1 All because he lost a game of truth or dare, my husband made out with his secretary in my car. When she sent me the video, I forwarded it straight to him. "Is Cole Industries going bankrupt, Landon? Can't even afford a motel room for your affairs? Has to be in my car?" His reply came as a voice message, his tone thick with post-coital satisfaction. "This was a business arrangement, Sophia. Did you really think I was your husband? It was a dare. Can't you even handle a game?" A cold smile touched my lips. Fine. I would make him understand. When you do something you shouldn't have, you pay the price. … I immediately put a hold on the massive overseas contract Cole Industries was set to sign next week. A moment later, my phone lit up with a barrage of calls from my husband, Landon Cole. My secretary handled every one of them. "I'm sorry, Mr. Cole. Ms. Ingram is in a meeting." He wanted to play the silent game? I could play, too. It didn't take long for the door to my office to be kicked open. Landon stormed in, slamming his palm on my desk. "Sophia, have you lost your mind? That's a three-hundred-million-dollar deal! You're going to bankrupt my company over a stupid dare?!" The typically cool and composed CEO of Cole Industries, losing control like this over a secretary. I set down the financial report I was reading and met his furious, distorted gaze. "You have fifteen minutes." Ten minutes later, a picture arrived on my phone. The interior of my Maybach was spotless, undergoing a professional deep clean. I immediately notified our overseas division. "The signing proceeds as planned." Then, I sent Landon a photo of my own. The Patek Philippe watch he treasured was smashed to pieces. His favorite limited-edition collectible was submerged in a filthy mop bucket. "This was a dare, too, Landon. Remember my boundaries. This is just a warning. Cross them again, and you'll face consequences you can't even imagine." Silence from his end. I knew he was incandescent with rage. But I was angrier. He was the one who pushed for our families to merge through marriage. He was the one who rejected the idea of an open relationship. For six years, we went from polite respect to a genuine partnership. Especially after our son was born, I poured everything I had into our family, ensuring both Ingram Corp and Cole Industries flourished. I thought we would support each other until we were old and gray, ready to retire from our empires. But he was the one who shattered our stable, happy life. That temporary hold on a three-hundred-million-dollar deal was just a taste of what was to come. 2 That night, for the first time in our marriage, Landon didn't come home. The next day, I walked into the Cole Industries headquarters and took the executive elevator straight to his floor. The reception area was empty. Our secretaries were usually stationed here. I hadn't brought mine today, but where was his? Brazen laughter drifted from his office. Through the blinds, I saw his secretary, Chloe, dutifully blow-drying his hair. Landon was leaning back in his chair, relaxed, chatting and smiling with her. He had always been a man who valued his personal space, who never let anyone but me linger in his office. But the tenderness he showed Chloe now was a dagger to my heart. Even more glaring was the custom silver necklace sparkling on her neck. It was the one he had picked out for me on his last business trip, my birthday present. Chloe was just an intern. She could sell every organ in her body and still not afford a single diamond chip on that chain. I pushed the door open. Chloe dropped the hair dryer as if electrocuted, quickly smoothing her hair. "Ms. Ingram, what brings you to this part of the building?" I gave her a glacial look. "I'm the General Manager of this company. I don't need an intern's permission to be here." "Now go get the head of HR. I have some questions about the company's new, lowered hiring standards." Chloe shot a desperate look at Landon. He gestured for her to leave, to wait out the storm. As she turned to go, my voice stopped her, cold and sharp. "Take off the necklace." She froze, her hand flying to her throat as she looked pleadingly at Landon. My eyes were locked on him. "Explain. Why is my birthday present on her neck?" "I still have the deposit receipt in my desk drawer." Landon's expression soured with impatience. "She's my secretary. She represents my image." "You threw a fit and had my car professionally cleaned just because she sat in it, making her a laughingstock. What's wrong with me giving her a necklace to help her save face?" "Your own secretary wears custom-tailored suits you paid for, doesn't she?" I scoffed. "My secretary is a woman of substance who earns her compensation through merit. What has this... thing... done to deserve anything?" I pointed a finger at Chloe. "Or is it because she's just that good at servicing her boss?" Landon's face turned to stone, fury blazing in his eyes. "It's just a necklace, Sophia! A compensation for the trouble you caused her!" "I'll buy you a better one for your birthday, alright?" 3 I laughed, a sound devoid of humor. "A custom piece? Her? What part of her status makes her worthy?" "Landon, one's actions should always match one's station in life." I took a step closer, my voice dropping to an icy whisper. "A son-in-law of the Ingram family is expected at high-society events." "But for a Mr. Cole to get an invitation to those same circles… money alone is not enough." He erupted. "Sophia, we have important work to discuss! Chloe has put an immense amount of effort into this deal. I need you to leave, now!" He was shouting at me. For this worthless creature. "Fine," I said with a chilling smile. "Let's see what your brilliant secretary is really capable of." Landon, fuming, slammed the contract down on the table and stormed out. Chloe shot me a triumphant smirk before trotting after him on her high heels. Before the sound of their footsteps faded completely, I made a call. "Proceed as planned. Make sure Mr. Davidson gives them a warm welcome." Then, I ordered a coffee and settled into a chair by the floor-to-ceiling window. I'd barely taken two sips when my phone rang. It was Landon. His screaming was so loud I had to hold the phone away from my ear. "Sophia, you manipulative bitch!" "Davidson tore up the contract in front of everyone! He called Chloe a common club girl who slept her way to the top!" "He even mocked me, called me a kept man living off his wife's power, trying to have his cake and eat it too!" "This was you! I was blind to ever marry you!" I calmly set down my cup. "People will say what they want. How can I control that?" "If you've done nothing wrong, you have nothing to fear." Before I could finish, he shrieked. "The deal is dead, and Chloe ran off in tears! Are you satisfied now?" The corner of my mouth lifted. "Satisfied? I'm just putting things back in their proper place." He hung up. I called HR and had every trace of Chloe Vance erased from the company. I thought I had given Landon enough dignity, enough of a chance. If he would just behave, we could move on. But he had no intention of taking the lifeline I offered. 4 Our son was burning up with a fever, clinging to me. I stayed home with him, holding his hand through the IV drip, trying to distract him with toys. When Landon prepared to leave, our son's small voice stopped him. "Daddy, don't go!" Landon hesitated for a moment, then sat back down. Seeing the happy smile on my son's face, I felt a flicker of reassurance. Maybe giving him another chance was the right thing to do. But the shrill ring of his phone shattered the moment. It was Chloe, her voice thick with tears. "Mr. Cole, someone's following me! The internet is full of people calling me a homewrecker, a gold-digger, a slut!" "Is Ms. Ingram trying to drive me to my death? Please, just tell her I'll stay away from you. Tell her to leave me alone!" I didn't even look up, continuing to build a block tower with my son. I expected Chloe would face some backlash, but she was exaggerating. Landon, however, reacted as if he'd been electrocuted. He slammed his phone onto the coffee table with a crash. Our son burst into tears, terrified by the sudden noise. Instead of comforting him, Landon pointed a shaking finger at me. "Enough, Sophia! I am sick and tired of you playing games with people's lives, acting like you control everything!" "You already got rid of Chloe, why won't you just leave her alone?" "I may have married you, but I didn't sell myself to you! You don't get to control every aspect of my life!" My own temper snapped. "If you want to scream, get out!" I pointed to the door. "Don't you dare scare our son!" He let out a cold, bitter laugh. "You want to destroy her, Sophia? Fine. I'll be the one to protect her." He turned his back on our son's wailing cries and slammed the door behind him. I watched him go, my gaze hardening. He had truly lost his mind. After getting our son to sleep, I opened my laptop. The morning's gossip about Chloe the homewrecker had vanished. To protect this trash, Landon had actually deployed the company's PR team. Pathetic. I was about to close the laptop when I saw it. An official statement from Cole Industries. It praised Chloe's professional excellence, condemned the "malicious rumors," and threatened legal action. At the same time, a message from HR popped up on my phone. Landon had officially promoted Chloe to Manager of Operations, complete with an executive office and a vice president's benefit package. My secretary forwarded me a screenshot of Chloe's latest social media post. A picture of her in a designer gown, the infamous necklace glittering at her throat, a picture of pure, smug victory. I looked at the messages and let out a soft, cold laugh. Alright, Landon. If you're so determined to prop up this parasite, don't blame me for what comes next. After setting my plans for Cole Industries in motion, I rushed home, only to find my son gone. I frantically questioned the nanny, who told me with a trembling voice, "Sir… Sir came back. He took the young master…" The rage I had been suppressing finally erupted. My secretary tracked Landon's location to an amusement park, and I drove there as fast as I could. I saw them ahead. Landon and Chloe, whispering intimately to each other, completely oblivious to our son stumbling to keep up behind them. His little face was flushed with fever, slick with sweat. His voice was a choked, pleading sob. "Daddy… slow down… it hurts… wait for me…" A vicious smile touched Chloe's lips. Casually, she stuck her foot out. Thump. My son fell hard, the shock silencing him for a moment before he let out a heart-wrenching wail. Landon instinctively moved to help him, but Chloe spoke first, her voice dripping with faux innocence. "Oh, Mr. Cole… do you think he dislikes me so much that he'd fall on purpose and pretend to cry?" At her words, Landon froze, his hand dropping. He looked down at our son with disapproval. "Auntie Chloe was nice enough to bring you out to play, and you're faking falls? Why are you being so difficult?" I flew toward them like an arrow released from a bow, scooping up my son, who was now sobbing so hard he could barely breathe. Fury threatened to consume me whole. Landon's face paled. He stammered, "Chloe said I shouldn't have left him when he was sick… she suggested bringing him here to make it up to him…" I stared at him, my eyes like chips of ice. "A two-year-old with a fever. What could he possibly do at an amusement park?" "Watch you two lovebirds parade around? Or get deliberately tripped by your whore?" The air went still. Chloe's triumphant smirk froze on her face. Landon's pupils contracted, his expression shifting from shock to anger. "Sophia, don't twist our good intentions! We were just—" I cut him off, clutching my terrified son to my chest. "Landon, I want a divorce."
? Continue the story here ?? ? Download the "MotoNovel" app ? search for "387190", and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel