Divorce, Please: The Young Master Does Not Love Me

Knowing full well what she had to face tomorrow, Mika Summers didn’t refuse Tristan Grayson’s request.

She really did need to calm down and get some proper rest.

The next day, Mika Summers woke up before dawn. She turned to look at the man still sleeping beside her, leaned down to give him a light kiss on the face, then quietly slipped out of bed and got dressed.

Just as she finished getting ready and was about to head out with her car keys in hand, a man’s voice suddenly called out, "Honey, it’s not even light out. Where are you going?"

The voice startled her. She gripped the keys tightly in her hand, unsure of how to answer.

"Honey, I told you, we’re a married couple. We should face things together." Tristan Grayson said, his voice tinged with displeasure as he came down the stairs. "Nothing is going to happen today. Trust me. Ian Shaw has leverage on Aria Joyce. She won’t dare to make a move."

"Tristan, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have..."

As if he hadn’t heard Mika Summers’ apology, Tristan Grayson walked over and pulled her into a tight embrace. "Originally, the verdict in Jason Lockwood’s case was supposed to come out at the end of the month. But, seeing as how nervous Jasmine Warren is, it will probably be announced today. I’ll go with you. We can go watch a good show together."

***

「Empyrean Hotel.」

Aria Joyce glared at the man sitting across from her. He’d been there all night and simply refused to leave.

’This is my own turf, yet I’m being completely controlled by this man!’

She was furious. Absolutely furious. But there was nothing she could do.

’I can’t gamble with my own reputation!’

"Miss Joyce, have you made up your mind? Are you going to make the trade or not?" Seeing that dawn was breaking, Ian Shaw couldn’t resist asking again.

He was patient enough to wait Aria Joyce out, but he also had to think about Tristan Grayson and the others. He couldn’t keep them waiting.

"Ian Shaw, you bastard! Don’t even think you can threaten me! Worst comes to worst, we’ll go down in flames together!" Aria Joyce said, steeling herself and snarling through gritted teeth.

"Heh, go down in flames together? NO, that’s hardly worth it. Besides, Miss Joyce, you’re no match for me."

"You had the guts to walk into my family’s hotel. Don’t even think you’ll be walking out!" ’If I kill Ian Shaw, no one will ever dare to threaten me again.’

’I may have never killed anyone or set a fire in my life, but that doesn’t mean I won’t start now!’

’And it certainly doesn’t mean the Joyce Family can be pushed around by just anyone.’

"Miss Joyce, you can’t possibly be thinking that you can just trap me in this hotel to die and no one will ever find out, can you?"

"Ian Shaw, with the relationship between my Joyce Family and the Grayson Family right now, do you really think anyone would give a damn whether an outsider like you lives or dies?"

"Heh. If that’s what you think, Miss Joyce, you’re far too naive. Before I came here, I handed the video over to a junior reporter. If any information from the Sovereign Group gets leaked, scandalous footage of you will be plastered all over this morning’s headlines. Hmm, let’s see, what time was that again? Oh, right, I believe it was seven in the morning. And it’s almost six o’clock now. Miss Joyce, you didn’t actually sell the Sovereign data, did you? If you did, then we can just turn on the TV right now and wait for the show to start..."

Just as he’d expected, Ian Shaw’s words made Aria Joyce completely lose control. Her expression turned hideous, and her fierce eyes were fixed on him. "I did sell the data! I sold it the moment Jasmine Warren gave it to me."

"Have you ever heard the story of how X Group changed owners overnight, Miss Joyce? Do you really think Sovereign is something you can mess with? If you believe your Joyce Family can take on the Kent Family, then there’s no point in us talking any further. Seven o’clock. The morning headlines. See you there." With that, Ian Shaw stood up in a huff.

’This woman, Aria Joyce, is stubborn to the bitter end! Does she really think I don’t have the guts to leak the video?’

’A woman’s reputation meant nothing to him. Take Gia Miller, for instance. He was the one who personally leaked that video of her and some director. For him, this sort of thing was child’s play.’

When she saw Ian Shaw turn to leave, Aria Joyce shot up and ran after him. "You bastard, stop! Stop right there!"

At the sound of her voice, Ian Shaw spun around coldly. As she ran toward him, he shot out a hand and grabbed her by the throat. Narrowing his eyes, he threatened in a harsh voice, "If you know what’s good for you, you’ll get that data back the same way you sold it. Otherwise... I don’t mind messing with the Joyce Family on your behalf."

"You dare!" Aria Joyce tilted her head back, spitting out the two words through gritted teeth.

"Dare I? Feel free to test me. You probably don’t know why your Joyce Family has been lying low for the past two years, do you? If Leo Joyce found out his own sister was such an unscrupulous woman, I wonder if he’d still help you. But honestly, Leo Joyce is no match for us. It would be incredibly stupid of you to ask him for help..." ’That Little Tyrant, Leo Joyce, is still far too green.’

"Ian Shaw, what is it you really want?" Aria Joyce finally broke down, tears streaming down her face.

"I told you. Hand over the data, and I’ll spare you."

As if enduring some great humiliation, she nodded with a sob. "Fine. I’ll get it."

At her words, Ian Shaw released his grip on her neck. "Hurry up," he ordered coldly.

Aria Joyce went into the bedroom and came back with a USB drive, which she handed to Ian Shaw. Without even wiping the tears from her face, she asked in a hoarse voice, "Can you make the call now?"

Ian Shaw sneered and pulled out his phone. He fired off a text, then looked up at her, the smile on his face dripping with mockery. "See how much easier this is? You just had to force my hand. Tsk, tsk. Look at that red mark. It’s truly heartbreaking to see." As he spoke, he even reached out to touch Aria’s neck.

The moment the man’s calloused palm touched her skin, she instinctively recoiled. Perhaps her movement angered him, because Ian Shaw snatched his hand back, his expression souring. "Aria Joyce, you’d better learn to be more obedient from now on. Don’t you forget what I’m holding over your head."

Aria Joyce didn’t trust Ian Shaw in the slightest, so at seven o’clock sharp, she turned on the TV to watch the news.

Two police officers were escorting a man by the arms toward the courthouse, with several more officers following behind them.

Aria Joyce recognized the man instantly.

It was Jason Lockwood!

’A case that wasn’t supposed to have a verdict until the end of the month... had suddenly been moved up by a week?’

A faint sense of unease crept over her, a feeling that was proven right just ten minutes later.

"Aria Joyce, open up! Aria Joyce, I know you’re in there!" The frantic pounding on the door, accompanied by a woman’s desperate, crying voice, filled Aria Joyce with dread.

She quickly shut off the TV and went to the door.

The moment she opened the door, a dagger plunged straight into her stomach...