I was just leaving the clinic with my test results when my best friend, Leo, SnapChatted me: “Dude, I just saw your wife at the club. Called her name, but she completely ignored me. Just kept making out with some young hotshot.” My hands trembled as I tapped open the video Leo had sent. The bar pulsed with neon lights, and my wife, Chloe, was locked in a passionate kiss with a young guy, completely oblivious to everything else. From the side, he looked strikingly similar to me. But I knew, that wasn’t me. My heart twisted painfully. Just then, Leo’s call came through. “You and Chloe always had such a great relationship. They were kissing like crazy just now, tons of people cheering and screaming…” I forced a dry laugh, practically yelling into the phone, “Hahaha, jealous, man? I just left the club, didn’t get a chance to say hi. Next time, I’ll make it up to you! Gotta go!” I’ve always been proud and hated to lose face, so I lied to my friend. There I was, in a clinic, but I’d just lied and said I was at the club, pretending that man kissing Chloe was me. After hanging up, I clutched the hopeful medical report, slowly collapsing to the floor. I deeply loved Chloe. We’d been together since we were kids, starting our lives together in a small town and making our way to this bustling metropolis, building FusionTech Group from nothing. The company had just gone public last year. Now I had everything: career, love, luxury cars, a lavish villa… Our only regret was not having children. For years, due to my fertility issues, I’d endured immense pressure and undergone various painful treatments. Ten minutes ago, I’d seen a glimmer of hope for a cure; now, I learned Chloe was cheating on me. It felt like being ripped from heaven and plunged straight into hell. “No, there must be a misunderstanding.” I rushed home, intending to confront Chloe face-to-face. But I sat in the dark until deep into the night before Chloe finally arrived. “Why are the lights off?” Her clear, melodious mezzo-soprano voice cut through the silence. When she flicked on the crystal chandelier, the cascading light illuminated her pretty, slightly flushed face. Chloe was thirty-three, in the prime of her life, with a powerful aura. *Financial Times* had named her the “Most Beautiful CEO” in the tech industry. “Where were you?” I asked, my voice cold. Chloe walked over and sat beside me. “I was discussing a project, but Mr. Zhao insisted we go to a club…” “And you just went because he told you to? And at the club, you were…” Before I could finish, Chloe hugged me tightly. “I’ve been thinking about you all day, darling. I missed you so much, and I’m so upset.” Leaning into her familiar embrace, the bitterness in my heart nearly burst through my chest. “Don’t try to fool me with sweet talk!” Chloe choked out, “My sadness is real. We haven’t had children all this time, and my mom begged you on her knees, Julian, pleaded with you not to let our family line die out…” I choked. Because of my long-term infertility, Chloe’s mother, my mother-in-law Deborah, had grown increasingly critical of me. Just the day before yesterday, she’d even knelt before me, begging me not to waste her daughter’s life. I knew that incident had become a thorn in Chloe’s heart. So, was she just acting out of spite by flirting with another man today? I silently made excuses for Chloe in my mind. I didn’t dare confront her fully, not only because I loved her, but also because FusionTech Group was still on the rise, and a divorce would send our stock plummeting. I swallowed my hurt, letting Chloe hold me. “Darling, tomorrow is my mom’s 60th birthday. Please make a good impression and cheer her up,” Chloe said. I traced the medical report in my pocket and nodded. “Alright, I’ll announce some good news at Mom’s birthday dinner.” I thought, the biggest conflict between Chloe, her family, and me right now was the lack of children. If I announced the good news that I could be cured, all our problems would simply vanish, and Chloe’s heart would surely return completely to our family. However, that night, I received a message from Eleanor, the heiress of the Qin Corporation. “Your wife slept with my boyfriend. Come out, we need to talk.” ### Chapter 2 It was four in the morning, and the entire street was dark, but The Black Pearl restaurant had opened a private dining room just for us. Bright lights glowed from the window, soft classical music drifted from within, and elegant ballroom dancers swayed to the melody. I took a deep breath, putting on a composed smile as I walked in. “Ms. Eleanor, it’s an honor. Hearing about you is one thing, seeing you is another.” Eleanor’s captivating, almond-shaped eyes flicked towards me. “‘An honor’? What reputation do I have? A spoiled heiress, messing around, living a chaotic life?” Eleanor did have a terrible reputation. Outsiders said she was all looks and no brains, purely a prodigal socialite. She was currently making headlines with popular male celebrity Ryder. I continued with a hearty laugh, “Ms. Eleanor, your beauty is divine, it outshines every celebrity in Hollywood! Everyone in the city knows it!” “However, I think you might be mistaken about my wife’s relationship with your boyfriend. We merely… kissed after getting drunk at the club, so…” Eleanor sneered. “Julian, you truly won’t believe it until it slaps you in the face.” She dismissed everyone else from the room, then brought out a tablet and played a video. The video’s backdrop was a hotel lobby corner, where Chloe and Ryder were passionately kissing. “I love you, baby. I’ve been thinking about you so much I’m going crazy!” Chloe panted. Ryder, tall and handsome, held her close, his voice seductive. “But you’re already married.” Chloe didn’t hesitate. “My marriage has been a sham for ages. I have no feelings for him. If it weren’t for the company, I’d divorce him right now…” At that moment, that confession hit me like a ton of bricks. My composure, my dignity, my forced calm… all vanished. My face went pale, as if I’d aged ten years in an instant. It took a long time before I found my voice. “Why are you telling me this? What do you want from me?” I’m a businessman first, a man second. I know that in this world, everyone chases their own interests. Eleanor gazed into my eyes, speaking each word slowly and deliberately. “I want you to divorce Chloe.” “You want to bring down FusionTech Group?” “No, to be precise, I want FusionTech Group to split up.” Eleanor’s eyes were sharp and clear. “FusionTech is a comprehensive new energy group covering lithium batteries, energy storage, and hydrogen energy. It’s on the verge of dominating the industry.” “I need you and Chloe to separate the company. She’d take the lithium-ion battery sector, you’d lead the hydrogen energy division, and then we’d integrate it with Qin Corporation’s wind energy resources to build a closed-loop clean energy system.” My first reaction was to refuse. I didn’t trust Eleanor. Rather than partnering with her, a reckless socialite, I’d rather endure a cheating marriage to ensure FusionTech Group ran smoothly. Eleanor saw my hesitation and played her trump card. “One last warning for you, Julian—Chloe started transferring marital assets a long time ago. Check for yourself. She’s already bought eight villas for Ryder overseas.” ### Chapter 3 I didn’t sleep all night. When I arrived at the office in the morning, Chloe personally brought breakfast to my desk. “Darling, where were you last night? You look so pale, you must not have rested well.” Chloe’s eyes were full of concern that seemed genuine. My heart felt like it was breaking. I wanted to demand why she was cheating with Ryder. I wanted to flip the table, to splash coffee in her face, to smash the plate over her head… But I did nothing. I simply smiled faintly. “Thanks, sweetheart. Could you go to the morning meeting for me? I need to rest in my office.” Chloe gently agreed, then, as if by chance, brought up, “Oh, by the way, the PR department is waiting for us to finalize this year’s new energy vehicle spokesperson. I saw a celebrity named Ryder on our submitted list who seems quite good…” I instantly understood: she wanted to promote Ryder. “No, Ryder became famous through reality TV, he has no real acting credits. He doesn’t align with our brand image.” Chloe said, “Ryder is already excellent. When you were his age, you were still sleeping under bridges…” I couldn’t help but ask, “Do you think he’s better than me?” Chloe replied without thinking, “You can’t compare yourself to me. You’re older… No, what I mean is, I live off my looks, and you live off your brains. There’s no comparison.” I stared intently at the desktop, then let out a bitter laugh. “Women always prefer young and handsome men, don’t they?” Chloe quickly tried to amend, “I don’t know about other women, but I know I love you the most, always…” “Enough.” I interrupted. “It’s time for the meeting. You should head downstairs.” Our office was on the 22nd floor, and the meeting was in the large conference room on the 1st floor. Ten minutes after the meeting began, I secretly ordered the electrician to cut the elevator power, then led an IT expert into Chloe’s empty office. The IT expert spent a long time, finally hacking into Chloe’s computer system and pulling up recent financial data. I read for ten minutes, but it felt like walking alone in a blizzard for ten years, the cold seeping deep into my bones. Chloe had been transferring assets for over a year. She’d registered companies in the Cayman Islands, systematically transferring funds to the U.S., buying luxury cars and mansions there. I searched for those mansions online and saw the main photo showed Ryder, in a high-end suit, elegantly descending a grand staircase, looking every bit the man of the house. At that moment, I knew it was over. My fifteen years with Chloe, all of it, was over. When we were at our poorest, we’d share stale bread, live in a rundown shack with no roof, and huddle under a single raincoat, shivering in the pouring rain. To help Chloe start her business, I poured everything I had into it, even mortgaging our family home. To secure investments for Chloe, I’d drunk myself to stomach bleeding at countless business dinners. At countless employee meetings, Chloe had thanked me with tears in her eyes, saying she wouldn’t be where she was without me, and she swore to repay me with her life. In the end, her repayment was an affair. It felt like a thousand daggers were piercing my heart. I bit down on the back of my hand so hard it drew blood, refusing to shed a single tear. “Copy all the information, install monitoring software on her computer, then let’s go,” I calmly ordered. The IT expert glanced at my bleeding hand, then nervously did as he was told. The moment we restored Chloe’s office to its original state and closed the door, Chloe happened to come running up the stairs, her assistants panted behind her. “The elevator suddenly broke down, and they couldn’t fix it. I was worried you’d be scared alone on the 22nd floor, so I walked up.” Chloe strode towards me, her eyes overflowing with deep affection. The employees around us murmured appreciatively, “Ms. Chloe and Mr. Julian have such a good relationship! A model couple!” I just found it absurd, thinking Chloe was truly addicted to playing the role of the perfect wife. She didn’t love me, she probably wished she could divorce me immediately, yet in front of outsiders, she pretended to be utterly devoted. “Let’s go. Mom’s birthday dinner is about to start.” I dodged Chloe’s embrace, sweeping past her like a cool breeze. I decided not to divorce her yet, but to use Chloe’s infidelity as leverage to gain more control of FusionTech Group and become the new chairman. I was confident I could succeed, because I still held a trump card—the hope of being cured. As long as I could have offspring, Chloe would have to make concessions. We took the same Rolls-Royce to the banquet hall. On the way, Chloe poured me water, covered me with a blanket, and adjusted the air conditioning temperature, meticulously playing the good wife. I smiled in response, mentally rehearsing my plan for later. I’d unleash my trump card, present the evidence of Chloe’s affair, and hit her where it hurt, securing 60% of the company at her most vulnerable moment. But I never imagined I’d see Ryder in the back room of the birthday dinner. Ryder stood behind Deborah, his arm around her shoulders, a triumphant, arrogant smile plastered across his face. “Chloe and I will soon have a child of our own. We’ve already found a surrogate for IVF, and it *has* to be a boy!” ### Chapter 4 I was stunned. What shocked me most was that Chloe was having a baby with another man via surrogacy, behind my back? And even specified the child’s gender—it *had* to be a boy! For ten years, because of my infertility, we hadn’t had children. I’d asked her to get a full check-up too, but Chloe always put it off, citing work. Based on my condition, the doctors believed that while my chances of recovery were slim, it wasn’t impossible. To protect our relationship, I took all the blame, enduring arduous treatments. At this moment, Deborah’s face crinkled into a joyous smile. She patted Ryder’s arm warmly. “Such a good boy, handsome, and he’ll carry on our family line! I’m adopting you as my godson!” With that, Deborah slipped a family signet ring onto Ryder’s finger. “Good boy, come visit us often from now on.” Chloe and I had been married for ten years, and I knew how much my mother-in-law cherished that family signet ring. Normally, she’d only let me look at it, not even touch it. Now she was giving it directly to Ryder! Chloe also looked startled and rushed forward. “Mom, what are you doing? Julian is your son-in-law!” Deborah’s venomous old eyes sliced right through me. “A barren failure like you? Why haven’t you divorced her yet!” I gripped the briefcase containing my medical report, my eyes fixed on Chloe’s face. I wanted to know if Chloe was acting, deliberately orchestrating this “show” today, tacitly allowing Ryder to enter our family, letting her mother play the villain. Chloe’s beautiful face, however, showed nothing but utter helplessness. “I’m sorry, darling. I… I just mistook Ryder for you once when I was drunk… He looks so much like you, I swear I never wanted to divorce you…” “It seems you’ve already considered divorcing me.” At that moment, I understood that the advantage of my report was almost completely gone, because Chloe’s heart had already flown to Ryder. “Darling, please don’t be angry, I still love you…” Chloe tried to hug me. I pushed her away fiercely, my deep-set eyes burning with determined light. “Chloe, you’ve shown me no mercy, so don’t expect any from me!” I stormed out of the banquet hall, immediately arranging a meeting with Eleanor. On the way to the restaurant, my heart ached until it went numb. Memories flashed before my eyes like a carousel. I remembered twelve years ago, working the night shift at the factory. Chloe, worried I hadn’t eaten enough, would climb over the factory wall in the dead of winter to bring me hot sandwiches. Afraid the sandwiches would get cold, she’d tuck them into her clothes, burning a scar onto her chest. And another time, when I went south to open up a new market and got a high fever in the city. Chloe rushed back overnight, enduring the risk of infection to stay by my bedside, crying and saying she’d rather not make money than lose me. … As sweet as it once was, that’s how much it hurt now. I clutched my agonizing chest, biting my tongue until my mouth filled with the taste of blood. Still, I didn’t shed a single tear. My expression was stern as I met Eleanor. “Whose baby is it, the one Ryder and Chloe are having via surrogate?” I asked. Eleanor sprawled casually on the plush sofa opposite me. On anyone else, such a posture would seem frivolous, but Eleanor was so stunning that it had the alluring charm of a femme fatale from a painting. “Ryder’s had plenty of wealthy women bankroll him; it’s hard to tell.” Eleanor’s captivating eyes shimmered, and she watched me with a playful smile. “But Chloe is too proud to admit she’s been fooled, even if she knew. She’s convinced Ryder can give her a child. Julian, what are *you* going to do?” I’d expected Eleanor, having had her boyfriend stolen, to show some anger. But Eleanor was completely relaxed, continuing to tempt me. “Listen to me, spin off FusionTech Group’s hydrogen energy business, and merge it with my Qin Corporation’s wind energy business. We’ll conquer the new energy market together.” I calmly analyzed, “The outside world knows FusionTech Group and Qin Capital are rivals. If we suddenly partner, internally, I’ll struggle to reassure employees, and externally, I’ll struggle to convince clients.” Eleanor said, “It’s simple. You just have to marry me.” “What?!” I doubted my own hearing. Eleanor sat upright, leaning across the tea table to look directly into my eyes. She spoke seriously, “Our marriage is the best way to gain public trust.” ### Chapter 5 I lowered my gaze. “My physical condition… I might not be able to have children.” Eleanor’s expression froze for a moment. After a few seconds of hesitation, she said, “I don’t care. Technology is so advanced, there’s always a way. Even if not, it doesn’t matter.” I thought to myself that the whole Ryder and Chloe baby situation was likely a setup by Eleanor. Chloe would be raising Ryder’s child, so Eleanor didn’t mind that I might not have children. Rich people really know how to play games. I felt utterly disdainful and immediately refused Eleanor. “I’m not willing to marry you. Let’s not bring this up again.” Ever since Ryder appeared at the birthday dinner, Chloe no longer hid her affair; she openly used her capital to promote Ryder. She made Ryder the spokesperson for FusionTech Group’s new energy vehicles. At FusionTech Group’s sponsored annual supercar championship, Chloe attended with Ryder. By this time, the news that Chloe and I were divorcing had started to circulate in a small circle. The PR department advised Chloe to flaunt our affection more at the supercar race to quell negative rumors. However, Chloe seemed utterly consumed by her love for Ryder, completely ignoring me throughout and focusing only on pleasing him. In the VIP box, Ryder looked down at the entire race track, triumphantly telling me, “Chloe said that no matter which car I bet on today, she’d make sure it becomes the champion.” On the asphalt track of the racetrack, eight luxurious supercars were poised for action. After Ryder chose to bet on the sapphire blue Car No. 6, the announcement immediately blared: “FusionTech Group CEO, Ms. Chloe Evans, has placed a one hundred million dollar bet on Car No. 6!” The entire crowd erupted in an instant, because this was a blatant display of affection! Whichever car spokesperson Ryder bet on, the CEO would give that car a hundred-million-dollar bonus! Ryder instantly topped the trending topics. He excitedly turned to me, his face red, and challenged, “Which one are you betting on? Hmph, afraid to lose to me, are you?” I clutched my phone, my knuckles white with hatred. It was a SnapChat from Eleanor, just three simple words: “Choose No. 8.” In my anger, I briefly lost my mind, instinctively trusting Eleanor, and announced, “I’m betting on No. 8, and I’m also putting in a hundred million.” Ryder roared with laughter, leaning against Chloe, and sneered at me from above. “You’re definitely going to lose! Car No. 6’s driver was last year’s Asian Championship winner. Your chosen Car No. 8 has an unknown driver, probably some amateur just making up the numbers.” Just then, the track lights flared, engines roared, tearing through the air, and the eight race cars shot out like arrows. I held my breath, my eyes fixed on the bright pink Car No. 8, glancing at Chloe out of the corner of my eye. She wore a bespoke suit, looking sharp and elegant, pouring champagne for Ryder. I insisted on the divorce. During this time, Chloe and I had separated, each hiring legal teams to discuss asset division. Chloe was furious, transferring all her past affection for me to Ryder. I still hadn’t revealed the news that my condition could be cured. My heart was broken, and I was considering whether to abandon treatment and completely sever ties with the past. Mid-race, Car No. 6 and Car No. 8 took a clear lead, far ahead of the other cars. The two cars entered a turn side-by-side, sparks flying on the track. The crowd screamed and cheered. Ryder excitedly stood up, cheering for Car No. 6. I desperately hoped Car No. 6 would win. In a way, Car No. 6 and Car No. 8 represented Ryder and me. I stood unmoving, but my heart pounded, and I clenched my fists. The two cars battled into the final corner. Car No. 6 took a conservative defensive line, but Car No. 8 risked an outside line, drifting through the corner at full throttle like a pink lightning bolt. At the finish line, my heart rate shot to 180. I watched with my own eyes as Car No. 8 soared over the finish line, winning by a thrilling 0.18 seconds. The entire audience rose, cheering, and pointed their cameras at the driver’s seat of Car No. 8. The car door opened, and a slender, shapely leg, encased in a racing suit, stepped out first. A颯爽 figure stood up gracefully. She took off her helmet, a cascade of wine-red curly hair fell down, sweat glistening like shattered diamonds in the sunlight. She looked like a rose forged in fire, exuding an unstoppable, sharp edge. “Eleanor?!” My eyes widened in shock. I couldn’t believe Car No. 8’s driver was Eleanor. She looked up, her captivating eyes narrowing slightly, sweeping over the stands like a fleeting shadow. When she saw me, a smile suddenly bloomed on her face. Like a hunter spotting her prey. ### Chapter 6 The race used a points system, and Eleanor, driving Car No. 8, was currently in first place. If she maintained her lead in the next endurance race, she would win the championship and the 100 million dollar prize I had promised. I quietly went backstage, intending to encourage Eleanor to give her all and beat Car No. 6. But then I overheard Eleanor’s conversation with someone else in the lounge. “Ms. Eleanor, you have such interesting taste. I’m already a 32-year-old man, and you’re personally racing just to make me happy. This sport is life-threatening, you know…” Eleanor’s lazy voice drifted out, “Hmph, it’s just that his wife stole my boyfriend, so I was annoyed and wanted to return the favor with a ‘hat,’ that’s why I went to seduce Julian.” My hand, reaching to knock on the door, froze. It dropped slowly like a puppet with cut strings. So that was it… This world offered no redemption, only calculations. I immediately turned and left. It started to rain on my way back to the stands. I straightened my back, enduring the internal pain, maintaining a proud demeanor. Until I saw a familiar figure standing on the steps ahead. My gaze slowly traveled upwards, meeting Ryder’s triumphant eyes. “You don’t really think the No. 8 driver likes you, do you? You’re completely wrong! She’s my ex-girlfriend. She wanted to beat No. 6 to get *my* attention.” “As a man, you’re a total failure. Your wife likes me, and all the women around you prefer me…” I snorted. “Is being liked by women an honor? I don’t care about that; I only care about my career.” Ryder let out a short, derisive laugh. He leaned against Chloe, sneering at me from above. “You’re just saying sour grapes! Only ugly men get bogged down with dirty work and careers. Handsome men like me do nothing and get pampered by wealthy women.” At that moment, my disgust for Ryder reached its peak. “Enough. I have nothing to say to you.” I continued up the stairs. As I passed Ryder, I was suddenly elbowed in the chest by an unseen force. In the split second before I tumbled down the steps, I saw the malice in Ryder’s eyes. “Ah—!” My cry of pain was drowned out by Ryder’s shrill scream. Ryder sat down heavily on the ground, clutching his waist and groaning in pain. “Julian, why did you push me? It hurts so bad, my back hurts so much! Oh god, I just had surgery, nothing bad happened, did it…?” Chloe quickly arrived with bodyguards, her face etched with anxious concern. “Ryder, don’t be scared, I’m here.” Ryder, tears streaming, shrank into her embrace. “I don’t know what happened, Mr. Julian suddenly pushed me down the stairs. I didn’t provoke him, I just wanted to offer him an umbrella…” Chloe’s eyes blazed with fury, and she glared at me. “You’re despicable, Julian. You deliberately tried to hurt Ryder so I wouldn’t divorce you, didn’t you?” I was in too much pain to speak. I clutched my leg, feeling a piercing agony. It was probably broken. “I… my leg feels broken. Get me to a clinic…” My face was pale, and I hissed as I gasped for air. Chloe completely disbelieved me. “Stop faking it! You’re a grown man, how much could a fall hurt! I’m taking Ryder to the clinic now; I’ll deal with you when I get back!” She carefully helped Ryder up and, surrounded by bodyguards, swept away. The rain fell harder, drenching me completely. I painfully held onto the railing, trying to pull myself up, but the pain was too intense; I couldn’t find the strength. “Julian!” Eleanor’s voice pierced through the rain. “What happened to you? I’ll take you to the clinic…” Just then, the racetrack’s announcement blared: “The endurance race will begin in ten minutes. Drivers, please take your positions.” I shook my head, refusing Eleanor. “The race is about to start. I don’t want to affect your chances of winning. Go.” “Are you kidding? This is a matter of life and death!” Eleanor quickly called someone to help me into her race car, then swerved the wheel, speeding out of the track and onto the street amidst the astonished cries of thousands. ### Chapter 7 My right leg was fractured. I’d mentally prepared myself, but when I heard the diagnosis, my eyes still welled up. It had been a long time since I felt so vulnerable. I seemed to have lost the ability to cry out in pain, only silently licking my wounds in deserted corners. Eleanor stood by my hospital bed, fidgeting, sitting down and then standing up. She wanted to comfort me but didn’t know how to start. I turned my head away. “You can go. No need for this pretense. Go check on Ryder and that baby of yours.” After a few seconds of tense silence, Eleanor sighed. “The child Chloe and Ryder are having isn’t using my eggs. I have no interest in ruining my body for a filthy man like that. Believe it or not… my reputation for living a wild life was just a smokescreen.” I scoffed. “Spin it, keep spinning.” I didn’t trust Eleanor. Even though two hours earlier, Eleanor had abandoned her chance to win, sacrificing a hundred million dollars, to rush me to the clinic in the pouring rain, speeding down the highway, driving one-handed, the other hand tightly gripping mine, repeatedly telling me not to be scared. Now Eleanor’s face was serious. “I swear, if I lie a single word, I’ll die a miserable death.” “Julian, it’s my fault. I sought your cooperation before you truly understood me, so I understand why you don’t trust me now.” “You must have heard the rumors—that I’m the founder’s illegitimate daughter.” I remained silent. Eleanor continued, “My mother was my father, Mr. Qin’s, first wife. Later, Mr. Qin climbed the ladder by marrying Serena, a high-ranking official’s daughter, and abandoned my mom.” “Serena couldn’t tolerate us. She spread rumors that my mom was a mistress and I was illegitimate. When I was a child, my mom and I often suffered food poisoning. Later, my mom died in a car accident, and I barely survived…” Listening to her calm narration, I felt my heart pound. I couldn’t imagine what a perilous life Eleanor had led—her mother killed by a powerful stepmother, herself frequently subjected to “accidents.” “Serena was afraid I’d get involved in the Qin family business, so I had to pretend to be useless and uneducated.” Eleanor’s gaze was deep and clear, fixed on me. “So, can you understand me, Julian? I’m not a bad person. I need your help, very much.” Three months later, I returned to FusionTech Group. I had fully recovered, back in peak condition. A dark brown suit highlighted my tall frame, exuding a dashing and sharp demeanor. The marble corridor leading to FusionTech Group’s main conference room echoed with the steady sound of my dress shoes. I smiled calmly, nodding to everyone. Everyone stood solemnly at attention, watching me walk to the table opposite Chloe. Chloe gazed at my healthy-looking face, still trying to salvage things. “Why must we divorce? Julian, as long as you promise not to hurt Ryder again, I can still make room for you.” I acted as if I hadn’t heard, turning to let my lawyer lead the meeting. The lawyer unrolled the agreement and read, “…After multiple rounds of negotiation, Ms. Chloe Evans, CEO, retains the Group’s core lithium battery and new energy vehicle businesses.” “Mr. Julian Evans, Vice President, receives the hydrogen energy division, the energy storage research institute, and 28 core patents.” “Both parties share the right to use the FusionTech Group brand until the end of the year, with new brands to be established by each party starting January 1st next year…” Before the lawyer finished, I immediately raised an objection. “Starting tomorrow, the hydrogen energy division I lead will no longer operate under the FusionTech Group brand. Chloe can have exclusive use of this billion-dollar brand. In return, I want her to make concessions on our marital assets.” I ruthlessly seized Chloe’s dozens of villas, both domestic and overseas. Chloe didn’t hesitate much before nodding in agreement. She didn’t want the scandal of marital infidelity to get too big, and more importantly, she believed I had suffered a huge loss in the division of FusionTech Group. Over the past six months, FusionTech Group’s hydrogen energy business had been deteriorating, with very poor returns. My decision to spin off the hydrogen energy business seemed like a thankless task. We negotiated from 8 AM to 3 PM, finally settling the asset division of our 10-year marriage. “Perfect timing.” I smiled faintly. “I booked our divorce appointment at the registry office for 4 PM this afternoon. We can go now.” Chloe was surprised. “So urgent? Today… is my birthday.” My smile deepened. “I know. That’s why, besides the divorce certificate, I’ve prepared a few other important birthday gifts for you.” ### Chapter 8 At 5 PM, Chloe and I walked down the steps of the registry office. Chloe suddenly said, “Your right leg trembles when you walk downstairs. Why?” I paused, then gave a self-mocking smile. Why? It was because of that fall three months ago! Ryder had pushed me, sending me tumbling down the stairs, resulting in a fractured right leg. The pain was bone-deep. Physical wounds heal easily, but emotional ones are harder to mend. Since then, walking downstairs had become somewhat difficult for me. I hadn’t expected Chloe to notice such a detail. “The answer is in this folder.” I pulled a brown envelope from my briefcase and handed it to Chloe. “This is your birthday gift. Open it only after you see Ryder.” With those words, I turned and walked away, my figure tall and straight under the pink and golden sunset. My heart still ached from the betrayal, the false accusations, the disappointment… Those pains clung to my bones like moss in the incessant rain. I didn’t know how long it would take to fully emerge from the shadows. But tonight, I would make Chloe experience overwhelming despair. Chloe silently watched my retreating back, feeling a profound loneliness. Once inside the Rolls-Royce, her assistant enthusiastically described the evening’s plans. “Mr. Ryder personally made a cake for you… He booked a yacht, invited over a hundred VIPs, and there will be a fireworks show…” Chloe found it utterly tasteless. “Enough. I want to rest my eyes now. Leave me.” The assistant immediately fell silent, but then, as Chloe closed her eyes, he suddenly exclaimed, “Ms. Chloe, quickly, look at the trending topics!” Chloe angrily opened her eyes, about to reprimand the assistant, but then she saw the top trending topic: #RyderSeenWithDirectorAndProducerAtNight# Tapping on the trending topic revealed a video with a timeline. Seven months ago, Ryder was filming a romance drama. In the middle of the night, he was seen flirting with the female director outside a hotel, entering a room arm-in-arm. At 3 AM, the female producer also covertly entered the same room. Chloe instantly erupted in fury. She immediately contacted her connections to have the trending topic removed, then rushed home to confront Ryder. “How many women have you been involved with?!” Ryder burst into tears, clinging to Chloe’s leg and wailing, “Those videos are fake! Someone’s deliberately slandering me, trying to ruin our relationship, you have to believe me, Ms. Chloe!” Ten minutes earlier, Chloe had already sent professionals to verify the videos, confirming they weren’t doctored. She recoiled in disgust. “I just want you to tell me the truth. Seven months ago, how many women were you… involved with?” Ryder shook his head frantically. “Only you, I swear, only you! Ms. Chloe, you’re so captivating, how could I look at anyone else…” “Enough!” Chloe didn’t want to hear Ryder’s lies anymore. She coldly instructed her assistant, “Immediately investigate that surrogacy agency. I need to know the DNA source of that embryo!” Ryder shrieked, “No! Ms. Chloe, you can’t do this to me! I can’t give you a child, but *we* can!” Mentioning me, Chloe remembered the birthday gift in the brown envelope. I had told her to open it only after seeing Ryder. Chloe hadn’t been interested in the gift at all, but because I had given it to her, she impatiently tore open the envelope. Two sheets of paper fluttered out. She picked them up, and after seeing the contents of the first sheet, her mind felt like it had been struck by a meteor. It was my medical report, which clearly stated that after long-term treatment, my fertility had a significant chance of returning to normal. Chloe clutched the paper, staring at it in disbelief, checking it again and again, confirming it was real—I could have had my own child. ### Chapter 9 Chloe’s hands trembled as she knelt, fumbling for the other piece of paper. After seeing its contents, her heart plummeted into hell. A bone fracture diagnosis. It was dated three months ago, after that supercar championship, when I had fractured my right leg from a fall down the stairs. In a flash of realization, Chloe understood everything. That day, it was raining. Ryder was sitting at the bottom of the stairs, screaming that I had pushed him. At the time, Chloe was only concerned with taking Ryder to the clinic, not noticing that I, too, was on the ground, my face utterly pale. When I said my leg felt broken, Chloe scoffed, instinctively believing I was lying. Because I was a man, she assumed I should be strong, not so fragile. Now she finally realized what she had missed. She had been anxious about not having children at thirty-three. When she heard Ryder could fulfill her wish, she immediately put him on a pedestal. She knew this would undoubtedly hurt me, but she couldn’t care less; she yearned for a child too desperately. So desperately that she was completely blind, only focused on pampering a philandering young man, losing the man who could have spent his life with her and given them a child who was truly ours. Chloe clutched the two papers tighter and tighter, her fingers piercing through the sheets. She knelt on the floor, letting out a low growl. “Julian—!” “Don’t leave… Don’t go…” Past memories flooded her mind like scattered snowflakes. Their childhood sweethearts days, laughing as they rode bicycles by the sea, working overtime in a scorching factory without AC, crying in each other’s arms after their first business failed… Chloe was drowned in an overwhelming wave of regret. She frantically searched for her phone, yelling at her stunned assistant standing at the door, “Where’s my phone? Call Julian immediately! I need to find him! He’ll understand my difficulties…” The assistant stammered, “Um, but… it’s too late.” “What ‘but’? What’s ‘too late’? I need to see Julian now!” Chloe’s eyes were bloodshot. The assistant recoiled in fear. “You… You should really look at the top trending topic now.” Chloe sneered. “Isn’t it just Ryder’s affair? I already had it taken down.” “Ms. Chloe, after you removed that trending topic, another one immediately soared to the top—‘VastReach Energy Tech Vice President Julian Evans is engaged to Qin Capital Heiress Eleanor Qin!’” ### Chapter 10 I had planned for a low-key second wedding. But Eleanor insisted on a grand affair.
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