Betrayed by the Father Reborn in His Rival's Arms novel Chapter 105

Lucius's eyes were bloodshot as he stared desperately at Madeline's completely expressionless face.

Her complexion was radiant and flawlessly pale.

During the time they had been separated, her face had constantly haunted his thoughts. Every time he closed his eyes, all he saw was her.

At first, he had easily deluded himself into thinking she was just throwing a tantrum and would naturally come crawling back once she cooled off.

After all, she had always been like this over the past eight years. She had never actually tried to leave him.

Even when he gave her the cold shoulder, she would inevitably soften after a few days and be the one to apologize.

But now, a terrifying realization gripped Lucius: he was genuinely about to lose her.

And in that moment, he finally understood that he couldn't afford to let her go.

He had never felt this kind of panic over Liliana. He merely felt obligated to give Liliana everything because she had saved him. But if Liliana was forced to move abroad, he wouldn't feel panicked or terrified. He would just hope she learned her lesson, stopped being so incredibly stupid, and had a smoother life going forward.

Even if he never saw Liliana again, it wouldn't really bother him.

But if he lost Madeline, he had absolutely no idea how he would survive.

Lucius shook his head adamantly, took a step forward, and choked out, "No. I won't get a divorce. Maddy, I'm not signing any papers."

"Maddy, you've got this all wrong. I do have feelings for you. I was just acting out of spite that day, I swear. I'm not the monster you think I am. Maddy."

He grabbed Madeline's hand. "Maddy, please don't do this to me. I won't divorce you, and I don't want to lose you. There were other reasons I let Lily get away with things, but when it comes to you..."

He squeezed her hand, feeling the icy chill of her fingers that perfectly matched the glacial glare in her eyes.

"You're the only one I truly see as my wife. I know I let you down in the past, but I'll never do it again. Maddy, just give me one more chance. Please don't leave me."

Liliana leaned against the wall, trembling uncontrollably. Snapping out of her daze, she immediately spun around and fled in a panicked rush.

It was entirely too late.

She had already crawled through the darkest, most agonizing days of her life, and she would never forget her grandmother's dying words: Keep moving forward, and never look back.

A gentle breeze caught her hair, and she realized with a hollow pang that she had spent years fantasizing about Lucius groveling and saying these exact words. Yet, hearing them now didn't bring her a single ounce of joy.

She lowered her gaze and said flatly, "Mr. Whitman, I still want a divorce."

"I won't sign it, I won't..." Lucius muttered under his breath.

Seeing the situation spiraling into a deadlock, Arthur suddenly raised his raspy voice. "Maddy, it's not that I'm rejecting your request. But as the old saying goes, it's better to tear down ten temples than ruin one marriage. The bond between you and Lucius didn't come easy. Out of logic and compassion, you should give him one more chance. Look at his attitude—he's clearly remorseful. I'll make the call right now: let's put the divorce on hold for a month. If, in a month's time, his behavior still isn't up to your standards, I'll personally handle it for you!"

Arthur locked eyes with Madeline. He knew perfectly well that Liliana was toxic garbage and that Madeline was the absolute best choice for a granddaughter-in-law.

If Lucius was dead set on a divorce, Arthur would just swap out the heir. But since things hadn't escalated to the point of no return just yet, he had to be realistic. Lucius had been the CEO of the conglomerate for five years. He had proven his capabilities and secured the backing of the shareholders. The group was currently at its peak, and replacing the heir now would cause far more harm than good. One wrong move, and the stock prices could absolutely tank.