<b>Chapter </b><b>239 </b>


    ? ? 57%


    Tracy looked a bit disappointed. She was probably hoping to see me sad, desperately trying to hold on, maybe even getting hostile with her, or begging her not to steal my husband. My calm indifference clearly got under her


    skin.


    She sneered, “Ms. Murphy, looks like you’ve had a pretty smooth ride so far. You can just breeze through this


    breakup since you’re not even divorced yet.


    “But once you’re out of the Hob family and Jared’s not there to shield you, you’ll see that all <i>those </i>guys out


    there don’t evene close to him.”


    I had to admit that Jared was top of the food chain. But since I already decided to divorce him, I wouldn’t change


    my mind.


    I stood up and said, “I’m set on my path. Don’t worry, I’m not going to get in the way of your little romance. Go chase after it all you want. But just so you know, your real rival isn’t me.


    “Maybe you should keep an eye on Amy instead.”


    Tracy’s face went stiff, and I strode out without looking back.


    The hotel’s grand opening finally arrived. The whole ce had this unique blend of serene grace and modern


    luxury. By the time we finished the final touches, every room was fully booked–even three months out.


    Jared knew everyone worth knowing, so the ce was packed on opening day, and the gifts just kept pouring in.


    On top of that, we scored deals with several majorpanies, and even a few local government–backed firms came to us for partnerships. Honestly, I didn’t see thating.


    Jared nced at me and asked, “Are these your connections?”


    I was just as clueless as he was.


    It was odd, but the contracts were legit–we’dnded all the corporate bookings for the next three years.


    Nathan, whom I hadn’t seen in ages, showed up to celebrate too. He’d been buried inpany businesstely, and one could tell he was a bit worn out, but it didn’t dull his refined good looks one bit.


    He was wearing sses, looking sharp and schrly. He had already told me he wanted to book all of his


    agreement.


    Jared didn’t look too happy about it, but since this was business, he had to show his professional side as the boss.


    “Thanks for your strong support, Mr. Hallman. Looking forward to working together,” Jared said, shaking Nathan’s hand in front of everyone.


    Nathan gave a polite smile and said, “I promised Victoria I’d set up this partnership, so of course I had to follow through. No need to thank me, Mr. Hob.”


    I stood nearby, smirking. Nathan knew exactly what was going on between me and Jared, and right now, he was making a point.


    Once Nathan settled into the lounge, Jared suddenly grabbed my hand and dragged me off to a quiet corner.


    “Nathan’s only here because of you, Victoria. Don’t tell me you’re hooking up with him?” Jared demanded, his face. dark with anger.


    “Today’s the grand opening–why spoil the mood with this kind of talk? It’s just business, try to be a little more gracious,” I said with a light smile.


    Jared took a deep breath and said, “I can’t be gracious. We’re not even divorced yet, and he’s already making a show of it. Tell me, who’s really desperate here?”


    I said coldly, “Already can’t take it, Mr. Hob? Guess you’re not as big–hearted as you like to think.”


    “Victoria, did Nathan pull some strings tond you those deals with state–ownedpanies? I heard he’s got a lot of government connectionstely,” Jared pressed, his tone sharp.


    His words made me a little skeptical, too. But Nathan never mentioned anything about it before. This was a big deal–if he’d helped me, he definitely would’ve given me a heads–up.


    I said, “If you’re that nosy, why don’t you go ask those managers yourself?” Honestly, I was just curious about who was backing me up like this.


    Jared’s face fell. He snapped, “You really think I’m that thick–skinned?”


    I replied, “Suit yourself if you don’t want to ask. The deals are set anyway. And remember what you said–I’m taking half the profits. Don’t go back on your word.”


    Jared’s eyes darkened as he said, “Rx. Your cut is guaranteed.”


    Watching Jared head back to the entrance to greet the guests, I let out a cold, inwardugh. Business was booming, yet Jared grilled me about where the business wasing from–how ridiculous.