Share

Chapter 26

Author: Jean Shea
Steven glanced at her trembling hand without making it obvious. "Yes." He set down his coffee cup and added, "But the tax bureau will evaluate based on the severity of the case.

"You weren't the one who evaded the taxes, you weren't aware of the situation, and you're the one making the report. Under those conditions, you could be exempt from punishment."

Sheryl finally began to relax a little after hearing his calm voice.

"Is Veloura Atelier evading taxes?" he asked.

Sheryl pursed her lips and clutched her phone more tightly. "I'm not sure. I just suddenly thought of it and wanted to ask."

Steven gave a nonchalant grunt. "If that's the case, I'd suggest going to the tax bureau and looking into it. Use yourself as bait and catch them off guard. That's when they'll slip up."

It was a clever tactic.

It wouldn't affect her much personally. Maybe she really would find something or even dig up some key evidence.

Once her pounding heart finally settled, she was ready to get up.

Her p
Continue to read this book for free
Scan code to download App
Locked Chapter

Related chapters

  • Love, Law, and Remarrying   Chapter 27

    Sheryl originally thought the conversation outside would last no more than thirty minutes. But to her surprise, an hour and a half passed, and Margaret Holden was still going on and on.There wasn't a chair or sofa in the room, and she didn't feel comfortable sitting on the bed, so her legs had gone a bit numb.After another ten minutes, the hidden door finally slid open. Sheryl paused mid-leg-stretch and stared blankly at the man outside. After a few seconds, she quickly straightened up and gave him an awkward smile. "Has Mrs. Holden left?"Steven glanced at the perfectly untouched bed. His lips moved slightly. "Just left. Come on out.""Oh, okay."As Sheryl lifted her leg to move, she stumbled slightly. Steven instinctively reached out and caught her arm.Feeling embarrassed, she quickly pulled her arm away. "My legs are a little numb. Thanks.""Sit on the sofa and rest for a bit," Steven said, gesturing with a businesslike tone. "Do you want me to help you look into Veloura At

  • Love, Law, and Remarrying   Chapter 28

    Once the waiter left, silence fell between them. They seemed to have nothing to talk about.Sheryl realized that Steven only got talkative when it came to legal matters. Otherwise, he was a man of few words.He didn't find the silence awkward at all.Sheryl felt a little uneasy. She thought of the stack of documents on his desk earlier, all related to Vincent's case, and took the initiative to ask, "How's the investigation on Vincent's case going? Did they catch the guy who pawned the pen?""They did." Steven paused for a second. "He was caught red-handed by Selena when she came out of the shower. She resisted, and he accidentally killed her.""Why was Vincent at Selena's place that night?"Steven lifted his gaze and gave her a long look. "Those are case details. Not something I should disclose."Sheryl got the hint and took a tactical sip of water. "Right. Shouldn't have asked."The truth was that he could tell her. That night, Vincent had arranged via WhatsApp to hook up wit

  • Love, Law, and Remarrying   Chapter 29

    Sheryl clenched her fists tightly. Brandon really had given Vivian quite a lot of things."Boyfriend? Vivian, when did that happen? Congratulations!"The nearby colleagues gasped in surprise. They smiled and offered their congratulations.Vivian replied with a shy smile, "Thank you! This afternoon I'll have him treat everyone to coffee."The coworkers politely declined. "Oh, that's too much, we can't accept that.""It's fine," Vivian said generously. "It's just coffee."Back in college, Sheryl had already noticed that Vivian was great at winning people over. There were always one or two folks gathered around her. That sweet, innocent, and kind act of hers was the perfect disguise.Now that she thought about it, Elaine was the exact same type.It turned out that Vivian was the one who would've made the perfect daughter-in-law for Elaine."Sheryl, what do you want for afternoon tea?" Just as she was about to return to her office, Vivian called after her again.Sheryl paused for

  • Love, Law, and Remarrying   Chapter 30

    Vivian had posted a new update that evening."My husband gave me this month's allowance. What should I buy?"It was followed by a thinking face and a heart emoji.Below that was a screenshot of a bank transfer and a chat conversation.It was a hundred thousand dollars.The sender's name and account number were blurred out, but the timestamp was clearly visible. It went through at six minutes to eight that night.Vivian hadn't blurred the WhatsApp profile photo, contact name, or chat log."I miss you so much," Vivian wrote."I miss you too, baby," Brandon replied."If you miss me, why don't you come see me? Hmph!" There was an angry face emoji at the end.Brandon had replied with a voice message."You'd better not lie to me. I bought coffee for my coworkers this afternoon saying you did it. You have to pay me back," Vivian had responded."Alright, I'll transfer it to you."Just reading those few lines made Sheryl feel stuffy in her chest. Her breathing turned shallow and lab

  • Love, Law, and Remarrying   Chapter 1

    Ding!Sheryl Moran had just arrived at the parking lot when her phone chimed with a new message. She reflexively tapped it open, and a single line of text popped up."Don't take Riverpoint Road. It's dangerous!"It came from an unknown number with no name attached.Riverpoint Road was the fastest and most direct route from her house to Moran Art Gallery.Sheryl frowned, confused. She assumed it was a misdirected message or just spam, so she ignored it. She got into the driver's seat and started the car.Evening rush hour had passed, so traffic was smooth. As she waited for the green light at an intersection, another notification lit up her screen.She glanced over. It was the same number again, but a new message."8:30 PM, chain collision on Riverpoint Road. Don't go."Sheryl was a little stunned. She frowned. It was eight twenty three. Once the light turned green, the next turn would take her straight to Riverpoint Road.Suddenly, her phone rang. It was her assistant, Jonah

  • Love, Law, and Remarrying   Chapter 2

    Sheryl stared at the string of words on her screen. She was stunned. She knew what every word meant. But strung together like this, they suddenly felt foreign.The first name was her husband's. The second was her best friend.Sheryl had met Brandon in college. Back then, his pursuit of her had been nothing short of dramatic. There were flowers, breakfast deliveries, and stuffed animals. He had even treated her classmates to drinks. Everyone on campus knew just how deep his love for her ran and how devoted he was.He had been willing to go to any lengths for her, including risking his own life.Through all these years, his love had never changed.Vivian had been Sheryl's college roommate for two years. That time together had made them inseparable. She had watched Sheryl and Brandon's entire relationship unfold from day one.Vivian had never liked Brandon. She never had anything nice to say about him.At their wedding, Vivian had even teared up while warning Brandon, "You'd bett

  • Love, Law, and Remarrying   Chapter 3

    Sheryl walked out of the hotel with heavy steps. As soon as she stepped into the elevator, it felt like all the strength had drained from her body.So, had Brandon really cheated?She didn't want to believe it, but everything that happened forced her to suspect otherwise.How could there be such a coincidence?Brandon had cancelled on her last minute, and Vivian just so happened to be on the fourteenth floor of the Kingston Hotel, the exact location mentioned in the anonymous text, where she was meeting her supposed boyfriend in room 1408.If it was real, then when did it start? How did it start?She didn't wait outside the hotel. She figured once Vivian knew she had shown up, she would definitely warn Brandon not to come.On the way back, a soft drizzle began to fall. It was early autumn, and the temperature had already started to drop.By the time she got home, Brandon called. She didn't answer. She parked the car and went straight inside.Brandon heard the door and quickly

  • Love, Law, and Remarrying   Chapter 4

    'Peterson & Co.? Steven Peterson?'Sheryl stared blankly at the name. She'd never paid much attention to the legal field, and now, curiosity and confusion stirred within her. She searched Steven's name on Google.After tapping into his personal profile, the first thing that popped up was his ID photo. Below it was his bio."Steven Peterson, 29, born and raised in Nexville. Licensed Level 1 attorney. Graduated from Nexville Law, earned his doctorate from Yates Law. Upon returning home, he founded Peterson & Co. and currently serves as its managing partner. Specializes in civil and criminal litigation, as well as international finance and trade law."She read more about him. He was young, successful, and already a big name in the legal world. He hadn't lost a single case to date. He was reputed to be always quiet but cut straight to the bone when it mattered.People in the legal world had a nickname for him, The Flayer. If you went up against him, you'd walk away feeling like you'd

Latest chapter

  • Love, Law, and Remarrying   Chapter 30

    Vivian had posted a new update that evening."My husband gave me this month's allowance. What should I buy?"It was followed by a thinking face and a heart emoji.Below that was a screenshot of a bank transfer and a chat conversation.It was a hundred thousand dollars.The sender's name and account number were blurred out, but the timestamp was clearly visible. It went through at six minutes to eight that night.Vivian hadn't blurred the WhatsApp profile photo, contact name, or chat log."I miss you so much," Vivian wrote."I miss you too, baby," Brandon replied."If you miss me, why don't you come see me? Hmph!" There was an angry face emoji at the end.Brandon had replied with a voice message."You'd better not lie to me. I bought coffee for my coworkers this afternoon saying you did it. You have to pay me back," Vivian had responded."Alright, I'll transfer it to you."Just reading those few lines made Sheryl feel stuffy in her chest. Her breathing turned shallow and lab

  • Love, Law, and Remarrying   Chapter 29

    Sheryl clenched her fists tightly. Brandon really had given Vivian quite a lot of things."Boyfriend? Vivian, when did that happen? Congratulations!"The nearby colleagues gasped in surprise. They smiled and offered their congratulations.Vivian replied with a shy smile, "Thank you! This afternoon I'll have him treat everyone to coffee."The coworkers politely declined. "Oh, that's too much, we can't accept that.""It's fine," Vivian said generously. "It's just coffee."Back in college, Sheryl had already noticed that Vivian was great at winning people over. There were always one or two folks gathered around her. That sweet, innocent, and kind act of hers was the perfect disguise.Now that she thought about it, Elaine was the exact same type.It turned out that Vivian was the one who would've made the perfect daughter-in-law for Elaine."Sheryl, what do you want for afternoon tea?" Just as she was about to return to her office, Vivian called after her again.Sheryl paused for

  • Love, Law, and Remarrying   Chapter 28

    Once the waiter left, silence fell between them. They seemed to have nothing to talk about.Sheryl realized that Steven only got talkative when it came to legal matters. Otherwise, he was a man of few words.He didn't find the silence awkward at all.Sheryl felt a little uneasy. She thought of the stack of documents on his desk earlier, all related to Vincent's case, and took the initiative to ask, "How's the investigation on Vincent's case going? Did they catch the guy who pawned the pen?""They did." Steven paused for a second. "He was caught red-handed by Selena when she came out of the shower. She resisted, and he accidentally killed her.""Why was Vincent at Selena's place that night?"Steven lifted his gaze and gave her a long look. "Those are case details. Not something I should disclose."Sheryl got the hint and took a tactical sip of water. "Right. Shouldn't have asked."The truth was that he could tell her. That night, Vincent had arranged via WhatsApp to hook up wit

  • Love, Law, and Remarrying   Chapter 27

    Sheryl originally thought the conversation outside would last no more than thirty minutes. But to her surprise, an hour and a half passed, and Margaret Holden was still going on and on.There wasn't a chair or sofa in the room, and she didn't feel comfortable sitting on the bed, so her legs had gone a bit numb.After another ten minutes, the hidden door finally slid open. Sheryl paused mid-leg-stretch and stared blankly at the man outside. After a few seconds, she quickly straightened up and gave him an awkward smile. "Has Mrs. Holden left?"Steven glanced at the perfectly untouched bed. His lips moved slightly. "Just left. Come on out.""Oh, okay."As Sheryl lifted her leg to move, she stumbled slightly. Steven instinctively reached out and caught her arm.Feeling embarrassed, she quickly pulled her arm away. "My legs are a little numb. Thanks.""Sit on the sofa and rest for a bit," Steven said, gesturing with a businesslike tone. "Do you want me to help you look into Veloura At

  • Love, Law, and Remarrying   Chapter 26

    Steven glanced at her trembling hand without making it obvious. "Yes." He set down his coffee cup and added, "But the tax bureau will evaluate based on the severity of the case. "You weren't the one who evaded the taxes, you weren't aware of the situation, and you're the one making the report. Under those conditions, you could be exempt from punishment."Sheryl finally began to relax a little after hearing his calm voice."Is Veloura Atelier evading taxes?" he asked.Sheryl pursed her lips and clutched her phone more tightly. "I'm not sure. I just suddenly thought of it and wanted to ask."Steven gave a nonchalant grunt. "If that's the case, I'd suggest going to the tax bureau and looking into it. Use yourself as bait and catch them off guard. That's when they'll slip up."It was a clever tactic.It wouldn't affect her much personally. Maybe she really would find something or even dig up some key evidence.Once her pounding heart finally settled, she was ready to get up.Her p

  • Love, Law, and Remarrying   Chapter 25

    Thinking back now, it really was stupid of her. She smiled at herself mockingly."Was there a written IOU for that three million?"Sheryl opened her mouth but shook her head. A trace of helplessness clouded her eyes.If she couldn't prove that the three million was a loan to Elaine, then as the investor and legal representative, she would definitely be implicated."Did you ever participate in any business decisions? Board meetings? Sign any establishment documents for the beauty salon?" Steven asked.Sheryl shook her head. "No. Choosing the location, renovation, purchasing all the equipment, hiring, and even the business planning model, I wasn't involved in any of it. All I did was give her the initial three million, and in return she made me the legal representative and gave me a profit share every six months.""How many times have you received them?""Only once so far," Sheryl replied. "The next payout is due next month. I only found out yesterday from her that the next payout

  • Love, Law, and Remarrying   Chapter 24

    "Yeah, I know it's important," Sheryl said.It had been raining for several days in Nexville, and today was no different. It was still cloudy.After breakfast, Sheryl watched as Brandon drove off to work. Just as she turned around, her phone chimed."Take the contract you signed with Elaine to Steven. He will help you."Sheryl stared at the text. Her gaze intensified.Who was sending these?Before this, she and Steven were strangers. Even now, their relationship was still not close. How could this person be so sure Steven would help her?Was it just because he was a lawyer?She couldn't come up with an answer. She put her phone away and went upstairs to retrieve the contracts she had signed with Elaine last year.She had read through them carefully when they were signed, and there hadn't been anything suspicious at the time.After thinking for a moment, she didn't bother with makeup and drove directly to Peterson & Co.When she arrived, she happened to see Steven getting out

  • Love, Law, and Remarrying   Chapter 23

    Sheryl didn't sleep well. She kept waking up throughout the night.By the time she opened her eyes again around seven, she felt no trace of drowsiness. She tossed back the covers and got up to wash and change.When she came downstairs, Brandon was sitting at the dining table and typing on his phone. His expression was focused and serious. She could see him smiling a little.The scene felt oddly familiar to Sheryl.She had a sense of déjà vu.It looked just like when they had been dating and sending each other affectionate texts. They'd gone through a long phase like that.Now, she was watching him do the same thing with another woman.It still hurt, but strangely, it didn't hurt as much as it used to."Good morning, Mrs. Simrod." Melinda's greeting pulled Sheryl back to reality.Brandon looked up and spotted her. His gaze softened, and the trace of warmth in his eyes quickly faded. He put his phone face-down on the table and got up to meet her. "You're up early today. Don't you

  • Love, Law, and Remarrying   Chapter 22

    Simon nodded and stood up with Elaine. Still holding her hand, he spoke just in time. "When it comes to children, it's all about fate. In the Simrod family, there's no rule that says a woman has to have a child within the first year or two of marriage."Alright. Since everyone's here, let's eat," he added.That line was a direct slap in Gloria's face.Gloria let out a cold chuckle. "All I did was casually ask Sheryl about having a baby, and look at you, jumping to defend her as if your life's at stake. Whatever Elaine says is always right, isn't it?"Simon's expression turned grim, but Gloria wasn't planning to stick around to see his reaction. She stood up gracefully, smoothed the side of her hair, and said breezily, "I'm not feeling well. I'll skip dinner. Wouldn't want to ruin your mood either."With that, she turned around and walked out.If not for the deep entanglement of interests between their two families, she would have divorced him long ago. Thanks to her surname, Glo

Explore and read good novels for free
Free access to a vast number of good novels on GoodNovel app. Download the books you like and read anywhere & anytime.
Read books for free on the app
SCAN CODE TO READ ON APP
DMCA.com Protection Status