Chapter 2

The next morning when Lucas woke up, I was already sitting on the sofa, holding the divorce agreement in my hands.

He froze for a moment. Wild joy flashed in his eyes, but he quickly covered it with guilt and pain.

"Sophia, you didn't sleep all night?" He walked over, wanting to touch my face with concern.

I turned my head to avoid him and said flatly, "Let's go to the law firm. The sooner we finish, the sooner you can deal with the debt."

Lucas's hand froze in midair, then he sighed.

"I'm sorry for putting you through this, Sophia. Once I get through this crisis, I'll definitely remarry you in a grand ceremony."

I looked at his deeply affectionate face, my stomach churning with nausea.

At ten in the morning, we went to the law firm and signed the divorce agreement.

As we walked out of the law firm entrance, Lucas's mother, my former mother-in-law Dorothy Lane, was already waiting beside a black Maybach.

The moment she saw me, she immediately put on an anxious expression and rushed over to grab my hand.

"Sophia, I know you've been wronged! But Lucas is at a critical moment of life and death. Did you bring the property deed for that manor? Quick, let's go to the bank right now to handle the mortgage!"

The greed in her eyes was practically overflowing.

I pulled my hand back and looked calmly at this mother-son pair.

"Dorothy, I can't mortgage the manor today."

Dorothy's expression changed instantly, her voice rising sharply: "Why not?! Sophia Hayes, are you going back on your word? Do you want to watch Lucas die?!"

Lucas panicked too, grabbing my shoulder: "Sophia, what's going on? Didn't we agree?"

I watched their frantic expressions, sneering inwardly.

"Lucas, you forgot---that manor is a national first-class historical protected building. According to the latest regulations, this level of asset mortgage requires a thirty-day public notice period and review by a third-party asset evaluation agency. Otherwise, the bank simply won't approve it."

This was the policy I'd looked up last night.

Lucas froze, his face turning pale: "Thirty days? Why does it take so long? I can't wait thirty days!"

"There's no way around it. That's the regulation." I looked at him innocently. "Unless you can find someone with special privileges to smooth things over at the bank. But I'm a woman without power or connections. I can't do that."

Dorothy stamped her feet in frustration: "What are we going to do! Lucas, don't you know a lot of people?"

Lucas gritted his teeth, his eyes flickering.

Of course he knew people, but he didn't dare use the Blackwood family's connections. Because the five-hundred-million debt was fake to begin with---if it alerted the real power holder of the Blackwood family, he'd be finished.

"Fine, thirty days it is." Lucas took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the darkness in his eyes. "Sophia, during this time you must cooperate with the evaluation agency. Don't let anything go wrong."

"Don't worry." I smiled faintly.

Not only would I cooperate, I'd prepare a big gift for them.

After parting with them, I took a cab directly to a top-tier private investigation agency.

I had just walked into the lobby when I stopped in my tracks.

In front of the floor-to-ceiling window of the VIP reception room stood a man.

He wore an impeccably tailored black haute couture suit, his tall figure upright like an unsheathed sword.

His hand casually toyed with an antique watch. His profile was as cold and chiseled as a sculpture, radiating an aura of authority that warned people to stay away.

Damien Blackwood.

Lucas's uncle, the true helmsman of the Blackwood Group.

In the entire business world, no one didn't fear the name Damien Blackwood. He was ruthless and decisive. At twenty-five, he took over Blackwood Industries and within just five years doubled its empire.

Lucas didn't even dare breathe loudly in front of him.

I hadn't expected to run into him here.

As if sensing my gaze, Damien turned his head slightly. Those deep, cold black eyes locked precisely onto my face.

He showed no surprise, merely stopped toying with his watch.

"Sophia Hayes." He spoke, his voice low and magnetic, carrying an inexplicable pressure.

I took a deep breath and walked forward: "Damien."

"You and Lucas are divorced." He used a statement, not a question.

My heart skipped a beat.

How did he know? We'd only finished the paperwork less than two hours ago.

Damien looked at me, the corner of his mouth curving into an extremely faint cold smile: "For his fake five-hundred-million account, you're even planning to hand over your parents' legacy. Sophia Hayes, is your brain filled with water?"

I jerked my head up, staring at him in shock.

He knew!

He actually knew everything!

Damien strode toward me on his long legs. He was a full head taller than me, his aggressive presence instantly enveloping me.

He leaned down slightly, his eyes sharp as they bored into mine: "What, got sold out and you're still planning to help count the money?"

I bit my lower lip hard, meeting his gaze, my voice cold and hard: "Since Damien knew it was a fake account, why didn't you expose him?"

"The Blackwood family has too many branch families. Occasionally we need a few clever fools to liven things up." Damien's tone was casual, as if discussing trash. "Besides, that's your husband, your money. Why should I care?"

Yes, why should he care?

In Damien Blackwood's eyes, Lucas and I were nothing but insignificant ants.

I took a deep breath, suppressing the bitterness and anger in my heart, looking at him without backing down.

"What if I don't want to be the fool who gets sold?"

Damien raised an eyebrow slightly, seemingly interested in my response.

He pulled a black gold business card from his pocket, his slender fingers holding it as he handed it to me.

"Tonight at nine, penthouse suite. Figure out what you want, then come knock on my door."

With that, he turned and left, leaving only a cold, retreating figure.

I looked down at the business card in my hand. Its edge was sharp, almost cutting my finger.

I knew this was a dangerous transaction.

But to get revenge on Lucas and Victoria, to protect my parents' manor, I had no other choice.