"No, that can’t be right! Sophia has already had her second child, how could she possibly be asking for a divorce?"

In Skye Sutton’s mind, Sophia’s willingness to have a second child meant she had already followed her scheme.

Sophia would just be like her, popping out baby after baby, having lots of children to tie Vincent down completely. There was absolutely no way she would get a divorce.

"Was it you!" she yelled, stumbling into Julian Grant.

Eleanor Crawford quickly steadied her.

Skye Sutton glared daggers at Julian Grant. "Are you mad because I ruined things between you and your precious long-lost love, making it impossible for you two to get back together? Is that why you encouraged Sophia to get a divorce, so Vincent can live out the happiness you never got?"

"Julian Grant, you can just give up on that dream!"

"I won’t allow them to divorce! If they dare, I’ll kill myself right in front of them!"

"I’d like to see them try! Let’s see if they dare to get divorced over my dead body!"

Skye Sutton grabbed Julian Grant by the collar, but she was so weak her fingers trembled uncontrollably.

Her eyes were filled with desperation and madness.

"Don’t you even think about finding an escape! You’re not allowed to find release, not even through your own son!"

"Absolutely not!"

Fearing Skye Sutton would get overly agitated and pass out, Miles Grant hurried over to separate her from Julian Grant.

"Mom, please calm down. We’ll go talk to Sophia. We’ll convince her to come back."

Skye Sutton let Miles Grant support her. Even though she could barely stand, she continued to glare venomously at Julian Grant.

"You’ll never win."

"Don’t even think about winning in this lifetime!"

In the end, her strength failed her, and she fainted in Miles Grant’s arms.

Julian Grant was utterly fed up with Skye Sutton’s theatrics, but he had no choice but to scoop her into his arms and carry her upstairs.

Miles Grant turned to look back at his dazed wife, gently squeezing her hand. "Eleanor, I’m afraid Mom won’t let this go. Faye and Vincent can’t get this divorce."

"I’ll go find Vincent in a little while. I’ll have to trouble you with handling Faye."

As her older brother-in-law, it wouldn’t be appropriate for him to approach Sophia directly.

Eleanor Crawford had never been one to go against Miles Grant’s wishes.

But this time, she coldly pulled her hand away. "Why do we have to be the ones to talk Faye out of it? What did she do wrong? Why should she have to sacrifice herself because of your Grant family’s drama?"

"Faye hasn’t done anything wrong, but it would be a real shame for their family to fall apart just like this."

Miles Grant explained his reasoning in detail.

"I can tell Vincent doesn’t have feelings for Sophia, but there’s a lot he just doesn’t understand yet. As his older brother, I can’t just stand by and watch his marriage fall apart. I also want Cedric and the new baby to have a complete home."

A heavy feeling settled in Eleanor Crawford’s chest.

She knew Miles Grant was right, but she was still seething with frustration.

It was a hard, stifling knot of anger.

"Are you okay?" Miles Grant asked worriedly, noticing her pale expression.

Before Eleanor Crawford could say anything, Miles Grant’s phone rang.

Miles Grant pulled out his phone and stared, mesmerized, at the caller ID.

His expression was a mixture of hesitation and concern.

Seeing that familiar number, all the fight went out of Eleanor Crawford.

She closed her eyes, unable to look at Miles Grant’s face. "You should just go. You don’t want to be late and have something else happen."

With that, she pushed Miles Grant away and walked out without a single glance back.

Halfway down the hall, she turned back, but the spot where Miles Grant had been standing was already empty.

A desolate smile touched Eleanor Crawford’s lips.

Her hand drifted down to her stomach.

A life had once been here.

Perhaps she hadn’t been worthy of it; it had left her forever before even a month had passed.

Other people in her situation could at least feel anger, feel resentment. But she didn’t even have a reason to feel resentful...

...

When Sophia Shaw rushed back to the hospital, her uncle was already awake.

Seeing him lying in bed, his head wrapped in thick gauze, Sophia Shaw felt an uncontrollable ache in her chest.

It took her a long moment to swallow her anguish before she walked over. "Uncle."

Yancy Shaw was overjoyed to see Sophia Shaw.

He was still too weak to speak, but he reached a hand out to her.

Sophia Shaw took his hand.

The palm that she remembered as being so large and warm was now ice-cold.

A lump formed in her throat.

"Uncle, don’t worry. Warren Collins has already agreed to sell us the shares."

She deliberately omitted the part about the life-or-death gamble, making it sound nonchalant.

"...Good."

Yancy Shaw nodded with effort and squeezed her hand tightly, his eyes filled with a torrent of emotions.

June Evans knew what Yancy Shaw wanted to say and explained on his behalf. "Your uncle is happy. The Shaw family finally has a worthy heir. You’re even more capable than your mother and uncle!"

Yancy Shaw was too weak, and after only a short while, he drifted back to sleep.

Sophia Shaw stepped outside and called Jenson Forrest.

"I’m sorry, Mr. Forrest, but I’ve been rather busy lately. I won’t have time to tutor Lillian tomorrow."

"I’ll let her know," Jenson Forrest replied, his voice exceptionally gentle.

The two words "Mr. Forrest" that came from Sophia’s lips created a distance between them that he found deeply unsettling.

Yet he knew he had no right to ask anything of her.

He could only ask, "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"No."

Sophia Shaw hung up.

Jenson Forrest held his phone, lost in thought for a long time.

He couldn’t stop replaying the image of Sophia Shaw’s resolute gaze as she faced off against Warren Collins in that life-or-death gamble.

He had never seen that side of Sophia Shaw before.

The moment she’d charged forward, fearless even in the face of death, his heart had twisted with an aching, piercing pain.

His fingers unconsciously reached into his pocket, pulling out the Clover Necklace.

Sophia Shaw had thrown it in the trash can last time, but he had retrieved it.

"Jenson, have you heard? That bitch Sophia Shaw went and complained to the Grant family, and now Vincent is being punished by them!" Justin Hughes strode over, his voice fuming.

"The nerve of her!"

Jenson Forrest clenched the necklace in his palm before turning to Justin Hughes. "Where is Vincent now?"

"At the base!" Justin Hughes grew even more incensed hearing Jenson ask about Vincent’s whereabouts. "I don’t know what damn lies that Shaw woman told, but she somehow managed to fool both Elder Grant and Uncle Grant into ordering an investigation into Stellaron."

"Stellaron is completely paralyzed now, and Joanna is worried sick about it!"

Justin Hughes gritted his teeth, his hatred for Sophia Shaw palpable. "Who does she think she is!"

Jenson Forrest gave Justin Hughes a long, deep look. "If someone tried to steal your family’s company and forced your father into a life-or-death gamble, what would you do?"

"I’d destroy them, of course!" Justin Hughes said, his expression turning vicious.

Only after he answered did he realize Jenson Forrest seemed to be defending Sophia Shaw.

"Jenson, you..."

Jenson Forrest turned and walked away.

...

"Vincent, how did this happen?" 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

At the base, Joanna Sherman stared at the completely emptied office, her eyes turning red.

A few of her subordinates stood behind her, looking just as dejected.

"We’ve always followed the rules and the law. How could the higher-ups just launch an investigation like this?"

"How long is this investigation going to last?"

"If this keeps up, all our previous plans will be ruined. The company can’t take this kind of hit."

The wounds on Vincent’s back had only been treated crudely and still stung with a fiery pain.

He clenched his fist and let out a soft cough.

The movement pulled at the wounds on his back, and his face grew a few shades paler.

"I will handle this matter. Everyone may leave, except for Chief Engineer Sherman."

Though their hearts were heavy, they had no choice but to accept the situation.

They filed out one by one.

Joanna Sherman wrapped her arms around herself, her brow furrowed with worry.

"Vincent, with your connections, even if the higher-ups wanted to investigate, they would have tipped you off first. There was no warning at all this time. What exactly happened?"

"My dad went to ask. The Inspectorate said the order didn’t come from them."

"It was my grandfather’s doing," Vincent said.

"Your grandfather?"

The only image that flashed through Joanna Sherman’s mind was of the man she had only ever seen on television.

He was the very person she had been trying so hard to win over!

A wave of panic washed over Joanna Sherman, as if something she had been trying to keep under wraps was about to burst free.

"Why?"

"Is this Sophia Shaw’s doing?"

"Why would she do something like that!"

"Joanna," Vincent said her name softly.

He usually called her "Jo." Hearing him suddenly call her "Joanna" made her feel uneasy.

The man’s low, questioning voice sounded in her ear, "This business with Warren Collins... was it your idea, or your family’s?"