Author’s note: Dear readers, I apologize for disappearing so suddenly. I had carpal tunnel surgery and was unable to use my right hand for a while. Sadly, I had no one to help me update the novel, too.

I am back now, so I will try to keep the updates steady from now on! Thank you <3

At DEL Jewelry, the atmosphere was unusually tense.

A knock sounded at the office door. Zoey pushed it open and walked inside.

Seated behind her desk, Elise was reviewing a stack of documents.

Zoey crossed the room and stopped in front of her.

"I looked into it," she said. "The IP address behind the other exposé post is overseas. I tried tracing it further, but the trail goes cold after that."

Elise paused and lifted her head.

"Then it was probably aimed at the Bennett Corporation."

The scandal had already sent shockwaves through the market that morning. Bennett Corporation’s stock price had fluctuated dramatically, causing a stir throughout entire business world.

"The timing is suspiciously perfect." Zoey paused before breaking into a grin. "Still, it works in our favor. It saved us a fortune on promoting the story."

But Elise looked troubled rather than pleased.

Zoey frowned. "What’s wrong?"

"I’m worried that the scandal has become too big." Elise lowered her gaze briefly. "Grandma’s condition..."

Before she could finish, the phone on her desk began ringing.

The caller ID showed Dylan’s name.

A jolt ran through her chest, but she answered immediately.

"Grandma collapsed," Dylan said without preamble. "She’s in the emergency room."

Elise’s eyes widened.

She shot to her feet and darted out.

...

Twenty minutes later. Hospital.

Elise hurried down the corridor toward the emergency department, nearly breaking into a run.

Behind her, Zoey called out in frustration. "Slow down! Be careful!"

Dylan was already waiting outside the emergency room. Hearing the approaching footsteps, he turned just as Elise reached him.

She stopped in front of him, slightly breathless, her face pale with worry.

"How is Grandma?"

Dylan’s gaze flickered briefly toward her abdomen before returning to her face.

His expression remained calm.

"Try to stay calm. She’s still in surgery."

Elise pressed her lips together and turned toward the closed emergency room doors.

For several moments, neither of them spoke.

Finally, she lowered her head. Her voice was barely above a whisper.

"The scandal about you and Quinn... it wasn’t me."

"I know."

Elise blinked in surprise. She looked up at him before quickly realizing why.

"Right," she said quietly. "You must have already investigated it."

"I knew before I investigated." Dylan’s gaze settled on her. "No matter how angry you are with me, you’d never gamble with Grandma’s health."

His voice was low and certain. "Whoever did this was targeting me."

"It came from an overseas IP." Elise frowned slightly as she studied him. "Do you have any suspects?"

Dylan was silent for a moment.

"If it’s Steven, then he’s improved a lot over the last two years."

Elise’s brows knitted together.

"You think he’s capable of this?"

"I’m not sure."

Dylan’s expression darkened.

"The source is difficult to trace. Whoever did it almost certainly used resources from the dark web. A few days ago, I dismantled most of Steven’s overseas operations. Realistically, he shouldn’t have the money to pull something like this off right now."

A thoughtful look crossed Elise’s face.

"Then what about your father?"

Dylan looked at her.

"Even though you control the Bennett family now, he used to be the one in power. There could still be overseas assets none of us know about."

Her expression grew increasingly serious.

"Either way, you need to investigate this thoroughly."

She met his eyes directly.

"Whoever this person is, they’re hiding in the shadows. You need to deal with them before they make another move."

Dylan looked at her for a long moment. Then one eyebrow lifted slightly.

"Elise..." A faint smile touched the corner of his mouth. "Are you worried about me?"

She froze. The concern had come naturally.

Back during the first year of their marriage, when Dylan had just inherited the Bennett Corporation, power struggles had erupted from every direction.

Through every crisis, every hostile takeover attempt, every unexpected threat, she had stood beside him.

Together they had analyzed risks, made decisions, and weathered storms.

Some habits, forged through years of fighting side by side, became etched into the bones.

They weren’t things that could be forgotten overnight.

But even so... She would force herself to learn. She had to learn how to live a life that no longer included Dylan.

Elise immediately looked away.

Her tone turned distant again. "I’m just reminding you."

She avoided his gaze.

"You made plenty of enemies on your way to becoming CEO. Maybe you should think carefully about whether one of them is behind this."

"I know."

Dylan studied her quietly. He said nothing more. Yet somehow, the oppressive chill surrounding him seemed to ease considerably.

At that moment, the light above the emergency room went dark.

The doors slowly opened. Doctor Williams stepped out, removing his surgical mask.

Both Dylan and Elise moved forward immediately.

Doctor Williams let out a relieved breath before addressing them.

"The old madam is out of danger now. However, she’ll need close monitoring over the next few days. Most importantly, she must avoid any emotional distress."

At those words, the tension that had been strangling Elise’s chest finally eased.

Beside her, Dylan turned to look at her.

"Grandma is fine now," he said quietly. "Let’s talk."

Elise pressed her lips together, then gave a small nod.

...

Outside the inpatient ward was a small garden.

Elise walked over to a wooden bench and sat down. Dylan watched her silently for a moment before crossing the distance and taking a seat beside her.

His dark eyes rested on her face.

"Do you really want a divorce?"

Elise drew in a slow breath and turned to meet his gaze.

"Dylan," she said calmly, "do you really not understand why I’m willing to sit here and talk to you right now?"

His jaw tightened. After a long silence, he finally nodded.

"I understand."

Elise had no desire to prolong the conversation.

"What day is Grandma’s surgery scheduled for?"

"It was originally planned for next Wednesday." His voice was low. "But after this incident, the doctors need to reassess her condition and stabilize her health first."

Elise fell silent.

If things dragged on much longer, her pregnancy would become impossible to hide.

After a pause, Dylan spoke again.

"During this time, I need you to cooperate with me."

He looked straight ahead.

"When Grandma wakes up, we’ll tell her together that the scandal was fabricated by business competitors and that the affair rumors are false."

His voice remained steady.

"Once Grandma successfully completes her surgery and the thirty-day cooling-off period ends, I’ll go to the Civil Affairs Bureau as scheduled and finalize the divorce."

Elise blinked in surprise. For a moment, she studied him carefully.

"You’re sure you can keep your word?"

Dylan turned to look at her. "Do you need me to sign another agreement?"

She hesitated briefly before shaking her head. "No."

A bitter smile flickered across her lips.

"You know I won’t refuse. As for you... if you honor your word, then good."

Her expression hardened.

"But if you try to back out, I’ll file a lawsuit immediately."

With that, she rose to her feet and looked down at him.

"Dylan, I hope that after this is over, we can truly go our separate ways."

Her voice was calm but firm.

"You live your life. I’ll live mine. We won’t owe each other anything anymore."

Dylan didn’t answer. He simply sat there, staring up at her.

His dark eyes were impossibly deep, unreadable.

Not another word passed between them.

Elise turned and walked away.

Dylan remained seated on the bench, watching her retreating figure until she disappeared from sight.

The expression in his eyes darkened into something impossible to decipher.

***

This collapse had left Grandma Bennett noticeably weaker than before. She remained unconscious until the following day.

The very first thing she asked for upon waking was Elise. The moment Elise received the news, she rushed straight to the hospital.

Inside the room, Grandma immediately grabbed her hand. The old woman’s eyes were already red with worry.

"Elise..." Her voice trembled. "I saw the news."

Tears gathered in her eyes.

"No wonder something felt wrong the last time I saw you. You silly girl—why didn’t you tell Grandma?"

"Grandma..." Elise sat beside the bed and gently squeezed the old woman’s hand. "The things in the news aren’t true."

Her voice softened instinctively.

"The company is launching an important project soon. Those rumors were planted by competitors trying to damage Dylan’s reputation."

"Really?" Grandma Bennett searched her face carefully.

After a moment, she lowered her voice.

"Elise, don’t cover for him just to protect him."

The old woman’s expression grew serious.

"If Dylan really did something to hurt you, tell me."

She patted Elise’s hand firmly.

"Grandma will teach him a lesson for you."

A sharp ache rose in Elise’s chest. For a moment, emotions burned painfully behind her eyes.

When she was little, whenever she was wronged, she would throw herself into Grandma’s arms and cry. Grandma had always protected her. Always loved her.

But things were different now. Grandma was getting older. She had already worried enough for them.

Elise could not bear to burden her any further.

"Grandma," she said gently, forcing a smile, "Dylan and I are really fine. The rumors are nothing but gossip and malicious speculation."

Grandma looked at Dylan. Then she looked back at Elise.

Suddenly, she announced, "In that case, I’m leaving the hospital and going home to recover!"

The declaration was so abrupt that both Elise and Dylan froze in place.