“What do you mean you learned it from me?” Leah asked.
She didn’t even have the mind to care that he had suddenly switched to calling her by her first name.
“When have I ever broken a contract?”
Adrian looked at her, his eyes filled with profound amusement.
He picked up his phone and called Robert Rhodes.
“Bring the documents to Kezhuang,” he ordered, and immediately hung up.
Though completely bewildered, Leah knew that a man like Adrian wouldn’t just spout nonsense.
She felt a twinge of unease, wondering what exactly he had asked Robert to bring.
Adrian didn’t bring it up again.
Instead, he gently tapped the edge of his bone china plate with his chopsticks.
CLINK, CLINK.
The crisp sound drew her attention.
“Try the steamed chicken.”
Who was in the mood for steamed chicken at a time like this?
Leah bit her lip and shot him a glare.
Still, she knew panicking wouldn’t solve anything; she might as well eat.
She stuffed her face, practically seething with every bite.
It was a stark contrast to Adrian, who sat across from her, chewing his food at a maddeningly slow and elegant pace.
Robert’s timing was impeccable.
He arrived just as she finished eating, by which point Leah had calmed down considerably.
“Mr.
Hawthorne.
Madam.”
“Mhm.
Show it to her,” Adrian said.
He took a sip of his after-dinner black tea and tipped his chin slightly in Leah’s direction.
Robert pulled a document from his briefcase and placed it on the table in front of her.
Leah’s gaze froze as it landed on the file.
Of course she recognized it.
It was the prenuptial agreement she and Adrian had signed back then.
The clauses within didn’t just cover the details of the joint project their families had launched after the wedding; they also outlined the division of post-marital assets, their obligations during the marriage, and, most importantly, the duration of the union itself.
Five years.
“Madam,” Robert began, “according to the agreement you and Mr.
Hawthorne signed, the term of your marriage is five years.
Upon the expiration of this five-year period, if either party wishes to discontinue the marriage, the union may be terminated.”
Leah furrowed her brow and nodded.
“Right.
It’s been five years, so it’s perfectly reasonable for me to file for divorce.”
“Actually, there are still three months left until the agreement expires,” Robert stated in a strictly businesslike tone.
He pointed to a specific date on the document.
“To be precise, one hundred days.”
Leah stared blankly, finally noticing the section Robert was pointing at.
It was unbelievable.
The prenuptial agreement actually had a freaking cooling-off period hidden in the fine print!
The official timeline of the contract wouldn’t even begin until this period ended.
Frowning, she looked up at Adrian.
“What…
what is the meaning of this?”
Adrian arched an eyebrow.
“The agreement hasn’t expired yet, Leah.
That’s why I said I learned the art of breaking a contract from you.”
“What exactly do you want, Adrian?
It’s just three months.
What’s the point of dragging this out?” Leah took a deep breath and let out a self-deprecating laugh.
“Besides, isn’t it a good thing that I’m taking the initiative to clear the way for Wendy Scott?”
Adrian’s dark eyes narrowed, a hint of displeasure crossing his face.
For five years, Leah had always been his obedient little lamb, rarely ever voicing a dissenting opinion.
Yet now, it seemed she wasn’t willing to leave any room for negotiation.
Leah let out a soft chuckle.
“Furthermore, with all due respect, Adrian, aside from the asset distribution, many clauses in this agreement are unreasonable to begin with and would hardly hold up in court.”
A cold, humorless smile tugged at the corners of Adrian’s mouth.
“Is that so?
You’re welcome to try your luck.”
Leah pressed her lips together, remaining silent.
Over the years, the Sterling Family had relied entirely on Adrian’s financial support—support that was strictly predicated on their marriage.
Calling the agreement unreasonable now would be burning the bridge after crossing the river.
And knowing Adrian’s temper, biting the hand that fed her wouldn’t end well.
Forcing herself to calm down, she asked, “What do you want, then?”
“I don’t like people breaking their contracts.
Since there are still three months left…” Adrian, still holding his teacup, met her gaze.
“Then you will play the role of a good wife for three more months.”
Leah’s brow furrowed tightly.
She simply couldn’t fathom his motives.
“If you’re doing this just because you feel insulted that I was the one who asked for the divorce first, I can…”
Adrian set down his teacup and stood up.
“Just let me know once you’ve thought it through.
I have a meeting, so I’ll be leaving first.
The bill is already paid.
Take your time.”
With that, he headed for the door.
His tall, broad-shouldered figure paused briefly as he passed Leah.
The crisp, wintry scent of cedarwood drifted into her nose.
“You have three days to decide,” Adrian said, the corner of his lips curling upward.
The subtle shift in his expression made the usually aloof Mr.
Hawthorne look almost diabolically sinister.
Coupled with the nickname he rarely used for her, he exuded a cynical, mocking aura.
“Leah, my patience has its limits.”
Leah sat alone in Kezhuang for a long time.
Eventually, she let out a soft sigh, packed up some leftovers, and headed to Cressida Corp.
Charlotte Quinn had a wad of tissue stuffed up her nose, faintly stained with crimson.
She was frowning deeply while talking to a secretary.
Seeing Leah walk in, her eyes curved into a smile, though Leah couldn’t manage one in return.
“I saw Adrian.”
Charlotte’s expression froze.
Leah frowned.
“Why didn’t you tell me he was threatening you?”
“If I had told you, wouldn’t his threat have worked?” Charlotte sighed.
“His condition was that he would only talk to you.” A look of worry crossed her face.
“You met with him?
What did he say?
Did he give you a hard time?”
Leah pinched the bridge of her nose and relayed Adrian’s demands.
If Leah was baffled, Charlotte was even more bewildered.
“Wait, no.
What exactly does he mean by this?” Charlotte scowled.
“Is he having second thoughts?”
“Second thoughts about what?
Regretting that he didn’t bring up the divorce first?” Leah had long given up any hope when it came to Adrian, her tone entirely devoid of emotion.
Charlotte opened her mouth but no sound came out.
After a long moment, she finally suggested, “Could it be that…
he doesn’t want to let you go?”
Leah froze for a second before bursting into a bitter laugh.
“Him?
Not wanting to let me go?
You’d have better luck believing pigs could fly.”
Charlotte couldn’t find it in her to laugh.
After years of enduring life in the Hawthorne Family, whatever spirit Leah used to have was practically worn away.
“Don’t cave in, Leah,” Charlotte said firmly.
“At worst, I just won’t do this project.”
“I refuse to let him win.
I’ll just go sell the pre-IPO shares of FlowSource he gave me.” Leah gritted her teeth.
If she could sell them for thirty million, it would be just about enough to cover the initial investment for Charlotte’s new project.
Charlotte smiled, reaching out to gently touch Leah’s cheek.
“Don’t be silly, keep them for yourself.
I’ll figure something else out.
You just focus on what you need to do, don’t worry about me.”
But how could Leah not worry?
As if she didn’t have enough on her plate already, some blind fool decided to show up at her doorstep uninvited.
Wendy Scott broke the silence, sitting directly across from Leah.
“I felt we ought to meet, so I took the liberty of inviting you out, Miss Sterling.”
Leah’s lips twitched in a slight, mocking smile.
She looked at her with icy eyes.
“At least you know you’re taking liberties.
I don’t believe we have anything to talk about.”