Beyond the Divorce by Third Blossom

Hello, Mr. Damian.”

“Ms. Chloe!” Damian sounded genuinely delighted. “We’re finally starting the project! I

hope this is the beginning of a successful partnership.”

omiled faintly, knowing that was indeed the case. So, I replied, “Yes! It’s all thanks to your

hard work, Mr Damian! I must treat you to a celebratory meal soon!”

my mind! What about tonight? Let’s celebrate at The Cerulean, I’ll see you at &

I hesitated for a moment, somewhat caught off guard. He seemed well–prepared and had

taken the

initiative to invite me to dinner. He added, “Ms. Chloe, please do us the honor! We’ll be

waiting for you!

Although I wasn’t too keen on it, I couldn’t refuse. Initially, I was supposed to treat Damian

to dinner, but he had taken the lead. I reluctantly agreed, “All right.”

After hanging up, I thought of a way to balance the situation. I decided to have Carol

accompany me to dinner instead of Ryan. Before leaving the office, I informed Ryan about

the dinner, and he told me to call him if I needed anything later.

I glanced at him and said, “Do you think I’m a child? It’s just a dinner. Is it that big of a

deal?”

Carol and I left the office together. She had offered to drive, so I sat in the backseat to

relax. I was surprised she was pretty good at driving

Is

When we arrived at the restaurant’s private room, I saw three other men besides Damian.

He introduced us to each other. One was Jett Emerson, the head of Echelon Group’s

development department.

The second was Beckett Grand, the head of Echelon’s project department, and finally,

someone from the city’s Building Department.

Fortunately, I had brought Carol along. Otherwise, it would have been quite awkward with

me, a woman, among a group of men. After exchanging pleasantries with them, we took

our seats. However, Damian hadn’t started the dinner yet, seemingly waiting for someone.

Keegan! You’re finally here!”

I couldn’t help but clench my fists. I didn’t expect Matthew to show up, too. I must’ve

jinxed it when I said

I hoped to never see him again after our divorce. On the contrary, his presence had

haunted me since

then.

The two approached, and everyone exchanged greetings. Carol and I exchanged disdainful

looks, and I

kept my composure.

“Ms. Chloe, let me introduce you to Mr. Keegan Thompson. He’s our CEO’s brother–in–law,”

Damian

tactfully introduced me to Keegan. He did it with such flattery as if that guy were some

kind of VIP.

Although he was in his thirt

I looked at the so–called VIP and noticed he was tall and skinny. his

hairstyle was the most eye–catching thing about him. He had a pompadour gelled to keep

its shape.

He wore a royal blue suit with a white pocket square at the front. The suit might have

looked good on

someone else, but it was far from flattering on him. Keegan looked at me with his

unpleasant eyes and

extended his hand, saying, “Ms. Chloe, I’ve heard so much about you!”

I shook his hand out of courtesy. I intended for a brief handshake, but he grasped my hand

firmly and

didn’t let go. Then, he turned to Matthew and grinned, “Dude, you had such a beautiful

wife. Why’d you-

Um, Haha!”

His laugh sent shivers down my spine.

Matthew stood beside Keegan and smiled knowingly. “Thanks, man! Just call her Mrs.

Chloe.”

“Mrs. Chloe? She’s not even your wife anymore!” Keegan still held onto my hand as he

spoke. He turned

to look at me again and said, “Ms. Chloe, it’s a pleasure and such a delight to meet you. It

seems fate has

brought us together!”

Everyone at the table watched us like spectators at a show, their eyes fixed on our

intertwined hands. My

blood boiled, and I couldn’t help but speak indifferently, “Pleasure’s all mine.”

Afterward, I pulled my hand back. Damian quickly stepped in to defuse the awkwardness.

“All right,

please take your seats. We’ve been waiting for you!”

I couldn’t believe Matthew pushed Keegan to sit beside me.

rolsed his wine glass and proposed a toast, steering the conversation back to the meal.

Finally,

seemed uninterested in the food and kept looking at me. He said, “Me:

Howeve

“You’re truly remarkable. You don’t have to work so hard in the future. If you ever want to

undertake a project, just say the word. Since you’ve met me, I’ll ensure you’re well–

protected and cared for.”

I discreetly rolled my eyes at his remark. I couldn’t believe what he said at the end. It

seemed these words had different undertones depending on who said them. I suppressed

my irritation and replied with a forced smile. “You’re too kind, Mr. Keegan. I’m just making

a living.”

“What do you mean by that? That won’t do, especially since Echelon Group has plenty of

projects. I’ll ensure you’re cared for as long as you say the word. You don’t need to

negotiate with those people.”

Keegan spoke confidently.

He thought he could do anything because his brother–in–law was Echelon Group’s CEO.

The others at the table smiled awkwardly and listened as he continued, “Jett, give Ms.

Chloe some big

projects, and don’t be so stingy. Working women have it tough enough. Beckett, why are

you smiling like

that? You have so many contracts. Why would you just keep them?”

Beckett smiled embarrassedly, saying, “Mr. Keegan, I’ll deal with them as you wish. Just

tell me what to

do.”

Keegan looked displeased. “Do you think we’re celebrating just for the 50,000 square

meters project? Oh please! Ms. Chloe, we didn’t know each other before, but now that

we’re all here today, it’s destiny. If you

want to work on a project, it’s yours!”

He pounded the table with his ring–adorned hand, full of confidence.

Matthew glanced at me with concern and gestured for me to thank Keegan. “Chlo, you

should thank Mr.

Keegan.