Chapter 34 By 8:20 am , Carter still hadn't shown up . Rhea finally gave him a call . " I'm on a last - minute business trip . I'll be gone for four days , " Carter said flatly . Rhea sucked in a breath . The suffocating frustration made her hang up without another word . She would have to wait for him to come back to file for the divorce . +25 BONUS At 9:00 am , Rhea arrived at Scott Group . Louie was already waiting in her office . " Ms. Ravelle . " Louie gestured for her to take a seat . " There's something I need to ask you . " " Go ahead , " Rhea said . Louie asked, " Does Carter know that you're working here ? There's a good chance you'll run into him at future events . And when that happens , the two of you will be competitors . " That was precisely why Rhea had submitted her résumé to Scott Group . Carter had never seen her as a wife , so why should she keep standing on his side , worrying about his interests or opinions ? Rhea smiled . " During work hours , I'm just a risk consultant for Scott Group . Nothing more . It's my job to generate profit , avoid loss , and compete in the market . ' 11 Her calm confidence made Louie look at her with newfound appreciation . " Alright , then . Could you join me on this business trip? It's somewhere near Draventh . " Louie had purposely waited for Rhea to come into work . Otherwise , he would have left earlier that morning . Draventh ... After some thought , Rhea replied , " That's fine . Just give me a moment to make a call . " She needed to talk to Alisha . After all , Carter was out of town , too . Fortunately , after a few heartfelt talks , the kids were starting to come around . But they asked her to video call them every day after work , and Rhea promised to do just that . " All done , Mr. Scott . " They then got in the car . Louie was serious when it came to business . " Take a look at the file . This project's a newly built psychiatric facility . It's massive , and they'll need a huge amount of medical equipment . " After saying that, he paused . " Jamison Group is bidding on it , too . " Rhea froze for a second . She wondered if Carter's business trip was related to this project . On the drive , Rhea opened her laptop and began working on a risk evaluation plan for the project . Once they arrived on - site , she would verify details and assess their potential . 1/3 Chapter 34 +25 BONUS Could the deal turn a profit ? How much ? Would there be a massive upfront investment with no guarantee of returns ? Those were some of the things she had to take into consideration . Rhea's talent for the job wasn't just a result of her intelligence . What truly set her apart was her instinct . She possessed a business intuition that couldn't be gained through hard work alone . Many successful entrepreneurs rose to the top relying on that very instinct . And Rhea just so happened to have that gift . When they arrived at Draventh , Rhea stepped out of the car and took a deep breath . She hadn't set foot in this city for years , but not much had changed . The towering buildings still stood tall , and the place remained just as bustling as ever . They arrived at the hotel . Rhea rested for half an hour , then began researching the project . She marked every potential risk with clear notes . After years out of the game , she was a little flustered at first , but she quickly got back on track . She even reached out to a few seasoned professionals she had met through Liam at the time . Once they heard she was back in the field , those veterans didn't hold back . They passed along some inside information about the project . Rhea was deeply grateful for that . In just four and a half hours , Rhea had filled two pages with key information " That was fast . " Louie was surprised as she handed over the notes . " Do you have a minute ? " she asked . " Sure . Come in . " They sat on the couch in his hotel suite . Rhea said , " If the situation matches my analysis , then compared to Jamison Group , we don't stand a chance . " Louie raised an eyebrow . " Trying to kill my confidence already ? " Rhea smirked . " I can help you win . " Louie raised an eyebrow . " How ? Are you going to steal the project from your husband ? " " The bid isn't finalized . Who says that it's his already ? " There was a quiet intensity in Rhea's eyes , like something a hunter would possess . She continued , " Let me go to the pre - bid conference tomorrow . " " What do you want in return ? " Louie didn't believe that she would do that for nothing . Rhea stood up to leave . " I don't want anything from you . " All she wanted was to see Carter lose . She had loved him deeply , and she had poured everything she had into that marriage . In terms of investment , she had made a loss . But she didn't regret it , nor did she hate him . Chapter 34 +25 BONUS Still , that didn't mean she wouldn't collect on her losses . In venture capital , the higher the risk , the greater the return . With Carter , it had been all risk but zero return . As an experienced investor , not recovering her principal was unacceptable . But even if she were going to divorce him , she wouldn't touch a cent of his money . She didn't want some pity payout . She wanted Carter to feel the kind of loss that cut deep to the bone . Still , she refused to just chalk it up to bad luck . Love or marriage was nothing more than an oversized chessboard . Most people would spend their whole lives stuck inside one game . In their marriage , Carter had always been the player , and she had been the chess piece . But now that she had grown strong enough , she could flip the entire board and slam it into his face . That night , at a hotel , Lauren had personally brought Carter a late - night meal . 3/3