A jolt of shock went through Seraphina.
Raelynn's maneuver had scored her both fame and fortune.
Seraphina had fully expected Longstride to suffer a massive slump for at least the next year. Combined with Raelynn's assumed incompetence in management, the company was supposed to spiral into irrelevance.
But now...
Her head throbbed.
The idea of being surpassed by Raelynn—a girl she had stepped on since childhood, someone tossed away to the middle of nowhere—was entirely unacceptable to her.
Mid-spiral, her phone buzzed.
Julian had sent her an iMessage: What's going on?
Julian had obviously seen the news too.
Seraphina took a deep breath before typing back: I got played. Raelynn really hates me.
Blanche leaned over, catching sight of Julian's message.
It sparked a realization. "At the very least, Sebastian's friends are still on your side. Look at Leo Flynn and Mr. Yves. Raelynn doesn't have anyone's loyalty. You need to nurture these relationships with Mr. Yves and the others. They'll be powerful assets for you later on."
Especially the Yves family.
Their background was incredibly complex, and having someone like Dr. Evelyn Hayes at the helm made them a formidable force.
She wasn't worried about Leo Flynn; he was tied to her daughter by a life debt.
But Julian... Blanche's eyes flickered as a thought crossed her mind. She stressed, "Make sure you really maintain your connection with Mr. Yves."
Especially with things at a standstill with the Croix family.
Having stable, powerful outside backing was crucial.
Seraphina's mind was a mess. "Mr. Yves is great to me, but Chairwoman Hayes doesn't exactly like me. If I could get her to owe me a favor, that would change everything, but that's practically impossible. Unless I somehow managed to find her missing granddaughter."
Blanche suddenly paused. "Her granddaughter?"
Plus, with Raelynn branding Seraphina as a sister-in-law, the family was annoyed but didn't outright condemn her for it.
"Tonight, I'll have Sebastian pick you up and bring you back to the estate. It's time for the monthly family dinner," Matilda's tone was as amicable as ever, but left absolutely no room for refusal.
Raelynn knew she couldn't dodge this one.
"I can drive myself," she replied.
Given how toxic things were between her and Sebastian, arriving together and pretending they could stand the sight of one another felt like an unnecessary torture.
Matilda, having no patience for pleasantries, just wanted Raelynn back at the house, so she agreed.
Raelynn dragged her feet until she absolutely had to leave, then drove over.
The moment she pulled into the garage, she saw Sebastian stepping out of his car.
His eyes were terrifyingly dark in the dim evening light. Raelynn immediately turned to walk away. She knew he was going to confront her about running her mouth—about her branding his precious first love as a sister-in-law and actively trying to ruin their romantic future.
She figured he was gearing up for retaliation.

Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: Boss, Your Wife Signed the Divorce Agreement Before the Wedding
I think for as slow as the beginning was, their turning point is just so fast... really hope we actually get to read about R and S and their rekindle.... we did not read 950 pages for their story to be sidelined. Im for this sideline story, but it if it's to separate from the main characters and their story, please make it separate book....
Author please update more chapters...
I really like Zella, she is becoming a good friend to Raelynn. Ian needs to go. The relationship with Chloe is confusing. Some chapters they are cousins, sometimes they're sibling. A little confusing....
Julians role as big brother- I feel comes from a genuine place, but in a relationship thats is just as stained as Raelynns and Sebastians. It hard for me to connect to his big brother role as he too was such a problem before. And while they talked a little bit, the conversation did not give me the believe there was resolution between Raelynn and Julian. For a brute, he should make his feelings clear about the situation to Raelynn and then step back, until there is more foundation for him to stand on....
Knife in my heart. I hurt for Raelynn. She has made it this far, but how much does she have in her, everyone has a breaking point. Some back of me hopes the author is joking to lighten the mood after so many intense chapters, but thats not this kind of story or couple....
My heart cannot take this. This, cannot be how it ends with these too. They need resolution with each other. Raelynn needs to be more humanize with Sebastian. We know she is hurt, but this is the branch. She needs all these answers, if not for them to be together, then for Lily to have both her parents. Stop with the mind games Raelynn!...
Its like the story is just repeating itself...
Timeline is getting lost for me. So many treasured little memories Raelynn has but yet, he was gone for years ? Anyways... still rooting for them! These two need a heart to heart. Lily "forgetting" someone, not possible in this day and age and I hope thats not their storyline....
Sebastian, the man of few words.... needs to find all the words! Needs to fight for her! On note, seven years seems like a long time for this master plan (which I am sure goes back much farther). Rereading this novel, and it seems like everything has played out in a 5-8 month time span. And I feel like all Sebastian's doings/ plan have not been revealed. I hope we get to see the whole picture and have the resolutions we hope. But seven years of mistreatment, I just don't see Raelynn fully coming back. If these was 2-3 years, maybe, and I know it changes some characters around, but it would still work. Rooting for them!...
Literally on edge!...