The three of them headed towards the private elevator together. Isla Lawson and Secretary Chaucer quickly explained the situation. The elevator rose continuously. In the end, just before the elevator was about to open, Isla Lawson impulsively asked— "Brother Julian, are you... really divorced?" "The divorce certificate she posted, it’s not fake? Did you really get the divorce certificate?" Isla probed. Julian Lawson didn’t look at Isla Lawson, just responded with a simple "Uh-huh." Then, he walked out of the elevator and hurried to the meeting room. Isla Lawson, two steps behind, had a complicated expression. She opened her mouth to say something but eventually closed it and followed to the meeting room to handle the others. On the other side, Serena Sterling had just finished lunch with Silas Hawthorne, and they were now at the Hawthorne Group’s gemstone showroom. Silas was introducing her to the respective business sectors under the Hawthorne Group. During lunch, he learned about Serena’s wager agreement. Serena hadn’t hidden it. After all, she had signed a contract with their resources when she won the championship at Heavenly Sound. She wasn’t a rigid person, and she knew Julian Lawson would definitely help Vera Hansen, so accepting help from others and mutually benefiting within a reasonable range was acceptable. After taking Serena through some of the business, Silas led her down winding paths to a hidden location below. There were several barriers here. At the last barrier, the two waited for a while. Then they chatted idly— "Did you hear about Julian Lawson being surrounded at The Lawson Corporation?" Silas asked, glancing at Serena. Serena nodded, knowing these issues would arise after publicly declaring the divorce. But, as she had said before, she had given Julian Lawson enough time. "His matters have nothing to do with me," she said. "That’s not what I meant," Silas smiled and said, "The Lawson Corporation’s stock will surely plummet when the market opens tomorrow. Don’t you have any thoughts?" Serena gave Silas Hawthorne a meaningful look. "There are some things I don’t want to touch," Serena said. "But some people will," Silas replied. They locked eyes, and Serena looked at Silas Hawthorne in front of her. She knew what he meant. He must have realized it when he saw her post about the divorce. That there would be rumors of a hugely costly divorce case and fluctuations in The Lawson Corporation’s stock price tomorrow. So he had said, "I thought you would wait a bit longer." He was unexpectedly sharp. "Looks like I need to reassess you, Mr. Hawthorne," Serena said. "It’s an honor," Silas bowed slightly. The two shared a smile. Smart people touch on things lightly. Then, with the sound of high heels clicking, June Hawthorne arrived. "Serena, brother!" June Hawthorne greeted with a smile, "You’re here." Serena avoided Silas Hawthorne’s gaze and greeted June Hawthorne with a smile, "Miss Hawthorne." "Just call me June," June said, leading them further inside. They took a winding path and finally reached a small storeroom. A series of gemstones were displayed there. "These are the new products we’re launching next," June introduced. "I was responsible before, but my brother just told me he’s taking over to fulfill the contract with you." Serena looked at the six gemstones. Each one was incredibly rare. "Your contract includes a promise of a corresponding endorsement from the Hawthorne Group," Silas said, guiding her to take a closer look at each gemstone. He said, "Now, the marketing of this batch of gemstones is in your hands. Let’s see your capability." Under the lights, the gemstones sparkled brilliantly. Serena looked up at Silas Hawthorne. "How much freedom do I have?" she asked. "All the freedom," Silas smiled, "You can understand it as... your free rein." Serena’s lips parted slightly. She really didn’t understand why he would go to such an extent for her. From his confession to her up until now, she never understood. Serena lowered her eyes slightly, looking at the six gemstones, and said, "Rest assured, the profits from our cooperation will satisfy you." Updates are released by 𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝~𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖~𝕟𝕖𝕥 Silas smiled, "I look forward to it." Meanwhile, the situation at The Lawson Corporation was escalating. From initial gossip, it had evolved into a financial category issue. Various financial bloggers were diving in, analyzing the divorce between the two. A financial analysis from Aa financial said, "Previously, there had been cases of stock splits and reductions due to divorce, where the female party sells at a high price, called a ’sky-high divorce case.’ Such situations often cause significant stock price fluctuations." Comments immediately followed below— "Last time, that stock divorce directly got me locked up for three limit downs, I’ll remember it forever!" "Me too, me too, stuck inside, couldn’t get out." "Julian Lawson and Serena Sterling won’t go for this too, right!" "I don’t know, damn it, I should have sensed something was wrong when I saw Julian Lawson frequently appearing publicly with Vera Hansen! Vera, why’d you have to seduce him when you’re almost dying! Couldn’t he have stayed with Serena! Screwed me over!" "Tomorrow’s market open, let’s see who’s faster to sell." Meanwhile, in The Lawson Corporation’s meeting room. Julian Lawson’s expression was so dark it was like ink. A crowd surrounded him, speaking, video calls, and phone calls happening nonstop, with people from various sides asking questions. "The people from Zetania just called, inquiring, saying originally it was you and Serena who were managing these things from the start, now that you’re divorced, they don’t know what to do." "President Lawson, there’s also an inquiry from Jovia asking what industry Serena will be involved in in the future and the current handover issues." "President Lawson, and also..." Just as everyone at The Lawson Corporation was tied up with this mess, a Rolls-Royce Phantom stopped at the entrance of Lawson Tower. The car door opened, and a man stepped out of the car. Apart from his handsomeness, his appearance was not much different from an average person from the country, except for those slightly red eyes amidst the deep black. But without careful observation, one wouldn’t notice a difference from the local people. He walked all the way into Lawson Tower and took the elevator straight to the busy meeting room. The person guarding outside saw him and immediately went inside to report. As the door opened, the man strode in. "Long time no see, Lawson," the man said as he entered. At the far end of the long table, Julian Lawson furrowed his brow slightly. He lifted his head slightly and looked at the man standing at the door. Beside him, Isla Lawson, upon seeing the man, immediately stepped forward with a beautiful smile. "Lin, you came," Isla Lawson said with a smile. "I saw the news about you online, and I wanted to come talk about our cooperation." The man looked at Julian Lawson at the other end of the long table and said, "After all, we both know how our contract came about, Lawson."