"If you sign it, this villa and three million dollars will be yours."
"Just two days after your first love returned and you're already clamoring for a divorce? You must be quite keen!"
Adalynn Taylor leisurely sipped her coffee, her gaze settling on the man across from her.
Her sophisticated eyes held a trace of mockery as they flitted over the divorce papers presented before her.
"Bailey risked her life to save mine once. From the day you married me, I told you I harbored feelings for someone else," Michael Lawson gravely declared. "You knew perfectly well why I married you."
Indeed, Michael had been utterly transparent from the beginning, marrying her purely to gain more sway within the GoldenWest Trade Federation, as dictated by his grandmother, Liliana.
It seemed that she had been overly hopeful to think she could change his heart.
...
"You are now in power, and your lover has returned. It's truly a happy occasion, huh." Adalynn said as she picked up the divorce agreement and swept it over before continuing, "But we've been husband and wife for at least three years. Mr. Lawson, are you treating me as a beggar and sending me away with just these meager gifts?"
Michael raised his sharp eyebrows and said coldly, "Adalynn, don't push your luck!"
"Am I?" Adalynn raised her head and laughed coldly, "Even though I've been worked to the bone for the Lawson family for three years, in the end, it looks like I can't compare with a woman who came from nowhere."
"Just state a price you like." Michael coldly asked as impatience filled his eyes.
"Hah." Adalynn chuckled softly before her beautiful eyes turned cold as she said, "Twenty million dollars."
"You..." Michael rose to his feet. With an air of unassailable refinement in every gesture, he spoke in a composed voice, "Let's make it twenty million. See you at City Hall tomorrow morning at nine."
As soon as he finished speaking, he strode away.
Was he in such a hurry to meet his first love?
This was the man she had loved for three years. No, to be exact, she had loved him for seven years, and they had been a married couple in name for three years.
Unfortunately, Michael didn't know...
And after signing this divorce agreement, he would never know...
"Ma'am, are you okay?" The nanny, Sienna Moore, asked worriedly, "Mr. Lawson may be out of his mind, leaving a fantastic wife like you. Don't go for the divorce. Just give him some time to cool off; he'll definitely remember how awesome you are."
"Awesome?" Adalynn interrupted Sienna while laughing and continued, "I suppose in his eyes, I'm not even worth a single hair from that woman, huh?"
"Ma'am..." Sienna paused for a moment and then said, "You should go talk to Madam Liliana. She can definitely rein in Mr. Lawson, and you..."
"There's no need." Adalynn shook her head and pursed her lips. "Sienna, please keep this a secret. Don't tell Madam Liliana."
"But you..."
"I have my own plans." Adalynn confidently replied.
Liliana had always doted on her. If Adalynn spoke up, Liliana would surely straighten out Michael and put a stop to this divorce nonsense. Liliana hadn't been feeling well lately and couldn't handle any more stress. Adalynn didn't want to trouble her any further.
Moreover, she was quite tired of maintaining this one-sided marriage for three years.
Perhaps her brother was right. No matter how hard she tried, it was futile if it didn't belong to her in the first place.
It was time to end their relationship and go home.
......
At nine o'clock the next morning.
When Adalynn arrived at the entrance of the City Hall, she saw a couple waiting there.
It turned out that Michael had already arrived with a beautiful woman by his side. It was autumn, yet she wore a white dress and looked very thin. Her slender figure gave off an air of fragility that made one instinctively want to protect her.
Adalynn gave a faint smile and casually remarked, "Wow. No wonder it made Mr. Lawson so impatient. If I were a man, seeing Miss Acorn's appearance, I would definitely feel a sense of pity too."
"I..." Bailey Acorn stuttered as she subconsciously moved a step behind Michael. Feeling wronged, she bit her lower lip and continued, "Adalynn, Michael and I really love each other. We've been committed to each other since seven years ago..."
Seven years ago?
So, Bailey was there to declare her ownership over Michael?
"Sis, were you an adult seven years ago?" Adalynn sneered and continued, "Besides, Michael and I are legally married to each other. Who do you think you are?"
"I..."
"Adalynn!" Michael shouted.
Seeing that Bailey was about to cry, Michael stepped forward and hid her behind him while glaring at Adalynn fiercely, saying, "I'm the one who married you, and I'm also the one who wants to divorce you. Any dissatisfaction, just direct it towards me. Bailey is innocent."
"Hah... She's innocent..." Adalynn mulled over these words. After a long while, she suddenly burst out laughing with tears. "Michael, I've been married to you for three years, yet I only realize today how stupid you are!"
Although Michael hadn't returned to the villa for the past three years, he knew that Adalynn had always been cowardly and submissive.
So, why were the words coming out of her mouth so audacious and sharp now?
Hearing what she said, Michael frowned slightly and asked, "What do you mean?"
"I said that you..."
"Michael... do you think I shouldn't have come back? I messed things up, and I'm sorry about your marriage with Adalynn..." Adalynn started to say something, but Bailey jumped in, her eyes welling up with tears. "Adalynn, even if you don't want a divorce or want to buy time, you can't just start bashing Michael like that..."
These words made the doubts that had just appeared in Michael's mind disappear. His gaze darkened and he coldly said, "Adalynn, since you're here, we will be getting a divorce today. There's no point in delaying."
One was a powerful and skillful b*tch...
While the other was an idiot blinded by love.
Adalynn wiped away the tears at the corners of her eyes and walked into the City Hall.
Half an hour later, Adalynn left the City Hall first.
Looking at the divorce certificate in Adalynn's hands, Bailey, who was standing on the side of the road, heaved a heavy sigh of relief. When Adalynn walked past her, she straightened her back and raised her chest.
"Thank you, Adalynn, for returning the position of Mrs. Lawson to me."
Was she trying to provoke Adalynn now?
In response, Adalynn smiled faintly. She said casually, "Well, I wish you can keep your hypocrisy so your true nature will never be revealed."
Bailey's expression changed instantly and she nervously replied, "I don't understand what you're talking about."
At the same time, a red sports car pulled up by the roadside, and the car door was opened.
The person getting out of the car was wearing a flashy wine-red suit. He took off his sunglasses, showcasing a refined and dashing appearance, brimming with an air of elegance and sophistication.
His captivating eyes turned in her direction, and with a wave of his sunglasses, he revealed a brilliant smile. "Yo! Adalynn..."
Adalynn was slightly surprised and walked over while asking, "Why are you here?"
"Pick you up, of course." Adam Taylor replied as he glanced at the divorce certificate in her hands and said with a smile, "Get in the car first. We'll talk more on the road."
When Michael came out, all he saw was Adalynn following a man into a car by the roadside.
It was the latest version of the Phantom series, and there were only ten made in the world. Even if it was sold at a price of more than 100 million dollars, plenty of people would still fight over the chance to buy it.
Even he wasn't able to get one.
As she watched him frown and gaze intently in that direction, Bailey bit her lip in frustration and softly said, "Adalynn is really something. She has already found a new love interest, and yet she's still clinging to you, pretending to be all reluctant and trying to deceive you..."
In the past few years, there hadn't been any news about Adalynn socializing with outsiders. It seemed that she didn't even have friends, so how could she possibly know such a person? Michael's eyebrows furrowed even more, a glint flashing in his deep-set eyes.
Noticing his continued inaction, Bailey clenched her teeth and lightly tugged at his sleeve. "Michael, I'm freezing here. Can we head back?"
Michael snapped back to reality, looking at her.
He smoothly withdrew his arm from her grip, saying, "I have business to attend to at the company. Let Joseph drive you home."
No sooner than he finished speaking, he briskly walked away.
"Hey, Michael...."
"Miss Acorn, please get in the car." Joseph Dell followed closely behind.
When she started to go after Michael, Joseph deftly stepped in her path. His tone polite yet slightly distant, he prompted, "Let's head to the car."
In any case, Michael had already divorced Adalynn. It was only a matter of time before Bailey would become the Madam of the Lawson family — there was no need to rush things.
Bailey held her gaze for a while longer, trailed her eyes over Joseph one more time, then conceded and climbed into the car...