His Last Command Came Back to Kill Him novel Chapter 156

Whitley gave a brief nod, tightened her grip on her files, and walked into the grand auditorium.

Clive dragging Yelena to a massive industry summit, flaunting her as his partner, wasn't just him picking favorites anymore. It was a complete obliteration of Whitley's existence. He was taking the legal and emotional weight of their marriage and treating it like an inconvenience.

Even with all his money and power, there was no excuse for this level of public humiliation.

Watching it unfold, Chisholm Vance felt sick on her behalf. "He's crossing every line. He hasn't left you an ounce of dignity."

Whitley stared blankly at the stage, her voice completely hollow. "I'm used to it."

Their marriage had been a secret from day one.

Because of that one disastrous night years ago, Clive was convinced she had trapped him. He only married her because his family forced his hand.

Meanwhile, Yelena had always been the golden girl—the woman everyone assumed would one day run the Sherwood empire.

Clive was acting this recklessly now because he thought Whitley was weak. He figured that since she was a secret wife, she wouldn't dare make a scene.

"If I out myself right now, it's just a quick hit of revenge. It doesn't actually serve me," Whitley said, her tone razor-sharp.

"If I back him into a corner, he'll retaliate. He'll crush PurePath and go after my family. I don't have the ammunition to survive a war with him yet."

She had to bide her time.

Karma always came around, but she had to survive long enough to watch it hit.

The two of them had just found their seats when Clive and Yelena, flanked by organizers, walked down their aisle.

The entourage stopped right next to Whitley. The event coordinator glanced at her, didn't recognize her face, and offered a polite but deeply condescending smile. "Excuse me, ma'am. This is the VIP section. Which firm are you representing?"

After exchanging pleasantries, Reid's eyes flicked to Whitley. He paused for half a second before smoothly turning his attention to Chisholm, extending a hand. "Mr. Vance. A pleasure."

"Mr. Montgomery," Chisholm replied, shaking his hand.

Reid was hyper-focused on business. Despite being a titan in the corporate world, he famously stayed out of petty socialite drama.

The Montgomery family had run pharmaceuticals for over a century. Their raw material processing and analytics were world-class, making them the absolute best partner for PurePath's bid.

But as Reid turned to leave, he caught sight of Whitley and Chisholm out of the corner of his eye. They were leaning in close, deep in conversation about the data. Whitley was actually smiling—a soft, relaxed smile.

It was a smile Reid had never once seen her give Clive.

Sitting nearby, Xander Sherwood scoffed, muttering to the person next to him, "She's dragging her feet on the divorce, but she's already practically climbing into another guy's lap. Unbelievable."