Remarried Wife: Mr. Ex, We Will Never Reconcile!-Chapter 103: Divorce Granted by the Court!

In an instant, all the color drained from Ian Kane’s face, leaving it ashen, even his lips lost their color.

"Noah Grant"—when Vera Sheridan uttered this name, along with that cold, openly mocking and hateful gaze, it was like a bolt of lightning that split him apart completely, exposing him with nowhere to hide!

Those eyes that a second ago were filled with "deep affection" and "reminiscence" suddenly narrowed.

All the feigned warmth shattered in an instant, leaving only naked shame and panic.

Seeing him rendered speechless, Vera’s sneer deepened, her words piercing his heart like daggers:

"Ian Kane, you’re a complete fraud!"

"The thing that made me first like you, you stole Noah Grant’s credit for it! You’re shameless to the bone! Without that, I wouldn’t have cared about you in this lifetime at all! You’re just trash!"

The word "fraud" hit Ian Kane’s heart like a heavy sledgehammer.

His entire body stiffened, as if plunged into an ice cave, his blood seemingly freezing instantly.

In front of him was Vera’s disdainful gaze, pinning him to a pillar of shame; in his ears, he could vaguely hear his father’s bone-chilling judgment again... this complete negation crushed him entirely.

He bit down hard on his back teeth, the force so great that his jaw tightened, his Adam’s apple rolling violently, swallowing the metallic taste in his throat.

However, amidst this extreme humiliation and collapse, a vicious fury twisted to its limit suddenly sprang from his eyes!

"Ha..." A cold sneer squeezed through his pale lips.

He raised his eyes, the last trace of emotion in them extinguished completely, leaving only an unfathomable chill.

"So, you figured it out." His voice was unusually calm, yet like cold blades scraping by.

The moment his words fell, he abruptly stood up from the wheelchair without warning!

Tall and imposing, his presence cast a shadow over Vera, enveloping her in an instant.

Completely caught off guard!

His iron grip clamped tightly around Vera’s waist, holding her firmly in front of him, while his other hand coldly grasped her chin, forcing her to look up and meet his icy, abyss-like eyes.

Vera struggled fiercely, but it was as futile as an ant trying to shake a tree.

Outside, Maeve Holloway heard the noise and anxiously tried to come in.

"Bang——!"

Without turning his head, Ian Kane kicked backward fiercely!

The hospital room door slammed shut with a heavy thud, isolating the inside from the outside.

In the confined space, only the two of them remained, and the air became stagnant.

"Ian Kane, let me go!" Vera’s voice trembled with anger and fear.

Ian Kane looked down at her, his cold breath almost on her face, his eyes filled with an unabashed desire to conquer and destroy.

"That’s right," he said in a low voice, enunciating each word clearly, "You are something I stole from Noah Grant, a... trophy."

His fingers tightened around her chin, a mocking smile curling his lips:

"Sincerity? Vera, do you even deserve it?"

As he spoke, his eyes grew even colder.

"That night, you asked me why it had to be you."

"Now I’ll tell you, I chose you because you’re the untouchable white moonlight in their eyes, the unreachable blossom on a high peak..."

His voice suddenly rose, filled with searing malice:

"Especially—Noah Grant! He likes you!"

"I schemed and plotted to take you away, just to watch him suffer!"

Vera’s emotions surged, raising her hand to slap his face, but Ian Kane seized her slender wrist, his dark, cold eyes fixed on her.

The next second, he leaned down, his lips close to Vera’s ear, whispering coldly, enunciating each word:

"This feeling—it’s more satisfying than just having you."

Every word he spoke declared that she was his stolen trophy for revenge!

An object without a soul, stripped of dignity!

Vera was furious beyond control; she clenched her right hand into a fist, using all her strength to hit Ian Kane’s wound on his abdomen hard!

"Ugh—!"

Caught off guard, Ian Kane felt a sharp pain explode from his wound, letting out a muffled grunt.

His tall body swayed violently, sweat instantly beading on his forehead, his hand on her chin and waist instinctively loosened, his thin lips pressed into a tight line.

Seizing the moment, Vera tried to push him away, only to be held even tighter in the next second.

When their eyes met, hers were filled with intense hatred for him.

Breathing heavily, Ian Kane’s icy eyes churned with dark emotions, his voice hoarse and filled with a near-pathological sarcasm.

"Ha... do you hate me this much?" he stared into her burning eyes, "Just because... I caused you and your ’beloved senior brother’... to miss out on so many years?"

Hearing this, Vera snorted coldly in her heart.

He was still trying to turn the tables!

Before, her feelings for Noah Grant were simply pure admiration for a brilliant senior.

She didn’t bother to explain, her face icy, "Ian Kane, if you don’t let me go, Maeve will call the police!"

Ian Kane took it as a tacit agreement, raising his hand to grip her neck.

At that moment, the pain from his wound intensified.

Seizing the moment of slack from his pain, Vera used all her strength to break free from his restraint!

Staggering back a few steps to widen the distance, her eyes darted to his bleeding wound, and she gritted her teeth, cursing under her breath, "Madman!"

The next second, she turned without hesitation, rushing to the door, and twisted the doorknob forcefully.

Outside, Maeve was anxiously pounding on the door, her voice almost breaking from shouting.

As soon as the door opened, Vera was immediately pulled into Maeve’s tight grasp.

"Vera! Are you alright?"

Vera shook her head, "I’m fine, let’s go."

With that, she pulled Maeve to leave.

Maeve glanced at the figure in the room, speaking mockingly, "Ian Kane, the one who needs therapy the most is you!"

They left.

In the room, Ian Kane’s tall body swayed, the excruciating pain in his abdomen like countless red-hot knives twisting inside, the blood seeping through his deep blue hospital gown, spreading a larger patch of jarring dark red.

He pressed hard on the wound, the viscous warmth seeping through his fingers, one hand propped on the wheelchair handle to barely stay upright.

The cold sweat on his forehead rolled down in large beads, sliding along his taut jawline.

Slowly raising his head, his gaze seemed to penetrate through the closed door, as if tracking Vera’s departing figure.

Fraud... trash... trophy... as if you deserve...

Her icy, deeply cutting words, and his own vicious replies, silently clashed and echoed in his mind at that moment.

He staggered to the side of the hospital bed, took out the photo of their first meeting from under the pillow, and without a moment’s hesitation, tore it to pieces, one by one...

...

Once in the car, Vera’s tense nerves finally relaxed completely, her body uncontrollably trembling slightly, her fingertips icy cold.

Maeve Holloway patted her on the back, "Vera, don’t take his words to heart. It’s just a psychological defense mechanism because he’s embarrassed and angry after being exposed."

As a close friend, she had witnessed Vera’s efforts in this marriage, yet Ian Kane had completely reduced her to a mere "trophy."

She worried that Vera might not get over it psychologically.

Vera closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and then exhaled slowly, "Maeve, whatever he says now, I don’t care anymore."

Her voice was slightly hoarse but unusually calm, carrying a fatigue that comes with a sense of closure, "It’s finally over."

To Ian Kane, even the slightest filter was shattered.

Now, towards him, even hatred seemed superfluous.

Maeve felt relieved.

"In a few days... the court case will start." Vera opened her eyes, looking at the street scenery rapidly retreating through the car window, her gaze gradually focusing, with a faint light rekindling in the depths of her weary eyes.

In a few days, she would be able to report to The National Ballet of Veridia, no longer entangled with these rotten people and matters!

...

Ian Kane was discharged from the hospital three days later.

The Kane Group, President’s office.

The vast space was cold and uninhabited, without a trace of life.

The golden birdcage that once hung prominently now stood vacant with its door ajar, the canary inside long gone, leaving only a few scattered feathers behind.

Elias Crowe pushed the door open and was immediately met with Ian Kane’s cold gaze, silently exuding questioning.

Elias felt a chill in his heart but maintained his usual courteous and earnest demeanor, meeting his gaze, his tone steady yet carrying an almost imperceptible sigh:

"President Kane, about that bird... you might not believe it," he paused, looking back at Ian Kane with a straightforward gaze, "It pecked open the latch by itself and flew out, and it hasn’t come back since."

Ian Kane crossed his long legs, sinking deep into the broad leather chair, eyelids slightly raised, his cold black eyes casting a sidelong glance, lips tightly pursed, saying nothing.

The air seemed to stagnate, with only a silent oppression spreading.

Elias understood.

The boss didn’t believe it.

Or rather, he refused to believe it.

"At first, even I found it unbelievable," Elias spoke while deftly operating the tablet, "but there is surveillance as proof."

He projected the footage onto the opposite white wall.

The clear surveillance video began to play: in the footage, the bright-feathered canary was seen, again and again, almost persistently pecking and nudging the cage door’s metal latch, its small body bursting forth with astonishing strength and determination...

Finally, the latch loosened and sprang open!

Without hesitation, it spread its wings like a golden streak of light, instantly breaking free from the cage’s confines, disappearing into the sky, never to return.

The video ended, the office returned to silence, leaving only the faint mechanical sound of the projector.

Elias looked at the frozen image of the empty birdcage on the screen, then slowly turned to Ian Kane’s increasingly cold and gloomy profile.

"President Kane, perhaps your fate with it is over. Forcing it... ultimately won’t work." He cautiously advised.

A double entendre!

Ian Kane faintly curled his lips, picking up a pack of cigarettes, flicked out a cigarette.

Elias continued to report to him:

"President Kane, regarding the latest updates on the divorce case. The court formally delivered the trial notice the day before yesterday. The case is scheduled for trial the day after tomorrow morning at the Ardendale Central Court. Our Attorney Rivers has formally applied for a closed trial."

Ian Kane’s motion of lighting the cigarette stalled.

Elias took a light breath, bracing himself to lay out the cold reality:

"Attorney Rivers, after thoroughly reviewing the evidence materials submitted by your wife, made a clear judgment. Your wife holds complete video evidence of your extramarital affairs. He assesses this evidence as exceptionally compelling and exclusive, constituting a decisive piece that will likely seal the case with one decisive blow.

Ian Kane bit tightly on the cigarette butt, raising his eyes to signal him to continue. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

Elias, "Attorney Rivers predicts that there is no dispute over the factual grounds of this case, and the possibility of a judgment dissolving the marriage during the first trial... is extremely high."

"Attorney Rivers suggests you... prepare yourself psychologically in advance."

Ian Kane took two deep drags on the cigarette, his gaze fixed on the open birdcage, his Adam’s apple moved, raised his hand to wave, signaling Elias to leave.

Just as Elias stepped out, his phone vibrated.

It was a call from Jasper Crowe.

Ian Kane answered, his voice deep and cold, laced with suppressed anger and questioning, "Jasper, the court case is the day after tomorrow! Are you and your father planning to just stand by and watch?"

On the other end, Jasper Crowe’s lazy tone came, with a touch of his usual teasing, "Kane, listen to you. Do you think we don’t care? We’re afraid to care too much!"

His words were laden with meaning.

Ian Kane’s eyelids lifted, "What do you mean?"

On the other end, Jasper Crowe sighed, "I’m really afraid that in your frail state just out of the hospital, you might stroke out from anger again!"

...

The next day, the divorce case went to trial.

Due to the application for a closed trial, only their relatives and friends attended.

Vera Sheridan sat poised in the plaintiff’s seat.

She was dressed in a neatly tailored off-white suit, accentuating her fair complexion, and exuded a cool and resolute aura.

Her long hair was meticulously tied at the back, revealing a smooth forehead and graceful necklines.

Beside her, Noah Grant was in a sharp, deep gray suit.

The man’s steady, keen gaze calmly scanned the room with a confidence that seemed to control the entire situation.

Up until the start of the trial, Ian Kane was nowhere to be seen.

The trial proceeded in an orderly manner.

Noah Grant represented Vera to state the claims and reasons for the suit, clear in structure, with strict logic and an emphasis on the defendant Ian Kane’s misconduct during the marriage and the irreparable damage caused to the marriage.

He presented the decisive piece of evidence: a complete video recording of Ian Kane’s extramarital relationship with Serena Everett.

The footage was clear, the timestamps precise, an ironclad proof.

The Kane side’s Attorney Rivers symbolically asked a few insignificant questions, without forcefully challenging the evidence’s authenticity, making the process appear perfunctory.

...

Everything proceeded smoothly.

Finally, Judge Goldsmith picked up the gavel, his gaze sweeping across the room, his voice steady and resonant:

"The Ardendale Central Court, civil trial room, regarding the divorce dispute case filed by plaintiff Vera Sheridan against defendant Ian Kane, has been tried and is now concluded."

"This court finds: The evidence submitted by the plaintiff sufficiently proves that the defendant committed acts breaching the marital fidelity obligation during the marriage, causing severe damage to the marital relationship and being the primary reason for its breakdown."

"The defendant also clearly expressed willingness to dissolve the marriage in court. The marital relationship is indeed broken, with no possibility of reconciliation after mediation has failed."

"Therefore... the judgment is as follows."

Vera’s heart suddenly stopped, she held her breath, as if the entire world had melted away, leaving only the sound of the judge’s voice.

"The court permits the divorce of the plaintiff Vera Sheridan and the defendant Ian Kane!"

"This judgment is verbally rendered, and the judgment document will be delivered to both parties within ten days. If dissatisfied with this judgment..."