Everything was a deal until divorce novel Chapter 34

They got the call and didn’t ask questions. Caleb and Gareth turned the car around and headed home at

once.

Caleb had seen the video too.

Back then, Eugenia had erased every copy to protect Arden. Arden’d begged her not to show it to their father or brother. So Caleb hadn’t seen it–until Vivienne put it online.

But this time, it wasn’t some anonymous account. It was posted directly by one of Dorian’s own companies under the Vale Group.

That meant he had to know. Caleb couldn’t understand him anymore.

When he tried calling, Dorian was on the line with Cassian. Busy signal.

Caleb snapped. He opened Dorian’s WhatsApp and left him a voice note.

He sent a message, “Dorian, three years ago you broke her. Now you’re doing it all over again. If you’re done with her, just end it. Let her go. Don’t keep dragging her through this.”

Caleb opened WhatsApp and tapped on Eugenia’s name.

She’d always loved Arden like her own, and Caleb had always respected her deeply. So even now, with all the fire burning in his chest, he kept it formal. He sent a message, “Good afternoon, ma’am. Our family will return the five billion in full. We just hope Arden and Dorian can go through a quiet separation.”

Even if they had to sell the company or borrow the money, he would never let his sister stay trapped in that marriage.

Letting her marry Dorian was his biggest regret. Sure, the guy had everything–power, money, reputation. But he never treated Arden right. Not once.

After firing off both messages, Caleb jumped into the car and headed home.

Halfway there, he and his father got a call from the housekeeper. She sounded terrified. She said, “Sir, ma’am just fainted!”

Caleb’s gut dropped. He didn’t even need to ask. She must’ve seen what was blowing up online.

Gareth tensed but tried to stay calm. “Did you call 911?”

“Yes, sir. They’re on the way,” she replied, flustered. “Please come back quickly!”

“What was she doing when it happened?” Gareth asked. “She hasn’t had a heart episode in years.”

“She was scrolling through videos,” the housekeeper said, voice still shaking. “I don’t know what she saw, but then she clutched her chest and collapsed.”

“Give her a heart pill right now. Caleb and I are almost there. And don’t tell Arden yet.”

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Chapter 34 Broken Trust

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“Okay.”

The housekeeper let out a shaky breath and rushed off to grab the medicine.

Caleb tightened his grip on the steering wheel. “She definitely saw that video about Arden. It must’ve pushed her over the edge.”

Elise had never fully supported Arden marrying into the Vale family.

Yes, Dorian was the heir to the most powerful dynasty in Avalen. He was young, ambitious, already running Vale Group, and had pulled off an aggressive expansion overseas that no one his age had ever achieved.

But he was also cold and ruthless. Hard to love, and even harder to please.

One look, and you could tell–this wasn’t a man who knew how to take care of a woman, let alone cherish

one.

And Elise had lived long enough in high society to know the truth: most women who married into powerful families weren’t happy. They looked good on the outside but suffered in silence. How could she expect her daughter to be any different–marrying the crown prince of a family like that?

She’d only ever wanted Arden to find someone who really got her. Who would hold her like she mattered. Like she was everything.

Gareth’s voice was tight. “I honestly thought a guy like Dorian–so emotionally distant–would at least stay clean. But now some woman shows up pregnant, throwing it in Arden’s face?”

He slammed his hand down. “I made the wrong call. I screwed this up. The company could’ve gone under -I shouldn’t have gambled her whole future on that man.”

Caleb’s jaw tightened. “I told Eugenia we want the divorce. We’re done playing with these people.”

Gareth nodded. “We’ll sell the company if we have to. We’ll return that five billion, every cent.”

They were finally on the same page. If Arden wasn’t happy, if someone like her wasn’t even being appreciated–then what was the point? She was too good for this. Too young to spend every day staring at a man who never smiled at her.

Gareth asked, “Any update on the project case?”

“Some leads,” Caleb said. “Looks like a setup. Uncle Jack might even be involved.”

By the time they got home, the ambulance still hadn’t arrived. They walked in to see Elise lying on the couch, hand pressed to her chest–and the regret hit all over again. They’d made a terrible decision three

years ago.

It wasn’t until she was admitted to the family’s private hospital and cleared by the doctor that father and son finally let out the breath they’d been holding.

Meanwhile, Arden stared at the old video. Her heart felt heavier by the second.

specially when she saw who had posted it—Buzznet. Owned by Vale Group.

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Chapter 34 Broken Trust

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So Dorian really was backing Vivienne.

After all these years, he still couldn’t let it go?

One second he’s blasting her all over the internet, and the next he’s texting her, asking to have dinner? What did he want–to humiliate her in person?

Maybe once upon a time, she’d had feelings for him. But after these three years, how could she still not see him clearly?

She remembered the night after middle school graduation, a class reunion at some bar. A couple of Howlifes had shown up and tried to drag her and her friends out.

Dorian had stepped in.

He’d thrown punches like he didn’t care who was watching, knocked the guys out cold, and told them to get lost–full of rage and no mercy.

After that, he didn’t even look back at them.

He just leaned against the bar, asked the bartender for something strong, and muttered in that cold, sarcastic tone, “You even old enough to be in here?”

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Everything Was a Deal Until Divorce

Chapter 35 Stolen Years

She really hadn’t planned on coming.