Chapter 96: Chapter 96: We’re Getting a Divorce, Don’t Make It Public

Tristan Lawson had just arrived at the office.

When he saw Sophie Hughes’s call, he answered it.

"Tristan, I need to ask you for a favor."

Sophie Hughes’s voice was low.

She actually knew that Director Smith was casting for a role.

She was abroad, but still in the industry. How could she not know?

What she hadn’t expected, however, was that after failing to find a suitable producer abroad, Director Smith would actually turn his sights to her home country.

Tristan Lawson could tell that it had taken a great deal of courage for Sophie Hughes to speak up.

"Go ahead."

"A few days ago, I heard from some industry insiders that there’s a key role in Director Smith’s new animated film that he still hasn’t found the right person for. It’s very likely he’s coming here to scout for animation producers soon. I previously submitted an application for a role in this film, but not for the one he’s having trouble filling. Now Director Ford is willing to mentor me, and I really want to challenge myself again and land this role with Smith."

"It’s good that you have this kind of ambition. He arrives the day after tomorrow. I’ll be picking him up, and I’ll talk to him then."

Tristan Lawson had studied abroad from a young age.

Back when Smith was still an unknown animation director, Tristan Lawson had been the one to invest in his first animated film.

The main reason was that Sophie Hughes was studying animation at the time.

He was quite willing to lend a helping hand to those who were passionate about animation.

He hadn’t expected Smith to be such a talent. A single animated film was enough to make him famous, and now he was an internationally renowned animation director.

Therefore, Tristan Lawson and Smith had a bit of a friendly relationship.

There was another connection, one Tristan Lawson had only just learned about himself. Smith was of mixed Eastern and Western heritage, and his mother had been a poor student once sponsored by Old Master Sterling. Part of the reason for his trip back was to accompany his mother to Old Master Sterling’s seventieth birthday celebration.

Tristan Lawson figured that getting a role from Smith wouldn’t be a big problem.

"Tristan, thank you."

"There’s no need for thanks between us. Just focus on your work."

After ending the call, Sophie Hughes took a deep breath.

’All these years, whatever Tristan Lawson promised her, he always delivered.’

’Noelle Sutton... Don’t even think about getting Director Smith’s role!’

’She wondered what kind of expression Noelle Sutton would have when she found out it was Tristan who had secured the role for her.’

Sophie Hughes didn’t want to run into Noelle Sutton right now. She could tell that Director Ford much preferred Noelle.

Whenever Noelle was present, Director Ford’s attention was almost entirely on her.

If she went in now, she would be the one feeling awkward.

So, she went to a nearby coffee shop to sit and wait, planning to see Director Ford after Noelle had left.

After Director Ford finished discussing the plan to pursue the role in Director Smith’s new film with Noelle Sutton, she added a reminder, "Noelle, promise me you’ll work hard. No matter what setbacks you face, you can’t give up, okay?"

The main issue was that Noelle Sutton was now Mrs. Lawson.

She could live very well without working at all.

Director Ford really didn’t want Noelle to give up on her talent.

She hoped that this opportunity would help Noelle rediscover her passion for animation and rejoin the industry.

Director Ford had discussed it with Tristan Lawson; they would give Sophie Hughes six months.

’By the time Noelle Sutton finishes her work on Director Smith’s project, the six months would be almost up. Perhaps Noelle would return to her side then.’

’For someone who treasured talent, there was no way she could bear to give up on such a naturally gifted artist.’

Noelle Sutton nodded resolutely.

’It wasn’t that she hadn’t wanted to come out and work before; her circumstances simply hadn’t allowed it.’

’Now that she had such a rare and valuable opportunity...’

’She would definitely seize it and not disappoint Director Ford again.’

Later, Noelle Sutton still needed to go see Tristan Lawson.

So she asked Director Ford for a favor.

She opened a case.

Director Ford stared at the case full of money and asked in confusion, "Noelle, what is all this?"

For the time being, Noelle Sutton didn’t want Director Ford to know about her marriage to Tristan Lawson, which was rotten to the core, lest she worry her mentor.

Smiling, Noelle Sutton signed, "This is money I got from selling some of my and my grandmother’s paper-cut artworks. I have other uses for it and don’t want Tristan Lawson to know. I’d like to trouble you to hold on to it for me, Mentor."

Director Ford’s eyelids twitched. "Noelle," she asked, puzzled, "are you hiding something from me?"

Noelle Sutton’s heart skipped a beat.

’This was exactly what she was afraid of—Director Ford pressing her for details.’

To dispel Director Ford’s suspicion, Noelle Sutton told her about funding Christopher Grant’s team.

Christopher Grant’s film was nearing completion, but there might be subsequent expenses.

They were all in the same circle, so Director Ford had heard of someone like him.

She just never expected that the team was only able to keep going because Noelle Sutton had been funding them.

Noelle Sutton continued to sign her white lie: "I don’t want Tristan Lawson to know about this, so... I’m asking you to hold on to this money for now."

Director Ford agreed, promising to keep her secret.

As Noelle Sutton left Director Ford’s studio, she thought, ’If her and her grandmother’s paper-cuttings could have sold for this much money when she was a child, would her grandmother still have died?’

Living in such a small town, they had no contact with high society. They had no idea that people actually liked to collect paper-cut art and were willing to pay such high prices.

Noelle Sutton’s heart was heavy.

’Her grandmother... in the end, it was all to cure her voice...’

’On her deathbed, her grandmother was still wracked with guilt that she couldn’t cure her aphonia, that she’d never hear her call her ’Grandma’ again.’

Over the years, she too had desperately wanted to speak.

Once she was old enough to work and earn money, she had gone to see doctors.

But every time, the result was only disappointment.

Later, she married Tristan Lawson.

During those years when she loved Tristan Lawson and Joshua Lawson the most, she had also secretly seen doctors.

’If she could speak, she would have wanted to tell them with her own voice that she loved them.’

’It was a good thing she had never voiced that so-called love.’

’Otherwise, the shame would have been unbearable.’

Just now, while discussing Director Smith’s film role, Director Ford had also mentioned that Smith could recommend foreign specialists.

’Should she try again? She didn’t know.’

A taxi arrived. Noelle Sutton collected her thoughts and got in.

She was heading to Lawson Group.

She arrived at the entrance of Lawson Group.

Noelle Sutton didn’t go in right away. She had seen on TV that at large corporations like this, it was very difficult for an ordinary person to see the CEO directly.

Besides, she couldn’t speak, and no one at the company knew she was Mrs. Lawson. If she tried to communicate with the front desk, she feared she would only be met with ridicule.

Last time, at the school gate, even the security guard had accused her of impersonating Mrs. Lawson.

She didn’t want to subject herself to that kind of humiliation again.

So, she sent a text message to Tristan Lawson.

[I’m downstairs at your company. I need to talk to you about something. Can you have Secretary Shaw come down and get me?]

’He wasn’t willing to divorce her just yet. He still needed her, under the title of Mrs. Lawson, to cover for his illicit affair with Sophie Hughes.’

’He would probably send Secretary Shaw down, she thought.’

Tristan Lawson was in a meeting when he saw a WeChat message on his phone. To his surprise, it was from Noelle Sutton.

It had been a while since she had initiated a text to him.

After reading the message, Tristan Lawson stood up and said, "Meeting adjourned."

Everyone in the conference room was stunned.

The meeting was only halfway through, right at its most crucial stage.

Why was he adjourning it now?

Tristan Lawson was already striding out of the room.

Noelle Sutton stood quietly at the entrance of Lawson Tower, waiting.

However, her back was turned to the building.

When Tristan Lawson came down and saw her slender back, he called out in a gentle voice, "Noelle."

She turned, her eyes meeting Tristan Lawson’s unfathomable gaze.

Tristan Lawson took a step forward and clasped her hand.

She immediately pulled away and began to sign, "You just promised yesterday that we wouldn’t publicize our marital status."

A cold smile touched Tristan Lawson’s handsome, thin lips. "Am I that much of an embarrassment to you?"

"I’m the one who’s an embarrassment," she signed. "We’re divorcing in a month. There’s no need to let people know we’re husband and wife right now."

The woman’s soft, boneless-seeming hands fluttered, expressing the words she wanted to say.

The movement was so jarring it made Tristan Lawson’s eyes ache.

He tightened his thin lips, his voice carrying an inherent authority. "Come up with me."

Tristan Lawson led the way, with Noelle Sutton following close behind.

Inside the CEO’s private elevator, Tristan Lawson shot her a cool glance. Seeing her cold expression, he abruptly looked away.

The elevator went straight to the top floor.

Noelle Sutton was in no mood to appreciate the luxury of Lawson Tower, simply following Tristan Lawson’s steps into the CEO’s office.

The vast space, with its exquisitely detailed, high-end decor, spoke volumes of Tristan Lawson’s status in the business world.

On a curio shelf, however, sat a crystal photo frame. Inside was a picture of Tristan Lawson and Sophie Hughes together.

Sophie Hughes was leaning against Tristan Lawson, her smile gentle and captivating.

’Heh. The man who supposedly hated having his picture taken.’

A faint smile played on Noelle Sutton’s lips.

Tristan Lawson noticed the direction of her gaze and was about to speak.

Noelle Sutton’s fingers had already begun to dance.