Chapter 4
“Mr. Hadley, do you wish to go home and check on the situation?” Sebastian asked, noticing that Nathaniel had been silent for a while.
“No,” Nathaniel replied curtly. She’s just an inconsequential woman, not worth my time.
With a detached expression, Nathaniel tossed a pile of documents at Sebastian. “Get rid of this.”
“Understood.” Sebastian, clearly sensing Nathaniel’s bad mood, quickly left the office.
Nathaniel leaned back in his chair, trying to gather his thoughts before diving into work again.
Knock, knock.
“Come in,” Nathaniel called.
It was Leonardo, holding the signed divorce papers. “Mr. Hadley, Mrs. Hadley has signed the divorce agreement.”
Nathaniel blinked in surprise. He had only given the instruction earlier that morning, but it still seemed so abrupt. He took the documents from Leonardo without much thought.
“She didn’t cause any trouble?” Nathaniel asked, his tone still neutral.
“No,” Leonardo answered.
Nathaniel was aware that Julia had orchestrated the marriage between him and the Steele family. He had agreed to marry Christina only to fulfill his grandmother’s dying wish. But now that Grandma had recovered, there was no reason to keep the woman any longer.
In truth, Nathaniel had no real memory of Christina—she was simply a name, an obligation. He had no emotional connection to her, and he certainly couldn’t remember her face. What he did remember was the fifty million the Steele family had gained from the marriage. And the various advantages they had gained from their ties with the Hadley family.
Nathaniel had expected a drawn-out battle in the divorce, with the Steele family making exorbitant demands. To his surprise, they had agreed to the terms quickly.
He flipped through the divorce papers until he reached the last page. The name “Christina Steele” stood out, her delicate signature catching his eye.
“Her name is Christina Steele?” Nathaniel raised an eyebrow, looking up at Leonardo with mild confusion.
“Yes,” Leonardo confirmed, not understanding why Nathaniel was asking.
An unreadable expression passed over Nathaniel’s face as he processed this new information. Suddenly, everything clicked into place. He remembered what Sebastian had said earlier.
“Revoke the agreement,” Nathaniel ordered, his voice low but firm. His eyes narrowed slightly as his thoughts cleared.
Leonardo froze, unable to ask questions before Nathaniel swiftly threw the papers at him and stood up.
“Sebastian!” Nathaniel barked.
Sebastian, who had been waiting just outside the door, immediately pushed it open. “Mr. Hadley?”
“Get the car. We’re heading back to Scenic Garden Manor,” Nathaniel instructed.
“Understood.” Sebastian didn’t fully understand the sudden change of direction but complied without hesitation.
Meanwhile, Christina returned to her dorm after leaving the Hadley residence. With graduation fast approaching, she found herself alone—her roommate was out on an internship.
The solitude was comforting. She sank back onto the couch, closing her eyes for a moment of peace. Her phone, lying on the coffee table, suddenly rang.
Christina opened her eyes, seeing the name “Steele Residence” flash on the screen.
Reluctantly, she picked up the phone, knowing her family would be calling to interrogate her about the divorce.
“Hello,” she answered, her voice flat with reluctance.
“Where are you? Get back home now!” her father’s angry voice thundered through the phone.
Christina winced at the volume, already picturing her father’s enraged face. She pulled the phone a little further away from her ear. “What’s going on?”
“What’s going on?” Gideon raged. “Don’t you know what you’ve done? Get back home, now! I’ll give you an hour!”
Christina’s lip curled in disdain. It wasn’t the first time her father had yelled at her, but it never stopped feeling like a sharp sting.
“I have a class in the afternoon,” she replied coolly, refusing to give in to his demands.
“Don’t give me that crap if you care about your mother!” Gideon bellowed before hanging up abruptly.
Christina stared at her phone screen, a bitter laugh escaping her lips.
He only has that one trick, huh? Too bad it still works on me.
Her mind shifted to her mother, Sharon Zapler. For as long as Christina could remember, Sharon had given everything for the Steele family. Sharon had been selfless, even enduring Gideon’s affair, and in the end, her sacrifices had gone unnoticed and unappreciated. When Christina was five, Gideon had brought his mistress, Miranda, and her daughter, Emilia, into their home.
Sharon, despite the pain, had divorced Gideon without asking for anything in return. But in the years that followed, Gideon and Miranda used and manipulated Sharon without mercy.
Three years ago, when Sharon fell ill and required expensive treatment, it had been Gideon and Miranda’s perfect opportunity to push Christina into the Hadley family, all for the fifty million they would receive from the marriage.
Christina clenched her fists in frustration.
The Steeles are nothing but a pack of wolves, preying on me until there’s nothing left but bones.