Chapter 81: Chapter 81: That Messy Business Between You and Sophie Hughes

"CEO Lawson."

Tristan Lawson’s voice was cold. "Check the balance on the card I gave my wife."

"One moment."

A moment later, Secretary Shaw replied, "Twelve million."

Tristan Lawson frowned slightly. Twelve million wasn’t a lot, but if Noelle Sutton wanted to return to the life of an ordinary person, it would be enough to last her a lifetime.

But she was his woman. How could a woman belonging to Tristan Lawson live the life of an ordinary person?

"Cancel the card."

Tristan Lawson’s voice was frigid.

Secretary Shaw was taken aback for a second but didn’t dare say a word.

"Yes, right away."

"Also, find out what’s happening with the Yates Group."

With that, Tristan Lawson ended the call.

His long, straight legs carried him to the balcony, where he lit a cigarette.

Outside the window, the night was as black as ink.

As Tristan Lawson exhaled a cloud of smoke, he suddenly felt the house was a bit empty. Life these past few years had been stable, perhaps a little too placid.

’Is Noelle trying to stir up some waves in my life?’

Noelle Sutton hadn’t been feeling well today. She lay down as soon as she got back to the hotel.

When she opened her eyes again, it was because a nightmare had jolted her awake.

Her forehead and back were slick with sweat.

She had dreamt of the fire from seven years ago again.

In the dream, the fear for Tristan Lawson’s safety had made her heart ache with tension.

The terror lingered even after she woke up.

She quickly composed herself. ’From now on, anything to do with Tristan Lawson has nothing to do with me.’

She was about to take a shower when she remembered she had left without even packing a bag.

She had no choice but to go out and buy a change of clothes and some toiletries.

She didn’t know what was happening with the Yates Family. Once she was sure Tristan Lawson wasn’t going to wage war on them, she would go back to her hometown.

Noelle first picked out two simple outfits and handed her bank card to the cashier.

The cashier swiped the card. Noelle entered her PIN and pressed confirm, but the transaction failed.

The card machine read: CARD INVALID.

’How is this possible?’

’She’d used this card for seven years. She had just been using it these past few days, so how could it suddenly be invalid?’

"Miss, this card isn’t working. Do you have another one?"

Noelle had to put down the shopping bag. She typed on her phone, asking the cashier to try swiping it again.

After she entered her PIN, it still showed the card as invalid.

She couldn’t help but let out a bitter, mocking smile.

This card was Tristan Lawson’s.

One day, he had suddenly given her this card, told her it had two million in it, and sent her out shopping.

Not long after, he transferred another two million into the card and told her to go shopping.

Once, twice, then a third time, and a fourth.

At first, she had felt happy. He was afraid she’d be bored at home, so he always gave her money to go shopping.

But as it happened more and more, she gradually realized that he only ever sent her shopping when people were coming over to the house.

That was when she understood that by "secret marriage," he meant truly secret. Besides the Lawsons and their household staff, he wouldn’t let a single soul know that she was his wife. 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

And now, he had even canceled her card.

Noelle silently left the clothing store.

Although she was frugal, she never dared to buy clothes that were too cheap, afraid of embarrassing Tristan Lawson.

It was probably out of habit that she had chosen a high-end store this time, too.

Just as she walked out, she heard the cashier mutter, "If you can’t afford it, don’t pretend you can. What a waste of time."

Noelle just curved her lips into a faint smile.

She was used to it.

Numb to it.

After all, she was a mute.

She had a pretty good idea of what was happening. Tristan Lawson was trying to cut off all her escape routes.

She suddenly remembered what her mentor had once said: no matter how well a woman marries, she can only live a truly brilliant life if she has her own career.

It was true. A woman who always had her hand out was always in a passive position, just like she was right now.

In seven years, she had lost herself. And now that she wanted to leave, she found herself constrained at every turn.

In this day and age, you can’t get anywhere without money.

From her seven-year marriage, she hadn’t gained the love she wanted, nor the happiness of a family of three.

Instead, she had nothing.

How ironic.

Tristan Lawson was telling her to get lost, while at the same time blocking anyone who could possibly help her.

He wanted to leave her utterly isolated, so she would have no choice but to crawl back and beg him for mercy.

Was he so certain that she couldn’t live without him?

She only had six months. She had originally planned to leave quietly, without fighting or vying for anything. But if this was how it was going to be, then even if she only had six months to live, she would live them well.

She would live well just to show him!

Just then, Tristan Lawson received a call from Secretary Shaw.

"CEO Lawson, I’ve looked into it. It was the Old Chairman who made the move, but it’s not too serious. He bought up a significant amount of Yates Group stock and has been continuously dumping it at a very low price. On top of that, a hospital under the Yates Group has had several incidents with disgruntled patients that made the news. This has caused the Yates Group’s stock to keep falling. The Old Chairman is doing this so openly—playing with their stock—that a simple check would trace it all back to Lawson."

Tristan Lawson couldn’t help but sneer. ’Such a large corporation, and they can’t even handle a small matter like this? And they let it get so out of hand that Noelle found out about it.’

’Wyatt Yates is this useless, and he still thinks he can steal a woman from me?’

’How ridiculous!’

He had cut off Noelle’s only source of income. He figured that after tonight, she would come back obediently.

Hanging up, Tristan Lawson grabbed his jacket and returned to the Lawson family’s old residence.

After entering, he headed straight for the study.

At this hour, the old master was usually in the study, reading and drinking tea.

Tristan Lawson sat down directly across from Old Master Lawson.

"Don’t you have anything better to do?"

He hated it when others meddled in his private life.

"Someone from the Yates Family is interfering in my grandson’s marriage, so I’m playing around with their stock. How is that ’having nothing better to do’?"

The reason Old Master Lawson was being so blatant was to make sure the Yates Family knew it was the Lawsons’ doing, so they would obediently back off.

And naturally, Noelle wouldn’t dare to seek help from the Yates Family again either.

He hadn’t expected, however, that the mute girl was actually serious about divorcing Tristan Lawson.

Old Master Lawson poured a cup of tea for Tristan. "I think you’ve spoiled that mute. You haven’t even dumped her, yet she has the nerve to try and dump you. If word of this gets out, won’t it be humiliating?"

"Stop calling her ’that mute.’ She’s my wife."

The last time he came back, they kept calling her "that mute," and it had started to annoy him.

"If you’re so protective of her, then handle this quickly. I don’t want to see any scandals in this family."

The Lawson Family had been wealthy for generations. The wealth they’d accumulated over the years was built on a foundation of strict family rules.

If a family wanted to prosper for the long term, none of its members could be allowed to do whatever they pleased.

Otherwise, the family would quickly fall to ruin.

Tristan Lawson was the heir he valued most. He would absolutely not allow any stain on Tristan’s reputation.

Marrying a mute, if it were ever to become public knowledge, could even make the Lawson Family seem magnanimous.

Of course, it was also a symbol of their power.

The Lawson Family had no need for marriage alliances to strengthen its position.

"And another thing, send Sophie Hughes away as soon as possible. Letting her live at Westhill Villa is completely inappropriate. If she stays any longer, Noelle is bound to find out about that mess between you two. When that happens, if Noelle still insists on divorce and this becomes public, neither the Lawson Family nor the Hughes Family will be able to save face!"