The rain started suddenly, lashing against the glass windows. Raelynn merely stared into Sebastian's deep eyes, feeling as though the damp chill from outside was seeping directly into her chest.
For a moment, she forgot to respond. Or perhaps, there was simply nothing left to say.
He was so desperate to protect his lover.
She wanted to fire Seraphina, so he helped the woman break away from Longstride entirely. She said Seraphina had no authority, so he essentially bought her that power.
He refused to let the woman he loved suffer even the slightest grievance.
Which meant Raelynn was the one who had to swallow the humiliation.
Because to Sebastian, she was entirely insignificant—a footnote in his life.
The office descended into a brief, heavy silence.
The suffocating tension was finally broken by Seraphina's sickeningly sweet laughter.
Raelynn blinked, snapping back to reality.
Seraphina was leaning into Sebastian, her eyes shining with adoration. "Sebastian, I'm really okay. I know how much you care about me."
She didn't even try to hide her smugness.
In her eyes, Raelynn had suffered a total defeat.
So what if she owned Longstride now?
It didn't change the fact that Sebastian's heart belonged entirely to her.
A faint ripple crossed Sebastian's eyes as he finally tore his gaze away from Raelynn. Leaning back lazily in his chair, he stated, "Name your price."
The demand was aimed directly at Raelynn.
Truthfully, Raelynn couldn't have cared less about the project itself. It was only relevant because Longstride had funded it. She highly doubted Seraphina's AI technology would make any real waves in the industry, so she felt zero attachment to it.
From the moment she saw him sitting in her office, she knew exactly how this would end.
She had just been biding her time, waiting to maximize her leverage.
She stared at Raelynn in utter disbelief.
She violently hated it when Raelynn paraded her title as Mrs. Croix, and she loathed hearing her shamelessly call Sebastian her husband. Raelynn didn't deserve him!
At the word "husband," Sebastian looked up thoughtfully. He met Raelynn's mocking gaze, which practically screamed, 'What are you going to do about it?'
He knew she was doing it on purpose. She was deliberately using the one thing Seraphina cared about most to disgust the other woman, while simultaneously provoking him.
Even Leo grimaced.
Did Raelynn have no sense of shame?
So what if her marriage was public knowledge now? Did she really have to be so brazen about it?
He glanced at a clearly furious Seraphina, then back at Sebastian, only to find the man completely unfazed. He didn't seem bothered by Raelynn's calculated use of the word at all.
Sebastian made no move to correct her.
As if nothing had happened, he simply nodded at her. "Fine. Whatever price you say."

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!...