Chapter 3

Emily dealt the cards swiftly, her movements smooth and graceful. She rested her chin on one hand, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Wanna play another round?"

Lawrence was too busy watching her to look at his cards, while Olivia, sitting beside him, was getting anxious but didn't dare show it too much.

She gently nudged his arm to remind him, "Lawrence..."

Emily raised an eyebrow nonchalantly. "Just a heads up. Lawrence and I aren't divorced yet. All the expenses for your birthday today are considered marital assets. I'll have someone settle the accounts later."

"If you know what's good for you, you'll pay me back willingly. Otherwise, I'll have to sue you."

Olivia's face turned pale.

Especially when she saw that Lawrence didn't react to Emily's words. She looked even more distressed.

"Want to play another round?" Emily ignored Olivia and asked Lawrence again.

Lawrence tapped the table with his long fingers and said calmly, "Sure."

Emily's smile widened. She hadn't even dealt the cards yet but stood up, leaning over the table.

"You've lost!"

Her body leaned towards him, the deep cleavage in her dress appearing right in front of him.

Olivia wanted to rush over and cover Lawrence's eyes.

But she didn't dare. She could only protest from the side, "You haven't even dealt the cards yet. How can you say Lawrence lost? Emily, if you don't know how to play, just admit it. Why pretend?"

Emily shot Olivia a disdainful look before turning her gaze back to Lawrence.

Her eyes seemed to say: You're a celebrated business prodigy, how did you end up with such an idiot?

She picked up the card Lawrence had requested, flipping it over for everyone to see.

Olivia, who had just learned the rules of blackjack from Lawrence, remembered them well.

When she saw the card, her face changed immediately.

Lawrence had really lost!

He lost at the card table, to Emily!

"This is impossible!" Olivia screamed. "You must have cheated. How could Lawrence lose?"

Emily found it amusing. "He's not a gambling king. So what if he loses? With you around, he'll keep losing!"

Olivia's face turned even uglier.

She looked to Lawrence for help, hoping he would speak up for her.

But Lawrence's eyes were fixed on Emily, not sparing Olivia a glance.

The tension in the air was palpable, the atmosphere dropping to freezing point.

Robert Davis, who knew Lawrence best, signaled to everyone to leave.

Olivia didn't want to go but was dragged away by Robert.

Unless he wanted to lose, Lawrence had never lost at the card table.

He never expected his first loss to be to Emily.

The ballroom door closed with a bang, and Emily broke eye contact with Lawrence.

She turned to grab her coat.

Her bare back was exposed to Lawrence, her elegant shoulder blades like wings ready to take flight.

Lawrence's eyes darkened, and he grabbed Emily's slender wrist, pulling her towards him.

His grip was strong, causing Emily to stumble. Before she could react, he lifted her onto the table.

Lawrence loomed over her, his eyes half-closed, danger radiating from him.

"Cheating in front of me, huh?"

Her cheating was so skillful that if he hadn't memorized the cards, he wouldn't have noticed.

Lawrence suddenly realized that after three years of marriage, he didn't know his wife at all.

"Got any proof, Mr. Parker? If not, don't go throwing accusations around. Or are you just a sore loser trying to dodge a divorce?"

"Divorce? Don't you want a kid to secure your position?"

Emily sneered. "There are plenty of good men out there. If I lose you, I can find another anytime. A child is just a child. If you won't give me one, plenty of men will. After all, I'm beautiful. If I post an ad, many men will line up for the chance."

"No wonder you're so eager for a divorce. You plan to use my alimony to support another man."

Lawrence's face darkened, his eyes like daggers. "Emily, do you think I'm dead?"

"A good ex should be as good as dead."

Emily struggled against his grip.

Their close proximity made her movements rub against Lawrence, igniting a fire in him.

"Is that what you want? Fine, I'll give it to you!"

He grabbed her shoulders and pushed her back, his body pressing down on her.

Emily froze for a moment, then realized what he was about to do and fought back fiercely.

"What's wrong with you? I don't want you anymore. Get away from me, you're disgusting!"

She tried to kick him, but he grabbed her ankle and pulled her closer, his hips between her legs, the position intimate.

Feeling Lawrence's growing arousal, Emily's mind went blank.

What was wrong with Lawrence? She had tried to seduce him countless times before, and he had always resisted.

Why was he reacting now that she wanted a divorce?

Did he have some weird fetish?

Lawrence started unbuttoning his shirt, his long fingers contrasting with the black silk fabric, creating a mesmerizing sight.

But Emily wasn't in the mood to appreciate it. She just wanted to escape!

If this had happened before, she might have been happy and even responded passionately.

But now, on the same table where he had been with Olivia, she felt nothing but disgust.

It was as if Lawrence had stripped away her last shred of dignity and trampled it.

She couldn't stand it!

"Lawrence, are you even a man? Getting turned on when I ask for a divorce? What, did you suddenly realize you can't let me go, that you love me?"

It was like a bucket of cold water dousing him.

Lawrence stopped unbuttoning his shirt.

He looked down at Emily, his features dark with anger.

"Love you? You wish!"

Seeing him calm down, Emily pushed him away. "What else? I ask for a divorce to let you pursue your great love, and you want to sleep with me and give me a child?"

"Or are you just not ready to give up control and want to hold on a bit longer?"

Her words were like pouring gasoline on a fire.

Lawrence's eyes darkened, and he grabbed Emily's throat, squeezing tightly.

"Emily, do you think you're something special? Divorce can only be my decision. You have no right!"

Struggling to breathe, Emily's face turned red.

She clutched his hand, speaking with difficulty.

"Then go ahead. If you don't, I'll think you really love me and can't bear to divorce me!"

Her words seemed to disgust Lawrence.

He let go, wiping his hands with a tissue before tossing it aside.

"Divorce is fine. But you'll leave with nothing."