Holly Sinclair slowly stood up.

Everyone’s eyes immediately fixed on her, full of expectation.

Including Tristan Sterling.

Even he didn’t realize that he had, for some reason, grown tense.

THUD—

Holly Sinclair knelt before Grandpa.

"Holly!"

Grandpa was horrified.

His heart instantly turned to ice.

Tristan Sterling also realized what was happening, and his breathing grew hurried with panic.

"Grandpa, I want a divorce."

Under everyone’s shocked gazes, Holly Sinclair, her eyes red, spoke calmly.

She had already vented all her tears and pain at the hospital.

He was no longer worth her anguish.

"I don’t agree!"

Tristan Sterling roared.

CRASH!

"Shut your mouth, you bastard!"

Grandpa was seething with anger. He snatched the water glass from the bedside table and hurled it at his grandson.

But he was too weak, and his aim was off. The glass flew over his grandson’s head.

Looking at the calm and resolute Holly, Grandpa was heartbroken but powerless.

"Holly, are you sure?" Suppressing the reluctance in his heart, he clung to a final shred of hope, his voice trembling as he asked through a choke.

Holly’s heart clenched painfully.

She forced a smile for Grandpa and nodded lightly. "I’m sure."

The strength Grandpa had been mustering instantly vanished.

His shoulders slumped, and he nodded weakly. "Then get the divorce..."

"Grandpa!!"

Tristan Sterling was deeply shaken.

"I can’t deal with it anymore, I can’t... I’m a dying man. I can’t manage you two any longer. Just get the divorce, get the divorce..."

Grandpa slowly closed his eyes, murmuring in a voice as faint as a thread.

"Thank you, Grandpa."

Holly bowed, her eyes filled with tears, and kowtowed once to Grandpa.

...

Holly had just stepped out of the Sterling family’s main gate.

"Holly Sinclair."

Tristan Sterling, his face pale, staggered after her.

She completely ignored him.

"Holly Sinclair!"

He grabbed her wrist tightly, his brow furrowed in displeasure. "Where are you going? Can’t you see I’m injured?"

Holly turned back to look at him.

Her gaze was calm, devoid of joy or anger.

"Monday, ten a.m. The Civil Affairs Bureau."

She automatically blocked out his ridiculous words and spat out the sentence coldly.

He grew angry. "Can you stop making a scene—"

"If I don’t see you at the Civil Affairs Bureau on Monday, I’ll take legal action. I’ll expose your affair with Vivian Linton to the public!" she interrupted, every word resolute.

The muscles in Tristan Sterling’s jaw twitched as he struggled to suppress his rage.

He gripped her wrist tightly, grit his teeth, and conceded, "Don’t you just want to hear me say I’m sorry? Fine! I’ll say it. I’m sorry! Is that enough?"

Holly sneered.

She shook off his hand and walked away.

"Holly Sinclair—"

He moved to chase her but missed a step.

He tumbled down the stairs.

Already severely injured, a fall like that was too much.

Tristan Sterling passed out on the spot.

"Tristan! Tristan!!"

Seeing this, Stella Grayson rushed to her son and roared at the nearby servants, "What are you all standing around for? Get him to the hospital!"

The servants scrambled, some making calls, others lifting him.

It was a scene of chaos.

...

「Two days later.」

The hospital.

"Tristan, are you feeling any better today?"

Vivian Linton entered the hospital room carrying a container of homemade chicken soup, a gentle smile on her face.

Tristan Sterling stood by the window, his expression inscrutable as he gazed at the scenery outside.

Vivian Linton placed the chicken soup on the coffee table, then walked to the man’s side.

"Grandpa is so cruel. How could he beat you this badly..." Vivian Linton’s eyes reddened, her expression one of utter heartache.

Tristan Sterling turned to look at her, his sharp gaze filled with scrutiny.

"What’s wrong?"

Vivian Linton’s heart skipped a beat. A sense of unease inexplicably rose within her as she asked cautiously.

"Why did you deliberately call Ian Quincy away?"

Tristan Sterling’s cold, heavy tone carried an invisible pressure.

Vivian Linton was stunned. A flash of panic crossed her eyes, but she forced a smile and played dumb. "Tristan, what are you talking about? I don’t understand."

"Is that so?"

The look in Tristan Sterling’s eyes deepened.

"Tristan, you don’t believe me? I really didn’t know Holly’s brother needed surgery. Otherwise, I would never have had you call Dr. Quincy to treat Nicole. You know I’m not that vicious..." Vivian Linton’s eyes instantly reddened, looking wronged and innocent.

"Then how did Ian Quincy’s perfectly fine phone end up in the water?"

"That was an accident."

"Such a coincidence?" Tristan Sterling sneered.

When Noah Sinclair was critically ill, Ian Quincy’s phone was unreachable because he was at the Linton family’s house, and his phone had mysteriously fallen into a sink.

Nicole Linton kept complaining about pain here and there, detaining him and not letting him leave.

If Ian Quincy’s phone had been working at that time, Noah Sinclair wouldn’t have ended up like this.

"Vivian, don’t take me for a fool!"

Tristan Sterling spat out the words coldly, shot her a faint glance, and then strode out of the hospital room.

Vivian Linton froze on the spot, as if she’d been plunged into an icy cellar.

His words...

’What did he mean?’

’He wouldn’t abandon me over such a trivial matter, would he?’

Vivian Linton’s face turned pale, her heart a mess of panic.

...

「The Linton Residence」

SLAP!

"Ah!"

Mr. Linton’s face was contorted with uncontrollable rage as he viciously slapped Vivian Linton across the face.

Vivian Linton was knocked to the ground, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth.

But Mr. Linton wasn’t satisfied. He grabbed Vivian Linton’s hair, ready to inflict more violence.

"Ah! Dad, don’t..."

Terrified, Vivian Linton’s face went white as she shrieked.

"You useless thing! You worthless baggage! Tell me, why did Sterling Corporation suddenly terminate all its cooperation with the Linton Group?!"

Mr. Linton cursed, brutal and frenzied.

Mr. Linton was an abuser who would beat his wife and daughter whenever the slightest thing displeased him at home.

Vivian Linton was terrified of his beatings.

"Dad, I... I don’t know..." Vivian Linton sat slumped on the floor in a disheveled state, a sobbing mess.

SLAP! SLAP!

Mr. Linton dealt another two slaps. "You don’t know? Say you don’t know one more time!"

"Dad, I was wrong, please don’t hit me... Ah!"

Vivian Linton quickly covered her rapidly swelling cheeks, crying helplessly and miserably.

’She hadn’t expected Tristan Sterling to be so ruthless!’

’She could no longer tell if Tristan Sterling was punishing the Linton family to vent Holly Sinclair’s anger, or because he himself had been punished by that old bastard over the matter.’

’No!’

’It couldn’t be for Holly Sinclair!’

’In his eyes, Holly was just a shameless, scheming woman. There was no way he could have feelings for her.’

Mrs. Linton, standing to the side with red-rimmed eyes, risked a beating herself to grab Mr. Linton’s hand and persuade him, "Stop hitting her. Tristan Sterling likes Vivian’s face. If you ruin it, we’ll have no hope at all."

Her words finally had some effect.

"Useless!"

Mr. Linton cursed angrily, finally lowering his raised hand. He then pointed at Vivian Linton’s nose and threatened viciously, "I don’t care what method you use, you must get the Linton Group and Sterling Corporation to resume their cooperation. Otherwise... Hmph!"

The rest of his threat was left unspoken, but the meaning was clear.

With that, Mr. Linton left in a huff, his face ashen with rage.

Only after Mr. Linton had left the house did Vivian Linton and Mrs. Linton dare to cry out loud.

They trembled uncontrollably.

...

「Monday」

The Civil Affairs Bureau.

Holly Sinclair and Tristan Sterling arrived at the divorce registration counter.