The Man Who Never Looked Away novel Chapter 304

To him, it was just the pathetic yapping of a beaten dog.

Corinne gently placed the plaque on the corner of his desk, turned, and walked out.

She stood in the hallway, lowered her head to wipe her eyes, took a deep breath, and prepared to leave.

Then she saw Larkin Locke. He was holding a stack of files, about to walk inside.

Corinne looked at his awkward, slightly goofy face, and suddenly, she understood.

"Why you?" she asked.

Larkin pushed his glasses up his nose. "I don't really know. I think it's because... back when I was temping for Mr. Harper, Mrs. Harper was always pretty nice to me."

He gave Corinne a brief nod, pushed the door open, and stepped into Garnett's office.

"Mr. Harper, I have some documents here that need your review."

Corinne stood in the corridor, staring at the closed door.

She pulled out her phone, intending to call Sigrid Sloan to see if she could put in a good word for her.

Her finger hovered over the screen. After a moment's thought, she lowered her hand.

***

Garnett was alone in the massive office.

Texts congratulating him on his promotion to chairman were still flooding in, but he didn't open a single one.

He had more pressing matters to attend to.

He picked up his desk phone and dialed an internal extension. It rang twice before it was answered.

"Attorney Quinn, come up to my office."

The corporate lawyer from the legal department arrived quickly. Garnett slid a state identification booklet to the center of the desk.

"This is the legal ID Lavinia and I used when we filed for our divorce."

Attorney Quinn picked it up and flipped through it, but didn't immediately see an issue.

Garnett leaned back in his chair, looking perfectly at ease. "I reported this exact ID as lost beforehand and had a new one issued. This one was technically deactivated the moment I did that. If I used a deactivated ID on the day of the filing... is that enough grounds to petition to void the divorce registration?"

Attorney Quinn set the ID down and looked at his boss. "Mr. Harper, once an ID is reported lost and reissued, the original document is legally invalid. A divorce registration processed using invalid documents constitutes a procedural flaw. Legally speaking, it can absolutely be voided."

[Blossom City Civil Registry] *To Mr. Garnett Harper and Ms. Lavinia Joplin: Upon review, it has been determined that the divorce registration processed on [Date] utilized an identification document that had been previously reported lost and invalidated. Pursuant to Article 52 of the Marriage Registration Regulations, this filing contains a procedural flaw and has been legally voided. The divorce decree is retroactively invalid. Should you wish to proceed with a dissolution of marriage, a new application must be submitted.*

A slow smile spread across Garnett's lips. "Mr. Roche, I'm calling to give you a friendly warning. Lavinia has always been my wife, and she still is. I'd appreciate it if you stayed away from her."

"Garnett, what exactly are you talking about?" Lucian's voice turned ice-cold.

"Oh, I forgot to mention. A few days ago, I reported my primary ID lost and got a replacement. When we went to sign the papers this morning, I brought the expired one by mistake."

Garnett let out a soft chuckle. "The registry office just texted me. The divorce is void. Lavinia and I are still very much married."

"Are you playing games with me, Garnett?" Lucian ground out.

"Lucian, no matter how low I sink, I would never sell out my own wife. I suggest you learn to respect your opponents from now on."

He paused. "I can lose a thousand times, ten thousand times. As long as I win the one that matters, it's enough."

He hung up.

In the photo frame on his desk, Lavinia stood shoulder-to-shoulder with him, smiling blissfully.

Everything was exactly as it had been.