"Alright, that’s fine." Just as I was about to hang up after saying this, I suddenly thought of something. "Would you like to have lunch together tomorrow?" My heart soared with joy, but I forced myself to stay calm. "See you tomorrow then." After hanging up, I blissfully chuckled to myself for quite a while. Soon my phone rang, and when I picked it up to check, it was a bank card information message from Daniel Carter. I replied with an "Okay" and immediately logged into my bank system to repay him. This exhilaration lasted until almost the end of the workday. I was hurrying to finish up work on the pleated apron skirt, planning to continue working late, when my phone suddenly rang. I stood up, relieved to take the call. When I saw who it was, it was Adrian Gordon. He hadn’t been in touch for several days, and now he was calling, likely about the divorce. Adrian’s tone was heavy, "Lily, are you off work yet?" "What’s up, is there something you need?" I felt there was no need for small talk between us, and if he had to reach out, it should be straight to the point. "I want to invite you to dinner to discuss the details of the divorce." "Divorce details?" I let out a cold laugh, "We have no property to split, no child custody issues, what details are there to discuss?" Adrian said, "How is there no property division? Isn’t there a house, and don’t you have a company in your name?" My mind exploded with noise. "Adrian Gordon, what do you mean?" I asked with a chilled tone, gritting my teeth. Could it be that he knew my company was doing well, gaining a remarkable reputation, and wanted to split my company? "Lily, my requests are reasonable and legal. Why are you so agitated?" Adrian seemed calm, as if the problem lay with me. I raised my hand to massage my forehead, slowly taking a deep breath, telling myself to stay calm and not lose my footing. Quickly, I calmed down a bit and asked, "What’s your demand then? Do you want half of my company? If that’s the case, shouldn’t I also demand a share of the Gordon family’s assets?" After all, according to the Marriage Law, all income under his name during the marriage period is marital property, which I have the right to divide. The Gordon family’s business, managed over generations, is worth far more than my clothing brand. If it ever got to that point, I wouldn’t necessarily be the one losing out. Unexpectedly, Adrian replied smoothly, "You could indeed make such a request, which is why I said we need to sit down and thoroughly discuss the divorce details." "..." I suddenly realized that he might not really want a share of my company; he just wanted to complicate the divorce. In short, he didn’t really want the divorce and was trying to stall me. Seeing through his intentions made me calm down a lot. "There’s no need to talk any further. If you don’t agree to a consensual divorce, then let’s continue the lawsuit. I’ll have my lawyer get in touch with you. Let her discuss the matter with you." Leave professional matters to professionals. Talking about property division, a divorce lawyer surely has more experience. I have no desire to waste my energy. With those words, I hung up the phone and returned to my work. To ensure Daniel Carter gets to wear the custom suit I made for him at the school anniversary, I must quickly finish Melissa’s pleated apron skirt. There’s no time to think about those obnoxious people and trivial matters. Working overtime in the studio until eleven at night, I finally dragged my weary body home. Unexpectedly, as I exited the elevator, I saw a figure standing by my door. "Lily..." Seeing me, Adrian straightened up, looking hopeful and deeply affectionate. I felt particularly averse and gave him a brief glance before looking away and proceeding to open my door. "Lily..." He leaned closer and called me again. Smelling the strong odor of alcohol, I furrowed my brows and turned to him. "Did you drink again?" The reason I said "again" is that the last time he barged into my studio, he had been drinking too. It ended with his knee stabbed with a bloody hole by scissors and my arm getting a gash. He just forgot the pain after the wound healed, yet here he was, drunk again looking for me. "Yes, I’m in a bad mood, having a drink to numb myself." He nodded, admitting it with a lonely tone. I felt no pity for him, just coolly reminded him, "You just got out of the hospital, and your body may not be fully recovered. If you want to kill yourself, stay away from me." As I spoke, I had already opened the door, ready to go in. "Lily!" Suddenly he stepped forward and gripped the doorframe tightly, his voice excited, "Lily... you still care about me, don’t you?" He stared intently at me, his thin, handsome eyebrows and eyes looking even more forlorn and soulful, "I don’t believe a six-year relationship can be forgotten just like that. You are only temporarily charmed by Daniel. Once you come to your senses, you will definitely still love me!" I turned to stare at him, mocking him unceremoniously, "You comparing yourself to Daniel Carter? How do you even have the face for that?" His face froze, visibly hurt. "Do you love him that much?" "In every aspect, he surpasses you a hundred times, a thousand times. Every woman would love him." I didn’t answer directly, afraid he’d hold it against me and slander me for marital infidelity. "Does he love you then?" Adrian asked directly, hitting the nail on the head. I couldn’t answer that question. I didn’t know if Daniel Carter loved me. Even if he did love me, I couldn’t admit it at this time. Because I’m not yet divorced, if I admitted our mutual affection, Daniel would be labeled as someone who broke up a family. Follow current ɴᴏᴠᴇʟs on novel·fire·net His identity is special, and so is his family background. A scandal of that nature couldn’t be allowed to spread in such an influential family. Seeing my silence, Adrian sneered mockingly, "He doesn’t love you. With his status, how could he possibly fall for you? He’s just toying with you." I was too lazy to respond, but suddenly a thought occurred to me, and I said, "I’ve scheduled the divorce for next Tuesday, and the court hearing is on Thursday. Your lawyer should have told you, even if you refuse to appear in court, the court can rule in absentia, which will be unfavorable for you—so you can only choose one of the two options, or both simultaneously." Adrian looked at me in confusion. Seeing his lack of comprehension, I explained in more detail, "Even if we go to the Civil Affairs Bureau on Tuesday and submit the documents, there’s still a one-month cooling-off period for divorce. To prevent you from suddenly backing out, making the divorce impossible for me, the court will proceed with the hearing on Thursday as usual—I consulted a lawyer, and you can still file for divorce during the cooling-off period." To prevent Adrian from dragging it on and off, I had to resort to both options simultaneously. After listening, he curled a cold smile, "You’ve really racked your brains to divorce me." "Yes, so stop making pointless struggles, and let it end amicably." Before I could finish speaking, I prepared to head inside. Unexpectedly, Adrian suddenly grabbed my shoulders, forcefully turning me around and pinning me against the wall. The suddenness caught me off guard, and I let out a muffled sound, staring at him in panic. "What do you want to do? Don’t force me to call the police!" Adrian was much taller than me. He leaned down, staring at me with bloodshot eyes, the strong smell of alcohol surrounding him, clearly somewhat lost in his senses. "Lily, we’ve been together for more than six years. We even have a marriage certificate, yet I haven’t even tasted what you’re like. What a pity. You want a divorce... at least let me have you for once." He uttered these words slowly, one by one, his eyes filled with gloom and unwillingness, his mouth curved in an evil smile.