Chapter 13
The scandal dominated headlines for hours, causing Everhart Industries’ stock to hit the daily limit down.
When the walls fall, everyone pushes-countless rivals who had been suppressed by Everhart joined the fray.
True and false news flew everywhere, dragging Everhart Corporation into an unprecedented media storm.
In his office, Magnus’s face was ashen as he chain-smoked, the ashtray already overflowing.
“Mr. Everhart, PR is doing their best, but… but there are too many leaks, we can’t suppress them!”
“Mr. Everhart, many shareholders have withdrawn all their investments and taken key personnel from several of our core projects!”
Bad news fell like snowflakes, leaving him dizzy and disoriented.
He irritably waved everyone out. Just as he was about to call Odessa, the office door was violently pushed open from outside.
A spry but furious elderly man entered, supported by a pear wood cane and surrounded by bodyguards.
“Grandfather?” Magnus stubbed out his cigarette and stood up.
SLAP!
A crisp slap echoed throughout the office, leaving five clear finger marks on Magnus’s face.
The old Mr. Everhart trembled with rage, his cane striking the ground heavily.
“Fool! You’ve completely disgraced the Everhart name!”
He violently threw a thick stack of documents at Magnus’s face, papers scattering across the floor.
“Open your eyes and see clearly! The woman you’ve cherished for so many years-what kind of creature is she really!”
Magnus bent to pick up a document, his pupils contracting sharply.
It was a detailed investigation report clearly recording transaction records between Odessa and the kidnappers.
The kidnapping case that year had been entirely staged by the Verrier family from beginning to end!
The purpose was to let Odessa naturally enter the Everhart family as Magnus’s “savior.”
“In my opinion, Odessa’s so-called ‘loss of fertility’ is probably complete nonsense! And you believed it for all these years!”
“Impossible… this can’t be…” Magnus’s fingertips traced the report pages, his tall frame swaying unsteadily.
Odessa had deceived him from start to finish. He’d felt guilty about this lie for so many years.
He’d even gotten a vasectomy for it, treating his only biological son as an accident.
All his years of deep devotion, all his guilt and compensation, had become a joke!
When Magnus drove back to Love Dessa Estate, it was completely dark.
Hearing the car, Odessa came out to greet him as usual.
“Magnus, you’re finally back. I heard that Grandfather… was angry with you? It’s all my fault. I shouldn’t have thrown tantrums and
put you in a difficult position.”
As she spoke, she moved to throw herself into his arms for comfort, as she had countless times before.
But Magnus instinctively stepped aside to avoid her.
“Magnus, what’s wrong?” she asked tentatively.
Magnus didn’t answer, walking straight into the living room and throwing his briefcase heavily onto the sofa.
Odessa thought he was still troubled by the company situation.
“Magnus, I know I was wrong. It’s all my fault. I shouldn’t have been throwing fits when the company was in crisis…”
She grabbed his pant leg, crystal tears hanging on her long lashes, looking pitiful.
This was her infallible weapon.
In the past, whenever she cried, Magnus would immediately soften and pamper her.
But today, he only coldly dropped one sentence.
“Odessa, let’s divorce.”
The color instantly drained from Odessa’s face. “You… what did you say? Magnus, don’t scare me. We just made up…”
Magnus gave a cold laugh. “For the sake of our years together, for the sake of you taking bullets for me, I wanted to leave you some dignity. Apparently, you don’t want it.”
Odessa panicked, grabbing him again and crying piteously.
“I don’t want a divorce! Magnus, I love you!”
“Shut up!” Magnus suddenly stood, his angry shout making her tremble.
He turned and pulled out the stack of documents from his briefcase, throwing them viciously at Odessa’s face.
“See for yourself!”
Odessa tremblingly picked up a document. When she saw the investigation report about the “kidnapping case,” she froze completely.
Seeing her lies exposed, the grief vanished from her face instantly.
She got up from the floor, smoothed her disheveled hair, and sneered:
“Fine, divorce! Magnus, don’t forget we have a prenuptial agreement. For divorce, I want half your assets! A full half! Otherwise, I’ll expose all of Everhart’s secrets. We’ll destroy each other!”
Looking at her vicious expression, Magnus felt nauseated.
All his years of sincerity, all his guilt and love, had been fed to such a venomous snake.
“Dream on.” He squeezed out two words through gritted teeth, the murderous intent in his eyes no longer concealed.
The argument ended badly.
Magnus stormed out, leaving Odessa’s curses far behind.
The next day, he returned to his chaotic office where his assistant carefully handed him an unsigned express package.
“Mr. Everhart, this… arrived this morning. The sender information is blank.”
Magnus waved for the assistant to leave.
He opened the package-inside was only a USB drive and a note.
The note was printed: [One hundred million cash buys your wife’s freedom for the rest of her life. Otherwise, these videos will appear on the front pages of all New York media.]
