Chapter 4

After the board meeting, Brandon immediately called his secretary into his office.

"How is the investigation on Amery going, Xander?" Brandon asked right away.

The secretary avoided looking at him and instead turned his gaze toward the glass wall of the office, steering clear of his boss's intense stare.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Ricafort... but there's still no progress in the investigation," Xander said, wiping the beads of sweat off his forehead. "After Ms. Amery left that night, she never returned to her previous workplace. We also went to the address of her former residence, but it turned out that the address was fake. No one with the surname Dela Cerna lived there."

"Fake address?" Brandon frowned deeply, glaring at his secretary in disbelief.

Xander quickly responded, "Yes, Mr. Ricafort. We also went to the police station to inquire, but they couldn't find any record of Ms. Amery."

Brandon was confused. What kind of person had he married? Could she possibly be a secret agent?

"She left with Anton Madrigal that night. Is there no news about him either?"

"To be honest, Mr. Ricafort, if Mr. Madrigal really wanted to hide Ms. Amery in a secluded place, it would be nearly impossible for us to find her."

Just the thought of Anton taking Amery to a "secluded place" made Brandon's eyes narrow with sharp intensity. He suddenly felt uneasy.

"That Anton Madrigal is something else. I never thought he’d stoop so low as to steal another man’s wife," Brandon said angrily, his voice trembling with frustration.

Xander hesitated but replied cautiously, "Hmm... I don’t think it’s really ‘stealing,’ Mr. Ricafort. It might be more accurate to say he’s taking her off your hands."

Realizing too late that he had spoken too freely, the secretary immediately covered his mouth. Brandon shot him a sharp glare, making Xander so nervous he could barely breathe. He coughed awkwardly and quickly excused himself to leave.

Despite everything, Brandon couldn’t get that night out of his mind. He vividly remembered the admiration in Anton’s eyes as he gazed at Amery. For some inexplicable reason, his chest felt heavy.

How could someone like Anton Madrigal, known for being picky and indifferent, be so drawn to and protective of a woman like Amery, who seemed so ordinary?

“Brandon… c-can we not separate anymore?”

“I love you so much, Brandon.”

"Liar!" Brandon shouted, his voice echoing in his head as Amery’s words played over and over.

His eyes darkened, and his body trembled with anger. The more he thought about it, the more his fury toward Amery intensified.

---

Brandon stood tall in front of his father, Senior Emilio, and the Ricafort patriarch, Don Simeon.

Samantha, who was supposed to be with him, had been left outside the room. According to the elder Don, a woman like her was nothing but a lowly mistress and was not worthy of facing him.

"Speak! What is it about that woman?!" Don Simeon shouted in anger, striking the floor with his cane.

Senior Emilio quickly attended to his father. "Papa, please calm down..." he said, gently patting the elder's shoulder while shooting Brandon a reproachful look.

"Lolo, our three-year agreement is over. You promised that Amery would only be my wife for three years. And after that agreement, it would be up to me whether to continue the marriage or not," Brandon explained weakly to the elder.

The old man paled, his face etched with sorrow. In the three years that Amery had been part of their family, she had brought him so much joy, and he hadn’t even realized their agreement had ended.

"Now, I’ve decided to end our relationship so I can be with the person I truly love. Besides, Amery has already agreed and signed the divorce papers. We just need to process the certificate to formalize our separation." Brandon’s voice faltered as he spoke, his body betraying his words.

"What?! You’re really divorced?!" Don Simeon roared, his anger boiling over. He nearly collapsed as he stood up. Senior Emilio tried to steady him but was pushed away.

"Papa, we haven’t received the divorce certificate yet. If you don’t calm down, you might have a stroke," Senior Emilio warned fearfully.

"No! This can’t happen! Why did Amery settle for this? Why couldn’t you just love her?!" Don Simeon raged hysterically.

Brandon stood frozen, unsure of how to respond to the old man’s outburst. Senior Emilio was equally at a loss, unable to find a way to pacify him.

"I want Amery! Bring her back! If she doesn’t come back, I won’t eat or sleep! Amery is the only one who can be my granddaughter-in-law!" the elder Don wailed like a child throwing a tantrum.

Senior Emilio, restless and panicked, ordered Brandon to find Amery immediately.

"This won’t lead anywhere, Dad. Even if I drag her back here, our marriage is over, and there’s nothing you can do about it," Brandon said desperately, trying to remain firm. He believed that eventually, his family would move on from this situation.

Hearing this, Don Simeon screamed even louder, his body suddenly stiffening. Terrified, Brandon and his father immediately called for a doctor. The entire household erupted into chaos upon learning what had happened.