“You—!” Andrea shot up, her face contorted in fury. “You shameless woman! It’s bad enough that you’re sneaking around with other men, but now you’re trying to threaten me?”
“Tsk! Mom, don’t say things like that. Accusing me of sneaking around with men isn’t something you can just claim out of thin air. Do you have proof? Caught me in the act, did you? If not, then please keep quiet, or else my lawyer might just serve you with a cease-and-desist letter. And by the way, this isn’t a threat—it’s a lesson in common decency! Anyway, this divorce agreement is clearly unacceptable. Take it back and revise it. Until we’re officially divorced, I’ll be here, enjoying this last family dinner!”
With that, Sophia gave a bored yawn, turned around, and headed up the stairs, clearly ready to retire for the night.
Andrea’s face turned a shade of purple from rage, and her gaze flicked to Scott Livinus standing nearby. Suddenly, she called out, “Livinus, you’re the CEO of the company. What do you think we should do? A woman like her, carrying on with random men, should be kicked out with nothing! We can’t risk her revealing the family formula. If she did, it would hurt the company’s interests!”
Livinus’s dark eyes narrowed, his gaze cold as he surveyed the room. His tone was as indifferent as ever.
“Your family issues aren’t my business. But if a simple divorce could damage the company, it’s a sign of poor management. In that case, maybe it’s time for a leadership change.”
The bluntness of his words stung, leaving Andrea and William’s faces ashen with embarrassment.
Seeming unfazed, Livinus loosened his tie and headed upstairs.
Sophia was standing at the foot of the stairs, and as they briefly locked eyes, she saw a hint of something unreadable in his gaze.
Then he continued up, and a door slammed shut from the second floor.
Later that night, Sophia lay in her room, taking in her surroundings. The room was spacious and lavishly decorated, with a black, European-style bed that looked solid and expensive. But the bare walls, lacking even a wedding photo, and the perpetual absence of the “husband” lent an undeniable emptiness to the space.
The original Sophia had been foolish, she thought, to accept a marriage without a proper wedding, without even a wedding photo. With the Scott family’s status, it was simply inappropriate for a daughter-in-law to go without such formalities. Most likely, from the very beginning, this marriage had been part of some calculated scheme.
Reflecting on tonight’s events, she felt a glimmer of satisfaction. The divorce negotiations had finally started. Now, it all depended on how valuable the formula was to the Scott family and how far they’d go to keep it. If the compensation offered was satisfactory, they could all part ways amicably, even celebrate the divorce with fireworks and cheers and move on to better lives. But if they offered her anything less…
She wouldn’t hesitate to reveal the formula.
If they wouldn’t let her live in peace, she wouldn’t let them have it easy, either.
Her phone buzzed. It was a message from Nancy asking about how the confrontation went. Sophia replied truthfully.
Nancy responded, “The Scotts have money to burn. Even though William isn’t as sharp as Scott Livinus, he’s no fool. Look at those American tycoon wives who walk away with half the family fortune in a divorce—sometimes over a billion!”
Sophia chuckled. A billion? Wishful thinking. Besides, Scott Henry wasn’t exactly rolling in money—he was just coasting on the family’s legacy. There wasn’t nearly enough in his name to split.
“Nothing’s in his name,” Sophia replied.
“What? So shady! They must have been planning to cut you off all along. I bet they’ve been moving assets away for years.”
Nancy was right. Sophia didn’t know if the original Sophia had noticed the asset transfers early on, but it was too late to address that now. Her last remaining card was the formula itself.
Over the next few days, Sophia stayed busy researching and preparing for the divorce while also planning her next steps. She would have to consider where to live once she left the Scott household.
With limited options, she’d probably have to move back up the mountain. But that area was isolated and not particularly safe for a woman on her own.
It would all need to be planned out carefully.
Late one night, she finally took a break and headed downstairs for a glass of water. Passing Scott Livinus’s study, she paused, staring at the closed door, then quickly looked away.
He must have heard everything earlier. Who knew what he’d make of it all. In any case, she hadn’t intended for things to end up this way. Neither of them had chosen to spend that night together—it was all thanks to that drug they’d been given, forcing them into an intimate encounter.
Suddenly, the door creaked open.
Standing there, dressed in a black silk robe, was Scott Livinus.
The dim hallway lighting cast shadows on his face, making his chiseled features even more striking.
Sophia couldn’t quite make out his expression, but the cold aura around him was unmistakable, exuding a quiet, almost predatory danger, like a beast lying in wait.
Livinus leaned against the doorframe, his voice low. “Do I need to drag you in here, or will you walk in yourself?”
Sophia frowned. “No other choice?”
“What do you think?”
With a sigh, Sophia adopted a look of nonchalance and stepped into his study.
It wasn’t her first time here; she’d been in once before to treat his nerve pain. But this was the first time she’d taken a proper look around. The room was decorated in an elegant, European palace style, with a full wall of bookshelves reaching up to the ceiling, giving it a stately, almost grand feel.
She had barely settled when a sharp tug on her wrist jolted her. Scott had pinned her against the wall, caging her in with his arms. They were close enough for her to catch his scent—a faint mix of herbal notes and sandalwood—intoxicating, soothing even.
Her mind reeled back to that night. She didn’t remember much of it, but apparently, her body remembered.
Although her mind was on guard, her body seemed almost… receptive to his closeness. That realization was far from comforting.
She took a deep breath, glaring up at him. “Scott Livinus, have you lost your mind?” She kept her voice low, teeth clenched. “Let go of me!”
A mocking laugh sounded above her. “Admitting it already?”
Sophia froze, realizing she’d fallen for his ploy. He hadn’t been sure before, but he’d baited her, and her reaction had confirmed his suspicions. Andrea’s accusations alone hadn’t convinced him, but her reaction to his sudden, bold move had.
A boss manipulator, indeed.
Scott’s laugh was cold, laced with ridicule.
“Sleeping with me and then running away? You certainly have some nerve! Or maybe you just enjoyed watching me run around like a fool, digging for clues about that night while you stood by, silently enjoying the show?”
Sophia sighed, exasperated. “What’s there to enjoy? You passed out until morning from just a bit of drugging—don’t blame me if your body couldn’t handle it.”
She heard his sharp intake of breath, clearly gritting his teeth in frustration.
“I suppose I should’ve left you a note with my number? Proposed a casual friends-with-benefits arrangement?” Sophia scoffed. “Should I have told you that night it was me? Let’s not forget that I’m a married woman whose dear husband is itching to throw me out the door. If he knew about this, he’d have more ammunition against me! We’re both adults here—shouldn’t a one-night stand be left unspoken?”
Scott’s expression was inscrutable, a faint, unreadable smile on his lips.
She continued, her tone icy. “Or maybe you want to tell Scott Henry about it, so he can kick me out right now and be done with it?”
Under the dim light, Scott’s smile faded, replaced by an almost bored indifference.
“Sophia, I don’t need to involve myself in your issues with Scott Henry. But…”
He leaned in close, his lips brushing against her ear, his tone unmistakably threatening.
“As for us, we have unfinished business. And I’ll make sure we settle it—eventually.”
