《Submitting to My Ex-Wife novel (Pearl and Marc)》 Chapter 1 Chapter 1 048% 12:24 ¡°Let¡¯s divorce,¡± Marc Males said in his usual cold tone. Her husband of three years was never a talker. Pearl Woolery stood behind Marc, gazing at his tall figure, and his cold, stern face reflected on the floor¨Cto¨C ceiling window. Pearl¡¯s heart sank. Her hands clenched tightly. She trembled. What Pearl feared most had finallye. Marc turned around. He had a handsome face. Pearl was still mesmerized by him now. ¡°Can we not?¡± Pearl forced the words out of her throat, her eyes filled with a flicker of despair but also a glimmer of hope. Marc frowned. He looked at Pearl coldly, noticing her reddened eyes. His frown deepened. Pearl was beautiful. She wasn¡¯t eye¨C catching, but she looked innocent and pure. Herrge, pleading eyes were fixed on him. She had a mole near the corner of her right eye and long, straig In Marc¡¯s eyes, Pearl was reticent and submissive. There was nothing wrong with her. Marc simply didn¡¯t love her. Marc had a car ident that left him paralyzed from the waist down three years ago. The doctors said he might never stand again. Marc was forced to s from his beloved then. His mother made him marry a doctor who could care for him. Marc chose a nurse from the list of admirers. Because Pearl not only had no background but was also quiet. ¡°I¡¯ll give you two million dors for caring for me.¡± There was no affection in Marc¡¯s eyes. ¡°Or would you like something else¡­¡± For the first time, Pearl interrupted Marc, ¡°Why?¡± With her red eyes, she asked with a hint of determination and unwillingness, ¡°Why do you have to bring Tomorrow was their third wedding anniversary. Pearl had made ns. She had hoped they could have many such anniversaries in their lives. Marc¡¯s reply was cold and indifferent, destroying her hopes. ¡°You know I don¡¯t love you. rissa is back. I¡¯m gonna marry her.¡± Emergency calls only MO $2048% 12:25 Pearl was dumbstruck. Her slender figure swayed. Indeed, the woman he loved the most had returned, and she was still staying here. Pearl had tireles beloved¡¯s return. ¡°Mr. Males.¡± The butler rushed in and reported, ¡°Miss Santos threw up again. She even coughed blood.¡± Marc finally showed some emotions. He walked past Pearl to the guest room, ordering, ¡°Ready the car for the hospital.¡± Soon, Marc emerged from the guest room carrying a frail woman. rissa Santos had a thin figure and looked weak. She was covered with a nket knitted by Pearl. Her face was pale and sickly. Nestle Marc paused at the stairs. He told Pearl, ¡°Thewyer will discuss the divorce with you. You¡¯ve three days to move out.¡± With that, Marc left with rissa. Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. rissa shot her a triumphant look. An hour ago, rissa grinned at Pearl and told her, ¡°I moved in. You might as well return him to me.¡± When they disappeared, Pearl copsed to the ground, drained. Tears flowed down her cheeks as she hugged herself. She felt cold. It had been ten years. Since Marc rescued her from hell, Pearl had quietly observed and loved him. How many decades does one have in a lifetime? Bu ¡°This is thest time I¡¯m crying for you, Marc.¡± Pearl wiped away her tears and stood up. She was no longer delicate and fragile. Her gaze was cold and The divorce agreement was ced conspicuously on the bedside table in the master bedroom. Pearl flipped to thest page and saw the familiar signat Pearl ced a gold pendant on the bedside table. It took her nearly a year to design and carve the pendant herself. It was the gift she had prepared for tomorrow. Pearl had given Marc many gifts over the years, each meticulously prepared. Unfortunately, they were either unused or thrown away. He just didn¡¯t like her. Emergency calls onlyM but was also quiet. #5 ¡°I¡¯ll give you two million dors for caring for me.¡± There was no affection in Marc¡¯s eyes. ¡°Or would you like something else¡­¡± For the first time, Pearl interrupted Marc, ¡°Why?¡± With her red eyes, she asked with a hint of determination and unwillingness, ¡°Why do you have to bring Tomorrow was their third wedding anniversary. Pearl had made ns. She had hoped they could have many such anniversaries in their lives. Marc¡¯s reply was cold and indifferent, destroying her hopes. ¡°You know I don¡¯t love you. rissa is back. I¡¯m gonna marry her.¡± Pearl was dumbstruck. Her slender figure swayed. Indeed, the woman he loved the most had returned, and she was still staying here. Pearl had tireless ¡°Mr. Males.¡± The butler rushed in and reported, ¡°Miss Santos threw up again. She even coughed blood.¡± Marc finally showed some emotions. He walked past Pearl to the guest room, ordering, ¡°Ready the car for the hospital.¡± Soon, Marc emerged from the guest room carrying a frail woman. rissa Santos had a thin figure and looked weak. She was covered with a nket knitted by Pearl. Her face was pale and sickly. Nestled in Marc¡¯s arms, rissa whispered, ¡°Marc, Mis Marc paused at the stairs. He told Pearl, ¡°Thewyer will discuss the divorce with you. You¡¯ve three days to move out.¡± With that, Marc left with rissa. ? X Emergency calls only M 048% 12:25 rissa shot her a triumphant look. An hour ago, rissa grinned at Pearl and told her, ¡°I moved in. You might as well return him to me.¡± When they disappeared, Pearl copsed to the ground, drained. Tears flowed down her cheeks as she hugged herself. She felt cold. It had been ten years. Since Marc rescued her from hell, Pearl had quietly observed and loved him. How many decades does one have in a lifetime? Bu Since Marc didn¡¯t love her, nothing she did could change that. ¡°This is thest time I¡¯m crying for you, Marc.¡± Pearl wiped away her tears and stood up. She was no longer delicate and fragile. Her gaze was cold and The divorce agreement was ced conspicuously on the bedside table in the master bedroom. Pearl flipped to thest page and saw the familiar signature. Her gaze flickered, and she delicately traced Marc¡¯s n Pearl ced a gold pendant on the bedside table. It took her nearly a year to design and carve the pendant herself. It was the gift she had prepared for t Pearl had given Marc many gifts over the years, each meticulously prepared. Unfortunately, they were either unused or thrown away. He just didn¡¯t like h A ck luxury car stopped by the roadside when Pearl left the mansion. She got in and said calmly, ¡°I¡¯m divorced.¡± The man behind the wheel, wearing dark sunsses, smirked. ¡°Congrattions on regaining your freedom.¡± He handed aptop to Pearl. ¡°It¡¯s time to be Chapter 2 Chapter 2 hapter 2 Pearl gathered herself and opened theptop. Her fingers flew swiftly across the keyboard, infiltrating the surveince system and erasing all traces of h ¡°Mr. Males, Mrs. Pearl left,¡± Marc¡¯s assistant reported to him when Marc returned to the mansion the next morning. Marc opened the master bedroom door, breathing in the fragrance of roses. He had grown N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. ustomed to the scent of Pearl. Marc rarely set foot here. Pearl had decorated it. Its color scheme differed from the other rooms. The bright yellow bedsheets felt tranquil and warm. Marc didn¡¯t linger. He walked to the bedside table. Pearl had already signed the divorce agreement but didn¡¯t take the check. There was a gold pendant next to it. His name was on the back, while the fron beautiful. Pearl loved roses. She had nted many in the yard, but he had never given her a bouquet. There was also a card. Marc read it. In elegant handwriting was the message, ¡°Happy third anniversary. Goodbye, Marc.¡± Marc¡¯s brows rose. He looked at the calendar on the table. It was indeed their anniversary. How quickly time flew. Marc held the gold pendant and wondered 0 X where Pearl got the money. While Marc gave her a considerable monthly household allowance, Pearl seldom touched the money, iming she didn¡¯t have much expenses. Marc listened to his assistant¡¯s report, his eyes dark. He ordered, ¡°Find out where she went and her recent activities. If my opponents sent her, bring her back.¡± He wondered, ¡®Is Pearl really who she imed to be? A country¨Cborn orphan?¡® Three dayster, the headquarters of Woolery Group, located in the CBD Business Building in Nanston, was in chaos. Employees rushed in quickly. The Two days ago, the Woolery Group, which was on the brink of bankruptcy, was miraculously revived. Someone mysterious had acquired its plummeting s ¡°Who¡¯s the new CEO? Does anyone know?¡± one of them asked. ¡°No one does, not even the higher¨Cups. It¡¯s a real mystery. I hope our savior is a handsome guy!¡± another chimed in. ¡°Dream on. What if it¡¯s a woman?¡± a third retorted. ¡°Please. That¡¯s impossible. You might as well wish Miss Woolery was alive again,¡± someone else added. A loud warning voice shut them up. ¡°Quiet. Here it is!¡± Everyone waited with bated breaths, their eyes on the entrance. A ck Rolls¨CRoyce stopped at there. The vice CEO walked up and opened the door. A pair of ck four¨Cinch¨C high heels appeared first, followed by a woman with short hair and a white suit. She straightened slowly, her exquisite makeup enhancing her beautiful features. The familiar face surprised those executives who had worked at Woolery Group for nearly ten years. ¡°Miss Woolery!¡± Pearl smiled. ¡°Hey, long time no Chapter 3 Chapter 3 Pearl entered the elevator with the executives. She turned to the vice CEO, Samuel Goodman, and asked, ¡°There¡¯re a few not present, right?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Samuel replied respectfully and amiably. ¡°The older ones, headed by Mr. Ralph, thinking down is beneath them. They wanted you to know they¡¯re in charge.¡°. ¡°Is that so?¡± Pearl was unfazed, her face cold. ¡°Things have changed, but my uncles are still clueless.¡± Ralph Woolery sat in the meeting room with five directors, their legs crossed as they enjoyed their coffee. They appeared nonchnt but were anxious in ¡°Why isn¡¯t anyone here?¡± Ralph sat in the chairman¡¯s seat, his chubby face impatient. He ordered the female secretary behind him, ¡°Go check it out.¡± ¡°Ralph, chill. He¡¯lle eventually. He¡¯s probably asserting himself.¡± Errol Woolery wore a priest outfit and held a rosary, appearing religious. ¡°Youngsters are so unreliable now.¡± Ralph shook his head. ¡°Rx. Just go ording to our n. Thepany belongs to our family. I have the final say As they discussed how to intimidate the new CEO, the secretary returned with a pale face. ¡°Bad news, Mr. Ralph. The new CEO summoned all the mana ¡°What?¡± They leaped to their feet angrily. ¡°We contributed so much to thepany. How dare he ignore us?¡± He is so outrageous!¡± X The secretary stammered, ¡°The CEO isn¡¯t a guy. It¡¯s a woman¡­¡± They were shocked again. As Pearl announced the meeting was over, Ralph and Errol barged in furiously with a group of people. However, they were astonished to see her. ¡°Pearl Ralph and Errol were caught off guard. They didn¡¯t expect their niece to be the savior who acquired 51% of Woolery Group shares. Three years ago, the heiress of Woolery Group identally fell off a cliff during a mountain climb. Her body was never found. Seizing the opportunity, Ralph and Errol divided her assets and stocks. They didn¡¯t expect her to return safely. Pearl enjoyed the shock on their faces, leaningzily back in her seat. ¡°Uncle Ralph, Uncle Errol, aren¡¯t you happy?¡± Her words woke them up. Ralph and Errol changed their expressions, crying as they went to hug her. ¡°Thank god you¡¯re safe, Pearl. Your parents would have been happy¡­¡± Pearl slid her chair back, frowning in disdain. Her tone was icy. ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Ralph and Errol panicked under her cold gaze. Pearl turned back to the executives. ¡°The Woolery Group is the result of my parents¡® N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. hard work. Now that I¡¯m back, it¡¯s time to set things straight. I¡¯ll treat the deserving ones right, and for those scheming,¡± Pearl paused, looking at Ralph a OX At the same time, in Machodean, Marc had picked up rissa from the hospital and was taking a call. ¡°No trace of her? Are you useless?¡± On the other end of the call, his assistant trembled. He was also puzzled. He had checked the surrounding surveince repeatedly but couldn¡¯t find Pear Marc tapped his long fingers on his knee, his expression calming down. He wondered why he couldn¡¯t find her. rissa, seated weakly beside him, mocked, ¡°She¡¯s just a nobody. Since she¡¯s gone, let¡¯s drop it. Marc, I will always be with you.¡± Marc frowned, recalling the quiet Pearl. She left with nothing. He wondered if he had misunderstood her. ¡°Mr. Males, I¡¯ve sent people to search for her in Inkwood. Perhaps she returned to her hometown,¡± the assistant stated. ¡°Send more people.¡± Marc¡¯s voice was cold. ¡°I hardly think she can simply vanish.¡± ¡°Yes, sir. There¡¯s another matter.¡± The assistant sensed Marc wasn¡¯t in a good mood. and quickly emphasized that it was work¨Crted. Marc responded, ¡°Speak.¡± The assistant reported, ¡°The mysterious savior of the Woolery Group turned up a few days ago. ording to the news, it¡¯s Miss Pearl Woolery.¡± Marc¡¯s eyebrows raised. Wasn¡¯t she supposed to be dead three years ago? Chapter 4 Chapter 4 Pearl instigated a huge change in thepany. The first to go included senior executives, directors, and those who attempted to undermine Pearl¡¯s authority with Ralph and Errol. Pearl showed Ralph the list of personnel changes first. She wanted Ralph to know. she was dismissing those who plotted against her, and he couldn¡¯t do Ralph, thepany isn¡¯t what it once was. We can¡¯t afford to keep idlers. I¡¯ve exhausted my savings to keep it running. Otherwise, we may have to sell p Ralph changed his attitude when his interests were threatened. He agreed. Pearl grinned. Ralph and Errol were too easy to deal with. N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. However, it was a different story on Ralph¡¯s side. His office was crowded with angry employees in the morning. One of them shouted, ¡°I don¡¯t give a d**n worked hard for so long. You¡¯re the one who kicked up a fuss against your niece. Why am I fired for it?¡± Others joined in the mor, demanding exnations. Their faces were twisted in fury, theirposure gone. Ralph¡¯s head pounded. ¡°Rx, guys. Chill.¡± Errol yed with his newly acquired rosary. He didn¡¯t care because his position as vice¨Cchairman was secured. Ralph did his best to cate the senior employees, but he was unmoved. After all, his position as chairman was unaffected and his interests weren¡¯t threatened. Pearl couldn¡¯t be bothered dealing with the uproar. Her goal was achieved. She left thepany and went home. It was time to clean up her home. Pea ar Woolery Court, also known as Rose Garden, was originally a rose park. Because Pearl and her mother loved roses, her father, Ken Woolery, bought the It was May. The roses in Nanston were in full bloom. Machodean was colder than Nanston. When she left Males House, the roses hadn¡¯t blossomed yet. Pearl¡¯s eyes dimmed. Thinking about Marc still made her heart hurt. However, she had decided to leave, so she would try to let go. Pearl drove into the manor, excited to see the roses. When she got out, she discovered the roses her father had nted were long gone. The garden ha Suddenly, Pearl heard giggles. She turned to see her cousin, Tina Woolery, and her former boyfriend, Manfred Day, walking out, chatting andughing. Tina wore a whitece dress and a diamond tiara hairpin, looking as though she was the owner of this ce. ¡°Tina? Manfred? It¡¯s been some time.¡± Pearl stood at the entrance, arms crossed, staring coldly at them. Sunlight fell on her, giving her a dominating presence. ? X Tina paled, almost stumbling down the stairs. She staggered and fell to the ground. She pointed at Pearl and gasped, ¡°P¨CPearl!¡± Manfred¡¯s gaze followed Tina. When he caught sight of Pearl, he couldn¡¯t be bothered with helping Tina to her feet. He shouted, ¡°You¡¯re a ghost!¡± ¡°Feeling guilty? I¡¯m here for your lives. Are you ready?¡± Pearl smiled brightly as she walked toward them. Chapter 5 Chapter 5 Pearl remembered how Manfred confessed his love to her before the school on her birthday, promising to protect and make her happy. Pearl had never seen such a passionate and persistent person before. Deeply moved, Pearl agreed. She didn¡¯t think Manfred would turn against herte Pearl had felt down on the anniversary of her father¡¯s death and thought Manfred would apany her. She waited in vain for him. Manfred didn¡¯t answ working and nned to surprise him with dinner. To her shock, Pearl found Manfred with Tina when she arrived at his ce in the rain with the ingredients. It turned out that Manfred and Tina had been t Tina seize Pearl¡¯s assets. N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. Angry, humiliated, and upset, Pearl gave them a sound beating. Manfred begged for forgivenesster, and Pearl¡¯s stance softened. She decided not to expose them and promised to meet with him to rify things. The decision nearly cost Pearl¡¯s life. Before Manfred pushed Pearl off the cliff, he told her, ¡°Rx. Tina will take care of yourpany and your home.¡± Pearl¡¯s heart shattered as the icy ocean swallowed her. She swore never to let them off. Finally, Pearl was rescued and returned. ¡°It¡¯s all him. Go after him. I didn¡¯t do anything!¡± The guilty Tina pushed Manfred and turned to run into the house. Manfred was dumbfounded. Thinking quickly, he denied, ¡°N¨Cno. It¡¯s not me. It¡¯s Chelye Tina. It¡¯s her idea. I loved you, Pearl¡­¡± He approached Pearl slowly, thinking she was still naive. Pearl scoffed. Her gaze was fixed on Manfred. Before he could touch her, Pearl kicked him hard. Manfred was caught off guard. His head hit a pir in the garden. Manfred screamed in pain. He realized he was bleeding. Pearl walked slowly to him. Manfred met her icy gaze and recovered from his shock. Pearl looked down loftily at him. Her eyes were cold. ¡°Manfred, your good days are over.¡± It was time for him to pay for his deeds. ¡°Throw him out,¡± Pearl instructed her bodyguards behind her before walking past him. She would settle scores slowly with them. Chaos reigned in Rose Garden. Pearl wasted no time setting things to right. She hired a team to clear out her parents¡® and her rooms. Ralph and Tina¡¯s were all thrown out. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Tina panicked seeing her beloved possessions discarded. She pointed at Pearl resentfully. ¡°Are you insane? I¡¯ve been living here.¡± Pearl satzily on the couch, flipping through the estate¡¯s current personnel list, not sparing her a nce. ¡°No wonder my room is full of garbage.¡± She tu it clean.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± The team showed no mercy after that. The branded bags were no different from ordinary bags to them. They were all thrown into sacks and tosse Emergency calls only Tina nearly exploded. ¡°Stop! Get your filthy paws off them.¡± $047% 12:27 Pearl had enough when Tina tried to w at the workers. Pearl ripped the curtains down and tied the struggling Tina to a chair, stuffed her mouth with a pped her. Tina fell silent. The two rooms were returned to their original state before evening. Pearl gave the team arge bonus and dismissed them. When Ralph returned, he saw his antiques scattered in the corridor. His heart ached. so much he almost cried. ¡°Dear God, who did this?¡± Tina, who was just freed, threw herself into her father¡¯s arms and pointed at Pearl. ¡°Dad, it¡¯s her. She threw everything out.¡± Ralph looked at Pearl with hostility. ¡°What are you up to, Pearl?¡± ¡°Helping you move, of course.¡± Pearl leaned on the railing, looking at themzily. ¡°Uncle Ralph, have you forgotten whose house this is?¡± Ralph gritted his teeth. He had coveted this estate for a long time. He moved in as soon as Pearl died. He didn¡¯t expect Pearl to return and appear like a person. Ralph forced a smile. ¡°Pearl, we¡¯re family. I¡¯m the chairman of thepany now, and I¡¯m used to living here¡­¡± ¡°Habits can be changed,¡± Pearl interjected, her expression cold and her tone calm. ¡°The chairman can also be reced. If you want to retire early, Uncle Ralph, I can arrange it.¡± Chapter 6 Chapter 6 Ralph narrowed his eyes, feeling uneasy. His intuition, honed through years of experience, told him not to act rashly until he knew everything about his o Pearl wasn¡¯t as cheerful as she was before her ¡°resurrection.¡± It was as though she was now as ruthless and cunning as his oldest brother, Ken had bee Ralph forced a smile. ¡°Pearl, give us time. We¡¯ve plenty of things.¡± Ralph had resumed the fawning demeanor he had taken before Pearl¡¯s father. Pearl smiled coldly. Ralph thought her father and her were soft¨C hearted and wouldn¡¯t be ruthless to them. He was wrong. ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll give you time.¡± ¡®Time to pay,¡± she thought. Pearl sneered but didn¡¯t rush them further. She needed to single out a few people as examples to show the consequences of crossing her, and Ralph¡¯s f Pearl turned to return to her room, but a vase suddenly fell before her. She nced at it. Ralph picked it up hurriedly and ttered her, ¡°This is a gem I found, Pearl. It¡¯s said to belong to a queen. I can give you if you want.¡± Pearl sneered. She took it and threw it carelessly. The vase made a crisp sound as it shattered. As Ralph¡¯s heart ached, Pearl said, ¡°It¡¯s a replica.¡± Emergency calls only The night was quiet. Woolery Court finally settled down. Pearl finished her bath and changed into a simple outfit before going to her parents¡® room. Their and elegant. Pearl¡¯s eyes reddened. She caressed the portraits and choked out, ¡°I¡¯m back.¡± She looked at them, feeling empty and lonely. Pearl¡¯s parents died three years ago. Things had changed drastically since. Pearl had grown up cherished by her parents. Besides school, her greatest joy was browsing for news online about Marc. It had been seven years since her abduction at fourteen, but Pearl couldn¡¯t forget her savior. Her father was finally convinced and would suggest marriage to the Males family. She waited eagerly for good news when her parents left for Machodean, but only received news of their deaths. Her parents had died in a Pearl¡¯s world had copsed. If it weren¡¯t for Pearl, perhaps her parents wouldn¡¯t have died. But Pearl couldn¡¯t me herself. Her parents would have wanted her to live well. Her phone rang suddenly. Pearl answered it and asked, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± It was Hubert Law, the seventh son of the Law family. ¡°I¡¯ve news, but I¡¯m not sure if I should tell you.¡± Pearlmanded impatiently, ¡°Spill it.¡± This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Emergency calls only Hubert said, ¡°Your ex announced he¡¯s marrying rissa in four days.¡± *ÍêÌï47% 12:27 Pearl¡¯s heart clenched painfully. Their divorce proceedings would bepleted in that time. She thought, ¡®Is he that eager to marry his beloved?¡® Chapter 7 Chapter 7 ¡°Do I look good, Marc?¡± rissa changed into a wedding dress at the bridal shop and paraded before Marc, her face glowing. Her once pale face was n rissa even straightened her curls to please Marc, reminding him of Pearl. Pearl used to smile every day when she was with him. However, her smiles Marc¡¯s thoughts drifted. He remembered he didn¡¯t have a wedding with Pearl. After all, Marc had chosen her casually. He hadn¡¯t even gone to register th did she marry me? For money?¡® he wondered. ¡°Marc¡­¡± rissa noticed Marc was lost in thought and approached him. ¡°Marc, am I beautiful?¡± Marc smiled faintly. ¡°Yes.¡± Satisfied, rissa touched her waist and turned to the designer beside her. ¡°It¡¯s a tad loose here and doesn¡¯t show off my figure. Can you tighten it?¡± The designer exined hesitantly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Our wedding dresses are custom- made three months in advance. This one isn¡¯t your size. It was purchased from another customer who had a fuller figure. If we adju your wedding.¡± rrisa¡¯s face darkened. ¡°So, it¡¯s my fault?¡± ¡°N¨Cno. You misunderstood.¡± The designer panicked when rissa changed her demeanor abruptly, apologizing profusely. rissa refused to relent. Marc eventually said, ¡°Since this won¡¯t do, choose another.¡± The designer suggested hurriedly, ¡°We¡¯ve one which fits you perfectly, Miss Santos¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ve seen that. It¡¯s tacky.¡± rissa red at the designer sinisterly and added, ¡°Don¡¯t call me Miss Santos. I¡¯m Mrs: Males.¡± The designer was caught off guard. Tension grew. Marc frowned. He said calmly to the designer, ¡°You can go. We¡¯ll continueter.¡± But the designer didn¡¯t want to deal with them anymore. She left with the wedding dress, muttering to her colleague, ¡°Is she off her rocker? Why make a N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. rissa and Marc heard them. rissa turned livid. ¡°What did you say?¡± She wanted to reach for the designer but was stopped by Marc. ¡°That¡¯s enough, rrisa. You¡¯re still ill,¡± Marc reminded her. ¡°How could she say that? I know you first. Pearl is the homewrecker.¡± rrisa felt aggrieved, crying as she tugged on Marc¡¯s shirt. ¡°You must kick that de Marc grew frustrated. rissa had changed a lottely. However, he was worried about her health and coaxed her, ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll do itter.¡± rissa was pleased and added, ¡°You must also announce we are each other¡¯s first Emergency calls only love. Pearl was nothing. She¡¯s the one who came between us.¡± Marc frowned, his gaze cooling. Her words sounded unpleasant to him. He wondered, ¡®What will Pearl look like in this wedding dress?¡® Pearl declined Hubert¡¯s suggestion to throw her a wee¨Cback party, iming to be too tired and wanted to rest at home. She stared nkly at her phone as the news about Marc¡¯s wedding with rissa flooded in. Despite iming to be over him, Pearl¡¯s heart ached. She remembered the day she married Marc. There were no guests and no ceremony. She even obtained the marriage certificate alone without anyone k Pearl wrapped herself in a nket and curled up in bed. However, defeating music came from the room next to hers. Pearl massaged her pounding temples and walked to Tina¡¯s room. Tina was forced to move to a guest room and was infuriated by the shabby room. Furthermore, her bags were scratched, which made her angrier. Tina turned the volume to maximum and danced on the bed. If she couldn¡¯t sleep, no one could either. Tina was engrossed in thinking about revenge against Pearl and didn¡¯t hear the door open. A tub of ice¨C cold water was sshed on her, drenching her. Then Tinal screamed. Chapter 8 Chapter 8 It was early spring and chilly at night. Pearl had turned off the heater in Tina¡¯s room. Tina felt chilled to her bones. Tina red at the culprit and roared, ¡°Pearl!¡± ¡°You seem to be having a great time. Let me add to your excitement. How about that? Is it thrilling enough? If not, I can have someone bring in some toil The music continued sting. Pearl threw the tub at the stereo, knocking it over. The loud noise startled Tina. The music stopped abruptly. ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± Ralph was woken by the din and rushed over from the other guest room in his sleepwear. He was furious to see Tina soaked and b ¡°Dad, she poured water on me. I¡¯m freezing¡­¡± Tina shivered uncontrobly, speaking before Pearl could. She added, ¡°It was cold, and I couldn¡¯t sleep. I thought I¡¯d listen to music, but Pea back her up. Ralph was shivering too. Though he was angry, he didn¡¯t dare to scold Pearl. He coaxed Tina, ¡°Pearl has just returned. Cut her some ck. Don¡¯t argue Tina didn¡¯t expect her father¡¯s change in attitude. ¡°What are you expecting, Tina? This is my house.¡± Pearlughed at Tina¡¯s dumbfounded expression. She raised her eyebrows coldly. ¡°Are you done acti 0X Ralph and Tina¡¯s faces flushed with embarrassment and humiliation. Pearl eyed Tinazily. ¡°If there¡¯s a next time, I¡¯ll throw you into the pool. Perhaps that¡¯ll clear your mind.¡± She nced at them. ¡°My house, my rules. I¡¯m a light sleeper and can¡¯t stand noise at night. Can¡¯t stand it? Leave.¡± With that, Pearl left. ¡°Pearl.¡± Ralph asked meekly, ¡°The heating has been broken for days. When will it be fixed? It¡¯s cold.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not the repairman. How should I know?¡± Pearl walked past them, amused. She had much more waiting for them. ¡°Dad, look at her¡­¡± Tina pouted, pointing at Pearl. ¡°Alright, Tina. Chill¡­¡± Ralph calmed her down. Tina tidied her messy room herself. Closing the door, she dried her hair while grumbling angrily, ¡°Dad, are we gonna let Pearl push us around?¡± Ralph¡¯s face was stern. His heart still ached over the vase Pearl had broken. It was worth around a million dors. How could Pearl dismiss it as a replica ¡°Dad, we¡¯re finally where we are today. Do you want to give it up?¡± Tina crouched down before Ralph. ¡°Don¡¯t you remember how we bowed and scraped Ralph narrowed his eyes. He snorted. ¡°You think I haven¡¯t considered it? Pearl¡¯s return is sudden and mysterious, and she has all the power. Whatever s ¡°Her parents were dead. There¡¯s no one to back her up. She¡¯s nothing.¡± Tina advised, OX ¡°If we don¡¯t get rid of her now, she will only grow stronger. She definitely knew something and returned for revenge. We need to strike first. Dad, you mustn¡¯t be soft¨Chearted!¡± The dim light highlighted the sinister expression on Tina¡¯s face. Ralph yed with the ring on his thumb, his eyes murderous. ¡°Rx. If she goes too far, I won¡¯t hold back.¡± Pearly quietly on the bed, listening to their conversation through the bug she had ced in their rooms. She smirked and thought they were so confide Tina slept until midday the next day. Turning around in bed, she called on the internal phone line and orderedzily, ¡°Ainsley,e and prepare a bath for me. Pick A somewhat familiar voice answered her. ¡°Miss Tina, Ainsley Brooks has been dismissed. Furthermore, Miss Pearl has ordered that the roses in the cou Tina set up, frowning. ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Emily Horton, the housekeeper you dismissed. Please to serve you again,¡± the voice said. The news stunned Tina. Thoroughly awake, she hung up the call, threw on her robe, and rushed outside. As Tina descended the stairs, she noticed several servants cleaning, but none were her people. All of them were old servants of Woolery Court. Pearl ha people, but Tina had managed to bribe a few. However, they were all gone now. Emergency calls only Chapter B N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. Tina also discovered the flowers she had nted in the courtyard had been uprooted and reced with vibrant red roses in full bloom. Tina clenched her fists and gritted her teeth. ¡°Pearl!¡± Chapter 9 Chapter 9 Pearl spent the morning inspecting the various departments. She had a career now and Marc was in the past. e The Woolery Group began as a luxury jewelry brand. Ken was the founder andter expanded the business into various sectors. The group dominated N Only the Males Group in Machodean was on par with the Woolery Group. Both steered clear of each other. Employees pretended to work diligently while asionally peeking at Pearl. ¡°Wow! Ms. Woolery has a great figure,¡± one of them remarked. Pearl wore a navy blue suit¨Cstyle jumpsuit, which highlighted her graceful figure. She appeared both mature and beautiful. One of the employees couldn¡¯t help but discreetly photographed Pearl from behind and posted it online. She remarked, ¡°Even her back makes us want to bow to her.¡± The employee was an inte celebrity on Instagram with over 200,000 followers and loved to show off. Her post immediately ga Comments overflowed with praises. ¡°Wow. Is this real? She looks like a celebrity.¡± Another remarked, ¡°I¡¯m gonna send my job application to them now. Can¡¯t wait to meet her.¡± Pearl entered her office in her high heels. Samuel followed, closing the door. OX Emergency calls onlyM Pearl copsed on the couch, checking her aching feet. Samuelughed. ¡°You walked plenty today. They must hurt.¡± Pearl sighed. ¡°Everything is in chaos. I have to press on.¡± 047% 12:28 N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. Samuel took out a medical kit and approached her. ¡°No need before me. Let me help you.¡± He knelt on the carpet, removed her high heels, and gently treated her blisters. Pearl was surprised. It had been long since anyone cared for her. When she shook. herself from her thoughts, Samuel was done. He also found her a pa Pearl chuckled. ¡°You¡¯re good. Thanks. You must have courted many girls.¡± Samuel smiled, not replying. He blew on her feet, making Pearl¡¯s toes curl. Pearl frowned, pulling her feet back. ¡°That tickles. Let them dry themselves.¡± Pearl¡¯s feet were small and slender, but her toes were plump, which made them look cute. Samuel smiled warmly. ¡°It¡¯s great that you¡¯re back.¡± Sitting cross¨Clegged, Pearl avoided his gaze and changed the topic. ¡°It¡¯s not good that I¡¯ve to clean up the mess.¡± ¡°You can do it.¡± Samuel¡¯s eyes shone with unwavering determination and faith. He looked like he would brave through anything with her. Pearl put away her childish ways and spoke seriously, ¡°There¡¯re two things to note.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Samuel answered. ¡°Firstly, my uncle¡¯snd in the northern suburbs will not be developed into a golf Emergency calls only MO course. I have other ns for it,¡± Pearl said. ¡°Sure.¡± Samuel nodded. 047% 12:28 Pearl went on, ¡°Secondly, theunch of the new jewelry series is ready. The theme is ¡®Rose.¡® Tell the operations department to initiate a topic discussion online to collect love stories. The top fold increase in monthly performance bonuses.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Samuel remarked, ¡°That¡¯s a big move.¡± Pearl smiled. ¡°Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures. Get it done. The old timers¡® era is over.¡± The phone rang after Samuel left. It was Hubert. Pearl answered reluctantly because it probably wasn¡¯t good news. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°How impatient you are. It¡¯s no biggie, but it might infuriate you. Check online. That vixen has brainwashed your ex. They¡¯re iming you came between Pearl frowned and checked. There was a trending topic on the uing wedding. She clicked on it and found a lengthy post. The post, published by Males Group¡¯s official ount, announced the wedding and detailed the couple¡¯s romantic history. It hinted rissa was the one Emergency calls only M of Marc¡¯s past and wished Pearl could find a sociallypatible love. Pearl was so furious she snorted. 047% 12:28 ¡°Aren¡¯t you furious?¡± Hubert asked, sounding angrier than Pearl. ¡°How dare they? I¡¯m going to teach him a lesson.¡± ¡°No need,¡± Pearl replied calmly. ¡°rissa probably did it. Marc wouldn¡¯t do this.¡± ¡°You¡¯re still speaking for that bastard.¡± Hubert was indignant. ¡°I¡¯m not. I just want to move on.¡± Pearl sounded exasperated, so Hubert didn¡¯t continue. Pearl nced at the Males Group ount and the time of publication. She smiled coldly. ¡°Don¡¯t do anything. She¡¯ll pay the price. Marc is the one who ha now.¡± Pearl hung up. The post was a joke to her. When she married Marc, she wanted him, not the title of Mrs. Males. Pearl Shepard was dead. When she sig to give him up. Chapter 10 Chapter 10 At noon, the operations and public rtions departments of the Males Group were working overtime to remove the trending topic. In the CEO¡¯s office, the operations manager exined anxiously, ¡°Mr. Males, Miss Santos asked us to post it and not to change anything. We assume th want¡­¡°. Marc was working, his expression seemingly calm. His dark suit blended with the office¡¯s metallic tones, making him appear cold. Before the manager co finish, Marc threw the file aside, making a muffled sound. His low voice was grave. ¡°You assume?¡± The manager sweated profusely, looking to Marc¡¯s assistant, Thomas Pearson, for help. Thomas said, ¡°I think you can hand in your resignation to the HR department.¡± N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. The operations manager was dragged out by the bodyguards. Thomas reported to Marc, ¡°The trending topic has been taken down. The operations department issued an official statement iming a cyber attack, and the public rtions department has informed major media outlets, hoping to minimize the damage. However, the stocks and funds of th considerably, especially Males Jewelry. Theizens are boycotting the uing ¡®One Life, One Heart¡® series¡­¡± The chain reaction caused by a short article was faster and more intense than Marc imagined. His eyes darkened. Emergency calls only #047% #1228 Observing Marc¡¯s reaction, Thomas continued, ¡°Theizens are now searching for your wife¡­ I mean, Miss Shepard. They¡¯re curious about her. She may be in da Marc frowned. Would Pearl have read the post? What would she think? Suddenly annoyed, Marc ordered, ¡°Settle this quickly and find her.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Thomas added, ¡°Mr. Brooke called, informing you to go back.¡± Marc stood up, buttoning his jacket. ¡°Ready the car. Go to Males Jewelry first.¡± Thomas sat in the backseat, following the progress on the inte. He came across Pearl¡¯s photo and was attracted. ¡°She does look dashing.¡± His remark drew Marc¡¯s attention. Thomas cleared his throat and was about to swipe away when Marc took the tablet. The silhouette felt familiar to Marc Feeling guilty for being distracted, Thomas nced at the location tag beneath the photo. ¡°It¡¯s posted by a Woolery Group employee. The woman is prob Woolery.¡± ¡®Pearl Woolery?¡® Marc zoomed in on the photo. His heart skipped a beat. He pursed his lips. ¡°Any photos of her face?¡± Thomas shook his head, troubled. ¡°No. She is very mysterious. She hasn¡¯t attended school and has private tutors. There¡¯s no information about her onlin As Thomas muttered, the photo on the tablet disappeared and indicated an error. Emergency calls onlyM 047% 12:29 The trending article had also been deleted. Thomas¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°This is¡­ Wow.¡± Even her silhouette was erased. Thomas thought his boss was low¨C key enough. He didn¡¯t expect there was someone who was even more so than Marc. Her style was somewhat simr to Marc¡¯s ex¨Cwife. ¡°Investigate it,¡± ordered Marc calmly. Something was odd. Thomas¡¯s thoughts had drifted. He blinked. ¡°Are you referring to Miss Shepard or Miss Woolery?¡± Marc responded coldly, ¡°Both.¡± He thought, ¡®How could a person vanish and another appear suddenly? Is there a connection between them?¡® In her office, Pearl¡¯s slender fingers flew across the keyboard. After a few clicks, a handsome face appeared on the screen. Hubert, without his tea¨C colored sunsses, resembled an innocent youth. ¡°I was chatting online when I found one of your photos. It disappeared before I could erase it. Did you do that?¡± Hubert asked. ¡°Yes.¡± Pearl drank some water, looking tired. ¡°I¡¯d have been doxxed if I counted on you.¡± Hubert eximed, ¡°Heartless brat! I handled those before, or you¡¯d have been doxxed long ago. Do you think Marc would let you off so easily?¡± Pearl¡¯s face darkened at the mention of Marc. ¡°Spill it. Otherwise, leave.¡± ¡°Sheesh,¡± Hubert remarked, ¡°Fine. Let¡¯s talk business. I got upset this morning and Emergency calls only 1229 dug up everything on that vixen. Your ex had been deceived. Makes me almost sorry for him.¡± Hubert smirked and tapped twice. ¡°I¡¯ve sent it to you. Enjoy. I¡¯m gonna sleep. I¡¯ve been fooling around since morning.¡± Stretchingzily, Hubert went offlin Pearl opened the information. Hubert was a hacker, on par with her skills. rissa¡¯s life wasid bare before Pearl now. Pearl scanned through it. The do The information was in Kannish, but Pearl understood them. However, the few medical terms made her frown. rissa wasn¡¯t just a liar. She was a whore. Pearl¡¯s face was gloomy. Hubert showed up on her screen again. ¡°Are you done? Does it disgust you?¡± He clucked his tongue. ¡°Marc must be off his rocker to divorce you for her. Shall we expose rissa to avenge you?¡± Emergency calls only Chapter 11 Chapter 11 Pearl leaned back in her chair with a cold expression. Hubert¡¯s words hit her hard. After a while, she said, ¡°Sooner orter, the truth wille out. I can¡¯t to know.¡± Hubert raised an eyebrow, looking wicked. ¡°You seem furious.¡± ¡°He¡¯s not worth it.¡± Pearl appeared indifferent. ¡°I¡¯m tired, Hubert.¡± She closed herptop and walked to the window, thinking about her marriage. Nights in Nanston were always lively and bustling. However, when Pearl was in Machodean, her nights were lonely. Nothing was lonelier than having her love close but out of reach. Hubert sensed Pearl was upset. He couldn¡¯t bear it. He closed hisptop and typed in the Whatsapp group ¡®An Alliance to Protect Pearl.¡® [Pearl has been Quentin Quarks replied, [Who¡¯s that bold? Let¡¯s teach him a lesson.] Henry Shaw responded, [They¡¯ve divorced, right? Who else would it be other than Marc?¡± Noah Spencer typed, [He¡¯s asking for a beating.] Henry chimed in, [How? Let¡¯s discuss.] Oliver Lawrence stated simply, [Name.] Hubert smirked. He exined what happened and sent a detailed n. After a fierce OX Emergency calls only MO ³ÇÌï46% 46% 12:29 discussion, Oliver gave his go¨Cahead. Relieved, Hubert snapped his fingers and changed the group chat¡¯s name to ¡®Anti- Homewrecker Alliance.¡® The other group chat with Pearl in it remained calm. After a busy day, Pearl was exhausted. She almost fell asleep in the car. The living room was brightly lit when Pearl returned. Emily, with the servants, had cleaned Rose Garden thoroughly, restoring it. Pearl smiled. ¡°Good wor The servants grinned. ¡°Thank you, Miss Pearl.¡± Emily was in her forties. Dressed professionally in a suit, Emily looked meticulous andpetent. She reported, ¡°Miss Tina is still locked in her room.¡± Tina had kicked a fuss today, as Pearl had anticipated. Emily dealt with Tinal ording to Pearl¡¯s instructions. ¡°Alright.¡± Pearl was calm. ¡°Bring up the leftovers. I¡¯ll check on her.¡± She sneered and thought, ¡®Tina, you deserve this.¡± The guest room was locked from the outside. Emily opened it while carrying a tray of food that looked indiscernible. Pearl took the tray. ¡°You can go.¡± Emily was worried. ¡°Miss Pearl¡­¡± Pearl reassured her, ¡°Rx. I got it under control.¡± Emergency calls only M *ÁãÊÛ45% 12:29 Pearl opened the door. Tina was sleeping, drooling as though dreaming about food. The sound woke her up. Tina looked at Pearl nkly. ¡°Awake?¡± Pearl approached. ¡°Hungry? There¡¯s some food left. Try it.¡± Tina nced at the food on the bedside table, waking up instantly. She turned to Pearl furiously and lunged. ¡°Pearl!¡± Pearl stuffed a napkin into Tina¡¯s mouth and shifted, causing Tina to miss and fall. Pearl chuckled. ¡°Spoiling for a fight? Looks like you¡¯re not hungry enou waste.¡± Tina spat out the napkin in her mouth. ¡°Who wants to eat that?¡± Pearl sat leisurely on the couch and smoothed the wrinkle in her pants. She looked authoritatively at Tina. ¡°You can eat or starve.¡± Tina snorted. ¡°You bitch. Are you retaliating because I stole Manfred?¡± Pearl pped Tina. Covering her cheek, Tina stared at Pearl in shock. ¡°How dare you hit me?¡± ¡°That¡¯s for swearing.¡± Pearl continued coldly, ¡°You¡¯re right. This is revenge. You just got it? Are you slow? Do you think you can simply stay here?¡± Tina copsed on the ground, ring at Pearl resentfully. Then, she smirked. ¡°Manfred said you¡¯re dull and unattractive. You¡¯re such a failure.¡± Pearl shot her a disdainful nce. ¡°You can go hungry. Besides, Manfred is trash to me. You¡¯re only recycling him. He would get what he deserves.¡± Emergency calls only M µÚÈýɽ46% 12:29 Pearl turned to leave. Tina didn¡¯t expect Pearl not to fall for it. Without hesitation, Tina grabbed a vase on the bedside table and aimed it at Pearl¡¯s head might. At thest second, Pearl tilted her head and avoided it. She caught the vase and snatched it from Tina. N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. Pearl struck Tina once more, catching her by surprise. Tina fell, crying in pain. Her vision blurred, and her face stung. She struggled to get up but couldn¡¯t. ¡°You¡¯re quite bold.¡± Pearl smashed the vase on the ground. There was a resounding crash. Shards flew everywhere. Tina huddled, shrieking in fear. However, she soon wiped her tears and smiled smugly. ¡°Manfred and I are getting married soon. From now on, I¡¯m Mrs. Day. The Day Group is much more formidable than the Woolery Group! If you to Manfred won¡¯t let you off!¡± ¡°Do you think I care?¡± Pearl shook her head exasperatedly, looking at Tina. ¡°Only you will treasure him. You can call yourself Mrs. Day but don¡¯t mention ¡°Pearl, don¡¯t get too cocky. Nobody wants you,¡± Tina shouted. Pearl¡¯s footsteps paused. She was indeed abandoned, not by Manfred, but by the man she deeply loved, Marc. Chapter 12 Chapter 12 Brooke Males, Marc¡¯s grandfather, mmed his hand on the desk in the study of the Males residence, causing coffee to spill from his cup. ¡°Do you know done?¡± Marc was unfazed. ¡°I will handle it.¡°. ¡°How?¡± Brooke wasn¡¯t satisfied. He reprimanded, ¡°Have you forgotten who you are? You¡¯re the CEO of Males Group. When you took over, I told you not Taking a deep breath, Brooke continued, ¡°Pearl cared for you diligently when you were ill. She was obedient and neverined. When you recovered, I thoug ¡°No reason.¡± Marc¡¯s attitude was indifferent. ¡°I simply don¡¯t like her.¡± Brooke¡¯s anger grew. ¡°Why did you marry her then? Pearl may have been born in the country but is well¨C behaved and modest. How could you abandon her?¡± Fuming, Brooke grabbed a paperweight and threw it at Marc. ¡°Give me back my granddaughter¨Cinw.¡± Marc didn¡¯t dodge. The paperweight hit his shoulder. Pain shot through him. ¡°Since you insist on marrying rissa, go ahead. I won¡¯t attend the wedding and be embarrassed.¡± Brooke stormed off. ¡°Oh my. What happened?¡± Mandy Males was sitting in the garden with her Emergency calls onlyM 046% 12:29 daughters¨Cin¨C law, enjoying the breeze and flowers, when she heard themotion from the study. When Brooke stormed out, Mandy hurried to him. ¡°Chill. Why are y N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. Brooke was hot¨Ctempered. ¡°Did you know what he did? He doesn¡¯t want rissa but chooses to marry the vixen. He¡¯s out of his mind.¡± He strode away furiously. Mandy sighed. Marc came out and met her gaze. ¡°Grandma.¡± ¡°Is she worth this trouble?¡± Mandy sighed. ¡°You knew what your father did. If you remember, you wouldn¡¯t think about rissa at all.¡± Marcu his lips, growing frustrated. ¡°rissa is different from her family.¡± ¡°Different?¡± Mandy mocked. Knowing Marc was stubborn, she switched topics. ¡°I heard Pearl left with nothing. Where did she go?¡± Marc shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m still investigating.¡± Mandy sighed again. ¡°Such a pity.¡± She patted Marc on his back. ¡°Too bad for you.¡± Marc frowned. He was ufortable with how everyone praised Pearl. Pearl was usually quiet. He wondered when she won everyone over. ¡°Mr. Males, bad news.¡± Thomas rushed over, interrupting Marc¡¯s thoughts. ¡°Your mother went to find Miss Santos¡­ and hit her.¡± Marc¡¯s eyes darkened and ran off. rissa was staying in a three¨Cbedroom apartment of more than 1200 square feet Emergency calls only M 046% 12:30 Marc arranged for her. Although it was spacious, rissa wasn¡¯t satisfied. She preferred the Males House. She couldn¡¯t wait to be married to Marc. She rissa sat elegantly on the couch, brewing a cup of coffee with her newly purchased coffee machine. Looking at her phone, she realized she slept through the afternoon. The article must have caused quite a stir by now. However, there was no news about her and Marc. Uneasy, rissa scrolled down the pages, thinking the hype might have subsided. rissa went to the Males Group official ount. The article she wrote was gone. There was only an official exnation iming a cyberattack. She wo rissa¡¯s head spun. She called a few bloggers she knew. Theyined bitterly, ¡°Your bogus infonded us in hot water. Have you gone nuts dream The other responses were worse, either cursing her or blocking her directly. rissa frowned, panicking. How did things turn out like this? Trying to calm herself, rissa was about to call Marc when an elegantly dresseddy in a wheelchair was wheeled in. rissa¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She stood up hastily. ¡°Phoenix¡­¡± Chapter 13 Chapter 13 When Marc hurriedly arrived at the apartment, rissa was kneeling on the ground, sobbing with her face covered. ¡°rissa.¡± As soon as rissa saw Marc, she rushed toward him and threw herself into his arms as if he were her savior, eximing, ¡°Marc, help me!¡± Marc noticed that rissa had a bright red left cheek. His expression immediately turned cold, and his face was filled with displeasure. He turned to Phoenix and asked, ¡°Mother, why didn¡¯t you inform me before you came?¡± The eldest daughter of the Males family, Phoenix Males, even sitting in a wheelchair, exuded an imposing presence and maintained the posture of an up ss. Her narrow and sharp eyes resembled Marc¡¯s, and her tone was extremely cold. ¡°Have you informed me before you divorced and hid your mistress here?¡± She was wearing a traditional dress and draped a thin nket over her legs, which was intricately embroidered by Pearl. The shawl she was wearing wa from Pearl. Phoenix raised her hand, and the maid Harper ter, who was standing behind her, immediately understood and lit a cigarette for her. Marc frowned. ¡°rissa¡¯s health is not good. Please do not smoke in front of her.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± OX Emergency calls only 1046% 12:30 N?velDrama.Org ? 2024. ? Phoenix exhaled a puff of smoke and nced at the coffee table. ¡°She has stomach cancer and still drinks coffee leisurely. I haven¡¯t noticed anything wrong with her health. On the other hand, Pearl has hypoglycemia, but I haven¡¯t heard ¡°Pearl again!¡± said Marc inwardly. He had a meaningful expression, saying coldly, ¡°I have already divorced Pearl. There is no point in mentioning her.¡± Phoenix looked at Marc¡¯s cold and stern expression. Her lips lifted in a mocking manner. ¡°You are heartless, just like your father. If I had known that I wo a scum like you, I wouldn¡¯t have given birth to you.¡± When it came to his father, Marc tightly pressed his thin lips and revealed a somewhat colder expression. ¡°If we can¡¯t talk about Pearl, let¡¯s talk about this woman.¡± Phoenix took a puff of her cigarette and looked at the woman hiding in the arms of Marc and crying pitifully. She looked at rissa disdainfully. ¡°Enough! rissa was biting her lip. She was furious inside but didn¡¯t dare to show it. She only knelt down with teary eyes from Marc¡¯s embrace, begging Phoenix in a pitiful tone. ¡°Mrs. Males, I understand that you dislike me because of my aunt¡¯s past conflicts with you. My aunt and Mr. Hayes were truly in love back then, just like Emergency calls onlyM D46% 12:30 I have loved each other for many years. If it weren¡¯t for the family issues we had and your strong opposition, I wouldn¡¯t have gone abroad, nor would I ha event held your grandchild in your arms.¡± ¡°Humph! What a fancy dream!¡± Phoenix could not bear to listen any longer and interrupted rissa coldly, ¡°Let me tell you, even if all the women in the world were to die and my son was to live a lonely life until he died, I would never let him marry you. Do you understand?¡± ¡°The damn old witch!¡± said rissa inwardly. She clenched her teeth, resisting the urge to overturn rissa¡¯s wheelchair. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for her dominant tactics back then, the Santos family would not have fallen into bankruptcy, and I wouldn¡¯t have suffered so much abroad! ¡°All of this was caused by this woman. I wish I could torture her to death to alleviate the hatred in my heart!¡± she thought to herself. Marc reached out his hand and pulled rissa up, standing in front of her and facing Phoenix¡¯s cold gaze. ¡°Mom, I can make decisions about marriage on my own, so don¡¯t worry about it. Thomas, please send my mom home.¡± Making a great effort to minimize his presence, Thomas stood aside and approached to ask Phoenix to leave reluctantly. ¡°My son has grown independent and is now chasing his mother away. Good!¡± Phoenix pped her hands and sneered, ¡°Son, your father betrayed me back then and caused me to be crippled. If you dare to marry her, I will give you Emergency cans omy the day of your wedding. Try me if you don¡¯t believe it.¡± 046% 12:30 As Marc watched Phoenix leave decisively, his fists slowly tightened by his sides, the bones in his fingers cracking. Suddenly, he mmed his fist against the wall, causing the wall to tremble. rissa was taken aback. ¡°Marc¡­¡± After teaching Tina a lesson, Pearl went back to her room to remove her makeup and take a shower. Although she was lying in bed, she didn¡¯t have a trace of sleepiness. Her mind was filled with information about rissa. In fact, she had known who rissa was for a long time and was aware of the understand why Marc insisted on marrying rissa. If it were her, if someone dared to take away her father and cripple her mother¡¯s legs, she would feel a burning desire to kill that woman and would even wish to kill her entire family. ¡°How is it possible for Marc to get along with that woman¡¯s family? ¡°He appears quite rational and not like someone with a man addled by love. Could it be that he is also a hypocrite, behaving this way only toward the wo wondered Pearl. She tossed and turned, bing more and more annoyed. Unable to fall asleep, she got up and dialed a number finally. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you¡¯d kill the fatted calf for mying back? Well, tonight would be a good time. I want to have a drink.¡± The night fell as dark as ink, yet the Bevend Hotel shone as brightly as daylight. Emergency calls only M 046% 12:30 This was thergest luxury club in Nanston. It offered VIP membership and allowed entry through facial recognition technology. The security guards at the entrance had scanning eyes and refused entry to unfamiliar faces without further a A man wearing sunsses stood at the door with an indifferent expression. Event when he saw acquaintances, he would often ignore them until he caught sight of a red Porsche driving into view, at which point a hint of delight appeared on his face. He took small steps forward and opened the car door. ¡°I thought you weren¡¯t ¡°You should have just waited inside. Why are you waiting outside?¡± asked Pearl. She took off her shoes and put on a pair of golden high heels. She stepped out of the car, wearing a red suspender dress, looking both cool and wild. Th door were stunned. ¡°Hubert has a new lover? Thisdy is quite stunning,¡± they thought to themselves. Hubert looked at Pearl¡¯s outfit and nodded in satisfaction. ¡°It looks so much better than the way you dress like an old nun all day long.¡± ¡°If you can¡¯t speak, then keep quiet.¡± Pearl gave a disgruntled nce at the young man and followed him into the room smoothly. Hubert wanted to take her to a private room, but she shook She gestured to the bar and ordered a ss of vodka. She drank it down like water without flinching. Hubert said, ¡°Your alcohol tolerance isn¡¯t very good. Don¡¯t drink Emergency calls onlyM much.¡± D46% 12:30 A disturbance was caused by some customers in the private room, and the manager came over to invite Hubert to handle the situation. ¡°I will take a look. Wait for me here, and do not wander around.¡± Pearl waved her hand, gesturing him to hurry. It had been a long time since shest stepped foot in such a bustling nightlife scene and even longer since shest had a drink. Sipping carefully from ea ss, the alcohol gradually went to her head, leaving her feeling dizzy and disoriented. Hot men approached her one by one, hoping to strike up a conve ¡°Miss, are you alone? May I invite you for a drink?¡± Pearl¡¯s cheeks turned rosy as she looked at the man and gently shook her index finger. ¡°No. You¡¯re too ugly, hurting my eyes.¡± are you ¡°Woman, asking for a beating?¡± The person who was called ugly became angry and was about to hit Pearl, but his wrist was held by someone. A tall man The man¡¯s wrist was hurt. Realizing that he couldn¡¯t win the fight, he walked away silently, seething with anger inside. The tall and handsome man looked at Pearl, his dignified face showing a slight smile. His charming eyes raised slightly. ¡°Miss, what¡¯s the point in just dri honoring me with a dance?¡± Pearl lifted her watery eyes and nced at the good¨Clooking man. With a naive grin, Emergency calls onlyM she said, ¡°You are handsome. So, you have the final say.¡± *046% 12:30 Chapter 14 Chapter 14 After finishing his work, Hubert returned to the bar and found that Pearl was not around. When he looked closely, he noticed a red figure jumping around on the dance floor. As Pearl walked into the dance floor, she became the center of attention and the focus of the party. Men surrounded her, cheering and whistling crazily. ¡°My goodness¡­¡± It had been many years since Hubertst saw Pearl act so crazy. Under the upbeat music and mesmerizing lights, Pearl was spinning and jumping on the dance floor in a red dress, swaying her body. Her attractive, curvy figure was impossible to hide. Next to her, a man watched Pearl for a while as he drank his alcohol. He then passed the bottle to the person next to him and slinked onto the dance floor to engage in N?velDrama.Org: owner of this content. intimate dancing with Pearl. His hands moved smoothly from her waist to her buttocks. ¡°Oh my goodness!¡± Hubert couldn¡¯t bear to see Pearl being harassed, so he immediately stepped onto the dance floor as a burst of exmation sounded. Pearl was faster than him. She grabbed the man¡¯s wrist swiftly and flipped him over her shoulder. She then raised her hand and pped him hard, saying, ¡°How dare you touch my bottom. You must have gone insane!¡± Besides the vibrant music, everything around went silent. Everyone stood there dumbfounded, staring at the woman who was just now dazzling and suddenly turned into a menacing and evil creature. Emergency calls only MO *045% 12:32 ¡°What? The dancing expert is actually a fighting expert!¡± they said inwardly. Pearl was intoxicated and wanted to kick the man. She was stopped by Hubert, who carried her off the dance floor and set her down on a bar stool. Extending his hand, Hubert tapped her forehead and said, ¡°Are you here to cause trouble?¡± ¡°Hubert,¡± said Pearl, gazing at him with a blurry look, ¡°was I sexy just now?¡± Hubert sounded annoyed. ¡°Yes, you are! You didn¡¯t see the way those men looked at you, like wolves eyeing their prey, wishing they could swallow you whole!¡± ¡°Then, why doesn¡¯t Marc like me?¡± Pearl had been drinking and letting her guard down. Her once strong and determined expression now appeared deste and sorrowful. ¡°You know what? In fact, I have no big ambitions. My biggest dream is to meet someone I love and be a virtuous wife and a good mother. Unfortunately, he doesn¡¯t cherish me. I have been married to him for three years and have been a loyal wife for three years. But he has never touched me or looked at me in the eye. Where did I go wrong?¡± Hubert looked at Pearl, feeling very heartbroken. He reached out and touched her head. ¡°Nonsense. My little sister is the best girl in the world. If he doesn¡¯t treasure you, it¡¯s because he doesn¡¯t deserve you.¡± ¡°Yes, he doesn¡¯t deserve me.¡± Pearl lifted the corners of her mouth. ¡°From now on, I won¡¯t change myself for a man. I will return to who I truly am. A brave, independent, and proud Pearl Woolery.¡± Emergency calls only M *045% 12:32 In the apartment, rissa applied salve to Marc¡¯s injured hand and asked him with a concerned expression, ¡°Does it hurt?¡± Marc shook his head and raised his hand to touch rissa¡¯s swollen cheek, asking, ¡°Does it hurt?¡± rissa showed a gentle smile and said, ¡°It was hurting before, but it stopped hurting as soon as you touched it.¡°, Marc let out a gentle sigh. ¡°Sorry to have made you go through all this.¡± ¡°She¡¯s my future mother¨Cinw. I should endure it no matter how unjust it may be,¡± replied rissa: She leaned against Marc and reasoned with him, saying, ¡°Marc, you must not quarrel with your mother for me since that would only make matters worse. In reality, she doesn¡¯t dislike me. It¡¯s just because of my aunt that she harbors animosity toward me. But my aunt is my will ept us one day¡­¡± ¡°In two days, it will be my wedding day. There must absolutely be no mistakes made! ¡°As for Phoenix, if she wants to die, then let her die,¡± she thought to herself. Marc answered with a soft ¡°okay.¡± His mother¡¯s attitude was so decisive that his intuition told him that the uing wedding might not be as smooth as he had imagined. He gently pushed rissa. ¡°Is your body able to handle it?¡± Emergency calls only *D45% 12:32 rissa was taken aback, then coughed twice softly andughed. ¡°It¡¯s alright. With medical technology being so advanced nowadays, who knows, maybe my stomach cancer will heal after I marry you.¡± ¡°Stop talking nonsense. When you¡¯re sick, you need treatment.¡± Marc added, ¡°I have already invited the best doctor, and he will arrive in Machodean shortly. At that time, I will have him take a look at you.¡± With a glimmer in her eyes, rissa yfully said with a coquettish tone, ¡°Oh, no rush. You know I have a strong aversion to hospitals. Just the thought of seeing doctors gives me shivers. Let¡¯s not talk about that. When do you think The expression on Marc¡¯s face froze as he said, ¡°Pearl and I still have some formalities to take care of. We¡¯ll get the marriage license after we finish the wedding.¡± ¡°Oh, okay.¡± rissa didn¡¯t want to behave too eager, so she turned into a shy woman and coyly wrapped her arms around Marc¡¯s neck, blowing air on his face. ¡°Marc, are you staying tonight?¡± ¡°Tonight won¡¯t do. I¡¯ve got some work stuff to deal with,¡± replied Marc. He casually pulled away her arm and asked in a moderate tone, ¡°Did you instruct the operations department to send out the post that Males Group released this morning?¡± ¡°Yes, you promised me that you would announce our marriage to the world.¡± Emergency calls onlyM *045% 12:32 Marc had a cold look in his eyes as he spoke, ¡°rissa Santos, I never promised you that.¡± rissa¡¯s heart skipped a beat as she heard the coldness in his voice and her name being uttered. She looked at Marc¡¯s expression and felt the icy aura emanating from him. She dared not act coquettish anymore and got off his body promptly, kneeling in front of him. ¡°You, you didn¡¯t refuse, so I thought you agreed¡­ I¡¯m sorry, Marc. Did I cause you trouble?¡± Marc¡¯s dark eyes gradually softened as he observed the timidity on rissa¡¯s face. He spoke in a gentle tone, ¡°This small problem can be handled. However, please don¡¯t interfere with my work in the future. Do you understand?¡± ¡°Sure. I promise there will never be a next time again!¡± rissa crossed her heart and swore with the adorable look of a young girl. With a sudden sh in his eyes, Marc recalled when Pearl had just married him and eagerly fought to help him wash his body. When he angrily rebuffed her, she yfully smiled at him in defiance, just like rissa. ¡°Damn it! What on earth is wrong with me? Why would I always think about that woman?¡± he wondered. Chapter 15 Chapter 15 Marc strolled out of the apartment and felt the cool air, which brought him some relief from the pent¨Cup heat in his heart. Thomas stepped forward and opened the back door with a respectful gesture. Marc paused his step and asked, ¡°Have you located the whereabouts of Pearl?¡± ¡°Not yet¡­¡± Marc eximed scornfully, ¡°What a good¨Cfor¨Cnothing!¡± Thomas had his head hung low, experiencing a moment of unprecedented defeat and despair. Knowing that the boss detested excuses, he still bit the bullet to exin, ¡°It seems that the whereabouts of madam have been deliberately erased, maki Marc¡¯s eyes revealed a hint of deep and mysterious light. ¡°Who would want to conceal the whereabouts of her? ¡°Pearl, who are you?¡± he wondered. After getting in the car, Thomas presented the information he found at the hospital to Marc. ¡°I went to the hospital and found two suspicious things.¡± Marc flipped through the materials. ¡°Speak.¡± ¡°Firstly, three years ago, there was no mention of Mrs. Shepard in the list of nurses at Emergency calls only M *045% 12:33 This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. the Machodean Hospital. However, when you and she got married, I was also ordered to investigate her, and her name indeed appeared on the list of nurses.¡± Thomas retrieved the list preserved by the hospital and the one he had checked out himself that year. Marc skimmed through them and found Pearl appearing on only one document strangely. After a moment of contemtion, Marc asked, ¡°Is she a contractor?¡± Thomas said, ¡°It¡¯s possible that she was just brought in temporarily to make up the numbers. I have asked the nursing staff on the original list these past few days, but they have no impression of Mrs. Shepard. They only remember that she had good luck that year.¡± Marc looked up, feeling puzzled. ¡°What good luck?¡± Thomas cleared his throat softly and said, ¡°She married you.¡± Marc paused for a moment and then knit his eyebrows together. ¡°Don¡¯t waste time. Go on.¡± ¡°Yes. The second is that I suddenly discovered that the doctor who performed your surgery was not from Machodean Hospital but a foreign doctor named Grace, who was transferred from abroad suddenly.¡± Marc¡¯s pupils contracted. His injuries were severe at that time, and he nearly escaped death by a hair¡¯s breadth. He owed his survivalrgely to the skilled doctor who operated on him and brought him back to life. ¡°Where is Dr. Grace currently working?¡± he asked. Emergency calls only ¡°The weird thing is that Dr. Grace came all the way from overseas to perform surgery on you at Machodean Hospital, and then, she just left like she specifically came here just for you.¡± Marc thought that maybe Brooke had hired a famous doctor from abroad to save him. He looked at Thomas and asked, ¡°Is there any connection between the two things you just mentioned?¡± Thomas thought for a moment and replied, ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like there is.¡± Marc threw the materials right in his face. Thomas took them awkwardly while grinning sheepishly. ¡°What a useless assistant! I can¡¯t count on him at all,¡± said Marc inwardly. He felt angry and dialed a number. The call was quickly answered, but there was a painful sound of inhtion on the other end. Marc¡¯s heart sank. ¡°What happe ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I just set my eyes on a girl, but I ended up making a fool of myself. I tried to make a move but failed miserably. I got tossed over the shoulder and even received a p in the face.¡± In response to his fellow oldrade, who was always randy, Marc simply uttered three words, ¡°Serves you right.¡± Lucas Parker seemed to be in good spirits despite being pped. His voice was frivolous and audacious as he said, ¡°The girls from Nanston are beautiful and charming. I like them.¡± Marc wasn¡¯t interested in girls and asked calmly, ¡°What are you doing in Nanston?¡± Emergency calls only M ¡°My dad wants to open a horse ranch for fun and has set his eyes on a piece ofnd in the northern outskirts of Nanston. He asked me to take a look. So, what do you think? Are you interested in venturing into the horse ranch business together?¡± Lucas took a sip of his drink and asked. Marc replied, ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°Oh, how decisive! It seems that you have something to ask of me. What is it? Speak.¡± Marc gazed at the dark night, and his voice grew heavy as he said, ¡°I would like to request your assistance in investigating a person.¡± ¡°Personal background check? Easy peasy. Who¡¯s the person?¡± ¡°My ex¨Cwife.¡± Lucas sprayed out a mouthful of alcohol and coughed twice. ¡°Investigating your ex- wife? Bro, are you okay?¡± Marc remained silent, his thin lips tightly pursed. ¡°Alright. Send me the photo.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have any,¡± said Marc calmly. ¡°She doesn¡¯t like taking photos.¡± ¡°Are there any women who don¡¯t like taking photos? Then, your wife must be very ugly.¡± With a stern expression, Marc blurted out, ¡°Your wife is ugly!¡± Thomas sat in the passenger seat, listening to the bickering that was like unruly Emergency calls only children¡¯s. He stared out the window helplessly. D45% 12:33 ¡°Oh, you are still protecting your ex¨Cwife even after getting divorced. It seems like there are still lingering feelings,¡± Lucas fearlessly and jokinglymented over the phone. Marc¡¯s face darkened as he spoke, ¡°Stop with the nonsense. Will you help or not?¡± ¡°Of course! Helping a fellow oldrade is something that cannot be overlooked. Send me the essential information. I will start the investigation immediately.¡± After Marc hung up the phone, he sent the information to Lucas¡® email. Lucas received the information and replied with an ¡°OK.¡± He drank a ss of wine, rubbed his sore arm, and headed to the elevator. He rented the presidential suite at Bevend Hotel for half a month during his stay in Nanston. He pressed the floor button. Just when the elevator was about to close, it was abruptly halted by a hand. The doors slowly opened, revealing two bodyguards leading the way, followed by a man and a woman. Lucas¡® eyes lit up. ¡°Wasn¡¯t this the same wildcat that scratched me just a moment ago when I tried to pet her?¡± he said inwardly. At this moment, the little wildcat had turned into a drunken cat. She was wearing a red dress and a ck suit jacket over her, being half¨C dragged by a man toward the elevator. ¡°You are so drunk. Stay at my ce for the night. Don¡¯t make any trouble,¡± the man said. Pearl blushed and murmured that she wasn¡¯t drunk. Suddenly, she looked up and saw a tall figure standing in the elevator. She pointed her finger and eximed, Emergency calls only ¡°Pervert!¡± Lucas was dumbfounded. 2045% 12:33 Pearl adjusted her suit and looked at Lucas warily. ¡°What do you want from me? Let me tell you, although I am beautiful, I am not someone to be trifled with! I am not just an ordinary beauty!¡± Looking at her drunken and silly appearance, Lucas wanted tough. ¡°This little tipsy cat is quite cute and silly,¡± he thought. With a troubled expression on his face, Hubert escorted Pearl into the elevator. ¡°If she weren¡¯t my sister, I would have long discarded her,¡± he said inwardly. Pearl stumbled into the elevator, swaying unsteadily. Her high heels failed her bnce, and she almost tripped, but Lucas quickly reached out to support her. ¡°Be careful!¡± he warned. It was uncertain whether it was due to the sudden jolt, but Pearl¡¯s stomach was in turmoil, causing her to lose control and grab Lucas¡¯s arm. An urge to p Lucas stiffened all over. ¡°Why did I have to approach a drunkard?¡± he thought. Emergency calls onlyM Chapter 16 Chapter 16 XD45% 12:33 The alcohol consumed throughout the night was regurgitated onto the man without any reservation before it could entirely be digested by gastric acid. The scene could be justifiably described as horrifying. Though not a clean freak, Lucas was definitely not pleased when anyone vomited on him. After finishing the vomiting, Pearl even pulled Lucas¡® tie to wipe her mouth and let out a burp. ¡°Sorry, I couldn¡¯t help it.¡± Despite saying sorry, she showed no sign of sorry in her behavior. Lucas¡® temples bulged with veins. His charming eyes were now as cold as knives. He locked his eyes onto Pearl fixedly. ¡°This woman is truly beautiful, with tanned and translucent skin. Her lips, like rose petals, are pursed into a thin line. Her small face is bright and clear. However, her demeanor does not resemble that of a woman working in a nightclub. Instead, she looks like a richdy,¡± said Lucas inwardly. Beauty always made people soft. Lucas let out a sigh as he gradually extinguished the anger rising inside. Hubert quickly stepped forward to carry Pearl back and apologized to Lucas, who was covered in puke. ¡°I am sorry, sir. My sister is drunken,¡± he exine As the elevator door opened, Pearl was supported by Hubert to step out. With an air of confidence, Hubert turned his head and said, ¡°Take your clothes off. I¡¯ll pay for it!¡± Emergency calls onlyM ¡°Alright. Just go already!¡± replied Lucas. * D45% 12:33 He also followed out of the elevator and watched as Hubert led Pearl into room 88. He squinted his eyes and realized that the room was the residence of the owner of the Bevend Hotel. ¡°It seems that the young man is the seventh son of the Law family. ¡°So, what is the identity of the woman who is referred to as sister by him? ¡°I haven¡¯t heard that the Law family has a daughter,¡± he said inwardly. At Males House. The study was quiet, with Marc concentrating on his work. Only the sound of turning pages could be heard in the serene room. The impact caused by the post was even more intricate than he had anticipated. The announcement of the marriage news affected the brand directly, and the ¡°One Life, One Heart¡± jewelry collection under Males Group had been boycotted byizens. The solution proposed by the public rtions department was either to postpone the wedding date and wait for this wave to pass before making further decisions or to continue promoting the love story between him and rissa, creating a ¡°longsting devotion and unwavering love¡± storyline. It would be even better if they could persuade his ex¨Cwife to publicly acknowledge that she was indeed the home wrecker who intruded into the rtionship. Marc knitted his brows tightly as he intensely disliked mixing business and personal matters and had no intention of coborating with the public rtions department for publicity purposes. ¡°Do they think I am some kind of D¨Clist celebrity?¡± he said inwardly. Emergency calls onlyM? * aD45% = 12:33 He took his pen and wrote immediately, ¡°Pause the further activities of ¡®One Life, One Heart¡® product andunch a new brand project as soon as possible.¡± Looking at the stock and fund panel, Marc had a gloomy expression. He dialed his assistant and asked, ¡°Has the final payment for the Western Medical Charity Project been made?¡± ¡°Yes, the payment has been transferred to the ount three days ago.¡± ¡°Contact Chief Editor Mr. Johnson of City Daily to discuss the matter with him. He knows what needs to be done.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± ¨C He worked untilte at night. Marc raised his gaze to nce at the time. His eyebrows furrowed in irritation. It was already toote, and he still had not received any news. ¡°Lucas¡® efficiency had definitely decreased a lot,¡± he thought. As if he was on the same wavelength as Lucas, Marc was thinking to himself when his phone suddenly rang loudly. He answered with a hello. As soon as the call was connected, before he could start questioning, the other party loudly eximed, ¡°Listen, buddy, I¡¯ve been researching all night on information you sent me. Your ex¨Cwife doesn¡¯t even exist.¡± Marc spected on many possibilities but never expected to receive such an answer. His eyebrows furrowed tightly as he asked, ¡°What did you say?¡± Lucas stared at hisputer, feeling very frustrated. ¡°Your guess is correct. It was Emergency calls only M 045% 12:34 indeed a hacker who infiltrated the surveince within a hundred¨Cmile radius of your home and erased the whereabouts of your wife. Moreover, this happened shortly after she left, and all the information was wiped out. However, if she is real, there wouldn¡¯ at all. We would definitely be able to find some clues, but I¡¯m afraid your ex¨Cwife¡¯s identity was fake from the beginning.¡± With a cold look in his eyes, Marc slowly tightened his grip on the pen in his hand. ¡°Are you saying that all the information I gave you is fake?¡± ¡°Yes, all the information is fake. How could I possibly find out any information?¡± Lucas didn¡¯t say much serious stuff before he started joking around, ¡°What kind of woman did you marry? So mysterious! She wouldn¡¯t be an alien or a ghost, would she?¡± Marc said coldly, ¡°Lucas Parker.¡± ¡°Alright, alright. No more joking. If there were photos, I could help you investigate further. I mean, you¡¯ve been married for three years, and you know absolutely nothing about her. If the information is fake, then fine. But even her name wasn¡¯t real, and there were no photos. I¡¯m starting to doubt if you¡¯ve really been married before.¡± Lucas was very talkative. ¡°You haven¡¯t even sorted out things with your ex- wife, and now you want to remarry. Have you thought this through?¡± Marc ignored his nagging and got up to the master bedroom. He opened the bedside table and pulled out two marriage licenses. ¡°How about the photo on the marriage license?¡± he asked. ¡°Forward it to me. I¡¯ll give it a try.¡± Marc didn¡¯t hang up the phone. He took a photo directly and then sent it to Lucas. From the other end of the phone came the sound of Lucas¡®ughter. ¡°Wow, your wife is quite beautiful. She looks like the epitome of a virtuous wife and loving mother¡­ Hmm, wait, why does this face look so familiar?¡± He zoomed in on the photo, then zoomed in again, and zoomed out, and then, zoomed out again. ¡°Wait a minute, hold on,¡± he said. He swiftly transferred the photos to hisputer, cut out the bride from the marriage license using photo editing software, then slightly lifted her long hair and transformed it into a short hairdo. After putting on some makeup, he created a stunning and fresh¨Clooking face. ¡°Oh my God!¡± Lucas was stunned. Marc was confused over the phone. He felt his heart skip a beat at the reaction of This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Lucas. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Lucas swallowed hard and said, ¡°I believe I just saw your ex¨Cwife. She¡¯s here in Nanston.¡± Chapter 17 Chapter 17 hapter 17 Marc sat by the bed in the master bedroom, watching the video Lucas had sent him, which was intercepted from the surveince footage. The video was dazzling, and the music was loud and chaotic. Marc furrowed his brow as he disliked such noisy and disorderly ces. However, he cont A woman appeared in sight, unquestionably bing the focus of attention in the entire venue. d in a fiery red, sexy halter dress and donning a pair of golden high¨C heeled shoes, she swayed and swung in the center of the dance floor along with the music like a free¨C spirited nymph. Every gesture she made exuded an air ofziness yet could not conceal her alluring and agile demeanor. Her tannedplexion shimm ¡°Pearl Shepard!¡± said Marc inwardly. Upon seeing the woman¡¯s face clearly, Marc almost jumped out of bed. His pupils suddenly dted. ¡°It is her, yet it is not like her,¡± he thought. Being a gentle and reserved mannequin beauty, Pearl could not possibly be so alluring and charming. It wouldn¡¯t be too much to say she was now a femme fatale. Marc stared intently at the video, observing the woman¡¯s every move. He desperately wanted to convince himself that it wasn¡¯t her, but even the heavy m her face. couldn¡¯t conceal the teardrop mole beneath her right eye corner. ¡°Undoubtedly, it is her!¡± said Marc inwardly. At the next moment, he saw his good friend approach with his swaying tall figure, and hisrge hand moved along her waist to the hip¡­ Marc¡¯s gaze darkened, and he clenched his phone, unable to suppress his anger. ¡°This jerk has taken advantage of my woman? Is he tired of living?¡± Just when this thought shed through his mind, he saw the woman, who almost got molested, grab Lucas¡® wrist and execute a shoulder throw immediately, followed by a 6% 14:352 fierce p. Her movements were swift and fierce. Marc widened his pupils. The voice of Lucas came from his phone. ¡°You saw how your ex¨C wife attacked me, buddy. My shoulder still hurts now. Did you teach her these skills¡­?¡± Marc was unable to sit still anymore and immediately got up to leave. He then let out a deep sigh and said to his phone, ¡°Send me the address.¡± On the way to Nanston, Marc repeatedly yed the video, his gaze obscured and unclear. ¡°Obviously, this was her true face. All the tenderness, virtuous obedience were fake. ¡°But she disguised herself so sessfully. Even after three years of marriage, I was still unable to see through her true face. ¡°Then, who exactly is she? ¡°Lucas said that Nanston¡¯s Hubert Law had recently referred to her as his sister. However, it is widely known that there have been no female offspring in This thought made his stern face even colder, with his overall aura bing more intense. ¡°I¡¯d like to see what tricks she¡¯s ying!¡± he said inwardly. Pearl didn¡¯t wake up until dawn. When she opened her eyes, she was suffering from a terrible headache, as if she had been ruthlessly trampled by an el ¡°Are you getting up?¡± Hubert appeared timely at the bedside and handed over a ss of milk. ¡°Have a ss of milk to relieve your difort.¡± Pearl took the milk with a frown and spoke with a slightly hoarse voice, ¡°Why am I here with you?¡± ¡°Come on! You were so drunk that you were like a puddle of mud. I can¡¯t let you go back A homete at night.¡± Hubert sat at the table, eating breakfast and watching Pearl pinch her nose and pour milk into her mouth as if she were taking medicine. He chuckled an This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. After finishing her milk, Pearl hurriedly rinsed her mouth with water. Her stomach was indeed morefortable. Looking at her wrinkled dress, she picke a message to her assistants. Then, she walked toward the bathroom, saying, ¡°I¡¯m going to take a bath.¡± ¡°Do you remember what happenedst night?¡± Hubert asked from behind her calmly. Pearl paused her steps and turned around, trying to recall. ¡°I think I was dancing and almost got groped by someone. I gave him a shoulder throw and pped him. Am I right?¡± ¡°Indeed, what happened next?¡± And then¡­ she didn¡¯t remember anything. Her memories started to be fragmented from that point onwards. Hubert took a sip of his coffee and gave Pearl a nce, saying, ¡°You vomited all over someone in the elevator.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Pearl showed absolutely no sign of apology. ¡°Then, he¡¯s just unlucky.¡± After taking two more steps forward, Pearl suddenly felt that something was not right. She hesitated and turned her head. ¡°He is not some big shot, is he Hubert wiped his mouth with a napkin and said, ¡°Not bad. Lucas Parker from the Parker family of Beaudale.¡± ¡°The Parker Family of Beaudale? The legendary underworld family?¡± Pearl frowned. Hubert replied, ¡°Congrattions! You have answered correctly.¡± Pearl frowned again, waved her hand, and said, ¡°Forget about it. He asked for it by flirting with me. I¡¯ll ask Quentin to deal with him if necessary.¡± M ¡°Dog eat dog. It is uncertain who will lose or win,¡± she said inwardly. ox 14:33) As Hubert watched his younger sister walk confidently into the bathroom, he couldn¡¯t help but feel helpless. Pearl had always been someone who attract ¡°This feeling was quite pleasant,¡± he thought. Pearl took a hot shower and felt much morefortable. Just as she came out of the bathroom, her assistants arrived. Two life assistants came in with big and small bags. Theyy out clothes, shoes, jewelry, and handbags in front of her, waiting for her to select. Pearl sat on the couch, crossed her legs, and sipped her coffee as the makeup artist styled her hair. In amanding tone, she pointed and directed, sa After changing into clean clothes, Pearl walked out of the suite. Instead of taking the elevator, she turned a corner and arrived at the door of suite 77. Sh The door opened from inside, revealing a face that still seemed half¨C asleep. The man had a rather handsome appearance, with only a pair of briefs covering his entire body, showcasing his well¨C built physique. It was evident that he exercised regrly. Pearl nced briefly without showing much emotion. After all, she had seen such a¨Cfigure too many times in the past three years. Lucas¡® peaceful dream was rudely interrupted, and he was pretty annoyed. However, when he caught sight of the woman¡¯s face, he became much more sober. Rubbing his sleepy eyes, he asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you the little wildcat fromst night? It¡¯s. early in the morning. What brings you he ¡°I heard that I vomited all over you yesterday. I willpensate you for your clothes.¡± Pearl threw a brand¨Cnew suit into Lucas¡® arms and said, ¡°I hit you for you¡¯re taking advantage of me. I puked on you, and now I¡¯m making it even by giving you a new suit. We¡¯re good now, right?¡± 0 6% 14.39 Lucas nodded and replied, ¡°Kind of.¡± ¡°Okay then. If you¡¯re still angry, feel free to find me,¡± Pearl said as she turned and walked away. Lucas leaned against the door and asked with interest, ¡°I don¡¯t even know who you are. How am I supposed to find you?¡± Without looking back, Pearl told Lucas her identity. ¡°Pearl Woolery, Woolery Group.¡± Lucas watched as the woman walked away, her graceful figure resembling that of a little swan. He blinked his attractive eyes, realizing that she was non ¡°Marc, you are screwed this time,¡± he said inwardly. Lucas¡® lips curled slightly as he pulled out his phone and asked, ¡°Have you arrived? She just went downstairs.¡± The lobby of Bevend Hotel on the first floor was empty early in the morning. One elegant and cold figure sitting in the middle of the booth in the bar, w number one elevator, waiting for someone¡¯s arrival. After five seconds, the elevator doors slowly opened. Marc raised his eyes and saw a sexy woman in a leather dress and a red suit jacket walking out. Her neat, short hair couldn¡¯t cover up her beautiful face catching. She walked with grace. The diamond tassel pendant on her ears swayed slightly like wind chimes, enhancing the woman¡¯s beautiful face with a touch of Simrly, as soon as Pearl stepped out of the elevator, she caught sight of the familiar cold expression on the person sitting in the booth. The gazes of the two met with precision. Chapter 18 Chapter 18 Pearl stopped in her tracks. At one point, she thought she was still drunk and seeing a ghost. ¡°Marc, how could he be here?¡± wondered she. But as she looked at the man¡¯s cold expression and his eyes that were fixed on her with a predatory gaze, it was evident that he hade for her. Perha Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. uncovered her identity through some means. ¡°Well, since we¡¯re divorced, there¡¯s no need to greet him,¡± thought Pearl. She gathered herself and continued walking along the original path, standing ta ¡°Stop right there.¡± A cold voice rang out from the booth. Pearl seemed not to have heard it and continued walking. Suddenly, a sharp gust of wind swept over and gripped Pearl¡¯s wrist. The bodyguard behind her immediately stepped forward to stop Marc, asking sternl The bodyguard shed forward with his palm, and Marc reached out to block it. It seemed that a fight was about to break out, but Pearl calmly waved her hand to signa Her wrist was tightly held in Marc¡¯s hand. ¡°After we have known each other for so long, this was the first time he had touched me. ¡°However, it was after our divorce. ¡°How ironic!¡± thought Pearl. Marc looked at Pearl¡¯s cold expression. Her once gentle and submissive face was now both icy and distant as if she didn¡¯t know him at all. This made hi angry. 0 6 14:33 ¡°What tricks are you ying?¡± Marc released her wrist. His tone was chilling. ¡°Who exactly are you?¡± The assistant rebuked discontentedly, ¡°How dare you speak to our youngdy like that?¡± Pearl waved her hand and nced at Marc with an aloof expression. ¡°Sir, do we know each other?¡± Marc was taken aback. ¡°She actually said she doesn¡¯t know me? The past three years of marriage have been in vain?¡± said Marc inwardly. He clenched his fist in secret, with an impulse to hit someone. The temper he had restrained for years was almost pushed beyond the limit by this woman at the moment. He g now?¡± Pearl said seriously, ¡°You are very good¨C looking. So what? Are people not allowed to look at you? Is your face a tourist attraction where people have to pay to take a glimpse?¡± Marc was left speechless. ¡°When did this usually taciturn woman be so eloquent?¡± he wondered. ¡°Do you have cash?¡± Pearl turned her head to ask her assistant. The two assistants rummaged through their pockets for a while and finally took out a ten- cent coin awkwardly, saying, ¡°Only 10 cents.¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± Pearl took the coin and directly stuffed it into Marc¡¯s hand, saying, ¡°Here¡¯s ten cents. No need to give me any change.¡± Then, she walked gracefully in high heels, apanied by a group of people, and left with grandeur. Her aura was domineering as if she were a queen the world. She 25 didn¡¯t ever turn back or show any trace of nostalgia. Marc stood in ce, holding the ten¨Ccent coin. His entire being was thrown into disarray as if he had never known this woman before. ¡°She had changed from what she used to be. ¡°But her appearance cannot deceive me, and the teardrop mole at the corner of her eye is even more impossible to fool me,¡± he thought to himself. A burst of laughter sounded in his ear. Lucas, who had witnessed everything, stood at the elevator entrance andughed so hard that he nearly fell over. After knowing Marc for such a long time, he had seen Marc in such a state of defeat for the first time. Lucas walked toward Marc as heughed. His arm draped over Marc¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Are you sure this is your ex¨C wife who is obedient and dull as you said? As her ex¨Chusband, you only worth ten cents?¡± Marc clenched the ten¨Ccent coin tightly, gritting his teeth. The veins in his forehead were bulging. Lucas continued to chatter, ¡°But since you two are already divorced, that means you have no connections anymore, right? So, can I pursue her? I must s wildcat is just my type¡­¡± As soon as the words were spoken, Marc¡¯s fist came toward him. ¡°Get the hell out of here!¡± ¡°What the fuck is he thinking about?¡± said Marc inwardly. As soon as she got into the car, Pearl, who had been calm before, became unsettled. She took out her phone and immediately called Hubert. ¡°Hubert, why did Marc appear at the Bevend Hotel?¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± Hubert was sitting in front of theputer, engaging in mischief. Upon hearing the words, he was taken aback. ¡°Marc hase to N ¡°I just saw him downstairs, and we bumped into each other.¡± 0 ¡°Well, I guess enemies often cross each other¡¯s path.¡± Hubert put on his Bluetooth earphones, and his fingers tapped away on the keyboard. He essed the surveince footage on the first floor and could clearly see and hear the encounter and conversation between the two. He couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°You only gave him ten cents. Pearl was greatly annoyed by hisughter. ¡°You better find out why he¡¯sing to Nanston as soon as possible!¡± ¡°At this moment, shouldn¡¯t he be having a lovey¨C dovey time with his angelic bitch girlfriend, whispering sweet nothings, enjoying moonlit walks, and making promises of eternal love? How did he have th toe to Nanston? ¡°Could hee here specially for me¡­¡± she wondered. In a moment of contemtion, Hubert murmured through the phone, ¡°Did he know Lucas Parker?¡± ¡°Who?¡± Pearl frowned. Looking at the two big men with their arms around each other on the surveirice, Hubert said, ¡°It seems that the man who was beaten up by you after to Pearl¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Did he betray me?¡± ¡°It is highly possible.¡± After speaking, Hubert operated on theputer for a while, then sighed softly. ¡°Sure enough, the surveince in the dance floor area was hackedst n brat Lucas.¡± ¡°It is unexpected that the guy has goodputer skills,¡± said Pearl inwardly. ÄÌ Pearl¡¯s expression was cold. She didn¡¯t know that Marc had a connection with the Parker family in Beaudale. After three years of marriage, Marc treated her like she was invisible and never allowed her to meet his friends or enter his social circle. 15 0 No 14:33 ox ¡°Last night was so chaotic. I mean, if it¡¯s true that Lucas recognized you and spilled the beans to Marc, then Marc must have rushed all the way from Machodean overnig Hubert analyzed for Pearl and chuckled. ¡°Could it be that this scumbag remembered your worth and wants to reconcile with you after you left him without asking for anything?¡± Pearl¡¯s eyshes trembled, and she asked self¨Cmockingly, ¡°Do you think it¡¯s possible?¡± ¡°No way.¡± Hubert shattered her fantasies directly. ¡°From what I know, there was a big drama at Males Housest night. Your ex¨Cmother¨Cin¨C law and that home wrecker rissa had a battle. In the end, your ex¨Chusband chased away his own mother just for his lover.¡± Upon hearing this, Pearl¡¯s heart plummeted again, with a mocking smirk spreading across her lips. ¡°Marc is such a kind person. Now that he goes against his own mother for rissa Santos. He must love her deeply. So, what do I even matter?¡± she said inwardly. ¡°If he really ising for you, what are you nning to do?¡± Hubert asked. Pearl dismissed all the random thoughts in her mind and regained her calm and indifferent demeanor. ¡°Since we are divorced, it means we have gone our separate ways. I have been stubborn for three years, but I will not be stubborn anymore.¡± Chapter 19 Chapter 19 In the suite, Lucas touched the bruised corner of his mouth in the bathroom mirror and let out a sharp hiss. ¡°We haven¡¯t seen each other in years, and the first thing you do when we meet is throw a punch at me. Seriously?¡± He looked at the aloof man sitting on the sofa with a face full of sorrow. Marc pursed his lips and remained silent. His mind was filled with images of Pearl from just before, and each of her words kept echoing in his ears. ¡°Is that really Pearl? With that bright and stunning appearance and those cold and mocking words? Seriously?¡± he wondered. He found himself deeply engulfed in doubt. Lucas sat across from him, lit a cigarette, and continued toin, ¡°I got beaten up by your womanst night and got punched by you this morning. I¡¯m Marc raised his gaze and said coldly, ¡°Ex¨Cwife.¡± He was correcting what Lucas said about ¡°a couple.¡± Lucas choked on a puff of smoke, raising an eyebrow as he looked at Marc. ¡°Why did you care about your ex¨Cwife so much to rush over here just because I said she was in Nanston? Bro, you¡¯re being a bit too conflicted with your words.¡± Marc frowned and ignored Lucas¡® gloating teasing. He said in a cold tone, ¡°Stop talking nonsense. Who on earth is Pearl Shepard?¡± ¡°What Pearl Shepard? Her surname is Woolery, and her given name is Pearl. ¡®Pearl Shepard¡® is totally a fake name.¡± Lucas opened a bottle of red wine and poured two sses. With a sympathetic smile, he looked at Marc, who was giving him a cold stare. He felt sorry f 6% 14:34 deceived for three years. He couldn¡¯t bear to break the news to him. ¡°She is the legitimate. heiress of the Woolery Group, Pearl Woolery.¡± The name Pearl Woolery was like a magic bullet that exploded in the ears of Marc, leaving him perplexed and astonished. Various details and doubtful points these days intertwined and merged into a thread. The woman who disappeared and appeared suddenly and the other details fit together. ¡°Pearl Woolery. So, this is her true identity,¡± said Marc inwardly. Upon seeing her ex¨Chusband early in the morning, Pearl was feeling extremelyplicated emotions. As a result, her mood worsened even more upon seeing Manfred in the office, especially when Manfred sat in her chair with a smile and called out ¡°Pear Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. She felt goosebumps forming all over her body upon seeing the disgusting man. Pearl¡¯s expression turned cold before turning her head. ¡°Who let him in?¡± ¡°I apologize, Ms. Woolery. It was due to our negligence. I will handle it immediately.¡± The general manager¡¯s assistant, Mason Turner, apologized and called for security to take away Manfred forcibly. Seeing the seriousness of the situation, Manfred immediately stood up from the chair and walked toward Pearl with a forced smile. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, P He spoke with a nasal tone, acting all girly like a big, tough guy trying to act cute. It was unknown if Tina fell for this kind of thing, but Pearl had no other thoughts except to kick him out. ¡°Three years passed, and this man has be even more cheesy,¡± she thought to herself. As Manfred approached her, Pearl frowned and said coldly, ¡°Stay away from me.¡± Manfred couldn¡¯t help but feel embarrassed when Pearl said this. He was the young heir of Day Group, and now he had even be the CEO. Countless young girls had been throwing themselves at him, wanting to sleep with him, but Pearl w However, he had gotten tired of docile girls like Tina over the years. He wanted to take a bite out of a tough bone like Pearl. That was more exciting. Manfred still had bandages on his forehead. It was from the day he got hit by Pearl with a pebble in the Rose Garden. But clearly, he had a selective memory when it came to punishment. He continued to push forward shamelessly. He stood three steps away from Pearl, gazing at her extraordinarily beautiful face. He couldn¡¯t help but find her extremely charming and irresistible. The Day family and the Woolery family had been lifelong friends. Pearl and Manfred practically grew up together, like childhood sweethearts. Pearl was t young. It wasmonly said that women would go through a transformation at the age of eighteen. Those who were pretty when they were little might not be p case with Pearl, who not only retained her beauty but blossomed even more. Shedding her baby fat, she had evolved from an adorable and yful child ¡°Pearl, I know you have some misunderstandings about me. I¡¯m here today to exin what happened back then.¡± Manfred looked grave and solemn, especially after the security guard arrived. He said with a serious face, ¡°I¡¯m serious! That incident back then was all p Pearl looked at him coldly and knew he wouldn¡¯t speak the truth. But when he tried to me everything on Tina, Pearl was curious to hear what more lies he coulde up with. M She waved her hand for the security guard and assistant to step back. ¡°Leave us alone.¡± Then, she sat down on the sofa elegantly. ¡°I¡¯ll give you five minutes to exin everything clearly.¡± Manfred was just about to sit on the nearby sofa when Pearl cast a piercing nce. ¡°Did I invite you to sit?¡± With his buttocks over the sofa, Manfred looked embarrassed as he gazed at Pearl¡¯s cold face and reminded himself to be patient and that winning a woman¡¯s heart required careful coaxing and a lot of effort. ¡°Okay, I will stand.¡± He adjusted his cor and stood straight before Pearl, preparing a litany of sweet words. ¡°Pearl, it¡¯s been three years since west saw each other. I¡¯ve m ¡°No need for bullshit, I¡¯m not interested.¡± Pearl set up her phone rm and ced it aside. ¡°You have four and a half minutes left.¡± Timing always made people feel nervous for some reason. Manfred cleared his throat, held back all the sweet talk, and prepared another set of excuses to defend himself. ¡°It was Tina who seduced me first three years ago! You may not know this, but your innocent¨C looking cousin has always been jealous of you, whether it¡¯s your beauty or your identity as the legitimate heiress of the Woolery family. And, of course, w mountain and said she wanted to confess her admiration for me honestly andpete with you fairly.¡± I At this point, he let out a sigh. ¡°It¡¯s partly my fault for being too soft¨Chearted and agreeing to her unreasonable requests because I felt sorry for her. But you must believe me when I say that I love you! The reason I agreed to her was to tell her fac be so cruel? She took my phone and sent you a message, inviting you to go hiking, but actually, she wanted to kill you. I didn¡¯t make it that day because she drugged me, and I slept for a 0 d With tears brimming in his eyes, he walked toward Pearl, stooped in front of her, and grasped her hand. ¡°Pearl, what a stroke of luck! You¡¯re back alive and well by my side. How about we start over again?¡± Chapter 20 Chapter 20 hapter 20 Pearl listened to Manfred¡¯s confession without any emotional fluctuations. Only when Manfred grabbed her hand did her brow furrow slightly, and she quickly w She suppressed the nausea rising in her chest and asked Manfred expressionlessly, ¡°Since you had known about the deedmitted by Tina, why didn Manfred blinked nervously when he was questioned. He defended himself quickly, ¡°I was deceived by her appearance! I was kept in the dark for three ye have no idea how sad I was when I thought you were ¡®dead.¡® I even suffered from depression and had to see a therapist. Tina took advantage of my long As he said that, the rm clock rang, scaring him out of his wits. Pearl picked up her phone and turned off the rm, saying nonchntly, ¡°Time¡¯s up. You can leave now.¡± Manfred was greatly startled. He didn¡¯t expect that after spending two days and nights organizing his ¡°self¨Cdefense¡± and ¡°emotional confession¡± with great difficulty, he still couldn¡¯t move Pearl. He thought that without having to finish speaking, Pearl would forgive him for everything and then cry and throw herself into his arms after being moved by him. After that, he thought that he could win the beauty sessfully. ¡°So, what¡¯s the situation now? What went wrong?¡± he wondered. ¡°Pearl!¡± Manfred got anxious, clutching Pearl¡¯s hand suddenly. ¡°Don¡¯t you believe me? I can swear that every word I say is true!¡± This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Pearl shrugged off his hand coldly, feeling as if she had caught a flea just by his slightest touch. The urge to crush him overwhelmed her. She put away her phone and saved the recorded audio before looking at Manfred with undisguised disgust. A ¡°Since you have already slept with her, you are a dirty man now. Do not appear in front of me again. It¡¯s gross. However, you and Tina seem to be a good Manfred waspletely dumbfounded by Pearl¡¯s attitude. He was dragged out like a stray dog by the security guards. His mind hadn¡¯t even fully recove It was not until he was dragged to the gates of Woolery Group that he woke up btedly, kicking his legs and shouting, ¡°Pearl, you have to believe me. I Just as Marc got out of the car and took a few steps toward the entrance of Woolery Group, he saw a man being thrown out like a stray dog by the secur His eyebrows furrowed. ¡°Is the Pearl referring to Pearl Woolery?¡± he said inwardly. Pearl was standing in front of the sink and scrubbing the areas on her body that Manfred had touched repeatedly with soap carefully and meticulously, fe After washing her hands, she sprayed some air freshener and ordered her assistant to remove the chair that Manfred had sat on and rece it with a new one. The areas tainted by Manfred were simply making her feel ufortable. Finally, the office was clean. Sitting on her new chair, Pearl looked at thetest submitted proposal. The administrative assistant knocked on the door and said, ¡°Ms. Woolery, the receptionist said that there is Mr. Males downstairs who would like to see you. However, he did not make an appointment. Would you¡­¡± Pearl¡¯s long and curly eyshes flickered slightly, and her eyes that were focusing on the proposal blurred for a moment. After three seconds of silence, she replied, ¡°Tell him that I¡¯m busy and can¡¯t meet him.¡± The notification was promptly received by the receptionist. Hanging up the phone, the receptionist put on a smile. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Ms. Woolery is quite 6% 14:34 busy at the moment and doesn¡¯t have time to meet with guests. Sir, you can make an appointment in advance.¡± Thest sentence was a benefit she gave to Marc just because she was captivated by his perfect and handsome face. ¡°What? She doesn¡¯t have time?¡± Being Marc¡¯s special assistant for so long, Thomas had never been snubbed before. He could not tolerate such humiliation and walked up coldly, saying The receptionist¡¯s face turned pale with fright as she trembled, saying, ¡°I know that this gentleman is not an ordinary person, but no one dared to disobey an appointment in advance.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Thomas was on the brink of fury. Marc remained calm and collected. He pulled Thomas aside and asked the receptionist, ¡°When will I be able to meet her if I made an appointment?¡± The receptionistdy not only loved beautiful faces but also loved good voices. She was so attracted by Marc¡¯s low¨C pitched voice that her legs went weak. Unable to resist, she decided to help him. ¡°Please wait a moment, sir. Let me check for you.¡± The administrative assistant knocked on the CEO¡¯s office door again and asked nervously, ¡°Ms. Woolery, Mr. Males downstairs wishes to schedule an appointment. He was wondering when you might be avable.¡± Vice President Samuel was discussing the proposal with Pearl. Seeing Pearl frown, he immediately turned to the administrative assistant and said, ¡°Wha ¡°Sorry, Ms. Woolery.¡± The administrative assistant bowed and apologized quickly, cursing her troublemaking younger sister inwardly. Pearl squinted her eyes and said mercilessly, ¡°Tell him to wait until the next life. ¡°We¡¯re already divorced, so why bother meeting each other? ¡°It¡¯s better not to see each other again,¡± she said inwardly, After waiting patiently downstairs for quite a while, the response Marc got was ¡°the next life.¡± Marc never had a good temperament. His face darkened immediately upon hearing this ¡°You are way out of line!¡± Thomas eximed, mming the table in frustration Marc grabbed Thomas¡¯s cor and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go! ¡°It¡¯s not like I have to see her. Fine! Who cares? Humph,¡± he said inwardly. Chapter 21 Chapter 21 Upon learning that Marc had left, Pearl inexplicably sighed with relief, but her heart sank. She checked the surveince footage of the first floor on theputer screen, watching Marc¡¯s cold and angry expression, his face turning slightly blue. of mockery crossed her lips as she thought, ¡°I can¡¯t help but give myself a pat on the back, seeing how I managed to get him all riled up like that.¡± A person like Marc, who had enjoyed high status since childhood and lived a life where everyone praised him, probably had not faced much rejection in h Over the past three years, she had always done her best to please him, fearing his anger. Now, the tables had finally turned. She let out a breath, feeling rather pleased with herself. Pearl watched Marc¡¯s retreating figure as he left in a huff, and in her heart, she muttered, ¡°This is what you get for insisting on divorcing me and marrying that fake girl!¡± Although Samuel was Pearl¡¯s right¨C hand man, he had no idea where Pearl had disappeared for the past three years. Seeing her unusual emotions and the unprecedented act of checking t ¡°About this Mr. Males, is he the CEO of Males Group in Machodean, Marc Males?¡± Pearl simply replied with a quiet ¡°Mm.¡± Samuel was even more puzzled. ¡°Our Woolery Group and Males Group have beenpetitors for a while now. Even though our twopanies are jus For the past three years, only Pearl¡¯s five brothers knew about her marriage to Marc, and even Samuel was kept in the dark. Pearl had no intention of telling him, esp she and Marc were divorced. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about him.¡± Pearl turned off the surveince and returned to her usual demeanor. ¡°Now, let¡¯s continue D M with our discussion. There are a few things in the n that, I think, need some adjustments¡­¡± Marc sat in the backseat of the car, his expression incredibly gloomy. Anyone who looked at him would instinctively keep their distance. He was like an ic relieve his agitation. Thomas had a lot on his mind and needed to vent. ¡°Mr. Males, is that girl from the Woolery family really your wife? Could it be a mistake? Miss Pearl see especially in front of you. She¡¯s as sweet as can be, always smiling when you¡¯re around¡­¡± Marc did not know if it was the influence of nicotine, but as Thomas spoke, a vivid image of Pearl¡¯s smile shed before his eyes. It was as bright and radiant as the sun, almost blinding in its brillia A sparknded on his fingertip, stinging him and bringing him back to reality. Thomas¡® chatter filled his ears, and Marc scowled, saying, ¡°Shut up!¡± Thomas, sensing his boss¡¯s anger, wisely fell silent. The atmosphere in the car grew deathly quiet. Then, a phone call broke the oppressive silence. Marc answered, his voice heavy, ¡°Hello.¡± A cheerful voice on the other end teased, ¡°You don¡¯t sound too pleased. Seems like things. aren¡¯t going well. Did your ex¨C wife give you a hard time, or did she p you in the face?¡± The gloating tone made Marc want to reach through the phone and give the person a good beating. But he had a favor to ask, so he swallowed his anger and asked, ¡°What do you know about Pear ¡°I don¡¯t know much. I guess you could say I know about as much as you do. She¡¯s the Woolery family¡¯s heiress and the newly appointed CEO of Woolery Lucas had put on the clothing that Pearl had bought for him, and despite being the same size, it had a different style. He admired his reflection in the mirror and A MA ex¨Cwife has good taste.¡± Thinking that Lucas was referring to Pearl choosing him as her husband, Marc¡¯s mood inexplicably improved, and he cleared his throat, saying, ¡°Can you ¡°Look into her? Pearl?¡± Lucas chuckled when he heard the confirmation. ¡°I have to remind you, my friend andrade of many years, no matter who Pe a new one. Besides, aren¡¯t you getting married again soon? Why bother about your ex¨Cwife? It¡¯s not right to upy two spots in your heart.¡± Listening to these less¨Cthan¨Cpleasant words, Marc¡¯s improved mood took a nosedive, and he abruptly hung up the phone. Although Lucas had an unpleasant way of putting things, he had a point. Regardless of whether she was Pearl or someone else, they were divorced, and Marc¡¯s heart belonged to rissa, the one he wanted to spend his life w Perhaps through some kind of telepathy, rissa¡¯s call came at the perfect time. Her sweet voice filled the air. ¡°Marc, where are you? I found another wedding dress, and Marc paused for a moment and then said, ¡°If you like it, it¡¯s good.¡± ¡°Haha! I know you love me the most. I have a surprise for you, but I won¡¯t tell you now. You¡¯ll see it on our wedding day. Oops, I almost spilled the beans.¡± rissa yfully teased, ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting for you toe back. Just thinking As the excited voice of his fianc¨¦e faded, Marc slowly ended the call. However, despite the uing joy of marrying the love of his life, there was an ine Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org. Deep down, he felt like something bad was about to happen. Marc pursed his lips and instructed Thomas, ¡°Tomorrow, make sure the security team UNI 14:35 on maintains order at the wedding venue, and on my mom. We can¡¯t afford any mistakes.t allow any media inside. Also, keep an eye ¡°Yes,¡± Thomas responded respectfully. In his suite, Lucas, who had been hung up on, chuckled softly. ¡°He got all riled up embarrassment.¡± from With hisputer skills, he could easily uncover the secrets of even the most mysterious individuals, but this time, he did not want to. Pursuing a girl was about gradually understanding her, slowly winning her over. Lucas tucked away his phone, gave himself one more admiring look in the mirror, straightened his cor, and muttered to himself, ¡°She¡¯s stunning. Bro, i pursue her.¡± Like most guys, Lucas was certainly one to set his sights on a beautiful woman and try to win her over. While he did not consider himself the type of gentleman that girls usually favored, he still had a way of capturing their hearts. Lucas straightened his cor, rubbed his hands together in excitement, and made a ¡°let¡¯s go¡± gesture, saying, ¡°Beautiful, herees Prince Charming!¡± Chapter 22 Chapter 22 Pearl¡¯s im that she was too busy was not just a lie. She genuinely was swamped with work. Since her return to Nanston, she had been attending numerous formal rted matters. She had not attended any private dinners, iming that her career came first, and all she got in return were cold, indifferent looks from h brothers. Tonight, there was yet another work¨Crted dinner waiting for her. As the city of Nanston came alive with the onset of evening, the streets were bustling with couples holding hands and lovers stealing kisses. The historically rich city had adopted a youthfu ambiance. Pearl leaned back in her chair, pulled down the window, and gazed quietly at the world. outside. A couple was sharing a hotdog on the sidewalk. The girl fed a piece of sausage to her boyfriend, who then kissed her affectionately. The girl smiled sweetly at him, and the two That was all she wanted. Tomorrow was the day Marc would marry his new bride, and the reason she had not seen him was that she did not know what to say to him. As his ex¨C wife and someone who had loved him for so many years, perhaps her most graceful response should be to genuinely wish him well. However, she was a ¡°y a song,¡± Pearl ordered, and her assistant, Mason, turned on the car¡¯s music system. A ssic old song began to y softly. It happened to be a breakup song, telling the story of someone deeply loving their partner and feeling immense regret after parting ways. She slowly closed her eyes and listened as the song reached its climax. The singer sang with a haunting mncholy about how their love had slowly faded over the course of 10 years, ultimately leading them to be strangers, each walking down a different path in life. Every lyric struck a chord with Pearl, and the singer¡¯s emotive ? M performance only intensified the pain in her heart. 5% 14:35 In Pearl¡¯s mind, she saw the various expressions of Marc over the past decade. His proud look, his victorious smile, his pained expression, and even his But there was one thing she had no desire to know, what he was like in front of the person he loved. She had seen it, and it had broken her heart. Tomorrow, her love and her youth woulde to an end. The dinner took ce at the Lakeside Hotel, a venerable establishment with over a century of history. In thest century, countless legendary celebrities, athl world charm that made every guest who entered feel as though they had stepped into a time machine, transported back to the past. Pearl brought her assistant and went straight into the private room on the third floor. She had been invited by Robert Stewart, the General Manager of Su However, when they entered the private room, the figure sitting by the window was not Robert. ¡°Lucas Parker,¡± Pearl called out his name, and her eyes narrowed. Lucas had beenzily leaning against the window at first. Even though the window was quite high, his long legs feached the floor with ease. He was tall and well¨C proportioned, with legs that seemed to go on forever. When he saw Pearl enter, Lucas stood up and struck a weing pose. ¡°Miss Woolery, what a ple ¡°Did I walk into the wrong room?¡± Pearl asked rather calmly. ¡°No.¡± Lucas smiled lightly, then moved to the other side of the dining table and pulled out a chair for Pearl, being a perfect gentleman. ¡°Please, have a seat.¡± DENS 14:35 Pearl remained standing. Just when Mason was about to pull out his phone to confirm the situation, Lucas said, ¡°No. need to confirm. It¡¯s me. Because I want to coborate with y His words were exceptionally audacious. ¡°Ms. Woolery¡­¡± Mason stepped forward, ready to call in security to escort Pearl out of there. Pearl, however, looked at Lucas, who appeared nonchnt yet confident and had no intention of leaving. She wanted to see what kind of game Lucas, w Once Pearl took her seat, Lucas snapped his fingers, and the waitstaff began serving food and pouring drinks in an orderly fashion. Pearl had no desire for small talk with unfamiliar people and got straight to the point. ¡°Mr. Parker, you just mentioned that you want to coborate with me. I¡¯d like to know what kind of coboration you have in mind.¡± Lucas, maintaining a businesslike demeanor, did not beat around the bush. ¡°I¡¯m quite interested in the piece ofnd in the northern suburbs of Nanston.¡± ¡°Oh, really?¡± Pearl nced him up and down. He was wearing a deep V¨C neck suit. His beautiful eyes exuded a seductive charm, and there was a hint of yfulness in his demeanor. It did not look like a serious business discu here to flirt. Lucas sat there confidently, allowing her to scrutinize him, and initiated a conversation. ¡°So, how do I look in this outfit? Handsome, right?¡± Clearly, he was not asking a question. His sentences were dripping with confidence. Pearl, who never sugarcoated her words, gave him an honest evaluation. ¡°Not bad.¡± Lucas continued, ¡°Mainly, it¡¯s because the person who picked out this outfit has good taste.¡± He was quite the smooth talker. Q5% 14:35 Pearl chuckled lightly. ¡°Well, since you¡¯re so sweet in your speech, I might as well tell you. The piece ofnd in the northern suburbs was acquired by my ¡°That piece ofnd is not suitable for a golf course, neither in terms of terrain nor soil conditions. It¡¯s best suited for a racetrack. Lucas shrugged. ¡°So, great minds think alike. We have amon goal.¡± When Pearl heard ¡°racetrack,¡± her expression changed from reserved to interested. She asked, ¡°What are the benefits of coborating with you, Mr. Par Lucas could tell from the change in her tone that the negotiations for this coboration were pretty much sealed. He smiled and said, ¡°The Parker family tends to be quite dominant, and we usually aim for an 80- 20 split when working with others. But for the chance to pursue you, I¡¯m willing topromise and go for a 50-50 split. How does that sound?¡± Pearl chuckled. ¡°You¡¯re quite humorous. I¡¯ll cover this meal. Please feel free to enjoy it.¡± Her demeanor turned cold, and she began to rise from her seat, signaling her intention to leave. Her expression changed rapidly, like the sudden shift in weather. Lucas was momentarily stunned, not expecting her to change her attitude so quickly. By the time he realized it, Pearl was already striding towards the do ¡°Miss Woolery, I¡¯m not joking. I¡¯m serious.¡± Pearl raised her eyes slightly, casting a cold nce at his face. After three years of living by Marc¡¯s side, she had be more patient. In the past, she to say another word to him. ¡°Firstly, I¡¯m a person who separates business from personal matters, and I detest men who take advantage of their work to flirt. Do you think you¡¯re very ¡°Secondly, the Parker family may be dominant, but this isn¡¯t Beaudale. It¡¯s Nanston. M & Nanston isn¡¯t your family¡¯s kingdom. * UXA Us% 14:35 ¡°Thirdly, youe here seeking coboration and expect a 50-50 split? You must be dreaming. I wouldn¡¯t even give you a 30-70 split!¡± Lucas listened to her one¨Ctwo¨Cthree and nodded, finding her points reasonable. He then asked good¨Cnaturedly, ¡°Just these three? Anything else?¡± Pearl had not expected Lucas to be this thick¨Cskinned. ? ¡°Fourthly.¡± Pearl responded to his request, taking a step closer and asking coldly, ¡°Is it right for someone to steal his friend¡¯s wife?¡± Lucas, without thinking, blurted out, ¡°But you and Marc are already divorced, aren¡¯t you?¡± That remark struck a nerve with Pearl, and in anger, she forcefully stomped on him with her high¨Cheeled shoe. ¡°Ah, ouch!¡± Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. Lucas felt the pain as he let out a cry. He had not anticipated that getting stepped on by a high¨Cheeled shoe would be so painful. He watched Pearl¡¯s cold back as she walked away, and he could not help adding, ¡°Tomorrow, Marc is getting married. Are you going? Let¡¯s go together.¡± Chapter 23 Chapter 23 rissa had been eagerly anticipating her wedding, and finally, the big day had arrived. She sat in front of the mirror, admiring herself in the wedding go excitement. She adjusted the diamond crown on her head and pretended to be bothered, saying, ¡°Oh, this crown is so heavy. My neck is too thin. It feels like it might Her bridesmaids, who had just changed into their dresses and were not entirely thrilled with them, understood that rissa was just showing off. They ex rissa basked in thepliments, feeling even more pleased. She could not help but nce at her bridesmaids and blurt out, ¡°Oh my goodness, how did you all gain so much weight?¡± That one sentence managed to offend the entire bridesmaid squad, and their faces fell in unison. They were on the verge of rolling their eyes. While rissa had been picky about her wedding dress, the bridesmaids¡® dresses seemed like they had been randomly picked up from a street vendor. fashioned pink dresses looked quite tacky, and their quality was subpar. The most troublesome thing was that they were incredibly ill¨C fitting. Even on a very slender person, they would make them. appear bulkier. Once the bridesmaids put on these dresses, they instantly regretted it. They all looked terribly unattractive, and it infuriated them to the point where they and throw them right in rissa¡¯s face. Although rissa had invited them to be a part of her wedding, saying things like ¡°You¡¯re all my best friends, and I want to get married with your witness rissa had simply invited them as essories to highlight her own beauty. rissa was not entirely satisfied with her makeup and told the makeup artist, ¡°My skin. looks too pale. Can you add more blush? I envy people with ros A so nice.¡± One of the bridesmaids, who struggled daily with redness in her face, could not help but mutter a curse under her breath, ¡°Darn it! It is just getting married. What¡¯s the big deal? I wish you would marry again!¡± In the makeup room, the bridesmaids remained silent while rissa continued her monologue, lost in her own world. ¡°A woman in a wedding dress is truly the most beautiful sight. It¡¯s a shame we can only get married once in our lifetime. If only we could have weddings e ¡°Mr. Males!¡± rrisa¡¯s contemtive thoughts were interrupted by a wave of greetings. rissa bit her tongue and turned to look at Marc, putting on a cheerful smile. ¡°Hi, Marc!¡± Just moments ago, rissa was still boasting, and now she suddenly began to feign being a gentle and polite woman. Marc, dressed in a perfectly tailored white suit, looked like a nobleman straight out of a medieval painting. The bridesmaids¡® eyes turned into heart shapes, jealousy burning fiercely w indignant. Marc approached rissa, his concern evident. ¡°Are you ready? Can you handle it physically?¡± rissa¡¯s eyes sparkled as she spoke with an affected, overly sweet tone, ¡°I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m not as delicate as you think I am.¡± She quickly changed the subje and¨C down look at Marc. ¡°My man looks the most handsome in anything he wears. Marc, I¡¯m about to be your wife, and we¡¯ll be living together. I¡¯m so ex rissa¡¯s friends chimed in yfully, ¡°So, what are your ns for tonight? Tell us your secret!¡± ¡°Stop it! Don¡¯t bring up those things out of the blue!¡± rissa blushed and looked at Marc with her big, artificial eyshes fluttering, her voice sweet and tender. ¡°Anyway, I really look A 4% 14:36 forward to living with you. Just imagine, I¡¯ll be helping you with your ties every morning, making breakfast, and waving goodbye to you with a smile as you head to work. We¡¯ll spend countless happy moments together.¡± Marc¡¯s previously mild expression suddenly changed, and a strange emotion washed over his face. He heard a faint but familiar voice in his ears. ¡°Marc, don¡¯t move. Let me change your clothes.¡± ¡°Marc, don¡¯t worry. As long as you keep up with your rehabilitation, you¡¯ll definitely be able to stand up again! I¡¯ll be with you all the way!¡± ¡°Marc, are you done with work? I¡¯ve prepared lots of dishes, including grilled shrimp and roast beef. Your favorites!¡± ¡°Marc, please don¡¯t ignore me.¡± A pile of snacks was scattered across the coffee table, and Pearl sat cross¨C legged on the couch, absentmindedly tearing open a bag of chips. She stared at the screen with a nk. expression, where Marc¡¯s wedding was being l Hubert, observing Pearl growing agitated to the point of seeking sce in junk food, could not help but sigh. ¡°I mean, seriously, why torture yourself like t ¡°You don¡¯t understand,¡± Pearl replied, taking the remote and cranking up the volume. She spoke with a cold, determined look in her eyes. ¡°I have to witness it else?¡± Hubert pursed his lips and then picked up his phone to send a message to a WhatsApp group called ¡°Anti¨CHomewrecker Alliance.¡± Hubert: [Pearl insists on watching the live broadcast of the wedding, and I can¡¯t stop her.¡± What should I do?] Quentin: [Why should you stop her? Let her see how we¡¯re helping her get revenge!] Henry: [Live broadcast? I thought Marc didn¡¯t invite the media.] 376 A 0 % 14:36 Hubert: [Pearl¡¯s hacking¨Cskills are top¨Cnotch. There¡¯s no system in the world she can¡¯t infiltrate. She can watch any surveince feed she wants.] Quentin: [You¡¯re useless!] Noah: [Alright, knock it off. If Pearl wants to watch, just let her. She¡¯s been fond of Marc for so many years. Perhaps seeing this with her own eyes is what she needs to truly move on.] Oliver: [Proceed as nned.] The sky over Machodean remained gloomy all day, with thick, ominous clouds threatening to unleash a downpour any moment. The wedding was held at the Wonder Grand Hotel, a property owned by the Males Group. The invited guests arrived as nned, but there were not too represented, but the Males family was conspicuously absent. Guests observed the still¨Cvacant main table and whispered to each other, ¡°None of the Males family members have shown up. What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Marc¡¯s grandfather didn¡¯t approve of this marriage. Haven¡¯t you heard about the long- standing feud between Miss Males and Miss Santos? Good thing ¡°A marriage without the elders¡® support is hanging by a thread. But I heard this is Mr. Males¡® second marriage. Who did he marry before? There¡¯s been n ¡°It was all over the inte a few days ago. Supposedly, he married a girl from a small, unknown family. Mr. Males didn¡¯t like her, so it was kept hush¨C hush. Probably a rural girl. How could she bepared to rissa Santos?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with a rural girl? Everyone¡¯s ancestorse from the countryside. My grandfather was a rural boy, and look at where we are now. How dare you look down on This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. rural folks!¡± As a few guests chatted away, they were suddenly sprayed with saliva. They turned to see a handsome, well¨Cdressed young man. A Hubert, who was watching the video where a young man was about to engage in a fight, chuckled and asked Pearl, ¡°Who¡¯s this kid?¡± Pearl replied, ¡°Caleb Males, Marc¡¯s cousin. His dad is Christopher Males.¡± ¡°Oh, so he¡¯s Marc¡¯s cousin. That¡¯s interesting,¡± Hubert remarked with curiosity. ¡°It¡¯s rare for someone from the Males family to stand up for you.¡± Pearl shot him a look. ¡°I get along well with the Males family, aside from Marc. Everyone likes me!¡± Saying it out loud, even she felt a pang in her heart. The one person she wanted to like her just happened to be the one who did not. Even though others liked her, it meant nothing to her. Pearl gave a bitter smile. Caleb was pulled to the main table by his sister, his handsome face filled with frustration. ¡°Sis, have you forgotten how good Pearl was to us? Do you support Marc being with rissa?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t forgotten!¡± Amanda Males struggled to control Caleb. ¡°But Marc and Pearl are already divorced. Regardless of how much we don¡¯t want to ept it, that¡¯s the reality. What can we Caleb kicked the table in anger. ¡°Marc is just ungrateful and heartless! I told Pearl before, not to be so good to Marc. Men are all jerks. If a woman treats her advice, told her to make a scene, threw a tantrum with Marc, or be a little coquettish, but she never listened to me. Look, they ended. up getting divo Amanda sighed softly. ¡°Divorce might not be a bad thing for Pearl. Instead of trying to please a man who doesn¡¯t love her, she should find a man who truly cares about her.¡± ¡°Where are you going to find someone like that? Marc is great in every way. He is just blind, hmph!¡± Hubert watched the video, finding it entertaining. Caleb¡¯s furious outburst was oddly A M adorable. 4% 14:36 He grinned slyly,ing up with a new idea, and sent a message on his phone. Soon, the bodyguards stationed at the entrance of the hall made their way toward Caleb¡¯s directio Chapter 24 Chapter 24 Pearl had not been paying attention to themotion on Caleb¡¯s side. She was fixated on the stage. The time was approaching, and the emcee had taken the step to kick off the wedding. She crunched on her chips, listening to the emcee¡¯s eloquent opening remarks. Then, when the groom rose to his feet amid enthusiastic apuse, the s Marc, her ex¨C husband, stood there, basking in the spotlight¡¯s glow, waving to the crowd with an air of calmness. His tall, handsome figure and noble countenance stoo She had seen him in suits countless times, but this was the first time she saw him in a white suit, adding a touch of elegance to his typically stern expression. She thought, ¡°This has to be one of the happiest days of his life, finally marrying the love of his life.¡± Pearl munched on her chips, realizing they might be stale as they tasted bitter. As the emcee finished introducing the groom and was about to bring the bride out, a clear voice erupted from the main table. ¡°Hold on a moment!¡± Caleb, under the gaze of the audience, hopped onto the stage in three swift steps and handed some documents to Marc with a solemn expression. ¡°Mar Marc furrowed his brow and adopted a stern face. ¡°Caleb, you¡¯ve caused enough trouble these past few days. I won¡¯t spare you if you dare to cause ano He made a gesture, and Thomas and others rushed to remove Caleb from the stage. Caleb struggled, and the documents he was holding dropped onto the stage. Marc did not even spare them a nce as he kicked them aside. Hubert watched the scene and shook his head. ¡°This kid is a bit weak. I shouldn¡¯t have entrusted such an important task to him.¡± ¡°A bit weak? What do you mean?¡± Pearl sensed that something was amiss and squinted at Hubert. ¡°Did you do something? What¡¯s in those documents that Caleb had?¡± L part is about to begin.¡± The emcee, disying professionalism, tried to diffuse the situation. ¡°A little interlude, folks, hahaha¡­ I bet the bride can¡¯t wait to meet her groom. Now, rissa, holding a bouquet of pristine flowers and wearing a crown, blushed shyly as she made her way toward Marc. She looked like a fairy among her Step by step, she walked toward Marc. However, as she moved closer to him, the once melodious piano tune suddenly shifted in tone. It was reced by some sultry female voices murmuring, ¡°Ah! N¨C no! Come on, baby, harder!¡± The wedding venue boasted top¨Cnotch sound systems, and the effect was outstanding. Every breath and whisper were crystal clear, creating a 3D surround sound experience. The adults who understood the situation cleared their throats discreetly, and the parents quickly covered their children¡¯s ears. rissa, on the other hand She was utterly dumbfounded because the recorded voices were unmistakably hers. She could not fathom what was happening. This material belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Marc¡¯s face turned cold, and he asked sternly, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± The repeated mishaps were pushing Thomas to the brink of frustration. He quickly dispatched someone to check backstage. After a brief groaning sound, the music returned to normal. The emcee tried to defuse the situation with a forcedugh. ¡°A little interruption, folks, hahaha¡­ Let¡¯s continue, shall we?¡± Even in the suite, equipped with the finest sound system, Pearl listened closely. She squinted and asked, ¡°Is that rissa¡¯s voice?¡± Even though the voice sounded quite disorganized, Pearl knew right away that the cloying A * UN 4% 14:37 and artificially sweet tone definitely belonged to rissa. Hubert remainedposed. ¡°Keep watching.¡± rissa tried to regain herposure and quickened her pace to reach Marc. She whispered, ¡°Marc, I¡¯m a bit scared. Is someone ying a prank on us ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid,¡± Marc reassured her. rissa nodded gently and took the microphone from the emcee¡¯s hand, regaining herposure. ¡°Today is the happiest day of my life. The most beau you love also loves you in return. Marc and I are each other¡¯s first love. Despite all the obstacles we¡¯ve faced over the years and being led astray by the Pearl crumbled the chips in her hand into crumbs. She knew exactly who rissa was referring to as ¡°wrong people,¡± which irritated her. ¡°So, Marc, I¡¯ve prepared a surprise for you.¡± She yfully winked at Marc and, holding the microphone, took on the role of emcee. ¡°Please, look at the big screen.¡± The entire audience turned their gaze toward the big screen at her gesture. When the screen lit up, there was a collective gasp of surprise. $ rissa was satisfied with the effect she had created. Still, with her back to the screen, she smiled sweetly. ¡°I¡¯ve carefully prepared this. This video clip records the process of our lo Whispers and discussions erupted in the audience, and no one noticed her words. Laughter and sneers could be heard, and people pointed fingers as if watching aedy show. Even though rissa was a bit slow on the uptake, she could not help but notice the strange reactions from the audience. The air around her grew colde rissa turned her head and saw Marc¡¯s icy expression, devoid of warmth. His gaze towards the big screen was even more profound, concealing a hint of darkness. 04% 14:37 rissa did not understand why Marc was wearing this expression. She furrowed her brow in confusion and then turned her head to look at the big scre On the big screen, what was being disyed was not the video clip she had prepared. Instead, it was an endless slideshow of her photos, shing one by one. rissa was on the verge of fainting. She could not believe her eyes. She did not understand why these photos were appearing here. Pearl sat on the couch, quietly watching the photos sh across the screen. While not overly explicit, they were certainly not suitable for a family¨C friendly audience. These photos. captured various men intimately engaging with the same woman. They were kissing, cuddling, frolicking, and more. The Pearl had already seen these photos in the documents and knew what rissa had been up to during her years abroad. Therefore, she remained unper reaction. However, Marc was different. He had always perceived rissa as a pure and elegant woman, utterly unprepared for the revtion of her private life. ¡°Is this the surprise you prepared?¡± Pearl asked Hubert. ¡°You don¡¯t understand Marc. Though he¡¯s a bit conservative, he¡¯s not that conservative. Given h Hubert shook his head. ¡°You don¡¯t understand men. No man would like a woman with such a promiscuous private life. Who would want the constant pos He gestured for Pearl to keep watching. ¡°This is just the beginning. The real show is yet to