Marcus appeared at my side, concern evident in his expression.

"Angela, got a minute?" he asked, following me into the hallway.

"What is it?" I replied, not slowing my pace.

"You seem off these past couple days. Everything okay?"

I brushed past him. "I'm fine."

"Did something happen?" he persisted, easily keeping stride with me. "Want to talk about it?"

I stopped abruptly, turning to face him. "Not interested. If I told you, the entire company would know by tomorrow morning."

Marcus's expression shifted from concern to wounded dignity. "That's not fair. I may enjoy office gossip, but I know how to keep secrets. Look at our company-barely anyone knows about your history with Mr. Shaw, right?"

His words gave me pause. Despite his chatty nature, Marcus had indeed kept my connection to Sean remarkably quiet. Perhaps he was more trustworthy than I'd given him credit for.

I hesitated, then gestured toward my office. Once inside with the door closed, I leaned against my desk, arms crossed defensively.

"So what's really going on?" Marcus asked, settling into a chair.

I remained silent, unsure where to begin or how much to reveal.

"Is it about your ex-husband wanting to take the children?" Marcus ventured.

My head snapped up. "How did you-"

"Educated guess," he replied with a shrug. "Don't forget, I'm a married man too. If I were in his situation, I'd probably want my children back as well. But why assume he wants to take them rather than co-parent?"

"Co-parent?" I scoffed. "That's impossible."

"Why? There must be a reason."

I looked away, unwilling to explain the complicated truth.

Marcus leaned forward. "Your ex-husband is influential, right? Has resources, status. Wouldn't his involvement benefit Aria and Ethan?"

"Help raise them?" I shook my head vehemently. "No. He just wants to take them away. He has a girlfriend anyway-all this co-parenting talk is just a façade. He wants my children."

"Girlfriend?" Marcus caught the word immediately. "Angela, are you worried he'll have another woman become a stepmother to your children? Is that it?"

My expression must have confirmed his suspicion, because his face softened into a knowing smile.

"If that's your concern, I can tell you it's completely unfounded."

"What do you mean?" I asked, trying to hide my sudden interest.

"Not to defend Mr. Shaw, but in the five years you've been gone, he hasn't had any stable relationships. Even Christina Jordan, his supposed 'savior' that everyone thought was a sure thing-they never ended up together."

I froze. Sean and Christina weren't together?

But that made no sense. He'd demanded our divorce, had even implied I should terminate my pregnancy when I texted him about it. Wasn't that all so he could be with Christina?

"Shortly after you left Shaw Group," Marcus continued, seemingly oblivious to my internal turmoil, "rumors flew that Sean and the Jordan heiress were getting engaged. Everyone knew Christina had saved Sean's life in that yacht accident, so their engagement seemed inevitable. Many believed Sean's marriage to you was just to help Wilson Bank through its crisis, and that Christina would take your place once she returned to New York."

I maintained a carefully neutral expression.

"We all thought that," Marcus said. "Especially when engagement announcements started circulating. The date was set, invitations sent-some socialites even posted photos of them online. Reporters camped outside Shaw Tower for comments." He paused dramatically. "Then Shaw Group's PR department declared it all a rumor."

"Did Sean make the statement himself?" I asked, my voice unnaturally steady.

"No, just PR, but that's essentially Sean's voice, isn't it?"

Marcus leaned closer. "Christina orchestrated the whole thing to force Sean's hand. If he didn't show up at the engagement party, she'd lose face. If he wanted to protect her reputation, he'd have to marry her."

"Sounds like pressure tactics," I observed, "but where did she get the confidence?"

Privately, I wondered: Hadn't Sean himself given her that confidence? His refusal to personally deny the rumors could have been to save her face, but it also gave Christina hope. She recognized his gratitude for saving his life and took a calculated risk.

"You're right," Marcus nodded. "But Sean owed her a debt, and the Shaws care deeply about honor. The Jordan family has leveraged that 'life debt' to climb the social ladder for years. Being someone's savior creates powerful obligations. I might have felt compelled to attend that engagement party myself. But Mr. Shaw-" Marcus shook his head admiringly,

"-he didn't show up."

Though I'd guessed the outcome, hearing the confirmation made my heart skip a beat.