Chapter 70

"You realize Rodger's going to divorce you, right? At best, you'll end up as nothing more than his ex. Try causing trouble for my friends, and you'Il have to deal with their entire families. Are you really that reckless?" Sebastian looked down his nose at Emnilia,smirking with superiority.

A faint, amused smile flickered on Emilia's lips as she held up her phone. "If you're so confident, why not see what happens?"

The glint in her eyes sent a chill through Rodger.He reached out, pulling Sebastian back before things could escalate. He knew better than to provoke Emilia when she was in this mood; there was no telling what line she might cross.

Jail was never his endgame; the last thing he wanted was to go down in history as the man whose ex-wife dragged him through a scandal. Sebastian turned on Rodger, frustration boiling over."You're really just going to stand here and let her walk all over you?"

Rodger's jaw clenched, his gaze hardening as he turned to Emilia. "Get that kid out of here. I don't want to see himn near you."

Seeing Edwin so close to her made Rodger's skin crawl. As far as he was concerned, Edwin was just a prop, someone Emilia paraded around to get under his skin. And, as luck would have it, Sebastian's friends just happened to witness the whole scene. It was too convenient.

Emilia didn't even blink. "Why should I care what you want?" she said, taking a deliberate step closer.

Rodger's patience snapped, "Fine, have it your way.If you're so eager to play with men, we'll settle this divorce right tomorrow."

"Can't. My schedule's packed." Emilia shrugged.

As far as she was concerned, she didn't owe him a single thing, not her time, not her compliance. If Rodger wanted to end things, she was going to make him work for it.

Edwin stood off to the side, his eyes resting on her with a quiet trace of sorrow flickering in their depths.

Was she holding back because she didn't truly want the divorce after all?

"The day after tomorrow," said Rodger, his expression still clouded with tension.

Emilia didn't miss a moment. "No can do. I'll be busy the day after tomorrow. And the day after that.You'll have to get in line."

Rodger's temper flared. "You're dragging this out on purpose, aren't you?"

"That's right. And what exactly do you think you're going to do about it?" Emilia shot back without hesitation.

"You!" Rodger burst out, his voice shaking with fury. But after thinking it over again, he grew more certain that Emilia was simply coming up with excuses to stall the divorce.

The entire act with the charming young man was nothing but a performance, staged to provoke him and push him exactly where she wanted.

"Go ahead, Emilia. Drag it out as long as you want!None of your schemes will work on me. Not in this lifetime! I'd rather rot than fall for someone as manipulative as you!" With a scowl, Rodger turned on his heel and stormed off.

"You'd better think twice before you embarrass my brother in public again. Next time, you won't get off so easily," Sebastian warned before following Rodger,his glare icy.

Once the two brothers had vanished, Sloane let out a sharp sigh. "Honestly, those two need to have their heads checked."

Emilia shrugged, unfazed. "Agreed." Her gaze landed on Edwin. "We'll be leaving."

Without a second glance, she walked away, treating the whole encounter as nothing more than an inconvenience. Helping Edwin hadn't meant anything; she doubted their paths would ever cross again.

What she didn't realize was that Edwin had already made up his mind to fight his way forward,determined to become someone who deserved a place beside her.

His eyes followed her as she walked away, burning with intensity that refused to fade.

A fierce resolve settled in his eyes, and his fist tightened at his side, as though locking in a promise he had no intention of breaking.

Not far away, inside a parked car, Elias sat in silence,lips pressed together as he watched Emilia's figure disappear. His glare shifted to Edwin,cold and bitter,tinged with resentment. His fingers curled tight against his lap, clenching without thought, but no matter how hard he tried, his legs remained numb, void of pain, void of feeling.

The icy sharpness in his eyes slowly vanished,leaving behind a dull, lifeless gaze.

Because of his limited mobility, he always found himself lagging behind whenever there was a chance to lend a hand.