whapter 122 The Calm Before the Storm
Chapter 122 The Calm Before the Storm
“James, if you want my money, you might have to wait a while.”
Three to five days….
James still found her <b>so</b>–called brother extremely annoying
But the anxiety in his chest finally eased a little.
After all, tomorrow he would finally confess to her. He’d do everything he could to treat her right, make her feel something for him. And if that worked, she wouldn’t bother going on any more dates,
“James, my eyelids are getting heavy I’m going to bed now, Goodnight, we’ll talk tomorrow!”
Imagining her sleepy little face hugging her phone, dozing off mid–text, softened Jarnes’s expressionpletely. The harsh coldness faded, reced by a quiet warmth.
“Mm. Goodnight.”
Tomorrow….
He had something very important to say to her.
He could only hope she would give him the chance–so from now on, they could walk through the together.
<b>years </b>
After what happened tonight–after offending James and seeing how deeply it disgusted him–Lily had been feeling painfully guilty.
<b>But </b>chatting with him lightened her mood more than she expected.
She took some cold medicine and, still feeling groggy, set her phone aside and fell into a deep sleep.
James, however, <b>was </b>clearly in a rush. He didn’t want to wait even a single extra second to finalize their separation.
By the time Lily opened her eyes the next morning, he was already dressed and sitting on the sofa, waiting.
It was just past six in the morning.
Even if they raced to the Civil Affairs <b>Bureau </b>now, the ce wouldn’t be open yet–they’d still have to wait.
But <b>his </b>urgency to draw the line between them.. she understood it all too well.
So she quickly got up, freshened up <b>as </b>fast as she could<b>, </b>and got into his car,
<b>Just </b>as expected, when they arrived at the Bureau, the doors were still shut.
They ended <b>up </b>waiting almost an hour before the staff finally opened for the day.
The Calm Before the Storm
There weren’t many couples getting married today.
But divorcing couples? There were several.
Lily <b>and </b>James were among the carliest to arrive, so they were first in line at the divorce desk.
Surprisingly, James–normally so frosty–actually looked calm and pleasant for once as they sat down.
That is, <b>until </b>he learned that during the four and a half years he’d been unconscious, a new regtion had been introduced: a mandatory one–month “cooling–off period” for divorce.
Instantly, the rare warmth on his face was crushed under a freshyer of ice.
They filled out the paperwork, but the clerk told them they’d have to return in one month to get the actual divorce certificate.
James was definitely not happy.
But he knew Lily wasn’t the kind of person to go back on her word. Since they had both signed the agreement, and the application was officially filed, there was no reason to worry–one month from now, it would be <b>final</b>.
Lily, who had never been through a divorce, hadn’t expected the cooling–off use either.
Facing James’s utterly indifferent expression, she felt embarrassed.
He really had the worst luck–married without consent, and now he couldn’t even finalize the divorce smoothly.
She didn’t want him to overthink it, <b>so </b>she offered gently,
<b>“</b>James, don’t worry. Nothing’s going to go wrong this month. We’ll get the certificate on time. Honestly, a month flies by–once the New Year’s over, it’ll already be here. And we’ve already filed and signed. It’s basically done. You don’t have to carry any guilt. You’re free to be with the woman you like now.”
<b>But </b>to James, truly drawing the line meant being legally divorced.
He didn’t respond to that. Instead, his tone was curt:
“I’ll pick you up for dinner tonight.”
Lily immediately understood–a blind date.
She hadn’t expected him to move this fast. He’d already found someone for her?
His efficiency was honestly kind of impressive.
She was a little curious who this eligible bachelor” might be. But seeing how cold and disinterested he looked, she didn’t bother asking and just quietly epted it.
He had good judgment. Whoever itwas, he definitely wouldn’t be some weirdo. No need <b>to </b>worry.
Today, <b>Lily </b>had a voiceover session scheduled at the recording studio.
Chapter 122 The Calm Before the Storm
James dropped her off, then headed straight to the Fu Corporation.
Last night, he had already chosen the man he’d introduce her to-
His cousin, Simon
His uncle was a fearsome force in the business world–ruthless and decisive–but at home, he waspletely devoted to his wife.
Loyalty ran deep in that side of the family, and he had raised Simon with strict values.
Simon was trustworthy. James had full confidence in him.
He believed Simon could be Lily’s true match.
“James
Simon had just finished his morning meeting when James walked into his office.
Seeing his cousin sitting there, Simon’s eyes–always carefree and yful–lit up with surprise and
Simon had only been born a couple of hours after James,
He was brilliant in his own right, hailed by many as a golden child of fortune,
But James Jud always been un another level. He had been steady and mature since childhood–more like an old <b>man </b>than a boy—and his overwhelming presence made even peers like Simon feel like they <b>were </b>facing an elder.
Whenever they were together, Simon couldn’t help feeling a strange sense of reverence–like he was in the presence of someone older, wiser, and untouchable,
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