“You!” Ethan roared, his voice thick with disbelief.
Isabella had become utterly defiant! In their three years of marriage, no matter how unreasonable his or his mother’s demands had been—no matter how absurd—she had never once resisted.
Isabella always obeyed.
But now, it seemed she would demand a much higher price for her cooperation.
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“If you agree to this request, not only will we compensate you financially, but we’ll also grant you 5% of the Blackwood Group’s shares.” Ethan’s tone was smooth, confident in his generous offer. “And let’s be honest—you never know when you might need a favor from the Blackwood family.”
After all, if she accepted, the entire Blackwood family would owe her. What more could she possibly want?
Isabella responded with a cold, mocking laugh, dripping with disdain.
Ethan thought he could manipulate her with empty promises. But it was clear he had no intention of actually giving her those shares. He believed a few sweet words would be enough to lure her in.
What a joke.
The partnership with the Sterling Group was worth far more than the measly 5% he was offering. When she had practically begged Alexander for an introduction, she had promised him 10%. And now, Ethan expected her to hand him an opportunity on a silver platter for a fraction of that?
“I don’t recall this office conducting IQ tests,” Isabella snapped. “Maybe you should take a detour to the psychiatric ward next door.” She took a deliberate step forward, her gaze sharp as steel. “I’ve met shameless people before, Ethan, but you? You’re in a league of your own. Do you even understand what the word ‘divorce’ means?” Her lips curled. “It means you disgust me.”
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Isabella hadn’t spoken so bluntly in years. Normally, she wielded subtlety like a blade, but this time, Ethan had crossed a line.
“Isabella, if you’re unwilling to help, there’s no need to insult him,” came a voice from behind. Sophia stepped forward, positioning herself between Ethan and Isabella, her presence ensuring Ethan couldn’t back down now.
“I know you just returned from the Kingsley estate,” Sophia said, her tone honeyed but laced with venom. “But just because you’ve managed to climb the social ladder doesn’t mean you should treat those beneath you so ruthlessly.” Her smile was sharp. “Alexander may favor you now, but high society values status above all. It wouldn’t hurt to leave yourself an exit strategy.”
Her words pretended to defend Ethan, but beneath the surface, Sophia relished the tension between them. That comment Isabella had made about Eleanor had opened Pandora’s box, unleashing chaos. Since then, Sophia had endured Eleanor’s relentless mockery.
Isabella merely smiled, unfazed. “Yes, I was at the Kingsley estate. What exactly does that have to do with either of you?” Her tone was icy, as if she couldn’t fathom why her personal life was their concern. Were Ethan and Sophia still stuck in the past?
Ethan, already humiliated by how low he’d stooped, now burned with rage. Strangely, he hadn’t cared when Isabella mentioned being with a male escort. But the thought of her with Alexander? Unbearable. It filled him with a deep, seething humiliation. He couldn’t decide what angered him more—that she had left him, or that she had somehow ensnared Alexander.
“You are a disgrace!” Ethan bellowed, his hand raised, ready to strike.
Isabella’s eyes turned glacial. In one fluid motion, she drew a slender dagger from her sleeve, its edge glinting dangerously.
But before Ethan’s hand could descend, someone intervened.
A man in an impeccably tailored suit stepped forward. With one swift, effortless twist—
Crack.
A scream tore through the air, raw and agonized. The unmistakable sound of breaking bone echoed in the room.
“My arm! My arm!” Ethan gasped, drenched in sweat, his body trembling violently. He stared at his arm, now bent at a grotesque angle, unable to comprehend the blinding pain.
He turned, furious—only to meet a pair of cold, fathomless eyes.
Behind the suited man sat Alexander, in his wheelchair.
Sebastian released Ethan’s mangled arm and announced coolly, “Mr. Kingsley, the trash has been dealt with.”
