THE DIVORCE GAMBIT From Dumped Wife to CEO's Forever novel Chapter 162

Someday, Gordon would notice her. Someday, he'd fall for her—she was sure of it.

Raven watched until the last glimmer of the luxury car's taillights vanished down the street before she finally looked away. She reached into her purse, pulled out a cat treat, and scanned the bushes for any sign of Snow.

If you couldn't win over Gordon, at least you could get in good with his cat.

Unfortunately, Gordon wasn't just cold and distant himself—his cat was just as aloof. Raven had tried every trick in the book: fancy tins of cat food, every treat she could find, but she'd never managed to get Snow to accept even a single morsel from her hand.

Every time Snow spotted her, he'd dart away as if she were radioactive.

But this time, Raven was confident. The treat she held was a special recommendation from a fellow cat owner, who swore up and down that no feline could resist it.

Sure enough, she spotted Snow nestled in the corner of a thicket.

"Snow, come here!" Raven called, tearing open the package.

Snow's nose twitched—he'd caught the irresistible scent. He let out a soft, curious meow and, for once, started to pad cautiously toward her.

Raven's heart soared. She crouched down, holding out the treat, voice gentle and coaxing. "Come on, Snow. I've got something delicious for you!"

When she saw Snow closing the distance, Raven's smile grew, hope bubbling up inside her. This was a great start. If she could win over Snow, maybe Gordon wouldn't be far behind.

Snow hesitated just inches away. Raven held her breath and extended her hand, fingers trembling with excitement.

"Mrrrow!"

Suddenly, Snow froze, eyes widening as he seemed to realize something. Run! His instincts screamed. And just like that, he bolted—gone in a flash.

Raven stared at the untouched treat in her hand and let out a defeated sigh.

—

Elsewhere, it was a beautiful day. With the new semester about to start, Caitlin had decided to catch a movie with Celeste.

Julian bristled. "Watch yourself, Caitlin! My patience has limits." He stepped out of the car and stalked over to her. "Don't tell me you want to remarry and have me fall in love with you, too? Forget it! The only woman I'll ever love is Sophie. Agreeing to the remarriage is already my biggest concession. That place in my heart belongs to Sophie, and Sophie alone."

"You're coming back to Chandler Enterprises with me right now. You need to win this year's Celestial Awards for us. And just so you know, Sophie is magnanimous—she doesn't care that you're around, but don't you dare give her any trouble again."

"Oh, and I heard you're the biggest shareholder at Apex now. I've already prepared the acquisition documents. If you want to remarry, you can come back and sign them right away. But don't even think about keeping what doesn't belong to you!"

Listening to Julian's ridiculous, narcissistic rant, Caitlin felt numb with disbelief. She'd never met anyone so self-absorbed, so utterly lacking in self-awareness. It was disgusting—like trying to swat away a persistent fly, and no matter how hard you tried, it just wouldn't leave you alone.

Screech!

Another car braked sharply nearby. The door swung open, and a tall, striking man stepped out from the backseat. He wore a bespoke suit worth more than most people's homes, an aura of restrained power and icy composure radiating from him. The air seemed to thicken with tension; even Julian instinctively shrank back, suddenly looking like nothing more than a glorified bodyguard.

The man strode straight to Caitlin, took her wrist, and—with a gentle tug—pulled her into his arms. His lean jaw rested lightly on her head, and his deep, magnetic voice rumbled above her, full of possessive tenderness.

"Sorry I'm late, Catie."