Chapter 88

Kayla didn't waver as she replied,"No."

Liam's face tightened with frustration. "So you're not open to discussion at all?"

Rising from her seat, Kayla fixed him with a cold,unwavering stare. "We're going through the divorce,Liam. If I reclaim Cooper Group by myself, you'll be left with nothing to negotiate." Without waiting for his reaction, she turned on her heel and strode off,not once looking back.

All Liam could do was watch as she slipped into a cab and vanished down the street. He stayed rooted in place,hands clenched so tightly his knuckles whitened."I've swallowed my pride this far. Why won't she relent?"

Darkness soon crept over the city.

By dinnertime, Marsha had recovered a bit of her warmth and reached over, squeezing Kayla's hand in a gentle, affectionate gesture. "Kayla, are you really divorcing Liam? He's been running himself ragged these days, doing everything he can to help me. He really is a good man at heart."

Kayla slowly stirred her pasta, her expression unreadable. "Grandma, I've explained this before. Liam isn't who he once was. Everything he does now is calculated-he's just trying to manipulate me for his own benefit. I'm not the naive girl he fooled all those years ago. That version of me is gone."

Marsha's intentions were always kind. She still clung to the belief that love alone could heal any wound."Sweetheart, even if Liam made some mistakes, he's working hard to make up for them. Doesn't that count for something? Maybe you could find it in your heart to forgive him."

Setting her fork down with a quiet clink, Kayla met Marsha's gaze, her eyes shadowed but unwavering.

It wasn't hard to piece together what had happened.Liam had probably been feeding Marsha every excuse he could invent while she was not around. Now, every word out of Marsha's mouth sounded like she was reading straight from his script.

Only one thought crossed Kayla's mind-Liam really was something else.

The door swung open, and the new caregiver entered,arms full of oversized pots brimming with vibrant flowers. "Ma'am, these just arrived from overseas. Mr.Graham said you'd appreciate having something fresh to tend to, since you've been cooped up indoors."

Marsha's eyes went wide with delight. "Liam! He never forgets about me. He knew I'd feel restless and sent flowers to cheer me up. How thoughtful!"

The careqiver offered a quick smnile. "That's not all- there are quite a few other gifts waiting, too. Once you're finished with dinner, you might want to see for yourself."

Marsha beamed, clasping her hands together. "How wonderful! I'll have a look as soon as we're done eating."

Kayla sat through their conversation, every bite of her food growing more bland with each word.

A single realization crystallized in her mind-if she wanted this divorce finalized, Marsha needed to witness the truth about Liam for herself.

That evening at the Grand Court Hotel, Zoe had pulled out all the stops. She stepped into the lobby draped in a striking crimson gown, her hair cascading in flawless waves, and a team of stylists had perfected every detail of her makeup. She radiated elegance, looking every bit like she was about to command the runway.

Perched in the luxurious private dining room,she fidgeted with her compact mirror, anxiously touching up her makeup as she waited.

A voice called from the hallway, "Mr. Graham has arrived." That single announcement sent a rush of adrenaline through her. She sprang to her feet,smoothing her dress as she struggled to tamp down her excitement.

Jeremy entered, his deep purple shirt neatly tucked into impeccably tailored black slacks. Every movement radiated self-assurance, an easy authority filling the room.

Zoe moved closer, her gaze dropping shyly as she greeted him. "Jeremy."

A waiter pulled out the chair with a practiced flourish,and Jeremy took his seat with composed elegance."Hope I didn't keep you waiting."

Zoe slipped into the chair beside him, flashing a warm,eager smile. "Not at all. I only just arrived myself."

His gaze swept over the table, taking in the parade of luxurious dishes arranged like works of art. The sheer extravagance hardly registered anymore; he'd long since grown indifferent to this kind of opulence."All this for just the two of us? Don't you think it's a bit over the top?"

Zoe quickly reached for a fork and transferred a delicate portion onto his plate. "Please, give it a try.These are the chef's specialties. My parents have dined here before, and they raved about every dish."

Having grown up on lavish meals like these, Jeremy knew each flavor by heart. No matter the price or presentation, it all blurred together on his palate.

Even so, he didn't protest and reached for a fork, his every movement unhurried and refined.

A delighted gleam danced in Zoe's eyes as she gazed at him. "Please, help yourself. If this isn't enough, I'll call for more."

Jeremy paused, fork in hand, then gently nudged several meat-laden plates in her direction. "You should eat something,too."

Zoe shook her head with a quick, dismissive gesture."I'm not hungry, really. You enjoy."

She'd been rigidly restricting her diet for weeks now,steering clear of anything oily or carb-heavy-no matter how much she secretly craved it.

Jeremy glanced at her untouched plate, his tone mild but unmistakable. "In that case, don't go overboard with the ordering next time."

Just then, several waiters arrived, moving about the room as they set up instruments and adjusted the space for an impromptu performance.

With practiced poise, Zoe rose from her seat. "I've been working on a new dance. Would you like to see it?"

Jeremy offered a short nod. "If you're in the mood to perform,go ahead."

Zoe stepped into the center of the room and gestured for the staff to clear out. In moments, the two of them were alone.

Confidence radiated from her with every breath;tonight, she intended to win Jeremy over for good. When the music swelled, Zoe lifted herself gracefully onto her toes, launching into the choreography she'd rehearsed for weeks.

Each step flowed seamlessly into the next, her arms curving elegantly through the air, but to Jeremy, the whole performance felt empty-beautiful on the surface yet utterly devoid of warmth. He watched in silence, his expression unreadable, until his attention started to drift.

Absentmindedly, he picked up his phone, scrolling through notifications with a lazy flick of his thumb.A flash of color on his screen made him pause-a new update from Kayla had just appeared.