Semua Bab Contract Over: You're Free to Go: Bab 81 - Bab 90

That unnerving calm and complete, irrevocable disappointment Teresa had seen in Silas' eyes felt like a rusted nail, driven straight into her nerves.He thought she was blind. He thought she would let Carlton scam her out of everything she had. Even before walking away, he'd disgusted her with that pathetic forged investigation report, trying to prove he knew more than she did about how dark people's hearts could be.Who did he think he was?What right did he—a man who had lived off her for three years, a man who couldn't even read a company balance sheet—have to look at her with that superior, pitying gaze? What made him so sure that once she left his suffocating "protection", she was destined to fall flat on her face?A violent wave of defiance, mixed with the bitterness and rage of being abandoned, smashed through Teresa's last line of rationality.She wanted to prove that Silas was a complete idiot. She wanted to use TRS Group's unstoppable expansion and cold, hard profit to

The conference room was so quiet that the only sound was the soft rustle of pages turning.Half a minute later, Lester's expression shifted from guarded and wary to downright stunned. He even comically brought the agreement closer to his face, as if suspecting he'd somehow skipped over a dozen pages of attachments.Teresa's gaze was fixed on the section on the division of assets. The black ink on white paper clearly stated, "The husband shall retain only his premarital personal assets, plus three years of legitimate salary income earned from his personal studio during the marriage."The husband voluntarily waives any right to claim marital assets, including but not limited to shares, dividends, funds, and investment income associated with TRS Group. No request will be made for any form of alimony or compensation."There was no fight over share premiums or astronomical emotional damages. Silas hadn't even asked for the car he usually drove for grocery runs. His demands were so minim

With that, Teresa turned on her heel and strode out in her stilettos. She didn't spare the stunned people in the conference room another glance, nor did she give William any chance to argue back.The solid walnut doors slammed shut with a loud bang.William looked at the contract that had been thrown back at him and rubbed the bridge of his nose, feeling a headache coming on.Teresa really wouldn't give up until reality hit her hard.…Teresa strode all the way back to her CEO's office. The sharp clack of her stilettos on the marble floor was faster and harsher than usual.She shoved the office door open and walked straight to the floor-to-ceiling windows, gulping in deep breaths of air.She hadn't signed it. At the very moment she refused to put her name down, she'd covered it up with the excuse of wanting Silas to talk to her himself.But only she knew that when the tip of the pen was about to touch the paper, her hand had shaken so badly that she couldn't even hold the pen s

After saying her piece, Alice grabbed her bag and walked out of the office without a backward glance. The door shut behind her, and silence dropped over the office like a shroud.Sitting in her oversized executive chair, Teresa suddenly felt the central air-conditioning cutting straight through her tailored suit, a cold draft seeping bit by bit into her bones.She stared at the signed letter of intent lying on her desk. The black ink was stark on the white paper, and it was complete with Carlton's bold, confident signature.Just half an hour ago, she'd thought this was a perfect blueprint that could double TRS Group's valuation, that it would be a loud, resounding slap across Silas' face.Now, that same document sat there like a bottomless black hole."Maybe Silas really doesn't get all the fancy clawbacks and earn-outs you people write into your finance deals, but he understands people."Alice's words kept replaying in Teresa's ears. Against her will, the scene from the night Si

Night had settled over Bellmere, its skyline unfurling beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows. Neon lights flickered like a taunting, knowing gaze.The main lights in the CEO's office were off, and only a desk lamp glowed on the large table.Teresa leaned back in her chair, cradling a cup of black coffee that had long since gone cold. The chill of the porcelain bit into her fingertips, but she seemed not to feel it at all.The cold light from the computer screen washed over her expressionless face. On the screen was the interface of an international video conference.On the other side of the call was Victor Reese, an old classmate from her MBA program at a prestigious university abroad. He was now a partner at a top Harris Avenue investment bank."Teresa, what kind of walking disaster have you gotten mixed up with?" Victor lit a cigar on his end, his tone thick with disbelief. "This guy you asked me to check on, Carlton Unger, is basically the equivalent of nuclear waste in a suit ov