Chapter 5

It turned out that Emily was the woman Alex loved the most. He was eager to marry her that he couldn't wait to get a divorce.

Five years of marriage didn't mean much compared to Emily's fleeting smile.

Harper felt a slight tremble but didn't turn around.

She calmly said, "Okay!"

Then she kept walking, leaving with Caden by her side.

She didn't show any hesitation, leaving so decisively?

Alex felt a strange irritation. Maybe she wanted to end this marriage quickly too? Or had she already found a way out?

He stood there, staring blankly at Harper and Caden as they walked away, not moving for a long time.

"Alex, I'm a bit hungry; can we get something to eat?" Emily's soft voice snapped him back to reality.

Alex checked his watch, frowning slightly. "I have a meeting soon, maybe next time."

For some reason, Alex felt uninterested.

They had been busy at the hospital all morning, and there was still a lot to do at the company.

Emily nodded and smiled. "All right. We can grab takeout on the way. I know a great place that's on the way back to the company."

Harper and Caden also grabbed a quick meal on the way and then hurried back to the office.

In Harper's office, Caden handed her a file. "This is the previous contract between our project and the supplier company. Want to review it later?" He knew she had just been injured and might not be in the best mood. The contract could wait.

Harper said, "No need, I'll look at it now."

She took the contract and reviewed it carefully, page by page. She wouldn't let personal feelings interfere with her work. Otherwise, she would have been out of the game long ago.

Alex was always all business and never gave her any special treatment just because she was his wife in name.

For six years, she had worked hard, sacrificing almost all her time and energy for the company.

The position of chief assistant at the Lavien Group was something she had earned on her own.

While examining a section of the contract, Harper suddenly looked up and pointed to a particular clause. "This isn't suitable. Their company says they'll provide the materials we need promptly but doesn't specify a timeframe. If they don't have the materials for a year, are we supposed to wait that long?"

She immediately spotted the loophole in the document.

With this, the other party could delay the delivery time, and the Lavien Group would have no way to deal with it. If the supply was delayed, it would affect the company's production, causing significant losses.

Harper said, "In my opinion, this should be changed to a one-month deadline. If they still don't deliver on time after a month, they should compensate three times the amount according to the rules."

Caden hadn't noticed this and praised Harper, "Harper, you're amazing. I have heard about your capability before and didn't take it seriously. But now I believe what they said. You and Travis are indeed the two pillars of the Lavien Group."

Harper smiled faintly and pushed the document back to him. "Please ask them to revise it and bring it back."

She thought for a moment and added, "Once this matter is settled, I'll definitely treat Mr. Elikin to a meal."

Caden, delighted at the prospect of a date with Harper, responded eagerly, "Absolutely, I'll ensure everything is arranged as per your requirement. And of course, having a meal with you is my honor."

He stood up, winked at Harper, still looking playful.

"Whatever you need, feel free to come to me anytime. My phone is on 24/7 for you." With that, Caden left the office.

The office quieted down.

Harper picked up the top file and started transferring it to the computer.

It wasn't until the evening that she finished processing those files.

There were only a few people left in the office, burning the midnight oil.

Seeing Harper step out, someone greeted her, "Ms. Orsini, still here?"

Harper rubbed her aching temples and smiled, "Just heading out now. What about you?"

These employees were like family to her, and she treated them that way. It made the company feel more like a team. Alex, on the other hand, just made decisions and didn't bother with these management details.

One of the employees replied, "Still got some work to finish up."

"Thanks for your hard work!" Harper said warmly.

She did these things not just for the company but for Alex too.

But no matter what she did, Alex never seemed to appreciate it. She felt a bit disheartened.

After getting off the elevator, Harper got in her car and drove straight to her own house. She hadn't been back here in a while. After getting married, she moved into Alex's villa to be closer to him.

Even though Alex rarely came home, and when he did, even though it was just for sex, she was willing to stay in that cold villa waiting for him.

Now, she figured Alex didn't want her there anymore.

Exhausted, she didn't think about it too much, took a quick shower, and went to bed.

For the next few days, Alex was swamped with work and seemed to forget about the divorce papers.

Harper pretended to be busy too, as if she had forgotten. She was actually relieved and hopeful. If they kept dragging it out, maybe they wouldn't have to get divorced?

Five days later, she came home from work and felt a wave of nausea. She leaned against the wall, retching for a long time but nothing came out.

Her irregular meals and constant work stress often gave her stomach pains. Maybe it was acting up again?

Just then, her phone rang loudly in her bag.

Feeling a bit better, she took out her phone and saw it was Alex calling.

"Where are you?"

As soon as she answered, Alex's impatient voice came through, like waiting for her was a waste of time.

"At my house," Harper replied, emphasizing "my house."

"Come to the villa and sign the divorce papers," he ordered.

"Got it." Her tone was indifferent, and she hung up.

He finally had time to deal with the divorce.

Today, it should end, right? Harper's heart ached, but she needed to face it with resilience.

She stood up, opened the door, and left.

Soon, she arrived at the villa. This place was bought when they got married, and they had spent five years here together.

When Harper walked in, Alex was already there.

She walked over and immediately saw the divorce papers on the table.

The big title "Divorce Agreement" was glaring.

She sat down opposite him, just about to pick up the papers to sign, when Alex spoke coldly. "The day after tomorrow is Grandpa's birthday. Let's go pick out a gift together."

For the past few days, Harper had been avoiding the divorce, almost forgetting about Alex's grandfather, Holden Lavien's birthday.

Holden had always been good to her and liked her a lot. Every year, she personally chose his gift.

Harper nodded, "Okay."

Alex said, "You still need to come to the party with me. I don't want to tell Grandpa about our divorce yet. He's old, and I don't want to upset him."

"No problem," she answered straightforwardly.

She even felt a bit lucky. If the day after tomorrow was Holden's birthday party, at least the divorce papers wouldn't be signed today, right?

Seeing he had nothing more to say, Harper stood up and asked, "Anything else?"

At that moment, Alex pulled out the divorce papers and placed them on the table. "Did you forget why you came here?"