I Chose Me Over My Marriage novel Chapter 169

"Of course, as an investor, I don't want to see any problems arise at this stage. We're all smart people here, so I won't beat around the bush."

"May I ask, Ms. Moon, have your personal relationship issues been resolved? Can you guarantee that there won't be any further disruptions?"

That single sentence instantly pushed the tension in the room to its absolute breaking point.

And this was exactly the reaction Lyra wanted.

"Don't worry, I don't mean anything malicious by it. I'm simply curious, and I just want to ensure that no outside factors continue to affect the production schedule."

She was right.

From the very beginning, this had been her exact goal.

Whether it was Aria or anyone else, she refused to let petty relationship drama jeopardize her return on investment.

Of course, she had her own selfish motivations as well.

If Maxwell and Aria officially tied the knot, it would solve her problems once and for all.

She wanted to force their relationship into the public eye—partly to protect herself, but also to punish Maxwell.

She wanted him to walk the exact same path she had, to feel the exact same suffocating despair.

Hearing Lyra's words, Maxwell instantly saw through her entire scheme.

He just couldn't believe that Lyra would go to such ruthless lengths simply to get away from him.

"I believe Mr. Sterling and Ms. Moon are a fated match. Honestly, the public's interest in your relationship is incredibly high right now. If it turns out that the 'fated first love' narrative is real, it will be massively beneficial for the show. The publicity alone will drive the ratings through the roof."

"We are not together."

"We absolutely are."

He opened his mouth to argue, but Aria gave him zero room to breathe.

"Director Grant, Director Chambers, Ms. Thorne, and Ms. Lennox—you have my word. My relationship with Maxwell is perfectly fine, and we will not cause any trouble for this production."

With that, Aria turned to Maxwell, her eyes overflowing with manufactured, sickly-sweet affection.

Maxwell immediately hissed under his breath, "Stop talking nonsense."

"What nonsense?" Aria beamed, her eyes turning dark and unfathomable. "I'm just telling the truth. The whole world knows you divorced for me. Now that everyone involved is sitting right here, what's wrong with clearing the air?"

Her words effectively boxed Maxwell into a corner he couldn't escape from.

Lyra and Chloe exchanged a glance. Chloe still looked slightly confused as Lyra spoke up.

"Ms. Moon is absolutely right. As someone directly involved, I fully support her statement. Furthermore, I have no doubt that with Ms. Moon and Mr. Sterling's involvement, this production will be an outstanding success."