The Transactional Marriage That Imploded novel Chapter 184

But she had always found a way to escape him.

In the past, her icy composure and sharp intellect had been fatally attractive to him, but now he desperately wished she wasn't so impossibly rational.

He reached out to pull her into his arms, but she swiftly sidestepped him.

He had missed her for so long, and now that she was finally standing right in front of him, all she offered was cold rejection.

Mathis's eyes brimmed with unshed tears. "Wouldn't you want to give Aveline a whole, unbroken family?"

"No," Bianca refused flatly. "Compared to the absolute misery of letting you dictate my emotions, I much prefer being entirely on my own.

I like handling my own joy and sorrow. You're not my savior, and we are much better off as strangers."

She paused, then added, "If you're willing to give Aveline back to me, I'll give you the next-generation computing algorithm as compensation."

If Mathis agreed, the trap she had meticulously laid for Cynthia would be perfectly set into motion.

It was a master plan she had spent ages designing. Until now, she hadn't had a solid excuse to offer it to him, but Aveline was the perfect leverage.

Knowing just how deeply he loved Cynthia, she was certain he would take the deal.

But he completely shut her down.

"Aveline is legally my daughter now. Without my explicit consent, you can't even get a paternity test done. If you insist on going through with this divorce, you will never see her again for the rest of your life."

Seeming to understand his harsh words, Aveline burst into tears.

"Daddy, no!"

A sudden, violent surge of irritation washed over Mathis, making him crave a cigarette.

He had quit smoking entirely the day he started raising the little girl.

Suppressing the agonizing ache in her chest, Bianca gently handed Aveline back to him.

"Suit yourself! Get out. I'll see you in court tomorrow."

"I'm not leaving. Wherever you are, we'll be right there with you."

Xanthe, who had been eavesdropping from around the corner, realized negotiations had completely broken down.

She marched straight out.

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