When Elias returned to the courtyard house, Juliana had just finished breakfast.
Raine was there, and so was Caleb.
Juliana instructed Caleb to use some tactics to protect Stella, to prevent her from following in Isabelle’s footsteps.
The best punishment for Stella is to bring her to justice.
Caleb agreed without hesitation.
Seeing Elias walking into the main hall, Juliana didn’t ask why he hadn’t come home all night.
Elias thought to himself cynically: Seems like there’s no affection left.
"Have you had breakfast?" he asked.
Juliana nodded.
The breakfast was light, so she didn’t experience any morning sickness.
"Sign it."
He pushed the Divorce Agreement in front of her.
Juliana took the agreement without surprise and examined it closely line by line.
The contents of the agreement did not shortchange her; her property remained undisturbed and belonged to her, but the part concerning Elias was to be split between the two of them.
Juliana’s face displayed a sneer, "I hear Iris now relies on a wheelchair to walk, and has to wear adult diapers when going out. Even so, you still have the appetite for her?"
Elias raised an eyebrow, "You know, it’s just a formality. When I crave for more, I will still come back to you."
Juliana replied coldly, "After the divorce, we’ll live our own lives. It’s better if we never see each other again. You should look for ghosts."
Elias’ eyes darkened, but just as Juliana was about to sign, he pulled the Divorce Agreement towards himself and sneered, "Juliana, do you think a piece of paper can stop me? Believe it or not, even without a marriage certificate, if I want to have you, I will still have you."
Juliana immediately threw down the pen, stood up, and raised her hand to slap him.
But Elias reacted quickly, grabbing her raised wrist, yet there was still a "slap"!
The crisp sound echoed throughout the main hall.
Raine and Caleb both instinctively recoiled.
Juliana shook her other hand, the one not being controlled, and snorted, "What the hell is this made of? Hitting you doesn’t even feel like hitting a person."
Elias pressed his tongue against his slightly numb cheek, suddenly laughed out of anger, and shouted, "Caleb, pack Madam’s things and send her out of the house immediately!"
However, Caleb nodded and said, "Sir, you instructed that if, due to any changes, you cannot exercise clear and correct judgment, I must obey Madam."
Elias hadn’t expected he would have put such precautions in place, and was momentarily stunned.
Juliana was also somewhat surprised and intentionally said, "But he looks quite normal now."
Caleb replied, "No, Sir specified that ’correct judgment’ includes committing actions against you, harming you, or doing anything that could destroy your relationship."
Upon hearing this, Elias half-narrowed his eyes.
At this moment, Steward Fay stepped forward, placing another document on the table.
"Sir, speaking of leaving, according to this document you signed while sober, once you initiate a divorce, the property’s title of this courtyard house automatically transfers to Madam. Also, the card held in her custody cannot be taken back. Therefore, the one who has to leave... is you."
Elias furrowed his brows, "When did I do such a thing?"
The steward bowed slightly, "Before you went to the open sea to capture Sean Paxton."
Elias glanced over the familiar yet unfamiliar signature and the airtight provisions on the document.
No amount of calculation had prepared him for being outmaneuvered by another version of himself.
"Fine," he looked at Juliana, a bold and unrestrained smile curling his lips, "Darling, you sign, I leave."
Leaving without any assets is what makes a real man!
Juliana didn’t say a word, nor did she hesitate, the pen striking decisively, severing the past.
In less than a day, this courtyard house located in the center of Kingsford, worth over a hundred million, became Juliana’s property.
And after obtaining the divorce agreement, Old Mr. Paxton used his special privileges to complete the divorce procedures within two hours.
At this point, the news that Elias was going to marry Dylan Paxton’s grandniece spread like wildfire among the elite circles in Kingsford.
On the day she became single again, Juliana received a text from Felicity:
"I’ve boarded the plane, don’t come back. I’ve left a gift for you, remember to have it checked."
Gift?
Juliana stared at the screen, her gaze slightly tightened.
A week later, Iris was discharged from the hospital.
Dylan Paxton held a wedding for them.
The location was at the top floor of The Sterling Hotel in Kingsford.
But the guest list was rather subtle.
The Paxton family relatives went without saying, while some others were new rich merchants carefully selected by Dylan Paxton, who were eager to climb the social ladder with their wealth.
None of the guests were key figures in power circles, making it evident that the old man intended to weave a thicker network of interests through this.
After treatment, although Iris survived, she couldn’t stand up anymore, and thus had to wear a wedding dress and sit in a wheelchair as she was pushed down the aisle.
Her face was bloodless, much like a zombie bride.
Whereas Elias, dressed in a black suit, stood there expressionless; on what should have been a joyous day, it felt more like attending a funeral.
The host enthusiastically announced, "Now the bride and groom will exchange..."
"Wait!"
At the other end of the aisle, a thin woman in a plain white cotton long shirt, with her hair simply tied at the back, rushed out.
She ran towards the stage, snatched the microphone from the host’s hand, and by the time Dylan signaled the bodyguards to subdue her, she had already climbed onto the window beside the stage.
Dylan’s face changed slightly; the bodyguards were ordered to take her alive, so they dared not approach rashly.
The whole place fell into complete silence.
"Iris, do you know who I am?"
Sitting in the wheelchair, Iris, with her vitality lacking, shook her head.
Rhiannon smiled, "I am your mother."
Iris was utterly shocked.
Rhiannon squatted on the window frame, turned her eyes to Dylan, and said angrily, "Dylan! It’s been twenty-seven years... you may fool the world, but you cannot fool the heavens!"
With that, she took out a small speaker she carried and pressed play.
A truncated recording began to play.
The cries of a young woman sounded deeply sorrowful.
"...He got drunk and barged into my room... I cried for help, but no one came... Diana, I’m sorry..."
Then came the voice of a younger Dylan, filled with drunkenness and arrogance.
"Wasn’t it just a sleepover? Why cry? If you keep this quiet, I’ll treat you and your husband well. But if you tell anyone, Sean will have to die."
Instantly, the whole crowd erupted!
Iris was even more incredulous.
Rhiannon turned off the recording, pointing at Dylan, "Dylan and I were in love, but because of you, you defiled me, creating a rift in our hearts that we couldn’t overcome. We gradually drifted apart. Especially after that night, when I got pregnant with Iris and gave birth to her, it was a greater source of shame..."
Rhiannon sobbed uncontrollably.
"Dylan, I wronged my husband. I haven’t dared to face him in over twenty years. And when I left Iris with you, at least as a father, I thought you’d treat her well. But you’ve harmed her to this point. Now you’re even trying to squeeze her last bit of worth to pave your way... Dylan, you’re nothing short of a devil!"
Dylan’s face turned livid, and he instructed the bodyguards, "No matter what means you use, drag her down for me, do not let her interrupt the wedding!"
Rhiannon gave a tragic smile, and from her squat on the window frame, she suddenly stood up.
"Dylan, do you think I don’t know about the things you’ve done? Thirty years ago your mismanagement led to over twenty workers being burned alive in a factory. You put the blame on the factory manager, washed your hands clean, and moved on, leading to your successful career."
"And twenty-five years ago, to remove obstacles for the ’Citadel Beltway’ project, you drove the finance director to jump off a building, and you didn’t even spare his family afterward!"
"Dylan, man does what they will, but heaven watches. Do you think you can hide it forever? Heaven’s eye won’t spare a single wrongdoer!"
After speaking, Rhiannon abruptly turned around and in everyone’s horrified gaze, leaped off.
The rooftop was on the eighth floor, below was concrete, there was no chance of survival from the jump.
When Quentin hurried over, he only saw the unrecognizable Rhiannon lying in a pool of blood.
He held her in his arms, looking upwards at David’s face peeking from the window, full of anger and sorrow, pointing at him, "Why? Why are you so wicked, why won’t you leave us alone?"
The loud noise from Rhiannon’s fall seemed to echo in the wedding scene, but Dylan didn’t show any signs of panic.
He turned aside and instructed his secretary, "Immediately control the scene, everyone must hand over their phones and check for any recordings. Secondly, have everyone present sign a confidentiality agreement, clearly telling them that if today’s events leak out, the consequences are on them. Thirdly, detain Quentin."
This grand wedding abruptly came to a halt.
Iris, beside them, was already pale with fear, trembling like a sieve, with only confusion and dread in her eyes.
But what she feared wasn’t the loss of her mother, but rather whether Dylan would become prejudiced against her over this matter.
She didn’t want to be left alone abroad anymore, she wanted to stay and enjoy a life of luxury and comfort.
Elias, at the right moment, patted her on the shoulder, "You’re not well, let me take you to rest first and have a doctor check on you."
Feeling his rare concern, Iris found a little solace and nodded gently.
Three hours later, at the top floor of The Cardinal Art Club.
The secretary hurried up to report.
"The news has been sealed, no one dares to object, and the second master has been detained at the old house, so it should be... alright?"
However, Dylan’s tense face showed no sign of relaxation.
"Today’s situation is different from the past, it’s not that simple. Mr. Hayes, my time is running out, are you still willing to follow me?"
The secretary was slightly stunned, lowered his head, "I’ve followed you for 15 years, I’m not used to having another master."
Dylan nodded, "Good, find a way to bring Sebastian to me. Also, Juliana..."
The old man paused, "No need to keep her around anymore."