Chapter 4

The master bedroom lights suddenly blazed, the glaring light cutting through the rain and shining down.

I froze, while Asher calmly stepped forward, shielding me in the shadows.

"Looks like Mr. Reed is a light sleeper, interrupted sleep can affect a man's married life."

"Don't you think so?"

He seemed to be probing something.

Once again, I blushed, biting my lip, unsure of how to respond.

**2.**

The sound of glass shattering suddenly echoed from the second floor.

I glanced up to see the master bedroom curtains shaking violently—someone was there.

Asher Greene followed my gaze and smirked coldly.

"Looks like your husband's awake."

**3.**

The master bedroom lights blazed on, the intense brightness cutting through the rain.

I froze, but Asher Greene calmly stepped forward, shielding me in the shadows with his body.

"It seems Mr. Reed is a light sleeper. A restless man can have a troubled marriage."

"Don't you think so?"

He seemed to be probing.

I blushed again, biting my lip, unsure of how to respond.

He seemed quite satisfied with my reaction.

Lowering his voice, he gently rubbed the shell with his fingertips, "I'll give you three days to think it over."

A gold-embossed business card was slipped into my palm, with a hotel room number scrawled on the back.

Before I could decline, the second-floor window flew open, and Gideon Reed's cold voice shouted down.

"Who's there?"

Asher Greene elegantly took a half-step back, raising the umbrella to reveal his smiling eyes.

"Mr. Reed, sorry for the late visit."

His fingers brushed my wrist, seemingly by accident. "I came to pick up something I left with Adeline."

He pronounced 'Adeline' with intimate familiarity.

The rain suddenly intensified. I clutched the hot business card, watching Gideon's expression flicker in the lightning.

He stood motionless in his robe, like a cold statue.

"Leave."

The word splashed to the ground, mingling with the rain.

Asher Greene bowed gracefully, leaving one last whisper in my ear before leaving.

"There's a surprise hidden in the shell."

The Maybach's taillights disappeared into the rain as I turned to face Gideon's brooding gaze.

He had somehow moved to the staircase, his robe's collar wide open, revealing ambiguous red marks on his collarbone—

The marks left by the Walters heiress on last week's finance magazine cover.

"Explain."

I thought he meant Asher, but then I saw him holding out my antidepressant medication, the one I'd been taking since we got married.

I reached for the bottle, but he grabbed my wrist, pinning it against the wall.

Pills scattered everywhere, sticking to the wet floor.

"Mr. Reed is concerned about what his wife takes, huh?"

Before I could finish, he suddenly kissed me, a punishment tinged with the taste of blood. My back hit the doorframe hard, blacking out my vision with pain.

When he finally let go, I heard my own ragged breathing mixed with his hoarse questioning:

"Where did he touch you?"

I licked the split on my lip and suddenly laughed.

"Do you really care?"

Gideon's eyes darkened.

As he moved closer again, the butler's panicked voice came from upstairs.

"Mr. Reed! The video conference from New York has been moved up!"

He released me, his knuckles turning white: "Wait for me to return."

Watching his retreating figure, I slowly uncurled my clenched palm to reveal the shell.

Inside the crack was a tiny USB drive—

Engraved with "Southeast Asia project vulnerability analysis for Reed Corporation."

The rain stopped, moonlight casting over the mess of scattered pills, each one reflecting my shattered reflection.

**4.**

The next evening, I opened the USB drive on my computer.

As it loaded, the financial vulnerabilities of Reed Corporation spread out on the screen like a web.

I stared at those deliberately hidden deficit numbers, my fingers unconsciously tracing the marks Gideon had left on my neck.

In the study, my phone suddenly vibrated.

A message from Asher Greene: "Did you see the surprise?"

I was about to reply when footsteps sounded in the hallway.

In a hurry, I pulled out the USB drive, accidentally knocking over the coffee cup.

The brown liquid soaked into the divorce agreement, staining the spot where my name was written.

"Not asleep yet?"

Gideon's voice came from behind me.

He was in a suit, carrying the chill of the night, though his tie was crooked—

Unlike his usual meticulous self.

"Waiting for you."

I closed the laptop, pushing the wet document into the drawer.

"Weren't you supposed to be in New York for three days?"

He loosened his tie, his gaze landing on my neck.

"Changed plans last minute."

He suddenly leaned over, pressing down on the hand I was using to close the drawer.

"What's this?"

The coffee-stained paper still showed the stark words "divorce agreement."

Gideon's pupils shrank, and I could smell the strong scent of whiskey on his breath.

"Explain."

His voice was soft, but his knuckles were white.

"As you see."

I pulled my hand away. "The three-year contract is up."

Gideon suddenly laughed.

He threw a stack of documents from his briefcase, the top one being a letter of intent from Walters Corporation.

"You think divorcing now will allow the Reed Family to walk away unscathed?"

I flipped through the documents, my heart sinking—Walters' investment terms clearly stated: Gideon's marital status must remain stable.

"Such a pity."

His cold fingertips traced my collarbone.

"Old Mr. Walters and your father have agreed, using nano core as leverage, your father has planned the rest of your life."

"Now, your freedom is worth five hundred million."

Suddenly, lightning and thunder lit his eyes with madness.

As he lowered his head to kiss me, my phone lit up.

The latest email from Asher Greene: "Complete chain of evidence regarding Reed Corporation's financial fraud."

"No need."

I opened the email in front of him.

"Mr. Reed, my father will respect my choice, but do you think Walters will still invest after seeing this?"

Gideon's expression froze.

I stood up, slapping the soaked divorce agreement against his chest.

"Sign it before dawn."

I'm sorry, it seems there's no text provided for translation. Could you please provide the specific content that you want translated?

5.

Gideon Reed's hand paused as the divorce agreement slipped to the floor.

"And by the way, I'm aware that Phoebe Walters is pregnant. I won't hide your affair any longer."