Charlotte didn’t answer directly. Instead, she changed the subject.
“Mr. Fairchild, you’re a man with normal needs, but my heart will never belong to you.”
She spoke calmly, lifting her phone and unlocking the screen. The latest Harrington Group stock chart filled the display—a plunging green line, down ten percent already, the sharpest drop in the company’s history.
“Everything you wanted from me, you’ve already gotten. At this rate, in less than a month, the Harrington family will lose its place at the top of Astra’s elite.”
“As for the artificial heart project you’ve pinned your hopes on, we’re still missing a cold-resistant core material. I’ve reached out to a polar research team and will be joining the search myself soon.”
She paused, then looked up at Bradley, her tone steady as ever. “Darren won’t bother me anymore. Given the circumstances, divorce is better for both of us.”
Bradley met her gaze—her eyes as unreadable as a frozen lake—and suddenly gave a bitter laugh.
“Lotty, I don’t care about revenge on the Harringtons anymore, or making money from the artificial heart. I only want one thing now: to keep going with you. Just you and me.”
She didn’t hesitate. “Then you’re bound to be disappointed.”
Charlotte knew she’d never open herself up to love again. Walking away from this marriage—one that was never fair to Bradley—she felt no trace of regret.
She reached into her bag and produced a divorce agreement, long since prepared, sliding it and a pen across the table to him.
“We started with a contract. N-LINK’s stock is soaring, Harrington’s is in freefall. I’ve fulfilled every requirement—N-LINK is stronger than ever. If you’re satisfied, Mr. Fairchild, please sign.”
Bradley’s eyes flicked down to the agreement, then back to Charlotte’s face—cold, implacable. His heart thudded painfully in his chest.
She checked the signature, found it in order, and finally looked up at him. “Mr. Fairchild, what’s gone is gone. The future’s still ahead. I hope you find happiness that truly belongs to you.”
Bradley opened his mouth, but in the end could only manage a single word. “Alright.”
As Charlotte turned her wheelchair, ready to leave, Bradley called out, voice tight, “Lotty, could I keep Ryan?”
Charlotte replied, “Ryan’s more mature than most kids his age. He’ll make up his own mind. If he agrees, I won’t object.”
With that, she rolled away without another word.
Bradley sat in the coffee shop long after she’d gone, staring at his untouched, now-cold coffee.

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