Wife You Discarded is a Billionaire's Crush novel Chapter 107

A wave of despair washed over Liliana.

She sat frozen on the sofa, bathed in the warm sunlight of the climate-controlled office, yet a cold sweat broke out across her skin.

Chuck turned his head, his back to Cedric, and shot her a series of frantic, pleading glances. She remained motionless, her hands clenched into tight fists in her lap, nails digging into her palms.

*He knows the Forrests will never accept Sylvia,* she thought bitterly. *He knows the Prestons need to cling to his family to survive. Is that why he won't let me go? So I can be their convenient cover?*

She had never known Cedric could be so cruel.

"Cedric, my boy, if you listen to Liliana, she'll of course want you to help her family," Chuck said with an awkward laugh, trying to smooth things over when Liliana didn't speak. "But I always say, a man shouldn't have to listen to his wife all the time. You should just decide for yourself."

He chuckled nervously, looking back at Cedric. But Cedric's gaze remained fixed on Liliana, waiting for her to say the words herself. Help, or not.

"Liliana!" Chuck finally snapped, his patience wearing thin.

"How long do you expect him to prop up the Preston family?" Liliana's voice was flat, her expression unreadable as she shifted her gaze from Cedric to her father.

Chuck stared at her. "What kind of question is that? Families are supposed to support each other!"

"But you don't have a head for business," Liliana stated, the words blunt and true.

The Preston family business had been in decline ever since Chuck took over. It had once been on par with the Forrests, but in just twenty years under his management, it had fallen into its current pathetic state. Wasn't that proof enough that he wasn't cut out for it? Two years ago, in a desperate move, he had made a single bad investment that had wiped out nearly all the family's assets. It proved not only that he wasn't suited for business, but that he was a cautionary tale.

Chuck shot to his feet, furious. "What does a woman like you know about… I…" He caught himself, remembering Cedric was still in the room, and lowered his voice. "I may not be perfect, but we still have Hale! He's a sharp kid. With your and Cedric's help, he'll do much better than I ever did!"

Liliana was unmoved. "Hale has no intention of joining the family business. He has his own plans, and they have nothing to do with Preston Group."

"You—!" Chuck was speechless with rage, pointing a trembling finger at her.

Chuck's tirade died in his throat, his anger replaced by stunned silence.

"He's not going to help the Prestons anymore," Liliana continued, her gaze dropping to the floor. "Give up on that idea. I'm here today to sign the papers."

Seeing him speechless, she turned to leave. But Chuck moved quickly, blocking her path.

"You can't sign them! As long as you don't sign, you are still Mrs. Forrest, and we still have a chance to recover!"

Liliana was silent. He clearly didn't understand. It was *her* who wanted the divorce, not Cedric who was casting her aside.

"No matter how you try, you can't go back to the way things were!"

"If we don't, Hale is finished," Chuck said, his eyes filled with a desperate certainty. "His condition… it's not good. We took him to a doctor last night after he got out. He's been diagnosed with a severe psychological disorder. We've hired the best therapist in the country, but the treatment costs at least a hundred thousand a month. Where are we going to get that kind of money?"