Chapter 6

Carter nodded. "Yeah, he got hitched a while back. Now he's back and already talking to a lawyer about a divorce."

Raymond rarely came back to the Montague Family, especially after he grew up. He spent most of his time living it up elsewhere. He knew Raymond got married because William arranged it, but he had never met the so-called sister-in-law.

This was news to Matthew, and he got curious. "I thought Manston Manor was Raymond's marital home. So, he got married a while ago. Is he planning to live there alone now?"

Carter invited Matthew and Selena to sit down and answered casually, "Actually, you could call it a marital home. Raymond doesn't like his current wife. He was forced into the marriage. He has a crush on someone else, and Manston Manor is probably designed for her."

After saying that, he thoughtfully handed Selena a glass of juice. "When he gets here, I'll show him your design. He should be interested."

Selena took the juice and smiled politely, "Thanks. If this deal goes through, I'll treat you to a meal, Mr. Ashford."

Carter liked Selena's calm vibe and couldn't help but chat a bit more, "If it really goes through, you should treat me to a meal. The design fee will be worth it, and working for Raymond will definitely boost your rep."

Selena nodded. If this deal worked out, it would help her get noticed and break into Raymond's social circle. After that, her studio's business would be set.

Just then, the door to the private room down the hall opened, and Raymond's tall figure walked in, radiating a chilling aura.

Just as Raymond stepped in, his phone buzzed again.

Seeing it was Carter calling, Raymond frowned and ignored it.

The guy next to him noticed and chuckled. "What's up? Who's got you all riled up?"

The private room was big and packed, but in Silver Bay City, social circles had their own pecking order.

Raymond was top-tier, and the folks around him were all heavy hitters.

As soon as he entered, everyone else smartly moved to the far side of the room.

Alex Reed handed him a glass of wine, his delicate features exuding a certain air of leisure and refinement. "Is it the divorce? Heard your wife won't sign the papers."

Raymond's divorce wasn't exactly a secret.

It wouldn't be long before William got wind of it.

Taking off his cufflinks and tossing them to a nearby attendant, Raymond casually sank into the sofa, his long legs naturally crossed, exuding a commanding presence. "She'll sign eventually. She knows exactly why we got married."

His tone was indifferent, clearly not wanting to get into it.

He wasn't really upset about the divorce tonight; it was Selena that was bugging him.

He couldn't wrap his head around why Selena seemed so inexperienced in bed, yet she had supposedly worked in the sex service industry for three years.

Just then, the group at the next table started talking about their girlfriends.

Guys often talked freely in private, and Raymond usually tuned out, but for some reason, he listened in this time.

"So she was faking innocence? What did you do when you found out?"

"What else? I dumped her. Her hymen had been repaired who knows how many times. If my buddy at the hospital hadn't recognized her, I would've married her. Turns out the kid she was carrying wasn't even mine. She wanted me to be the dad to get some status? No way."

For these playboys, who had plenty of money and time, women were often the main topic of conversation.

"Golddiggers these days are scheming. It's all about what you like. What's it called, 'precision hunting'? The kid she was carrying might even belong to someone you know. The more innocent they look, the messier their past might be."

Raymond's grip on his glass tightened suddenly, and images of Selena's submissive demeanor flashed through his mind. Fragments of last night also surfaced, still vivid, and a wave of irritation surged within him.

Just then, Carter called again, urging him to come to the private room downstairs, saying he wanted to talk face-to-face.

"Talk about what?" Raymond's voice was cold as he leaned back. "Stop setting me up with women without asking me first."

Being clients of the same prostitute. Didn't Carter find that gross?

Sure, some people in their circle had weird fetishes, but Raymond had been abstinent for years and wasn't into that stuff.

It seemed like Carter had been picking up some bad habits over the years, and Raymond needed to get him to drop them soon.

"Raymond, are you really not gonna meet her? I spent a lot of time finding someone I thought you'd like," Carter said. "If you're not interested, I'll keep her for myself. I kinda like her."