Chapter 13 The Last Memory #2
The faint spark of hope in James’s eyes dimmed instantly, as if someone had snuffed out the light within him.
William reached under his arm and pulled out a file, extending it toward James. “This couldn’t be processed due to an incorrect signature, Mr. Sinclair.”
James barely acknowledged him. He took the file wordlessly, set it on the desk, and flipped it open.
His mind felt foggy, distracted, distant.
He picked up the pen, bringing it to the paper to sign, fingers hovering over the line.
That’s when he realized he had signed it as “Mia Sinclair” instead of his own name.
A pang shot through his chest. He clenched his jaw, scratched out her name and signed his own. James handed the file back to William, his expression flat, eyes dark pools hiding a storm.
“From now on,” he muttered in a low, almost hollow voice, “don’t come to me unless it’s about Mia.”
Then he stood and walked out of his office. His shoulders were heavy, drooped with fatigue. William watched him go with concern etched on his face.
By midnight, James stumbled home, heavily drunk. He could barely manage the car doors. A servant rushed to help, supporting him by the shoulders and guiding him inside.
Step by unsteady step, James was guided inside, the lights of the grand house casting long shadows across the driveway.
“Didn’t she already leave this house? Did she come back already?” Athena Sinclair’s voice floated from the living room, clear enough for James to hear. She sat on the couch, sipping tea from a delicate china cup, her face twisted in disdain.
Ezra, James’s brother, let out a snicker. “Who else could it be? Her family wouldn’t take her back after five years. Her parents are already dead. Who else would even keep her after she leaves this house?”
Athena gritted her teeth, leaning back on the couch, her expression full of contempt.
“They were so rich when James married that woman for that damn deal, but right after the marriage, their business started to crumble. Everything closed down one by one. Now, they aren’t even invited to our social circles at parties. ”
She twisted her mouth in distaste and snickered.
“I married her to James for literally nothing. Just a huge loss. The deal wasn’t even worth it anymore. I thought James would gain more from their large business. But no—everything failed the moment they marriedI!”
Ezra frowned, his expression hard. “Exactly. I thought I’d be able to enter even bigger circles with higher-net-worth people once James married her.
But instead, I have to hide my face to make sure they don’t recognize me in public.
Can you believe her father even tried to talk to me the last time he saw me at a party a few months ago at the Lords’ house? ”
Athena snorted in disgust.
James, staggering across the driveway, shouted from outside, “Mrs. Maisel? Send Mia here. Tell her to take me to my bedroom and make that drink she always prepares when I don’t feel well. I want it before I go to bed!”
The servant helping him frowned, confusion knitting his brows. “Mr. Sinclair, did you forget? Madam has already left the house and hasn’t returned.”
Inside the grand living room, Ezra’s eyes darkened with distaste.
Leaning back on the velvet couch, he spoke to Athena in a low tone.
“It’s James who came back, not Mia.” His gaze met hers, cold and calculating.
“We have to make sure that woman stays out of this house. This is our chance—James needs to marry someone else. Make it clear to her that this isn’t a guesthouse where beggars like her can wander in and out as they please. ”
James pushed the door open roughly, stumbling slightly as he entered. His gaze landed directly on Ezra, who was lounging with a smug expression. Fury burned in his gaze. In a slurred, angry voice, he shouted, “Mia is your sister-in-law! Is this how you talk about her?”
Staggering forward, James nearly lunged at Ezra, but the servant quickly intercepted him, holding his arm to stop the attack and guiding him onto one of the single-seat couches.
Ezra’s confident smirk wavered, his body instinctively leaning back as the intensity in James’s eyes hit him.
Clearing his throat, he forced a shaky smile and asked, “What are you doing back home? Weren’t you staying at the office these past few nights?
What made you come back tonight?” His tone had lost its earlier arrogance—now edged with caution, betraying the unease crawling up his spine.
James clenched his fists, anger surging. “What the fuck does that have to do with you?”
Athena’s eyes flickered, a faint glint of calculation surfacing beneath her calm exterior. She adjusted her posture, placing her teacup neatly back onto its saucer before leaning forward slightly.
“I know you’ve been in a bad mood ever since Mia disappeared from this house,” she began, watching him carefully. “But think about it— isn’t it good for you? She’s gone. No distractions, no drama. In a few days, you’ll forget you even had a wife.”
She reached for her cup again, swirling the tea slowly, her lips curling faintly.
“You’ve been buried in work at the office these past few days.
That’s what you should be doing—focusing.
Why even come back home? Stay at the office for a week straight, don’t step out once, and you’ll see how much your business can grow.
The more you dedicate yourself to work, the greater the benefits will be.
Leave the rest behind, it’s already gone. ”
James pressed a hand to his forehead, the dull throb of alcohol pounding behind his temples.
His tie hung loose around his neck, his shirt slightly wrinkled, and his breath carried the heavy scent of whiskey.
He leaned back against the couch, eyes half-closed, when Ezra’s voice cut through the air, light and eager.
“Isn’t Kylie back in the country?” Ezra asked, his tone suddenly turning cheerful as he leaned forward. “Why don’t you take her out for dinner for a few nights? It’s a good chance for you, James. She liked you once, didn’t she?”
Athena’s eyes glimmered with interest at once.
She straightened in her seat, her fingers brushing over the pearls around her neck as she added quickly, “Yes, that’s a great idea!
How about I talk to Kylie myself and arrange a few dates for you?
You’ve been so stressed lately, you deserve some company.
I’ll make sure she spends enough time with you, and if things go well, you can get married soon. Wouldn’t that be wonderful?”
James’s expression darkened, his jaw tightening until a muscle twitched visibly. His voice came out strained and hoarse, thick with anger and exhaustion.
“It hasn’t even been a few weeks since I divorced Mia,” he said as his eyes lifted to his mother. “And you’re already so eager to throw her out of my life?”
Athena faltered for a moment, caught off guard by the venom in his tone. But then her composure returned, her lips curving into a thin, dismissive smile as she lifted her teacup delicately.
“James,” she began in a slightly haughty tone, “wasn’t she from a wealthy family once?
Back then, when her father came begging for the marriage, I agreed only because they were well-off.
But now?” She took a slow sip of tea, setting the cup back down with a soft clink.
“They’re bankrupt. Who would keep a daughter from a family like that? What use is she to you now?”
She smoothed the pleats of her silk skirt, her every gesture refined yet sharp with arrogance.
“Why should we carry the burden of their ruined family? Kylie, on the other hand…” Athena leaned forward slightly, her tone turning coaxing, “she’s from a good background.
Not as rich as Mia’s family used to be, but still respectable.
I’m only saying this for your own good, James. Think about your future.”
Ezra nodded eagerly beside her, shooting his mother a glance of approval, silently encouraging her to keep going.
Athena continued smoothly, her words gaining confidence with every sentence. “You did the right thing by leaving that girl. Now it’s time to move on. Stop wasting your time. You’re not getting any younger, James. This is the right time to strike while the iron is hot.”
A loud crash split the air before she could finish.
“Stop it!”
James’s furious roar echoed through the Sinclair mansion like thunder. His palm slammed down on the glass table so hard that the glass of water the servant had placed there toppled to the floor, shattering into countless glittering shards. The table itself rattled violently under the impact.
“Don’t talk about Mia in front of me!” James bellowed.
Athena and Ezra both jumped in shock, their faces paling at his sudden outburst.
Athena pressed a hand to her chest, trying to steady her breathing. Her chest heaved as she took a deep breath, teeth clenched in restrained frustration. Her voice was sharp but defiant.
“Why don’t you calm down already, James?
” she said, her tone clipped. “What even is in that girl? She doesn’t have the grace or attitude of the women we see at parties!
You’ve seen them—elegant, well-bred, confident.
And that Mia…” Athena scoffed, shaking her head with disdain. “That’s not a wife for a man like you.”
At that moment, Mrs. Maisel quietly entered the room, holding a glass of water on a small silver tray. Her steps were careful, almost hesitant, as if she could sense the storm in the air. She walked up to James and offered the glass to him with a worried expression.
“Here, Mr. Sinclair,” she said softly, handing him the glass.
James accepted it without a word, his fingers trembling slightly as they brushed against the glass. His face looked pale, drawn, dark circles hollowed his eyes from sleepless nights and alcohol.
Mrs. Maisel’s gaze flickered to Athena, her expression tense.
“Mrs. Sinclair,” she began cautiously, folding her hands in front of her apron, “Mr. Sinclair hasn’t been feeling well for the past few days.
” Her voice lowered, carrying a tinge of fear.
“He’s been having chest pains as well. I think…
it’s best not to upset him further. His condition might worsen if he keeps getting angry like this. ”
Athena blinked, momentarily startled by the housekeeper’s words. Her brows furrowed. Ezra glanced up too.
“Chest pains?” she repeated, her voice rising slightly in alarm before quickly shifting into a calculating tone. “There have been so many cases lately… men your age having sudden cardiac attacks.”
For a brief second, concern flashed across her face. She sat straighter, her tone turning brisk and businesslike.
“James,” she said, “it’s better that you transfer your shares of the company and the properties into my name—just in case something happens to you. Your father isn’t alive anymore, and without proper legal arrangements, we won’t be able to handle things smoothly if there’s… an emergency.”
She turned to Ezra with a clipped gesture. “Ezra, go to the courthouse tomorrow with William and get the paperwork ready. If something happens to your brother, everything could fall into the wrong hands. We can’t take that kind of risk.”
The air seemed to thicken around James. His hand clenched tightly around the glass of water until his knuckles turned white. He could feel his heartbeat thundering in his chest.
A wave of bitterness spread through him. His chest felt heavy, almost suffocating.
His mind, against his will, drifted back to Mia.
Whenever he caught even the slightest cold, Mia would get anxious instantly.
She would rush to make him tea, bring his medicines, and check on him multiple times a day.
She would come to his office just to make sure he took his medicine on time, quietly handing it to the receptionist’s desk if he was too busy or didn’t want to see her.
His chest ached harder. ‘But wasn’t all that just for show?’ he thought bitterly. ‘Wasn’t she just pretending? Putting on a performance to look like the perfect wife?’
Still… her way of pretending felt different.
‘She didn’t look like Mom when she said those things,’ he thought, swallowing hard. ‘She looked… genuinely worried.’
He could still picture her worried eyes, the way she’d hover near him with a cup of tea, urging him to rest. The warmth in her touch. The tremor in her voice whenever she thought he was in pain.
A hollow ache spread across his chest, deeper than before. His breathing grew uneven. One hand instinctively pressed over his heart as a sharp pang shot through him.
‘Was I really wrong to believe she was just pretending to worry about me?’