Bargained Hearts: When Mr. Coldhearted Turns Hopeless Romantic

Confusion crossed Darren's face, and his brows drew together as if he could not believe what he had just heard. "What did you just say?" Meeting his gaze without hesitation, Millie spoke each word with clarity. "I said divorce," she said, and her tone did not waver. Silence spread through the room, and even the air felt heavy and still. For a long while, Darren kept his eyes on her. The warmth that once lived in her eyes had disappeared, and only a steady calm remained. At that moment, he finally understood that she was not acting out of impulse. Without warning, a strange sense of panic stirred inside him. He drew deeply on his cigarette as though he needed something solid to steady himself, then curved his lips into a faint and mocking smile. "You have quite the courage," he said. Memories of three painful years pressed against her chest once again, and the weight of them made it hard to breathe. "Is that not what you have always wanted?" she asked quietly. Anger finally broke through Darren's restraint. He tossed the cigarette to the ground and crushed it beneath his shoe. "Millie, have you forgotten how this marriage even started?" he asked. "Your brother sacrificed his hand for it." Although her jaw tightened briefly, she refused to let her voice shake. "I remember everything," she replied evenly. At that time, Darren had still been the man she was dating. Photos surfaced of him appearing in public with Zoey, and they looked every bit like a devoted couple. Unable to tolerate the humiliation, her older brother, Ruben Morgan, stepped forward to confront Darren. During the confrontation, chaos erupted, and Ruben ended up injuring his right hand. Gifted and driven, Ruben had once been the pride of the family, and many believed he would build an outstanding career in medicine. Because of that injury, however, his path was cut short before he even had the chance to truly begin. News of the conflict spread quickly, and it drew attention from both families. As one of the most respected households in their circle, the Morgans demanded that the Evans family take responsibility. The elders of the Evans family pressured Darren to marry Millie, and he had grudgingly agreed. At the time, Millie convinced herself that Darren still had feelings for her. Meanwhile, the Morgan family saw value in forming a strong alliance with the Evans family. She knew that by marrying Darren, she had forfeited any claim against the Evans family for Ruben's injury. Even so, she went through with it—and the weight of that choice never left her. With a cold expression, Darren spoke without hesitation. "Since your family went to such lengths to secure this marriage, you should live with it," he said. "Stay in your place as my wife for the rest of your life and learn how to behave." Only then did she understand the truth. The gentle care he showed at the start of their marriage had been nothing more than a performance. The emotional distance after that reflected who he truly was. In his mind, it was retribution. After a brief pause, she looked at him steadily. "Have you ever considered what this is doing to Zoey?" Millie asked. "Do you truly want to keep pulling her into this situation?" Her words were not meant to defend Zoey, the woman who had stepped between them. Instead, they came from a place of deep exhaustion. She no longer wanted to remain trapped in a cycle that seemed to have no end. A spark of anger ignited in Darren's eyes as he fixed his gaze on her. "When your family cornered me into this marriage, did you ever stop to consider how cruel that was to Zoey?" For the first time that night, Millie did not see cold detachment in him. What burned there was unmistakable resentment, sharp and unfiltered. What exactly was he blaming her for? Did he truly believe she had destroyed his future with Zoey? Millie couldn't comprehend it because he had been the one who confessed his love to her first. If he had been honest back then and admitted that his heart already belonged to someone else, perhaps she would have walked away and never agreed to the wedding. Breaking eye contact, Millie turned aside. She rose to her feet, pulled open a drawer, and retrieved a neatly prepared divorce agreement. It had been waiting there for a long time. Tonight, she had finally chosen to use it. Calm and deliberate, she said, "This is not a sudden decision. If I am bringing up divorce, it is because I am certain you will accept it." After stepping closer, she pressed the papers into his hand. "Put your name on it. We can end this without conflict. Do not push me to handle it in a way you will regret." His eyes scanned the page, and his fingers slowly curled around the document. "Were you even listening to what I said just now?" he asked through clenched teeth. Holding his gaze without hesitation, she replied, "Your grandmother has already given her approval. She told me she is willing to decide on your behalf." Although Darren now controlled the family business and rarely faced opposition, there was still one person whose authority he could not ignore. In his world, his grandmother remained the only figure capable of restraining him. A sharp edge crept into Darren's tone as he spoke. "You had better think this through. We signed a prenuptial agreement the day we married. If this ends in divorce, you walk away with nothing. You are aware of the state of Morgan Group. It is no longer what it once was, and it survives because of my family's support. If we separate, can your family's company withstand the consequences?" For the briefest moment, the intensity in his words almost sounded like concern, and it caused her to hesitate. Clarity returned just as quickly. There was no care behind his warning. He was applying pressure. Without raising her voice, Millie answered, "Whatever happens to Morgan Group does not require your involvement." Her tone remained calm and distant. A shadow settled over Darren's expression. Without another word, he picked up a pen and signed his name in the space marked for the husband. Once finished, he thrust the papers back toward her. "It's done. I have signed." A humorless laugh followed, and disdain filled his voice. "Still, I am certain you will not follow through with this. I'll wait for the day you come back and ask me to reconsider."