In Haicheng, inside a ridiculously lavish banquet hall.
Cassie Harrington sat in her seat, lazily swirling the red wine in her glass while listening to the wealthy wives around her gossip like it was their full-time job.
“She looks like a total homewrecker, seriously. I heard Mr. Adams has never even touched her. So what if she married into the family? Isn’t she basically a wife in name only?”
“Mr. Adams is out partying every day, scandal after scandal. Isn’t that obvious enough? He really doesn’t care about her.”
Cassie took a calm sip of wine, completely unfazed. Looks like the whole of Haicheng knew Elliot Adams didn’t love her.
“Miss Harrington…”
A woman with delicate features stepped out from the crowd. Her baby bump was obvious, and one hand rested carefully against her lower back as she walked, like she was afraid of making one wrong move.
“I’m pregnant with Mr. Adams’s child. If you know what’s good for you, divorce Mr. Adams soon and give him his freedom.”
The second those words dropped, everyone turned to look, eyes practically glowing with gossip.
The woman was Diana Ainsley, the award-winning actress. As one of the hottest stars in entertainment, saying something like this in public was basically career suicide, but…
If this stunt could force her way in and help her marry Elliot Adams, the man people called a business emperor, then any price was worth paying.
But Cassie only gave Diana’s stomach a brief glance, then curved her lips into a faint smile. Her voice was cool, soft, and weirdly gentle.
“How far along?”
Diana froze for a second, clearly not expecting her to be this calm. “Three months.”
Three months ago, Diana had in fact been photographed drinking at a bar with Elliot Adams and his group, so the child naturally…
The whole room went dead quiet. Everyone held their breath, waiting for Cassie’s reaction.
Then, to everyone’s shock, Cassie picked up her handbag from the table, pulled out a bank card, and handed it to Diana with a polite smile, sounding almost sincere.
“Go get rid of it yourself.”
How could Diana possibly accept that? She slapped the card away with one hand and stormed forward, practically shouting, “Miss Harrington, do you even understand what I’m saying? I’m carrying Mr. Adams’s child! Once this baby is born, he’ll be the eldest grandson of the Adams family! You’ve been married to Mr. Adams for so long and he’s never touched you, yet you’re still shamelessly clinging to the title of Mrs. Adams. Don’t you think that’s a little embarrassing?”
Jeez. Cassie thought to herself, why did everyone act like she was the one desperately refusing to let go of that position?
Faced with the provocation, Cassie didn’t react at all. Instead, she narrowed her eyes slightly and smiled, still wearing that same cool, gentle expression.
“You’re the eighteenth person who’s said that to me.”
Diana froze, and her face twisted instantly.
Cassie Harrington bent down with practiced patience, picked up the bank card, and slid it straight into Diana Ainsley’s purse. Then she gave a lazy little yawn, looking almost bored.
"Miss Ainsley, take the money while I haven’t changed my mind. Find yourself a decent hospital and get rid of the baby. You’re still young. If Elliot Adams finds out, you might not even get a cent by then. Don’t you think?"
Her tone was light, almost casual, like she was talking about the weather. But when those words landed in Diana’s ears, her confidence instantly cracked a little.
Of course Diana knew Elliot would never want this child.
That was exactly why she had come to force Cassie’s hand.
But she really hadn’t expected that after throwing everything she had into this gamble, this would be the outcome waiting for her.
She clenched her fingers so hard her knuckles turned pale, glaring at Cassie with open resentment. "I’m not like those other women. Cassie Harrington, don’t wait until Mr. Adams personally comes to you to talk about divorce."
Cassie swirled the wine in her glass, smiling in that calm, unhurried way of hers. "Then that depends on whether you’ve actually got what it takes to make him come."
With that, she turned, picked up her bag, and walked out of the banquet hall in steady, elegant steps.
Then her phone rang. It was the housemaid.
"Madam... sir, he... he brought a woman home."
The faint smile that had been resting on Cassie’s lips froze for a second.
No matter how wild Elliot Adams got outside, he had never brought a woman back to the house.
Could it be... that woman had returned?
The thought made her eyes darken slightly. She immediately switched calls and dialed her lawyer.
"The documents I asked you to prepare," she said coolly, "bring them to me now."