The Transactional Marriage That Imploded novel Chapter 31

Mathis Jagger inhaled sharply, his handsome face twitching with barely suppressed rage. "I told you, I am not divorcing you. It has nothing to do with assets."

Bianca Baldwin found him laughable. "You have a love child and parade around with another woman every day, pretending you don't even know me in public. Mr. Jagger, it's a real shame you didn't go into acting."

Mathis's eyes reddened, tears welling up as though he were the picture of a devoted, heartbroken husband.

Bianca stared at him, her brow furrowed in disbelief. His thin lips parted. "Whatever happens, just don't leave me. Since you chose to marry me three years ago, you're supposed to stay by my side for the rest of our lives."

Furious, Bianca slapped him hard across the face, leaving a stark red handprint on his fair skin.

Mathis stood frozen. The woman who had once smiled so gently at him had actually struck him.

"Stay by your side?" Bianca lashed out. "So I can watch you fool around with another woman while she provokes me day in and day out? Mathis, me marrying you three years ago was nothing but a transaction. Now that you're cured, the deal is off. You have other women, you have a son—why can't you just go be a happy family of three? Why do you insist on keeping me chained to you?"

Mathis grabbed her wrist, his eyes burning with defiant obsession. "Don't even think about filing for divorce. The moment you do, I'll destroy Stellaride Computing. I mean it."

Looking into his narrow, intense eyes, Bianca felt a deep sense of revulsion.

Her face was devoid of warmth, replaced only by a cold, mocking sneer. "Your woman is currently padding her resume at Progenix Tech. If you go after Stellaride, Progenix will go down with it. Are you really willing to risk that?"

Mathis was entirely unfazed by her threat. "If Progenix gets dragged down, I'll just move her to another company. I invest in plenty of them anyway. Bianca, in this lifetime, you will never get rid of me."

A bone-deep chill crept up Bianca's spine. She had to get away from him.

After delivering his ultimatum, Mathis made a call, ordering Quincy to bring up an ice pack.

As she walked, she couldn't help but think: *If those two cheating scumbags weren't in the office, I'd gladly work overtime.*

After all, Progenix was utilizing Bianca's patents for this project, meaning she received a cut of the technical dividends.

Hector had chosen to meet at his law firm. With his high-bridged nose and striking features, he hardly looked like the city's ruthless top divorce attorney.

When he saw Bianca, a flicker of genuine surprise crossed his face, followed quickly by realization. *Makes sense,* he thought. *Only a face like hers could catch Mathis Jagger's eye.*

Hector's secretary brought in two cups of coffee. Bianca didn't touch hers, nor did she say a word.

Hector cut straight to the chase. "I contacted your husband today. He said he won't divorce you. I don't recommend you file a lawsuit right now—he made it clear he has ways to force you to drop it. I asked you here to find out: what exactly does he have on you?"