Chapter 1: The Silent Agreement

"Sir, please don't smoke here... Hello?"

"Oh... Sorry."

Ethan Gray snapped back to reality, extinguished the nearly burned-out cigarette, and threw it into the trash bin in front of him.

The young female intern glared at the man before her with a look of disgust and wanted to scold him further, but he had already pushed through the stairwell door and walked out.

"How rude…" she muttered, shrugging her shoulders, "well, at least he is hot."

Five minutes later.

In the spacious conference room at the top of the Zenith Enterprises headquarters building, a tense silence hung in the air. Victoria Conrad sat at one end of the long table, with her divorce lawyer, Mr. Zimmer, sitting beside her.

Mr. Zimmer checked his watch; it was 10:35.

The appointment was set for 10:00, but his client, Ms. Conrad, had only appeared five minutes ago.

After waiting for 30 minutes, Mr. Zimmer dared not show any dissatisfaction.

This young and beautiful woman, barely in her early thirties, had rapidly grown Zenith Enterprises into a leading company in the industry. She was not someone Mr. Zimmer could afford to upset, and he only hoped today wouldn't turn into a fierce battle.

After all, divorces among the wealthy often come with silent battles and the ugly side of human nature.

"You finally show up."

A deep voice echoed as Victoria and Mr. Zimmer looked up to see a man pushing the door open and walking in.

The man was handsome yet dressed simply. He strode to the other end of the conference table, pulled out a chair, and sat down.

The smell of smoke on him made Victoria frown slightly.

For a moment, no one spoke.

The only sound was the faint hum of the city coming through the panoramic windows.

Victoria's slender fingers tapped on the papers in front of Mr. Zimmer, who snapped back to his professional demeanor.

"Mr. Gray, I think it's best if we directly proceed to discussing the terms. Ms. Conrad wishes for this to be resolved quickly and cleanly."

Ethan looked up, his gaze sweeping over the divorce lawyer and settling on Victoria. He slightly frowned, "Quick and clean, that's always been your way, hasn't it?"

Victoria finally looked up, "You can make requests, and I will try to accommodate you."

Ethan looked at the beautiful face in front of him, but his mind echoed with what Victoria's secretary had told him,

"Mr. Gray, in just three years, Ms. Conrad's net worth has exceeded a billion dollars. She not only created a miracle but also became the hottest female CEO in Diamond City! With her beauty and capability, she is destined to stand above the clouds, admired by thousands! And you? You're just an ordinary man, totally not her match, so I hope you have some self-awareness!"

"I know you're not content, but that's the reality. Maybe you once helped Ms. Conrad, but she has repaid you over the last three years. Now, you owe her!"

Mr. Zimmer, seeing the man zoning out, prompted, "Sir, what are your demands?"

Ethan smirked sarcastically, "Ms. Conrad is so eager to divorce, I suppose she's also prepared to pay. But for you, money and power are what matter most, aren't they?"

Victoria exhaled softly, nodding, "The cars and houses are yours, plus I'll give you ten million dollars in compensation…"

"I don't need it."

Ethan's voice was cold, surprising Victoria who looked up in shock.

"All I want is that pearl ring—it was my mother's, and the one I used to propose to you."

At the mention of the ring, Victoria's expression briefly tightened.

Ethan stared intently at the woman he once deeply loved, "What, don't want to return it? I hear you've been seeing the young master Thomas of the Grand Era Group; can't he afford a better ring?"

Victoria opened her mouth as if to say something but hesitated and instead slid the ring across the table.

She felt as if a part of her was being extracted, echoes of the past slipping away between her fingers.

"Thank you."

His cold voice brought Victoria back to reality.

Ethan picked up the divorce papers, quickly signed them, and took the ring.

Victoria steadied herself, her demeanor as unyielding as ever. "Is there anything else you need from me?"

"That's all. You've given back the only thing I wanted," Ethan replied, "I hope you won't regret today's decision."

With that, Ethan left without looking back.

The smell of smoke quickly dissipated, and so would the man from Victoria's life.

Mr. Zimmer breathed a sigh of relief; as a divorce lawyer, he knew today's outcome was the best for his client.

He turned to the woman beside him, noticing her normally upright shoulders had slightly slumped. But almost instantly, within a second, she regained her usual poised and haughty demeanor, as if that moment of vulnerability had never happened.