Beyond the Divorce

Ava’s Birthday

My hands trembled, and I remembered Atlas asking why I didn’t understand his intentions. My emotions were a mess. If not for the people around me, I would’ve left to seek confirmation from Atlas.

If that was the case, I had misunderstood his intentions. I forcefully regained composure. After all, I still struggled to adapt to Atlas’s distant and cold attitude. I decided not to make excuses for myself and

chose to let go.

No matter the circumstances, the path with him would never be easy,

The following day, Ryan, Grayson, and I discussed our upcoming meeting with Atticus. I feared our actions might appear opportunistic. Ryan shook his head, stating we should protect our interests. It wouldn’t mean we were abandoning our principles.

He said, “The reason Atticus didn’t approach anyone else isn’t because he had no other options or didn’t want to share the profits. It’s because we’re the most suitable for this deal. Of course, we don’t see all the

reasons for this suitability yet.

“Still, one thing is clear. Atticus is most interested in making a deal with us. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have promised to adhere to our conditions. Do you think he couldn’t find a trustworthy partner after all these

years?”

I agreed with Ryan’s analysis. I thought similarly then, but he explained it more clearly. The day after that, Ryan and I met with Atticus. True to our expectations, he was calm and straightforward in our

discussion.

Ryan got straight to the point. Atticus was also generous and agreed to split the costs evenly. However, he insisted we handle all the paperwork with the other party. Ryan was cautious and requested that Atticus sign an authorization agreement just in case.

After some thought, we smoothly reached an agreement.

When Atticus shook my hand, his tone showed a hint of teasing, “Ms. Chloe, this is the beginning of our cooperation. I hope it will be a pleasant one.”

Soon after, we had lunch at the clubhouse and left in high spirits. When we entered the car, Ryan said, Anicus is a shrewd businessman. His hidden assets aren’t limited to Echelon Group.”

dered Ryan’s words, indeed, it was a loss that Matthew hadn’t allied himself with Atticus. Still, the

nt qualified. While he was somewhat intelligent, he lacked foresight.

wasnt wrong, but he should have aligned himself more closely with might not have bean interested in someone who had risen to power Exclusive content from NôvelDrama.Org.

Next, we finalized all the paperwork, which we signed under Hartz Construction’s name. Tanum Corporation remained calm on the surface, and I was relieved. Hartz Construction had been registered in Solaris and had been kept well hidden.

That reminded me of Atlas. The registration of Hartz Construction was primarily thanks to him.

With Atticus’s unexpected contract as a foundation, Hartz Construction continued to grow. I passed most of the external affairs to Ryan, which allowed for more efficient development. That included negotiations

with ATL Empire.

I gradually withdrew from the forefront and focused more on my family. I had great confidence in Ryan and gave him ample room to operate.

Soon, it was Ava’s birthday. She was excited, having grown one year older and displaying more

independence. Our friends and family were cooperative, as always. They had already chosen a restaurant and ordered a birthday cake two days before the celebration.

Before the workday ended, I arrived at her kindergarten early to pick her up. I knew her too well. It must

have felt like an eternity for her.

When I went inside to pick her up, she was already waiting by the door. As soon as she saw me, she exclaimed joyfully and ran toward me.

I

I informed her teacher that we would be leaving early and was surprised when the teacher handed me a small gift. Looking at my daughter’s beaming face, I felt relieved. Every year at this time, Matthew had been the one organizing everything.

This year was different. From now on, Ava’s life was missing her father. I didn’t know if Matthew would

remember today.

We walked hand in hand out of the classroom toward the exit. Ava chirped away, telling me her friends had wished her a happy birthday. They even sang a birthday song at noon. She was overjoyed.

She stopped as we left the gate and tightened her grip on my hand.