Semua Bab After the Ninety-Ninth Affair: Bab 1 - Bab 9

The atmosphere in the living room of the Kane mansion was ice-cold.Vanessa's parents stared at the divorce agreement on the table, unable to believe their eyes.After all, in all the times Vanessa had threatened suicide over another man, I'd never once brought up divorce."Evan, Vanessa's still a child at heart. You two have been childhood sweethearts for so many years. She still loves you. Otherwise, she never would've said back then that you were the only man she'd ever marry..."Diane always used the same line to smooth things over between Vanessa and me.Even I had believed Vanessa would come around, that one day she'd finally see how good I was to her.I let out a sigh and, for once, pushed back."Diane, that was ten years ago. A lot can change in ten years. If she can't settle down and feels trapped with me, I'm not going to force it anymore."Before they could keep trying to talk me around, I calmly took out Vanessa's miscarriage report.I drew a deep breath, then push

I stood up and glanced at her sideways."Marry him? I won't object. I'll even explain everything to your parents myself."Vanessa's composure cracked. Before she could finish, she stepped in front of me to block my way.She stared hard at me, a trace of unease in her eyes."You used to deal with this kind of thing right away. Why aren't you doing anything this time?"Vanessa had threatened suicide ninety-nine times. The first ninety-eight had all been over different men.But now, she said she'd found true love.The corner of my mouth lifted in a bitter smile."You said it's true love, so I'm stepping aside."The conversation ended badly.Maybe she was deliberately trying to get under my skin, because the very next day, Vanessa brought Lucas into the company.The moment I opened my office door, I heard Lucas's hearty laugh."You guys don't have to feel pressured just because of Vanessa's position. Just treat me like any other coworker."He was sprawled in my chair as if he

The moment the words left my mouth, everyone in the room exchanged looks.Vanessa's hand slipped off my arm. Her eyes went wide."What do you mean?"She quickly flipped through the divorce agreement I'd placed on the table. When she reached my signature, her breath caught."What do you mean we don't have a future?"The others finally snapped out of it and started murmuring."What's going on? This isn't how it was supposed to go."After all, in their eyes, I was just Vanessa's lapdog. Even if there was going to be a divorce, I had no right to be the one asking for it.Having heard about Vanessa's suicide threat, Richard and Diane finally arrived.Seeing she was fine, they breathed a sigh of relief. Then it hit them that this had been another stunt.When they saw the divorce agreement in Vanessa's hand, they knew they couldn't keep it from her any longer."Mom, Dad, you knew Evan wanted to divorce me? And you agreed?"Vanessa's hand trembled around the agreement.Richard sig

She'd only given birth a short time ago. She should've still been at home recovering.She looked visibly exhausted. Even makeup couldn't hide the dark circles under her eyes. She looked ten years older.But when she saw me, her lifeless face suddenly came alive."Evan."She said my name. I just nodded politely and went into the private room.This deal was with Kane Group. Even though Vanessa and I were divorced, business was business.But once Lucas saw it was me, he went back on the deal he'd already agreed to.I wasn't the only one caught off guard. Even the other partners were stunned."Mr. Reed, we've already signed this contract with Mr. Hale. If you back out now, we'll owe a penalty for breach of contract."Lucas's assistant sounded anxious.But Lucas couldn't have cared less."It's not like I can't afford the penalty. If my wife hadn't insisted on coming, I wouldn't even be here."He turned to look at Vanessa."Since the deal's not happening, we're done for today."

The next second, she threw her arms around me and held on tight.It took me a moment to realize it was Vanessa.Her long hair was cut short now, and she wore flats. She still couldn't hide how exhausted she looked.I pushed her away and put some distance between us.Vanessa looked a little embarrassed, too. She hesitated for a long time before speaking."I tried to find you before, but your friends said you'd gone overseas."Have you been doing okay these past few years? Do your old injuries still hurt? And your hand... Has the strength come back?"Her sudden concern stirred something odd in me."I've been doing fine. The project's done, so I came back."The moment I finished, Vanessa blurted out, "So are you going to stay here for good now? Is there someone you like?"I looked at her calmly and didn't answer.Once it hit her, she gave an awkward laugh, her fingers twisting the hem of her top."My parents have been wanting to see you all these years. If you're ever free..."