Chapter 1 Finally A Divorce

“Sign it. After the divorce, I won't press any legal charges against you. I'll even give you two hundred million more and separate your studio for you to own independently. Then there's the one at the city center...” A deep, pleasing, yet chilling voice resonated. Isabella Jeannet couldn't help but cover her mouth with her hand, preventing herself from bursting into laughter. Reflected in her beautiful almond-shaped eyes were numbers with many, many zeroes. She carefully examined the divorce agreement, counting the zeroes. The tall man sitting across the office desk had his handsome, noble brows furrowed. His eyes were as dark and glossy, radiating a cool hue. He watched as the trembling Isabella lowered her head and covered her mouth. The chill in his heart grew even colder. If only Alexander Quirk had known what would happen back then, he would never have tolerated it from the start. Isabella was a woman who was both pitiful and detestable in his eyes. Her parents had been lifelong friends with the Quirk family, but they passed away before she even came of age. Due to a dying wish, the Quirk family took in Isabella. Unexpectedly, she repaid their kindness with treachery by scheming to become his wife. After that, he never lived in peace. He was pursued relentlessly and harassed without reason. His life into a complete mess thanks to her. Some time ago, she even stole company secrets and passed them to a rival corporation, causing them to lose a major project. That led to a wave of resentment throughout the entire company. To appease the board members, he had to divorce her. “I've shown extreme benevolence and magnanimity. I hope you know when to stop.” If it weren't for the sake of her deceased parents, Alexander wouldn't have shown her any mercy. Initially, he assumed Isabella would resist the divorce vehemently, even to the point of attempting suicide. However, unexpectedly, she tremblingly picked up the pen. Upon seeing that, Alexander breathed a small sigh of relief. He thought Isabella had realized that her actions at that time had crossed the line, so she ceased to resist. Finally, a divorce at last— “Woohoo! Finally, I can get a divorce!” Isabella's voice suddenly rang in his mind. Alexander was confused. Is this... Isabella's voice? Alexander had almost never heard Isabella's voice brimming with such joy and excitement before. For a moment, he couldn't be sure, so he looked up. However, all he saw was Isabella's fierce expression as she was ready to put pen to paper. He couldn't tell if that expression was one of anger or of joy. Wait, she didn't say anything. “Fantastic! Two hundred million! Imagine how many houses I could buy and how many innocent-looking young men I could have. My dear ex-husband really is something! He's so generous!” Isabella's voice rang out again, but not through the air. A twitch flickered through Alexander's elegant and deep-set eyes. He was certain that Isabella hadn't spoken, yet he had indeed heard Isabella's voice. What's going on? Alexander was always prudent and composed. He glanced at Hannah Gates, his secretary. At that moment, Hannah was intently staring at the divorce agreement in Isabella's hand. Upon noticing his gaze, Hannah immediately conveyed an expression of "sympathy" as if lamenting the path the couple had taken to reach that point. Alexander wasn't interested in thinking further about Hannah's unusual demeanor. The important point was that Hannah couldn't hear the voice in his head! “Ms. Jeannet, you've really caused Mr. Alexander a lot of trouble this time. I hope you can start anew after you leave and avoid...” Hannah frowned, advising earnestly. Yet, in her heart, she was mentally counting down, anticipating the inevitable uproar from Isabella. After all, Isabella would explode at the slightest provocation. Once she started making a fuss, there was a chance Alexander might not give her generous compensation, forcing her to leave the marriage with nothing. Hannah felt that Isabella didn't deserve any preferential treatment from a good man like Alexander. However, Isabella merely glanced up at her, then, as if in a rush to reincarnate, quickly scribbled her signature. “I'm annoyed, having been made to take the blame. However, considering the divorce is smooth and the fact that I managed to receive such generous compensation, I suppose I'll let the culprit off the hook.” Once again, Isabella's voice rang inside Alexander's mind. When Alexander accepted the divorce agreement that Isabella flung toward him, his movements momentarily stiffened. A storm seemed to sweep across the depths of his profound eyes. What? She took the blame? She's not the culprit? Before Alexander could recover from the shock of hearing that, he was hit by a new piece of information. It turned out it wasn't because Isabella was dissatisfied with his indifference toward her that she intentionally stirred up trouble to catch his attention, which ended up causing a major disaster. Everyone saw that she was the only one who entered the CEO's office during that period. Some people had also managed to photograph her in a private meeting with the vice president of a rival company. One could say the evidence was irrefutable. Initially, she refused to admit it during their standoff, making a fuss and acting hysterically. In the end, she was so infuriated that she roared, “Since you don't trust me, then assume it was me! What can you possibly do to me?” He thought that Isabella was losing her temper out of embarrassment and being caught red-handed. Looking back, it seemed she was acting recklessly in despair. “Mr. Alexander, it's time to sign,” Hannah said, a hint of urgency creeping into her usually calm and composed voice as she watched Alexander hesitate, not reaching for the pen. Upon hearing that, Alexander suddenly felt that Hannah seemed to be overstepping her boundaries. Recalling what Isabella's voice said about the culprit earlier, a hint of resentment inevitably formed in his heart. Hannah was his university classmate. They had known each other for many years and understood each other thoroughly. He trusted her immensely. Yet, she betrayed the company by doing such a thing. At that moment, Hannah had already handed over the pen with growing impatience. She knew that although Alexander appeared to be cold and aloof, he was actually very responsible. He was particularly protective of his family and had a soft heart. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been entangled with Isabella for so long. In the past, the couple's near-divorce experiences had always been averted due to Isabella's tearful pleas, tantrums, and threats of suicide. At that time, Hannah had finally managed to get Isabella to sign the divorce papers. Thus, Hannah did not want issues to arise on Alexander's side. “Tsk, tsk, tsk, someone's getting impatient. I bet Ms. Gates is feeling uneasy, afraid all her previous efforts would go to waste,” Isabella's voice appeared in Alexander's mind again. The look in Alexander's eyes shifted. With a twist of his wrist, he pressed the black pen on the table with his slender hand. That move left both Isabella and Hannah momentarily taken aback. Alexander, with his dark eyes, was staring at Isabella, who couldn't withdraw her gossipy expression in time. “I'm asking you one last time. Were you really the one behind this?” He was always cautious. If what he heard in his mind were indeed true, it would not only mean he had wrongly accused someone but could also leave an immeasurable risk to the company. Therefore, he had to verify it. Hannah's face turned uneasy in an instant, yet she didn't panic. After all, Isabella couldn't prove her innocence. Isabella felt somewhat uneasy under Alexander's intensely oppressive gaze. Once more, Isabella's voice spoke in his mind. “What does he mean by that? Is he asking such a question at this moment because he doesn't want to give me those two hundred million anymore? He can't possibly be having second thoughts now! Can't he just sign the papers first before asking anything?” A knot formed in Alexander's heart as he stared intently at Isabella as if he was desperate for an answer. Isabella's eyes darted around in agitation, unable to resist the urge to grumble in her mind, which was heard by Alexander. “Of course, I didn't do it. It's not my fault everyone else is blind! Ms. Gates clearly went in and out of the office after my visit, but the staff outside the CEO's office conveniently overlooked that fact. When asked about any suspicious individuals, they didn't even check the surveillance footage. They immediately pointed fingers at me as if I was guilty. Classic bias at work.” Suddenly, Alexander was taken aback! Isabella wasn't the only one who went into my office back then? At that time, eyewitness accounts and physical evidence directly implicated Isabella. I suppose that's why no one else checked the surveillance footage. Subconsciously, I've also always thought that Isabella was the type to pull such underhanded tricks, which is why I didn't— Just as he was about to speak, he heard Isabella suddenly say in a cold voice, “I have nothing to say. Just sign it already.” The expression on Alexander's face gradually turned cold. He couldn't understand why, despite knowing the truth, Isabella chose to remain silent. Is she afraid I won't believe her words? With those thoughts in mind, Alexander abruptly stood up. Hannah, standing off to the side, looked at Alexander in surprise. All it took was one glance from Alexander to stun her. The scrutinizing gaze made Hannah shudder involuntarily. Before Hannah could react, Alexander had already taken long strides and walked out. He passed by Isabella, who was oblivious to the situation, and commanded in a deep voice, “Follow me!” “What's going on?” Isabella was completely baffled. Alexander opened the door and addressed the bustling assistants outside. “Retrieve the surveillance footage from the evening of the eleventh! Mrs. Quirk is unwilling to submit, so let her see for herself if she was the only one who went in and out that night!” Hannah, who was closely followed behind, paled instantly upon hearing that. “Mr. Alexander!” Isabella was confused. What? When did I say that? I was clearly willing to go along with this!