CHAPTER 145: CHAPTER 145: SAVING A SPOT FOR YOU, WAITING FOR YOUR DIVORCE

In the Jaguar, Jared Langley handed Juliana Jacobs a bottle of water.

Juliana took it, tilted her head back to drink, and droplets glistened in the sunset as they slipped from her lips.

Jared’s hand, gripping the steering wheel, gently lifted and then dropped back down.

Juliana had an untamed vitality, like a tree growing in the wild, carrying its own glow without needing to bend.

"Is your back wound healed?"

She drank, only then realizing he was driving.

"So you still care about my injury," he chuckled.

"Just asking casually."

Juliana turned her face away, looking out the window.

When she didn’t like someone, she would subtly distance them with small, inconspicuous gestures.

Jared fell silent.

The car continued up the mountain.

The sun set, and the sky gradually darkened.

Jared unbuckled his seatbelt, pulling at his injury, and he drew a breath.

Juliana chose to ignore it, and after getting out of the car, she found a bare stone to sit against.

"Did you bring me here for a wild barbecue?" she asked.

Jared handed her a box of sushi and sat down beside her.

Not picky about food, Juliana opened it and started eating.

Jared lit a cigarette.

"The battery module of the Blackstar smart home system indeed has design flaws, thank you for your professional technical support this time."

Juliana’s attention was on the sushi, "Disrupting your press conference, consider this little gesture as an apology."

"No, Stella Windsor exploiting the loophole in my territory was my oversight," Jared said.

Juliana did not argue with him, "So, is a box of sushi deemed adequate compensation?"

Seeing how quickly she changed, Jared laughed.

"Whatever you want, I’ll give it to you."

Juliana froze for a moment, not understanding his words, when suddenly fireworks blossomed in the distance.

The sky had just turned dark, and a fiery red rose bloomed against it.

Juliana watched for two seconds, then laughed and said, "Who’s confessing? So corny."

Jared was not thwarted by her words, but rather calmly admitted, "Arranged by my secretary."

"Lynn Zane was transferred to the marketing department," he added deliberately, "The current secretary’s surname is Hayes."

Juliana set down the leftover sushi, "I’m not an actress, I can’t play the role you want."

Jared frowned, "I’m serious."

Seeing she wasn’t speaking, he continued, "Receiving my message, without asking the reason, you came running to me without even eating, I think... I can give it a try with you."

Juliana tilted her head and asked, "Could it be that I’m eager to break ties with you, so I didn’t even eat?"

Jared was stunned.

After a moment, he laughed, his eyes grew dark and unclear.

"Recently, my family is pushing me to go on blind dates, can you..."

"No!"

Juliana interrupted him.

She was unwilling to be a shield for him and Ben Hayes.

"I’m afraid of your mom. Besides, if you need an actress, at least find someone who’s single, I haven’t even divorced yet."

Having said that, she got up and walked toward the car, indifferent to the fireworks blooming brightly.

"I’ll keep the spot for you until you get divorced," Jared said.

"Get lost, hurry up and take me home, I have work tomorrow."

Jared extinguished his cigarette, rose without showing any emotion...

In Langley Courtyard.

Elias Langley watched the fireworks in the sky, his jawline tight.

Quinn Shepherd came out with packed luggage and asked, "You’re urgently returning to the capital, should you inform Miss Jacobs?"

Elias Langley’s expression remained unmoved, he only asked calmly, "Why should I inform her?"

Quinn Shepherd closed his mouth.

Elsewhere, at Cortexa Group’s Vice President office.

Evan Grant was still working overtime.

Ethan Carter walked in, "President Grant, Ryan Warner submitted his resignation."

Evan Grant frowned, just about to speak, George Grant walked in.

"You’re ignoring Stella’s situation?"

Evan Grant’s expression returned to normal, he said lightly, "The lawyer has already gone. This time she’s caught red-handed, I will bail her out after the police finish questioning."

George Grant became furious, overturning the documents on Evan’s desk.

"You managed to get Yvonne Quinn out, she’s your sister, how can you..."

"Then get her out yourself," Evan interrupted him.

George paused, pointing at him angrily, "You’re the Grant Family heir, protecting her is your duty. If you break your promise, I will... I will..."

Evan Grant slowly stood up.

"What will you do? Bring Isaac back, you did that. Push Isaac into the director’s position, you did that too, what haven’t you done?"

George angrily replied, "If you upset me, the Group will be your brother’s."

Evan smiled slightly, "Don’t think your inability to act is my generosity. The directors who helped grandpa build the empire are all cunning old foxes, unless they actually see Isaac can make them money, otherwise, no matter how much you talk, they won’t give him the president’s position."

George’s face turned pale.

"Evan, Stella holds leverage over me, if it’s exposed, the Grant Family will lose face. You’re the heir, it’s your duty to protect the family’s reputation."

But Evan had grown indifferent to such manipulations.

"Let Isaac take over, being the heir only adds fuel to the fire, and in the end, I lose my marriage, it’s not worth it."

Upon hearing this, George immediately shifted his tone, "Your grandfather’s greatest wish was for you to lead the Grant Family, how can you let him down? And your grandmother, after grandpa passed, she personally taught you."

But playing the emotional card had grown old for Evan.

"Stella forgets who owes her, letting her suffer a bit is a way to make her reflect. When the time is right, I’ll get her out."

The conversation reached this point, this state of father-son relationship was such that George couldn’t say much further.

...

One day later.

Juliana finally tracked down Ryan Warner’s news.

He was about to leave Kenton.

Adrian Langley had men posing as ride-sharing drivers, picked up his order, taking him to a secluded open field in the suburbs.

Upon getting out of the car, they pinned his head down and beat him, avoiding his face deliberately.

Ryan Warner begged for mercy, and Juliana only then came out to tell them to stop.

"This is the sincerity Senior Warner wanted me to see."

Seeing it was her, Ryan Warner immediately knew why he was beaten, and promptly apologized, "Sorry, I only taught Stella Windsor a bit of operational concepts, I didn’t expect her to use it against you."

Juliana corrected him, "You didn’t expect I would figure out it was you teaching her."

Ryan Warner closed his eyes and knelt before her.

"Stella Windsor has been arrested by the police, she will surely implicate me. Please let me leave before the police come looking for me."

Juliana asked slowly, "Having finally latched on to Evan Grant’s connection, aren’t you reluctant to leave like this?"

Ryan Warner was speechless from her words.

Juliana asked, "How did Stella Windsor get you to cooperate with her?"

"Her intention was for Evan Grant to know that I was working for him because of her. She also assured me that regardless of the outcome, she’d make sure I’d get paid."

Juliana nodded, "Then go back and keep working."

Ryan Warner looked at her incredulously.

Juliana said calmly, "I’ll give you some technical support, but you need to ensure Cortexa Group keeps investing in it, while also giving Stella Windsor enough face."