The Divorce That Brought Us Back novel Chapter 148

Jasmine had been paralyzed for years, convinced that her absence would trigger an apocalyptic collapse of the family structure.

In reality, it was barely a speed bump.

The world kept spinning, completely indifferent to who was in it.

"There is one wrinkle, though," Nora added. "The Quigley family is pushing to sever all business ties with the Smiths. Yates is throwing a massive tantrum over it. It's turning into a pretty brutal boardroom war."

Cassidy sucked down a generous sip of her brown sugar boba. "Since when does Yates call the shots at his firm?"

Nora shook her head. "That part, I'm not entirely sure about."

Cassidy tapped her manicured nails thoughtfully against her cup. "If the Quigleys actually pull their funding, the Smith family is going to bleed out fast."

The Smith corporation had been circling the drain for years.

Mr. Smith was a notoriously tyrannical CEO whose antiquated tactics had run the company into the ground. Compounded by the exorbitant resources he funneled into Valery's care, the business had been suffering massive annual losses, surviving entirely on old prestige and drained cash reserves.

The moment the Quigley partnership evaporated, the Smiths wouldn't just lose their primary revenue stream—their market reputation and internal morale would utterly collapse.

They would never recover from the bankruptcy.

"Honestly?" Nora said quietly. "I think Yates is still completely obsessed with marrying Jasmine."

Cassidy let out a harsh bark of laughter. "In his dreams."

"He's fighting tooth and nail to keep the alliance alive." Nora leaned in closer, dropping her voice. "And remember how Jasmine canceled the deposit on the plaza for the reception? Yates quietly went behind her back and re-booked the entire venue."

"Are you kidding me?"

Cassidy's brow furrowed in disgust. "Back when they were engaged, he refused to host a reception, claiming a lavish party would be too 'stressful' for Valery's weak heart, and demanded a quick elopement instead. Now that Jasmine's gone rogue, suddenly he's throwing a massive gala? Does that manipulative prick actually think waving a shiny party in her face is going to reel her back in?"

"Jasmine is never going back." Nora tracked Jasmine's glowing figure across the room. "When a bird breaks out of a cage and realizes the sky is limitless, that it can feed itself and fly wherever it wants... the warden waving a handful of stale seeds isn't going to tempt it back behind bars."

Cassidy's expression darkened. "I'm worried they're going to resort to dirty tactics."

She despised her mother and her cousin, but she still loved her grandfather, so she had shown up to honor him.

And the monsters hunting her had expertly weaponized that exact drop of sentimental weakness against her.

Nora hadn't been born hardened; she had forged her armor through excruciating trials.

Escaping the abusive household was merely the first, bloody step of the war.

Untangling the psychological trauma, breaking the submissive conditioning, and rebuilding an entirely new support system was a lifelong battle.

Learning how to navigate the ghosts of her past was the hardest challenge of all.

Cassidy took a deep, aggressive breath. "You know what? I should just go track Yates down and beat him into a coma."

"He was a pathetic weakling in high school, and even with a baby currently gestating in my uterus, I guarantee I could still mop the floor with him. Let me break a few bones; that'll put an end to his little schemes."