She Left She Thrived She’s Worth Billions novel Chapter 465

Melanie scoffed inwardly and walked right past him, coffee mug in hand, as if he were completely invisible.

"Melanie..." Dominic stepped forward, blocking her path.

"That's Ms. Royce to you," she corrected him with ice in her voice.

There were other employees in the breakroom, all fully aware of their messy divorce. Seeing Dominic use his large frame to corner her, a few of the more gossip-hungry staff immediately began whispering to each other.

"What's going on? Is the ex-husband still obsessed with our boss?"

"Aren't they divorced? A little late for regrets now."

"Seriously. Ms. Royce already has a new boyfriend, and he is way hotter than this guy."

Hearing the hushed mockery, Dominic fought to suppress his surging temper. He knew the entire Royce Group had been talking trash behind his back since the split.

"Fine, I admit I cheated and had a child out of wedlock... But at least I own it! I didn't act like a hypocrite or hide what I did." Dominic puffed out his chest, attempting to project a facade of righteous honesty. His voice grew louder, laced with manufactured confidence.

"But what about your precious Ms. Royce? She was cheating on me during the marriage too! She was keeping a boy toy on the side and moved in with him..."

Dominic glanced around the room, gauging the reactions of the eavesdropping crowd. "I was just too naive. I fell for her trap, and now she gets to play the victim."

Listening to his pathetic attempt to flip the script, Melanie felt nothing. Her mind was as still as a frozen lake.

"Melanie, in front of all your employees, do you dare look me in the eye and say you weren't already hooking up with Preston before we divorced?"

"I do."

Her answer was crisp, cutting, and absolute.

Dominic froze.

Melanie's expression was utterly untroubled, radiating the unshakable calm of someone with absolutely nothing to hide.

"Let me remind you of one last thing. You already have a criminal record for harassing me. If you don't want to spend the rest of your miserable life rotting in a cell, I suggest you show some respect."

Her warning was absolute.

And just like that, because of her perfectly timed words, the entire company found out Dominic had been locked up.

The news spread like wildfire, saturating their corporate circles within twenty-four hours. Melanie had been planning to leak his arrest anyway, but he had practically gift-wrapped the opportunity and handed it to her.

Because of his stint in lockup, the Hale Group's reputation tanked. Several lucrative deals collapsed overnight.

Gregory was furious. He tore into Dominic over the phone, screaming until his throat went raw.

Fresh off the brutal scolding, Dominic hung up the phone. As he looked up, the person walking toward him made him freeze.

"Mr. Hale, how about we grab dinner tonight?" Aria ran a hand through her hair, flashing him a smile dripping with calculation.