Sinful obsession

"Betty Warner, the daughter of the richest family in Jovenshire, would like to propose to Mr. Ballard. She's offering 77.77 million and a publicly-listed company as a token of her sincerity!"

"Luisa Albright, the daughter of the premiere family in Caevon, would like to propose to Mr. Ballard. She's offering two statues of pure gold that weigh over 100 tons in total as a token of her sincerity!"

"Cora Sutcliffe, the daughter of the Duke of Southam from Draepolis, would like to propose to Mr. Ballard. She's offering ten foreign islands worth 10 billion as a token of her sincerity!"

The courthouse in Steinberg was an unassuming building, but for some reason, it was unusually bustling and fraught with tension today!

Luxury cars lined the street outside the courthouse, and beside them stood prominent figures who could rattle the fabric of society with just a snap of their fingers!

There were individuals from financial oligarchies with hundreds of billions in net worths, underworld kingpins with mighty forces under their commands, members of the elite families who had been around for centuries, as well as generals of armies with soldiers numbered in the hundreds of thousands …

Fully armed soldiers even surrounded the courthouse!

It could not get any more secure than this.

At this moment, 99 powerful figures and their respective daughters had gathered in Steinberg, and they came bearing valuable gifts.

They were all looking at the figure standing at the courthouse entrance—waiting for his divorce to be finalized so that they could propose to him!

"Mr. Ballard, this is …"

Right now, all of the intimidatingly powerful figures in the nation seemed to have gone into a frenzy as they clambered to offer up the gifts they had prepared.

Behind them stood the beautiful young women who came from various prominent backgrounds.

"Get the hell away from me, all of you!" Sebastian Ballard roared in annoyance.

The big shots trembled in fear and scrambled to the side. They were afraid of getting on Sebastian's bad side.

Sebastian was a man skilled in numerous ways, including the field of medicine.

Few dared to claim they would wrestle a life back from the clutches of death, but Sebastian was the exception!

He was someone that even the Grim Reaper was wary of.

Sebastian took a deep breath. As he stood at the courthouse entrance, his mood was somber.

He and his wife, Whitney Sutton, had agreed to finalize their divorce proceedings today.

Just then, a red Mercedes-Benz drove up the street and stopped outside the courthouse.

A gorgeous woman with long hair and an aloof expression emerged from the car. Her black dress fluttered against her slender legs.

"You're here, honey."

Upon seeing the woman, Sebastian walked up to her with a smile.

She was Whitney Sutton, Sebastian's wife of three years and the CEO of Frostwave Corporation, a company based in Steinberg.

Apart from that, she was also a renowned CEO in Steinberg's pharmaceutical industry. She had a net worth of over one billion and had been on the cover of Epoch magazine before.

All in all, Whitney was highly acclaimed in Steinberg.

At the moment, she was accompanied by a female secretary dressed in black.

When Whitney approached and saw the luxury cars parked outside the courthouse entrance, she was taken aback.

Gasping to herself, she recognized some of the women, including Betty, Luisa, and Cora. She was aware of their family backgrounds.

What was going on today? Why had so many influential figures and esteemed socialites gathered outside the courthouse in Steinberg?

After taking a deep breath, Whitney looked at Sebastian with an emotionless expression.

"Let's go in," she said curtly.

Sebastian stiffened for a moment. With a wry smile, he asked, "Honey, can we not get a divorce?"

Whitney's tone remained icy. "Stop joking around. I'm busy. Let's just go in and get the divorce over with. You can keep the villa in Drakon Harbor and your car. On top of that, I'll give you another five million in cash.

"If you think that's not enough, feel free to tell me what you want. I'll do my best to fulfill your demands."

Whitney's heartless response made Sebastian feel as if he had taken a dunk in a pool of icy water.

He and Whitney had been married for three years, but alas, their marriage was ending in divorce.

"Do you think marriage is something that can be quantified with money?" Sebastian asked.

Taking a deep breath, he continued, "Don't forget that I'm the one who founded Frostwave Corporation! Without me, you wouldn't be able to stand in front of me acting all high and mighty!"

Whitney's brows creased as she replied, "Sebastian, you know full well we fell out of love a long time ago. Neither one of us benefits from dragging out this marriage.

"Just agree to the divorce. Consider it my fault for breaking our marriage vows. Let's end things amicably."

Sebastian snorted before growling, "Back then, your family, the Suttons, were on the brink of bankruptcy with a mountain of debt to pay off. I'm the one who founded Frostwave Corporation and helped the Suttons survive their crisis.

"Thanks to me, they even managed to rise to the top of the pharmaceutical industry in Steinberg now. It's only been three years. The Sutton family has regained their wealth, and you have become a highly regarded CEO. And now, you're trying to get rid of me … Am I just a stepping stone to you?"

Then, he declared, "I refuse to get a divorce!"

Just then, Whitney's secretary snapped sharply, "Don't push it, Sebastian! Ms. Sutton is a CEO who's in high demand in Steinberg's pharmaceutical industry! She has a net worth of over one billion, and she has even appeared on the cover of Epoch magazine!

"She's far out of your league! With her looks and accomplishments, she won't be stuck here in Steinberg. She will one day soar to greater heights and be respected by everyone in the world!"

The secretary continued, "As for you, you're nothing but an ignorant and ordinary person who will never amount to anything! Ask yourself honestly, do you think you're worthy of Ms. Sutton?"