In the shower, Isaac paused mid-rinse.
Did she not recognize that he was the man she'd been with last night?
After a moment of silence, he deliberately lowered his voice. "What sort of business do you have in mind?"
Nora said, "I want to date you. I was quite satisfied with last night. Let's see each other for three months, and I'll support you financially during that time. Just name your price."
She couldn't bring herself to say. "I'll keep you."
This man gave her the same vibes as Isaac.
She felt that calling their relationship a "sugar arrangement" would be a disservice to him.
And what she sought was more than just a simple transaction.
She wanted to have a genuine, three-month romance. She wanted to create beautiful memories for her final days, as if he were standing in for the Isaac, as a solace to her soul.
In the bathroom, Isaac's expression turned grim.
She was looking for a new man just a day after suggesting they divorce?
If she wanted to play this game, he'd play along!
"Sir?"
Taking a deep breath to quell the anger in his heart, Isaac gritted his teeth and declared, "A hundred million dollar a month. So, it’s three hundred million dollars for three months!"
"That's exorbitant!" Nora gasped at the figure thrown at her.
Isaac scoffed, "Do you think I'm not worth it?"
"Do I even need to answer that? Of course, you're not! Not even if you were diamond-encrusted!"
"I'm serious about doing business with you. Can't you make it a bit more affordable?"
Isaac laughed coldly. "Three hundred million dollars. Not a penny less!"
Nora was conflicted.
Three hundred million dollars was outrageously expensive!
For anyone else, she would've walked away already.
But he was such a lookalike of Isaac.
The man in the bathroom wasn't worth three hundred million dollars, but she couldn't bear to part with that hint of similarity to Isaac.
After a moment's hesitation, she spoke up, "Alright, give me some time to see if I can scrape together that much."
"You can leave me your contact info. If I can get the money, I'll get in touch with you," she said.
Isaac replied, "Leave your number, and I'll add you later."
"Sure." Nora walked back to her room, jotted down her contact number on the hotel's notepad, and left it by the bedside. "I left my number on the nightstand. I'll transfer the money from last night once you add me. Don't forget."
To ensure he wouldn't forget to add her, Nora intentionally didn't pay upfront.
"Got it."
With his confirmation, Nora finally left with peace of mind.
Isaac emerged from the bathroom, a chill still clinging to him. He picked up the note from the nightstand, clenching it into a tight ball.
He tossed the crumpled paper into the trashcan and then dialed his assistant, Wesley Porter, on his phone.
"Get me a new phone now and set up with a new SIM card!"
"And find someone to craft a custom flesh mask; the faster, the better."
Within half an hour, Isaac had a new phone and SIM card in his hands.
He registered a new WhatsApp with the new number and added Nora as a contact.
When Nora returned to Isaac's villa, it was nearly noon.
She asked the housekeeper about his whereabouts, learning that Isaac hadn't come home last night.
"He did spend the night at Kalista's place."
But now she couldn't blame him.
After all, she had sought out another man last night.
They were even.
Just then, her WhatsApp pinged with a friend request.
A black profile picture and the name 808—her hotel room number from the night before.
It was clear it was the man from last night.
Nora accepted the friend request.
"How much for last night? I'll transfer it to you now."
808 replied, "A hundred million dollar for a month. How much do you think it is for a night?"
Nora did the math.
It was over three million dollars for the night.
Brazenly, she asked, "If I hire you for three months, could I get a night free?"
After a long wait with no response, she took the silence as agreement.
Nora put away her phone and went upstairs to pack her bags.
At seven in the evening, Isaac returned home from work.
Nora had been waiting in the living room for quite some time.
As he entered, she rose to her feet and handed him two freshly printed copies of their divorce settlement.
"Here's the revised divorce agreement. I've added a clause. Take a look and sign it if everything's fine," she said.
Isaac picked up the document and perused it. A scoff escaped him when he saw the financial compensation clause.
Three hundred million dollars?
Just this morning, he had wondered how she would come up with three hundred million dollars to support him.
So, she had her sights set on his fortune after all!
Using his money to support another man – she really had it all figured out.
"Weren't you talking about leaving with nothing yesterday? Now you're asking for three hundred million dollars?" he asked.
Nora's eyes flashed with a flicker of guilt, but she remained composed. "I donated my blood to the woman you cherish for three years. It's only fair I receive some compensation."
"Do you think your lover's life isn't worth three hundred million dollars?" she challenged.
Isaac had agreed to marry her, influenced by his grandfather's pressure but also because she had agreed to donate blood, without any compensation, to his beloved friend Kalista.
Isaac narrowed his eyes slightly.
He gave Nora a deep, penetrating look. Then, he picked up the pen from the table and signed his name without any hesitation.
Watching him sign his name so smoothly, Nora's heart felt as if it had been pierced, wrenching with pain.
He didn't even hesitate. There was no sliver of reluctance, no hint of sentiment in parting from her.
Perhaps her agreement to the divorce was a relief for him.