A woman who held leverage had appeared–it would have been strange if anyone were happy about that.

Jessica was determined to get to that woman.

That night, Jessica curled up in Chris’s arms. Half-asleep, she suddenly mumbled, “I’m sorry about the wedding back then.”

Chris held her tighter. “I’ve already forgotten.”

But she knew Chris hadn’t forgotten.

Even if he hadn’t been in love with her yet, a once-in-a-lifetime wedding wasn’t something he would forget so easily.

Jessica nuzzled against Chris’s chest. “When everything settles down, let’s have another wedding. Or, like Mr. Wayne, we could just throw a simple banquet.”

There would never be any Hall family members again. Never again.

Chris only smiled. He didn’t really believe that day would ever come.

As expected, there were a lot of rumors about Michael and Jessica.

People said the two came and went together at the Wilder Group. Others claimed Jessica and Chris had already divorced because of Michael’s interference. The looks directed at Michael were full of contempt, as if he were a homewrecker.

No matter how mild-tempered or good at pretending Michael was, he still looked troubled.

Every time he went home, he would lose his temper.

Through recordings from Jennifer, one could almost hear the rage in Michael’s voice.

“Why hasn’t Jessica made the news of her divorce from Chris public? Why does she want me to carry the blame as a homewrecker?”

Indya had recently attended several drinking parties, where people kept asking her for gossip. She played her role dutifully and, according to Jessica’s instructions, described her relationship with Michael in the most ambiguous terms.

Thanks to the fast spread of rumors at these events, public opinion online flared up once again.

This time, Jessica didn’t pull Chris into the act. She didn’t want him to be insulted.

Love or not—at this point, the line was clear.

“Michael’s about to reach his limit. But fortunately, Thomas gave him some incentives. There are more contracts piling up on his desk now, while several projects handled by Luke have all fallen through for different reasons.”

Shannon crossed her legs and spun her chair with a smile. “Michael really is ruthless. On one hand, he clings to Jessica and uses the Wilder Group’s support to return to the Hall family. On the other, he sabotages Luke’s projects, making their parents think Luke is incompetent and that they can only rely on him.”

“Men can be so ruthless,” Indya commented.

Then Shannon added, “Calum is keeping an eye on that woman at the Cloud Hotel.”

“Watch her closely. Don’t let her escape. I have a feeling Michael won’t let her live much longer either.”

Indya looked stunned. “No way–she’s still the biological mother of his daughter. Would he really go that far?”

In a marriage without love, even the presence of a child couldn’t stop their separation.

Chapter 57

+25 BONUS

Michael had never been the merciful type.

“Get ready to go to Tesalfield for a one-week joint medical consultation. This round is very important. The patient is under two years old–cases like this are rare even within the industry. The files have already been sent out. Go over them during your free time. Once we arrive, we’ll finalize the surgical plan, and the procedure starts the very next day.”

The consultation list included Prof. Rane, Chris, and Jake.

Prof. Rane was the lead surgeon for the second operation. Chris would assist. Jake, as an intern, would observe and learn. There were also many senior specialists listed. Both hospitals were taking this very seriously.

It was said that the child had a powerful background–one that couldn’t even be mentioned.

That evening, Chris told Jessica he would be on a business trip. He thought she would be upset, but unexpectedly, she only reminded him to rest well.

“You’re not angry?”