His gaze landed perfectly on Raelynn's face.
She had no idea if he had heard Chloe's unhinged declaration.
Her first instinct was a visceral aversion to being anywhere near him.
She took two steps back.
Sebastian said nothing, calmly crushing out his cigarette.
Just then, a voice called out from behind him. "Raelynn? You really are here."
Raelynn turned her head.
She realized Leo, Seraphina, and Blanche were walking toward them.
Raelynn felt like she had stepped into a nightmare.
She tried to walk around them.
But Blanche blocked her path.
Blanche was also furious over the crisis and knew they desperately needed Raelynn to release the employment records of the two foreign experts from Longstride.
"Don't you know how to greet your elders?" Blanche snapped, clearly displeased.
Chloe instantly fired back. "You'd be nothing but a mistress! You should be begging on your knees when you see Raelynn. What gives you the right to act like the matriarch?"
Blanche trembled with rage.
But Chloe came from a powerful family.
Blanche didn't dare pick a fight with her.
She turned her venom onto Raelynn instead. "You know perfectly well how you got your hands on Longstride. If it weren't for Sera, you never would have profited. So return the favor. Hand over the employment files for the two foreign experts on Sera's team to prove their background. It just takes one word from you."
Raelynn realized exactly what was happening. "Oh, so you found your scapegoats?"
She instantly deduced their strategy.
The two experts were foreigners with strong credentials and authority. Throwing them under the bus right now was the perfect move. The public wouldn't think they were just random nobodies taking the fall; they would actually believe these two sabotaged the equipment. It would buy Seraphina sympathy, give her a chance to recover, and stem the bleeding on the project.
After all, convincing the public that the machines were flawless was impossible now.
And since Seraphina couldn't afford to anger the powerful surgeon at Gracefield, shifting the blame onto the foreign experts would smoothly deflect the negative press away from her.
Normally, scapegoats were easily dismissible.
Otherwise, if his grandfather found out the truth, he would be stripped of his position. The old man was notoriously strict and wouldn't show mercy just because they shared blood.
"Raelynn, enough is enough," Leo warned.
Chloe crossed her arms. "Wow, you're so generous. Why don't you beg for forgiveness on her behalf? Since you're such a saint, after all."
Leo's face darkened.
Anyone associated with Raelynn was just as toxic as she was!
Blanche was livid, but she forced herself to calm down. She grabbed Seraphina's arm, pulled her over to Sebastian's side, and sneered, "Name your price."
They could just throw money at the problem. After all, Mr. Croix was more than happy to spend money on her daughter.
Raelynn understood Blanche's unspoken threat perfectly.
She saw right through the sickening display.
Blanche was parading the fact that Sebastian would bail them out, loudly declaring that he would soon be her son-in-law.
A faint, mocking smile touched Raelynn's lips as she stared directly at Sebastian, her voice dripping with casual venom.
"So, who's paying? Speak up, Husband."

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!...