30 Days Till I Divorce My Husband novel Chapter 365

Two years had flown by!

Estrella, clutching her meeting notes, stepped out of her office when her assistant murmured, "Ms. Estrella, Big Ms. Estrella says he’s caught up with something and can’t make it back for today’s meeting."

In the company, since both Estrella and Cole shared the last name Dorvold, people referred to her as Ms. Estrella and to Cole as Big Ms. Estrella to avoid confusion.

After her assistant finished the report, Estrella immediately dialed Cole’s number. “Dad, were you planning on tricking me into running the company just so you could retire early? You better get back here for the meeting.”

On the other end, Cole replied, “Your Uncle Joe and the others wouldn’t let me leave. Everything in the company is up to you now; they all listen to you. Plus, those old-timers respect you even more.”

Half a year after Jason had left, Cole had a minor health scare, nothing serious, just an appendicitis, but it became the excuse to lure Estrella back to take over the company.

With a background in law, Estrella was meticulous, clear-headed, and had a knack for choosing the right people. She was also known for her decisive and charmingly strict management style, which made her highly respected throughout the company. Even the most seasoned shareholders, who once might have challenged her authority, now wholeheartedly supported her decisions.

Realizing Estrella's competence, Cole started to entertain the idea of retiring early, kicking back and letting her handle the empire.

After all, he had built the empire for her; it was time for her to defend it. It seemed the only way to ensure Estrella would stay by his and Autumn’s side, preventing her from leaving like Jason did.

When Estrella left the legal field, it caused quite a stir, with many lamenting the loss of such a talent. Only when she took over Dorvold Group did people realize she was actually stepping into her family legacy.

Her departure from law became a legend, and sometimes, young lawyers from other firms would still seek her out for advice on tough cases.

Hearing Cole’s excuse, Estrella chuckled, “Dad, playing the fool now, are you? Going fishing, I bet! Tomorrow, I’m going to fill in your fishing pond.”

Cole was really pushing his luck, practically washing his hands of the company's affairs.

He wasn’t even that old! Plenty of retirees were itching to get back to work, and here he was, wanting to check out early.

Despite feeling slightly annoyed, Estrella still went to the meeting with the documents in hand.

Later that evening, after the meeting and picking up Isaac from daycare, she ran into Erik, who had driven there as well.

By this time, Erik had become the largest shareholder of Manning International.

Two years ago, Tori and Erin conspired to snatch a project from Dorvold Group. Estrella had a word with Erin, who then tricked Tori, leading to Manning International facing a financial crisis due to lack of further investment.

When Tori shamelessly sought Erik’s help to ask for Estrella and Bryce’s assistance, Erik presented him with an ultimatum: transfer all his shares to her or watch Manning International go bankrupt and face jail time.

Erik was negotiating while eight months pregnant.

Having no other option, Tori sold all his shares to Erik, who is now watching from the sidelines, hoping for a comeback.

Estrella hung up silently. She knew she deserved an explanation but didn’t press for one.

Perhaps because she had already faced one departure, Estrella remained exceptionally composed, spending days in silence, without eating, drinking, sleeping, or talking, contemplating the moment Jason had held her, hinting at his departure, fearing she might never see him again.

She should have kept him close, but she was all too familiar with his dominance, his assertiveness, his irrationality. Yet, the thought of seeing him in despair, stripped of everything, was something she couldn't bear.

She loved Jason, and so she cherished his dignity, his pride, everything about him.

For two whole years, she didn't intrude on his life, believing that even without the Nelson family's backing, even if he left with nothing, he had the resilience to rise again.

Estrella was feeling down, and Erik decided not to bring it up any further, though he couldn't help but curse Jason a hundred times over in his mind.

After dinner, as Estrella and Erik took the kids to see the light show, they noticed a group of men in suits emerging from the nearby commercial building, chatting and laughing as if they had just sealed a major deal.

Even though she couldn't see their faces clearly, Estrella's gaze was inevitably drawn to them, a sight all too familiar from the days when Jason was around.

"Mommy." It wasn't until Isaac tugged at her hand that Estrella snapped back to reality, taking his hand, "Let's go, my darling. Let's watch the light show."

Not far away, a man was about to lower himself into a sleek black Maybach when he instinctively looked back towards the mall, his eyes landing in the direction where Estrella stood.