He was slightly stunned. "You... knew about what happened at the company?""Yeah, I just found out today." I tried to shrug nonchalantly, but I found that I had no strength left. "So, you're not going to change your decision, right?"How could he bear to let Jessica stand at the center of attention again?As expected, his face turned slightly cold. "She's having a delicate pregnancy and can't handle stress. But rest assured, once she's better, I won't let you suffer any more grievance."His words made me completely disappointed.I suppressed the sourness in my nose and looked at him disappointedly. "But what if I'm pregnant too? What if my situation is worse than hers?"Every minute and every second I stood there, I could feel the dull ache in my lower abdomen and the dampness below.But my husband told me his sweetheart couldn't handle stress, so I had to handle it.Meaning, my life was expendable, and I should just endure it.Ryan's body stiffened slightly, then he chuckled
I was suddenly taken aback and instinctively glanced at Ryan. He appeared calm and gentle, holding me in his arms, looking nothing like someone who was here for a divorce. The floor of the hall was dry, and I gently freed myself from his grasp, pursing my lips. "No, we're here to get divorced.""Oh..."The staff member seemed regretful. "It's not easy for two people to come together. You seem to have a good relationship. Why do you want a divorce? Getting divorced is not a small matter. Please don't be impulsive. Once there's a crack, it's hard to mend."I lowered my gaze helplessly. "You might have gotten the sequence mixed up. Cracks don't appear because of divorce. Divorce happens because there are cracks."Few couples would want to divorce unless they had no other choice.The staff member stopped trying to dissuade us. "Well, go ahead. There aren't many people here because of the heavy rain. You can go to any available counter.""Okay, thank you."After thanking them, I foun
He was taken aback. "How did you know?"We were getting divorced so there was no point hiding anything. I said, "That day, I overheard you and Grandpa talking in the office. I heard you admit that you no longer have any feelings for me. Actually, this marriage may have been wrong from the beginning.""No."He almost urgently denied, furrowing his brow as he recalled, explaining, "My acknowledgment wasn't about that question. You misunderstood..."I wasn't eager to argue, simply watching him quietly with a faint smile. "So, did you ever love me?"Ryan was briefly stunned, perhaps finding this question particularly difficult. "Charlotte...""Don't explain. It would only make me look pitiful."I smiled lightly, seeming indifferent. "Have Gary send over the agreement I gave him. In the future, when you marry someone else, it wouldn't be appropriate for me to hold onto that share..."He suddenly interjected forcefully, every word deliberate, "I won't marry anyone else."My eyelashe
"So afraid that I'll regret it?" His voice was muffled. "But I'm more afraid that you'll treat me like a stranger."The surroundings were cold, but his embrace felt just as warm as it did in the past.His words left me stunned.By the time I collected my thoughts, he had already opened the car door for me. After I got in, he turned away without looking back.Through the rain curtain, I glimpsed his upright figure, soaked halfway through.It felt like a thousand ants were gnawing at my heart, leaving it emptier and emptier.So, this was how easy it was to end a marriage.Just half an hour at the Civil Affairs Bureau, submitting documents, signing papers.One month later, another visit, both parties were still in agreement, and we received our divorce certificates.And just like that, everything was cut off.The days of sharing a bed and pillow, of mutual support, seemed like nothing more than a dream.Of course, this all hinged on whether Ryan would keep his word.When I ret
Albert urgently spoke, "Mrs. Frost! Please come back quickly. Grandpa is furious and wants to beat Mr. Frost. Only you can talk him out of it.""What?" Just hearing the first half of the sentence, I sprang up, grabbed a coat, and headed out.It wasn't so much about worrying for Ryan.Although Grandpa had more than one grandson besides Ryan, he cared for him the most. Even if he were to lay hands on him, there would be degrees of severity, and it wouldn't be life-threatening. But Grandpa's health was important, and it was best not to upset him unnecessarily. Unless absolutely necessary, Albert wouldn't be this anxious.Albert said, "You'll see when you get back!"Regardless of my thoughts, when I arrived at the Frost family's residence, I was still stunned.In the study, Ryan, who had once been dignified and composed, was now kneeling on the floor, unable to straighten up from the beating. His forehead was throbbing with veins, and he could only support himself on the edge of th
Although I hadn't considered continuing this marriage with Ryan.Hearing Grandpa's resolute defense, my heart warmed.Ryan pursed his lips. "I have disappointed Charlotte, but I never intended to marry another.""Never intended? If you never intended, why did Charlotte divorce you? Wasn't it because you completely broke her heart?" Grandpa didn't believe a single word.Supporting himself on the edge of the ebony table, Ryan slowly stood up. "I truly never intended to. But I can't ignore Jessica either, especially since she's pregnant.""You're quite the humanitarian!" Grandpa threw a teacup at him.He didn't dodge it, taking the hit squarely on his forehead, which soon began to bleed. Despite this, his expression remained unchanged as he earnestly said, "I promised Aunt Wen that I would take care of her.""What about Charlotte? There are strong rumors in the company that you brought Jessica closer, making everyone see Charlotte as the homewrecker. Do you think that's fair to her
Although we didn't usually live here, the housekeeping staff kept everything immaculate, with not a speck of dust in sight. Even the bedsheets and covers were changed every three days. There was a vintage-style wedding photo hanging on the bedside, touched up by a top-notch editor without a trace of Photoshop.When Ryan sat on the bed, I attempted to withdraw my wrist again, but he held on tight, furrowing his brow. "You won't even help me apply medicine before the divorce is finalized?""I'll get the first aid kit. What else would I use to wipe it for you?"Helpless, I had to compromise. Only then did he let go, relaxing his grip. "Go ahead."I found the first aid kit in the drawer, took out the iodine and ointment, and walked over to him, standing in front of him. The wound on his forehead was shocking, and I gently lowered my head, one hand supporting the back of his head, the other wiping away the blood stains.Grandpa had really laid into him; as soon as I wiped away the bloo
My heart skipped a beat.In an instant, an indescribable discomfort overwhelmed me. This ring—it was our wedding ring. Back when we got married, he might not have cared much, but Grandpa spared no expense for his granddaughter-in-law. A million dollars in wedding gifts, a luxury wedding house, and wedding rings custom-made by a top-tier jewelry designer. Later, the dowry went to my aunt to repay her for raising me. There was no place for me in the marital home. The only thing left to accompany me daily was this ring.When we first married, I joyfully wore it on my ring finger. Upon learning that I was also working at the Frost Group, Ryan immediately advised me to keep a low profile. That very day, I took it off and wore it around my neck on a delicate chain. I wore it like that for three whole years.Something that once brought me joy had now become a silent mockery. To Ryan, this ring and I were both unwelcome. I chuckled self-deprecatingly, "I just forgot to take it off."Indeed
Zachary did not respond to Westley, but instructed Ronan to check the highway toll station for buses.Westley understood.Some buses did not require ID cards, making it difficult to leave a trace.If they had been careless, by the time Luthor reached the border area or took a private boat to leave, it would be hard to trace."I didn't expect Luthor to compromise to this extent."He was 40 years old.His life had always been smooth sailing, always traveling by special car wherever he went.This black bus was truly a hardship.Zachary stood up.Westley followed him out.As they entered the elevator, Zachary glanced at him through the elevator wall and said with a half-smile, "Are you very idle?"Westley coughed lightly. "I’ll keep quiet."Frank came to pick up Charlotte and happened to run into Zachary.His gaze fell on Westley's face, and he snickered, "Mr. Howard, are you retiring?"They knew Westley’s intentions, but they pretended not to.He did not respond, but direct
As long as everything he had remained unchanged, he still had a chance to make things difficult for Zachary.But he also knew that with the huge leverage Zachary now had over the Winston family, the latter definitely wouldn’t let him escape easily.“Luthor, say something. What should we do?”“Yeah, you're the head of the Winston family. You have to ensure the Winston family’s safety.”“Otherwise... well, since Uncle Gregory is in critical condition, just let him take all the blame.”Luthor didn’t want to listen to any of it. He had his subordinates lock them up in a side room.His brain was working quickly, trying to figure out a solution.Just then, his phone rang.It was an international number.A glint of light flashed in his eyes as he answered.“I can help you.”A woman's voice came through, without any preamble.Luthor paused for a moment before simply saying, “Okay.”The voice continued, “But I can only save you.”“That's fine.”He hung up the phone and immediatel
Jane said, “This is obviously the Winston family trying to control the public opinion. How could they possibly admit it?”Jordan nodded. “Exactly.”Charlotte made a phone call to Frank. After hanging up, she turned to Jane and said, “Luthor’s father was rushed to the hospital for emergency treatment, but his condition isn’t good. He may not survive.”Jordan spoke first, “After all the evil he’s done, I think it’s a miracle he’s still alive. If he dies, it’s just what he deserves.”Jane put her arm around Jordan’s shoulders and shook her head. “Jordan, you’re still too young.”“What do you mean?”“Dead people don’t talk. If Luthor’s father dies, then all the responsibility will fall on him. Luthor is smart, he’ll get out of this unharmed, save the Winston family, and later, when the opportunity arises, he’ll still go after Zachary.”Jordan truly didn’t understand the power struggles of the big shots.She made a cutting gesture across her neck. “With such ruthless people in the W
#Paternity Test Report Proves the Whistleblower is a Mine Disaster Survivor#Luthor clicked on the topic and saw the surname "Stone." He felt his vision go dark.The entire family that died had the surname "Stone.""Zachary is staging an act, of course, it has to be convincing. So it’s normal that he knows these things," said Gregory, his hand trembling uncontrollably as he held the teacup. "We can’t scare ourselves. We need to stay calm and not make any rash moves…"Luthor kicked Gregory.All respect and morals were gone."Didn’t I warn you back then? The mine disaster was risky, and we absolutely couldn’t let small gains lead to big losses!"Gregory’s health had been in decline for many years.Although he had been getting treatment, it wasn’t enough compared to Luthor, who was in his prime.The kick sent Gregory to the ground, where he couldn’t get up for a long time. Weakly, he said, "I… I was just trying… for the Winston family to prosper…"Luthor sneered. "Are you happy
The weather was still a bit chilly right after the start of spring. It was the weekend, and there was light rain.In the morning, most of the people on holiday were in bed, playing with their phones.— #Lirad Mine Disaster#This hashtag surged to the top of trending topics at that moment.Luthor could manipulate public opinion, and Zachary could do the same.The former wanted to remove the hashtag from trending, while the latter spent money to keep it at number one.The video from Jasper, on the other hand, didn’t attract much attention anymore.All the focus was on the mine disaster hashtag, and the topic quickly surpassed ten million in views.And it was still growing.Luthor began to feel anxious and called Tim for an update.Tim said that no one had approached the place where the bodies were buried.But Luthor’s tense nerves did not relax because of that.He called a few trusted people.They all said they hadn’t seen anyone from Zachary’s side near the village."Even
"The living could no longer speak, and the only option is to start with the dead. If the autopsy confirms it was an unnatural death, then we can start the investigation. Luthor couldn’t hide everything."Zachary nodded. "You handle it. Solve problems that you come across by yourself.""Yes, Mr. Collins."Meanwhile, Westley overheard and said, "The Winston family is ruthless, and Luthor, as the one in power, is even worse. But his father was useless. Luthor had to clean up his mess many times.""During the mine disaster, Luthor was busy. He was in such a hurry, so it definitely wasn't handled properly."Zachary just hummed in response, sat down on the sofa, and started typing on his phone.Westley thought he was dealing with something, but when he got up to pour some water, he glanced over and realized he was chatting with Jane."What are you doing?" asked Zachary.Jane sent a picture. "Watching TV."Zachary opened it and smiled faintly. "What, learning the indomitable spirit f
Before Rick arrived, he had been briefed by Zachary.He had already anticipated the Greyson family’s reaction.So, he only delivered the message and didn’t say another word before leaving.Brandon and Amanda chased after him.Of course, they weren’t regretting their decision, it was more of a warning.“We had a chance to cooperate, it would’ve been a perfect match. The Greyson family has no blemishes that could harm Mr. Collins’s future. But it’s a pity, Mr. Collins chose a woman like that. Not only that, he’s hurt our daughter as well. It’s too late now for him to come to us for help.”Rick left, expressionless, and got into the car.It was an insult to his intelligence to say even one more word to such fools.With nothing to do at home, Jane suggested they play cards.But Jordan was more concerned, saying that in such a crisis, how could they entertain themselves?So the three of them stared at each other for a long while.Charlotte tried to lighten the mood. “How about I
Jane analyzed for her. "Let things escalate . We can clarify things afterwards, and it will be more convincing."Jordan’s eyes widened in disbelief. "You have another video that can turn the situation around?"The videos Jane had were all given to Zachary.The video he posted yesterday was almost everything.How he would handle it afterward, she had no idea."I trust Zachary.""He won’t let me get hurt."Jordan burped and said, "I shouldn’t be eating, just watching the both of you feed each other dog food is enough to fill me up."Jane and Charlotte exchanged a smile.The video posted by Luthor stayed hot on the trending list all night.Westley saw that Zachary had been standing by the French windows, smoking one cigarette after another.He asked, "Do you need any help?"The response was simple. "No need."Westley couldn’t quite understand.The video circulating online wasn’t very beneficial towards Jane.When parents beat their children, there was no legal standard to j
Charlotte was about to say something when she heard him speak in a meaningful tone. "It’s very dangerous outside. The safest place is to go home with me."She knew he was never serious for even a day.Charlotte shot him a glance.Frank raised his hand and gently pressed her head."What I said earlier was serious. When a beast is cornered, it might do anything, uncontrollable things. For the next few days, just stay at home."Charlotte glanced toward the living room and asked, "What about Zachary?"Frank understood immediately. "He’s fine."Charlotte nodded. "Thanks again. Go do what you have to. We’re about to eat."Frank raised his eyebrows, a mischievous smile tugging at his lips. "Do I just get a verbal thank you? We haven’t..."Charlotte quickly covered his mouth and pushed him toward the door.She was about to shut the door.Frank blocked it with his foot and quickly kissed her lips."I like this thank you gift."Before Charlotte could react, the man shut the door beh