Chapter 1 The Divorce and the Billionaire

The divorce agreement slapped against the mahogany table with a sharp crack.

"Sign it, Su Jin," my husband, Jiang Chen, said. He didn't even bother to look me in the eye. Instead, he was busy checking his reflection in the window, adjusting the gold cufflinks I had bought him for our third anniversary. "Xiaorou is pregnant. I'm giving you ten million dollars. Don't make it ugly."

I sat on the leather sofa, holding a cup of tea that had long gone cold. I looked past him to the woman standing by the door.

Lin Xiaorou, my so-called "best friend," was gently rubbing her flat stomach. She was wearing a loose silk dress, designed specifically to look modest while drawing attention to her "delicate" condition. She looked at me with pity, but her eyes were filled with a triumphant sneer.

"Sister Su Jin," Xiaorou whimpered, stepping forward. "Please don't blame Brother Chen. It was an accident. I never meant to come between you two..."

I set the teacup down. Clink. The sound echoed in the silent living room.

"Ten million?" I finally spoke, my voice dangerously calm.

Jiang Chen turned around, frowning. "Don't be greedy. You were just a poor country girl when I married you. Ten million is more than enough for someone like you to live comfortably for the rest of your life."

"Someone like me?" I repeated, a slow, cold smile spreading across my lips.

I reached into my designer handbag-a bag he thought was a cheap knockoff-and pulled out a black fountain pen. Without a second of hesitation, I flipped to the last page of the agreement and signed my name in smooth, elegant strokes.

Jiang Chen blinked, clearly shocked by how easily I gave in. He probably expected me to cry, beg, or throw my tea at him.

"Here is your freedom," I said, standing up and smoothing down my dress. I walked toward the door, pausing just as I passed Lin Xiaorou.

I leaned in close to her ear, whispering just loud enough for Jiang Chen to hear. "Enjoy the money, Xiaorou. You're going to need it for the hospital bills."

Xiaorou's face went pale.

"And Jiang Chen," I said, looking over my shoulder at the man I had wasted three years on. "Do you know who the real majority shareholder of your precious Jiang Corporation is?"

He let out a harsh laugh. "Are you insane? It's my family's company. You're just a country bumpkin who doesn't even know how to read a financial report."

I didn't say another word. I walked out of the mansion, leaving my past behind.

But I wasn't leaving empty-handed.

That night, the Jiang family hosted a grand banquet at the Royal Horizon Hotel. It was the official announcement of Lin Xiaorou's new status as the future Mrs. Jiang. The entire city's elite were invited.

And so was I.

When I stepped out of my black Rolls-Royce, the paparazzi outside the red carpet went crazy. I was wearing a custom-made midnight-blue gown by a French designer-a dress that cost more than the entire Jiang family's monthly income.

I walked through the grand doors of the ballroom, and the lively music immediately screeched to a halt.

Jiang Chen, standing at the center of the room with Xiaorou on his arm, nearly dropped his champagne glass. His face turned thunderous.

"Su Jin?!" he barked, storming toward me with Xiaorou trailing behind. "What are you doing here? This is an exclusive event! Are you here to make a scene?"

He waved his hand frantically at the security guards. "Security! Throw her out! She's just a crazy ex-wife!"

The security guards rushed toward me, but before they could grab my arms, a heavy, authoritative voice cut through the silent hall.

"Who dares?"

The voice was deep, magnetic, and terrifyingly cold.

The entire room froze. The security guards stopped dead in their tracks, their faces draining of color.

I looked past Jiang Chen.

A man was walking down the grand staircase. He was wearing a perfectly tailored black suit, his presence eclipsing everyone else in the room. He had sharp, handsome features and eyes as dark as a bottomless abyss.

Huo Tingyan.

The true head of the Huo family, the wealthiest and most powerful dynasty in the country. He was also Jiang Chen's uncle. A man so ruthless and powerful that even Jiang Chen's own father trembled in his presence.

Jiang Chen immediately let go of Xiaorou, his arrogant posture vanishing. "Uncle! I... I didn't know you were coming down. This is just a minor disturbance. My ex-wife is here to cause trouble..."

Huo Tingyan ignored him completely. His piercing gaze swept past his nephew and landed directly on me.

The coldness in his eyes melted, replaced by a possessive warmth that sent a shiver down my spine.

He walked right past Jiang Chen and stopped in front of me. Without a word, he took my hand and raised it to his lips, pressing a soft, deliberate kiss to my knuckles.

"Miss Su," Huo Tingyan said, his deep voice echoing in the dead-silent room. "About the proposal I made to you yesterday-have you thought it over?"

Jiang Chen's jaw hit the floor. Lin Xiaorou looked like she was about to faint.

I looked up at the powerful billionaire, flashing a brilliant smile. "Yes, Mr. Huo. I have."

Huo Tingyan's lips curled into a rare, devastating smirk. He turned to face the stunned crowd, still holding my hand tightly.

His voice was calm, yet it dropped like a bomb into the room.

"Then tomorrow morning, we are going to the Civil Affairs Bureau," Huo Tingyan announced, his eyes locking onto his nephew's horrified face. "Call her Auntie."

Jiang Chen's glass of champagne shattered against the marble floor.

But before he could even gasp in shock, the grand doors of the ballroom burst open. A team of men in black suits marched in, led by a man in a sharp gray suit holding a thick folder.

He walked straight to Jiang Chen.

"Mr. Jiang," the lawyer said coldly, opening the folder. "I am the legal representative for the lead investor of Jiang Corporation. We are invoking the breach of contract clause. As of this moment, the acquisition is complete. Your family no longer owns this company."

Jiang Chen stumbled backward, his face pale as a ghost. "What... what are you talking about? Who is the lead investor?!"

The lawyer didn't answer. Instead, he turned on his heel and bowed deeply-not to Huo Tingyan, but to me.

"The paperwork is ready for your signature, Chairwoman Su."