“That’s right, Mrs. Julian. You and Mr. Julian are talking about divorce, and he’s been so unhappy at the office these past few days. It’s all my fault; I shouldn’t have dragged Mr. Julian into a bet with me.”

“I’m apologizing to you. I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I’m sorry! Is that okay?”

Chloe looked at Elara with a playful smile, but while she spoke words of apology, there was only laughter in her eyes, not a shred of sincerity.

The two of them spoke so lightly, putting Elara on such a pedestal that it would seem like she was the petty one if she dared to hold a grudge.

Julian also took the opportunity to hand the flowers toward Elara, his voice tinged with indifference.

“Alright, Chloe has apologized to you, and I’ve brought you flowers. Your temper should have a limit. Be a good girl, and go cancel the divorce application tomorrow yourself.”

From beginning to end, he had never taken the divorce she proposed seriously.

Elara raised her eyes to look at Julian. She did not reach for the bouquet in his hand, but instead said calmly:

“I hate red roses the most.”

Because when she was twenty, she had accidentally fallen into a rose bush and been pricked all over by thorns.

Julian had once had red-rimmed eyes as he plucked the thorns out one by one, promising her he would never give her roses again.

Julian’s expression changed, and he remembered the past as well.

But he didn’t want to admit his mistake easily, and frowning, he said:

“It’s just a bouquet of flowers. Why be so petty about it?”

Elara did not pursue it further, turning around to continue instructing the housekeeper.

“Get rid of all these. Throw them away.”

Ever since she’d returned from the Civil Affairs Bureau, she’d been clearing out old belongings for the past few days.

She had been with Julian for too long; the gifts he’d given her over the years alone filled an entire room.

Every gift carried the memories of the ups and downs they had been through together.

It had also witnessed a relationship that had become unrecognizable.

Now, all of them were piled to the side, becoming a heap of abandoned waste.

Julian’s gaze swept over the messy floor, and in an instant, he recognized them as the things he had given her.

His hand, gripping the bouquet, tightened, and his voice turned completely cold.

“Elara, I’ll give you one last chance. Take these flowers and make up with me. Are you taking them or not?”

Chapter 3

Elara clenched her hand at her side, the stinging pain from her fingernails digging into her palm helping her stay clear-headed.

She refused him calmly:

"No."

Their eyes met, both brimming with intense, brewing emotions.

Julian laughed in a fit of rage, his bloodshot eyes staring at her coldly, his tone dripping with callousness:

"Elara, I'm still offering you an out—you’d better take it."

"If you prop yourself up too high and have no way to climb down when you want to, you’re the one who will end up embarrassed!"

Even now, he was convinced that her filing for divorce was just a way to spite him.

Elara felt too drained to explain further, her tone flat:

"Thank you for the out, Mr. Julian, but the step is too high. I’m afraid of falling, so I won’t take it."

Julian’s pupils constricted, then he sneered: "Fine, don't regret this."

With that, he violently smashed the bouquet in his hand against the ground.

Stepping on the delicate flowers, he glanced toward Chloe.

"There’s an important banquet tonight, and I need a date. You’re coming with me."

Chloe was stunned, followed by a burst of surprise in her eyes. She gave Elara a smug look:

"Mr. Julian, would that be appropriate?"

Julian said coldly:

"What’s inappropriate about it? It’s not like I can’t function without certain people."

He walked upstairs to change clothes immediately after.

Once Julian’s figure disappeared, Chloe, standing in the living room, let out a giggle.

Unlike the simple and harmless demeanor she showed when Julian was around, the malice on her face now was fully exposed.

"Elara, why go through all this? A discarded lover who isn't doted on only becomes annoying when she throws a tantrum. If a man humors you once for show and you don't seize the chance, it’s going to be difficult next time."

Elara looked at her calmly:

"You seem to be quite fond of making bets with people?"

Chloe thought of those perverse wagers and smiled even more triumphantly:

"Oh yes, and not just me—Mr. Julian loves it too. Mr. Julian is quite fond of my lace panties."

Elara let out a low laugh, though her eyes were cold.

"Chloe, I’ll make a bet with you too."

"I bet that even if I divorce Julian, the next woman he marries will absolutely not be you."

Chloe had exhausted every scheme to expose her privacy and destroy her relationship with Julian.

Since she was finally getting a divorce, she naturally had a grand gift to return to Chloe—it would only be fair to pay her back.

As Elara finished speaking, the smile on Chloe’s face froze.

She glared at Elara viciously, almost through gritted teeth:

"As for things between Mr. Julian and me, you don't need to trouble yourself. In any case, you’ve already lost!"

As soon as she finished, her expression changed instantly. She lunged forward, grabbed Elara’s hand, and slapped it against her own face.

In the next moment, her body seemed to lose its strings, and she collapsed onto the floor.

A flash of shock crossed Elara's eyes, and a second later, she heard Julian’s hurried voice:

"Chloe!"

Chloe clutched her face, looking up at Julian with tears in her eyes:

"Mr. Julian, I was only trying to kindly persuade Mrs. Julian not to be angry with you anymore. I don’t know what I said wrong to provoke her, but she called me a meddler and slapped me directly. She even said… she said she just wanted to watch you kneel like a dog, begging for her forgiveness."

Julian’s face turned deathly pale with fury.

He helped Chloe up from the floor and said to Elara:

"Elara, let’s see if this time I’ll be kneeling like a dog to beg for your forgiveness!"

With that, he picked up Chloe and swept away.

Elara watched his retreating back in silence, the words "I didn't" dying in her throat, unheard.

Forget it; he wouldn't believe her anyway. Why bother explaining?

Chapter 4

Julian didn't appear for a full week, and Elara only saw glimpses of him through Chloe’s social media updates.

The first post was a full nine-photo grid where she was smiling brightly, wearing millions of dollars worth of jewelry gifted by Julian, and sporting couple’s outfits that matched his.

The caption read: [Spoiled into a little princess by my Mr. Julian again. He said he gives me the best of everything, all because I’m worth it.]

The second post featured several photos of a hand injury. Elara recognized instantly that it was Julian’s hand.

The caption read: [Got harassed by some thugs, and he flew into a rage, knocking three of their teeth out. His own hand got hurt, too. My heart aches for my CEO!]

And there was more…

Julian, who always hated shopping, spent an entire day accompanying Chloe at a mall owned by his corporation.

Julian, who never drank milk tea, spent three hours waiting in line at a trendy shop with Chloe, sharing a single cup.

He even accompanied Chloe on a business trip abroad. Julian, who usually detested taking photos, had so many pictures taken with her that his social media grid couldn't hold them all.

Elara stared blankly at the content, ending up sleepless until dawn once again.

But this time, she didn't quarrel, didn't make a scene, and didn't question Julian.

She simply selected all the photos of herself and Julian stored on her phone and deleted them with one click.

In the blink of an eye, fifteen days of the "cooling-off period" had passed.

Elara had already divided all the assets in her name according to the divorce agreement.

However, because the Jiang and Fu families had engaged in deep collaborations over the years, many projects were jointly developed, requiring discussions on their future progress.

Elara organized the files and, for the first time since proposing the divorce, took the initiative to call Julian.

However, the call went out, but no one answered.

After a brief hesitation, she grabbed the files and headed toward the Fu Corporation.

Chloe’s workstation was right outside Julian’s office door, but it sat empty.

Elara didn't overthink it, headed to Julian’s office, and pushed the door open.

A flurry of panicked noise suddenly erupted from within.

By the time she walked in, Julian looked up sharply, his voice sounding unnaturally hoarse:

"Didn't you want a divorce? Why are you here looking for me?"