Chapter 21
The soft glow of the chandelier cast long shadows across the opulent living room. The tension in the air was almost suffocating.
JoAdrian was the first to break the silence. “Adrian, are you even thinking this through? If you go through with the divorce, people will talk. The board members, investors, and even the media will drag your name through the mud. Do you really want that kind of scandal attached to your name?”
Fredrick, sitting beside him, leaned forward. “JoAdrian’s right. You have to remember who’s been backing you in this company. Cassandra’s family invested in your success from the beginning. If you cut ties with her now, you lose that support, and trust me, that will have consequences.”
Adrian’s jaw tightened, his knuckles turning white as he clenched his fists. “She’s using my mother’s health to manipulate me. I refuse to let her have that kind of control over me.”
Evelyn, reclining on the velvet couch, let out a tired sigh, the weight of the situation pressing down on her frail frame. Her voice was hoarse, but firm. “Leave her. She has no place in this family anymore. And if she leaves, she leaves with nothing. That includes the money she brought into this household.”
”
“I don’t need her money,” Adrian shot back, but his mother shook her head.
“Don’t be foolish. We’ve drained our resources keeping up appearances. You know how hard it’s been to secure funding ever since the media started hounding us. We liquidated our assets to fund your upcoming wedding. That money she brought into this family–it belongs to us now. If she walks away, we make sure she does so with empty hands.”
JoAdrian sighed, rubbing his temples. “Evelyn, you have to think bigger than just the money. Adrian, you might be willing to take the heat for this now, but you’re forgetting one thing- Cassandra’s influence. She has connections. Powerful ones, Cutting her off like this might not be as easy as you think.”
Adrian stood up abruptly, his expression dark. “I know the risks, and I’m prepared to face them. Yes, I’ll take criticism. The media will have a field day. But in the grand scheme of things, it won’t matter. Business is about strategy. Vivian and I are the future. Together, we’ll rebuild and expand. Once the dust settles, this seperation will be nothing more than a footnote in my career.”
Evelyn watched him closely before nodding, a small smirk playing on her lips. “Then make it happen. But don’t let her leave with a single cent.”
Adrian’s eyes burned with determination. The business world was a battlefield in its own right, and he was ready to conquer it. His rivals had underestimated him, just as they had underestimated those who had come before him. The hostile takeover at the Southern Division had been in motion for years, but the industry titan known as the Hell Monarch had failed to reclaim control. If Adrian and Vivian could succeed where he had not, they would cement their legacy. And once they did, who would dare accuse him of betraying Cassandra then?
1:16 PM
Chapter 21
will secure this deal, and when we do, we’ll return stronger than ever.”
48 Pearls
His confidence was infectious, and both JoAdrian and Fredrick nodded in agreement, seeing the bigger picture.
Evelyn, who had been lying on the plush couch, a silk shawl wrapped around her shoulders, sat up. “Then end this farce already,” she snapped, her voice sharp with impatience. “She’s never been fit for this family. The moment you mentioned another woman, she turned against you. It’s all jealousy, nothing more. And now she’s disrespecting the very empire that gave her status.”
Her eyes darkened as she continued. “If the family doctor hadn’t been called, I might not have survived tonight. And what was Cassandra doing? Sitting in that mansion of hers, pretending she’s above us.”
Any warmth or gratitude Evelyn might have once held for Cassandra had vanished. She had conveniently forgotten how Cassandra had once abandoned a life of luxury to stand by Adrian’s side, how she had poured her inheritance into his ambitions, how she had nursed Evelyn’s fragile health with her own hands.
Evelyn had once sung Cassandra’s praises to every woman in their social circle, calling her the ideal wife, the perfect daughter–in–law. But now? Now, she was nothing more than an obstacle.
“She’s not leaving with a cent of that money. Evelyn said, her voice laced with greed. “The Warren family built its legacy on smart investments, and her dowry is just another asset. Adrian, don’t be naive.”
Adrian sighed, rubbing his temples. “I don’t want her money, Mother. I just want to move on.” Evelyn scoffed, shaking her head. “Absolutely not! She’s leaving with nothing but the clothes on her back. Do you understand me? I want a full inventory of every last dollar in her name.”
As her demand echoed through the lavish estate, Adrian remained silent, his expression unreadable. But deep down, he knew–Cassandra was not a woman who would walk away quietly.
Send Gifts
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