The Hawthorne Group’s underground parking garage.
Leah Sterling watched as Charlotte Quinn beamed, waving the signed documents in her hand.
“Tomorrow’s the weekend.
Just in case your husband changes his mind, we had to get this nailed down quickly.
You’re the hero of the day!”
Charlotte had dragged Leah out of bed first thing in the morning, claiming Leah was responsible for half of this victory.
Therefore, her presence was mandatory.
But Leah had zero interest in it.
After returning to the company with Charlotte, she simply went to the legal department to consult them about her prenuptial agreement with Adrian Hawthorne.
“Agreements like this are already hard to enforce legally,” the legal counsel had told her.
“Besides, you haven’t had a formal job for the past five years.
If you’re the one to file for divorce and his lawyers are aggressive, this agreement could become a noose around your neck.
“So, personally, I think it’s better if you wait for him to bring it up.
When it comes to divorce, usually, the party in a rush is the one who ends up making the most concessions.
“But this isn’t my specialty.
You should really consult a dedicated divorce lawyer for the specifics.”
Hearing those words had left Leah deep in thought.
She wasn’t overly obsessed with wealth, but she wasn’t quite at the point of treating money like dirt either.
Moreover, walking away with nothing usually implied that a person had committed some unforgivable, fundamental wrong.
Had she done anything wrong?
Even after five years, she still couldn’t figure it out.
They were both victims of this arranged marriage, and she had tried her best in this relationship.
So why did Adrian treat her as if she were a more heinous sinner than the people who had forced them into it?
Later, while packing her things at The Verdant, Charlotte couldn’t help but sigh as she looked at Leah’s luggage, which only took up two suitcases.
“Five years of marriage, and this is all you have?
What’s the point of even packing?
You might as well just throw it all away.”
“Throw it away, then,” Leah replied.
She carefully wrapped a few exquisite ceramic vases in bubble wrap and placed them into the suitcase.
She genuinely didn’t care about the rest of her belongings; the only things that mattered to her were these few pieces of her own work.
Seeing how much Leah treasured them, Charlotte asked, “Leah, do you plan on getting back into pottery?”
Leah’s hands paused.
After marrying Adrian five years ago, the collaborative business projects between their two families had rapidly launched.
She and Adrian had been designated as their respective families’ representatives to oversee the ventures.
Leah had no interest in business, but to avoid causing him trouble, she had to give it her all.
At the time, that meant putting aside the career she loved.
“I’ll think about it once everything is settled,” Leah finally said.
“Leah, you’re still young,” Charlotte urged.
“It’s time you seriously started thinking about your future again.”
The two women left the villa.
When Adrian Hawthorne returned from his business trip, the house at The Verdant was spotless and dead quiet.
Leah had lived here for five years.
Though she never had a strong presence, her existence always showed in the little details.
The small ornaments on the tables, the ceramic vases in the cabinets, the SpongeBob slippers at the entryway…
But now, they were all gone.
Every last trace of her had been wiped clean.
Staring at the empty space where the SpongeBob slippers used to be, Adrian imperceptibly furrowed his brow.
“Mr.
Hawthorne, Miss Scott’s flight arrives this afternoon.
Shall I postpone your afternoon meetings?” Robert Rhodes asked from the side.
“Where is she staying now?” Adrian asked, his expression unreadable.
Robert paused for a moment before realizing his boss was asking about his wife.
“She should be…
at a friend’s place,” Robert answered uncertainly, his tone apologetic.
“I’m sorry, sir.
I will look into it immediately.”
Robert couldn’t understand it.
His boss never cared about his wife, so why the sudden inquiry?
“Forget it,” Adrian said flatly.
“Change the afternoon meetings to online.” After a brief pause, he added, “I’ll go to the airport myself.
You go and transfer the Seaview Manor property on Drexel Road to her.”
“For me?”
Leah stared at the contract in front of her, somewhat taken aback.
The Seaview Manor property on Drexel Road was a top-floor ocean-view duplex, valued in the eight figures.
If she were merely relocating from The Verdant to Drexel Road, she wouldn’t be this surprised.
But the document Robert had just handed her was a property transfer authorization.
“Mrs.
Hawthorne, once you sign this authorization, I will handle all the subsequent transfer procedures for you,” Robert explained.
As Leah prepared to sign, she hesitated.
“Where is Adrian?”
“Mr.
Hawthorne…
went to the airport.”
Hearing this, Leah immediately understood.
He had just returned from a business trip, yet he was heading straight to the airport.
There could only be one explanation—Wendy Scott had returned.
So, was this Drexel Road property her compensation?
But that wasn’t all Robert had brought with him.
When Charlotte returned from work and saw the items on the coffee table, her eyes nearly popped out of her head.
“So…
so you’re telling me that Adrian Hawthorne not only gave you an eight-figure top-floor ocean-view duplex but also five million in cash, and…
and…” Charlotte stared at the documents on the table, stumbling over her words.
Her eyes gleamed, looking as if she were about to drool.
“One percent of the original shares in FlowSource!”
FlowSource was a subsidiary of the Hawthorne Group, and its recent momentum was fierce.
The shares Adrian had given her were worth at least thirty million!
“What is he trying to do?” Charlotte guessed.
“Has he suddenly grown a conscience after five years?”
Leah remained silent for a few seconds before saying, “It’s probably a divorce settlement.
After all, Wendy Scott is back.
He’s probably afraid I’ll refuse to leave.”
“Leah…” Charlotte looked torn.
“I really want to feel sorry for you, but looking at these eight-figure assets on the table, I’m just jealous.
I can’t even pity you anymore.
Please don’t be sad.”
“Looking at these things, I can’t bring myself to be sad either.” Leah’s eyes curved into a smile as she took a deep breath.
“Since he’s being so generous, I naturally have to grant his wish.”
Leah quickly found a divorce lawyer and had a divorce agreement drafted.
On the day she moved into Seaview Manor, Leah received the drafted divorce agreement from her lawyer.
She was just figuring out the right time to hand it to Adrian when she received a call from Ian Sloan.
Ian was a good friend of Adrian’s, the young master of the Sloan Family, and a prominent figure in Corvin’s elite circle of heirs.
He was the textbook definition of a playboy.
Though he was Adrian’s friend, rather than saying he stood on Adrian’s side, it was more accurate to say he just loved watching a good show and didn’t mind stirring the pot.
“Leah, we’re at The Boathouse.
You should come over,” Ian said.
“I won’t be coming.” Leah looked around her new home; there were still things she needed to unpack.
Besides, she had never fit into their circle, and Adrian had never intended to help her blend in.
Otherwise, he wouldn’t constantly disrespect her in front of them.
In their eyes, she had probably always just been Adrian’s on-call driver, the dutiful trophy wife keeping up appearances at home, an invisible nanny.
“Just come.
Adrian’s had quite a bit to drink today.
Once he gets completely wasted, he’s definitely going to call you anyway.
You might as well come over and try to get him to drink less.”
Leah hesitated for a moment, glancing at the folder containing the divorce agreement on the table.
She made her decision.
It just so happened that she was moving today, it just so happened that she had received the drafted agreement today, and it just so happened that Ian had called to invite her over.
It seemed even God had chosen today for her.
Leah grabbed her car keys and headed out.
The private banquet hall at The Boathouse was bustling with activity.
Silas Sinclair leaned over to Ian and asked in a low voice, “Hey, did you really call Leah over?”
“Yeah,” Ian replied, raising an eyebrow.
Silas threw a glance at Wendy Scott, who was sitting next to Adrian.
“Yikes.
God knows what kind of Hell on Earth this is going to turn into later.
You’re seriously twisted, you know that?”
Ian arched an eyebrow.
“I just want to see if Adrian actually knows what he wants.”
“Hasn’t he always wanted Wendy?” Silas asked, clearly confused.
A smirk tugged at the corner of Ian’s lips.
“It’d be best if that were true.
Because if it isn’t, things are going to get really interesting.”