Chapter 3 You Were Pretending All Along

The next moment, her wrist was precisely grabbed by Nanci. Sophie could not break free and, infuriated, she cursed, "You bitch, let go of me! I never believed you would willingly give everything up, and here you are, stealing things! You are not only an orphan but also a thief!"

With a thud, Nanci pushed Sophie down, unleashing three years of resentment. Her gaze was icy cold, and when she stared, it carried a bone-chilling menace. "I'm not in the mood to argue, but if you want to fight, I'm more than ready."

"Who do you want to fight with?"

Edward's voice, crisp and cold, sent shivers down Nanci's spine. She turned stiffly. Edward stood at the doorway, dressed in a bespoke black suit, tall and long-legged. The gentle morning sunlight of early summer enveloped him, but it could not dispel the chilly aura around him. His features were resolute and finely sculpted, his eyes clear and lofty as he looked down upon her.

Nanci's heart skipped a beat. As Nanci thought she was finished, Sophie, pretending to be hurt, spoke in a pitiful voice, "I know you don't want to divorce Edward, Nanci. If hitting me makes you happy, I really don't mind..."

Nanci was baffled.

Elizabeth, observing the situation, added fuel to the fire. "Edward, if you had come back later, your wife here might have beaten us!"

Edward's expression grew even darker, an intimidating aura emanating from him. He had just finished a meeting and saw the divorce papers on his desk, the neat signature as demure and compliant as she was. He thought of her quiet, sweet demeanor over the past three years and the obvious tear stains by the signature, inadvertently feeling a pang of compassion.

However, as soon as he reached home, he heard her arrogant tone. Indeed, she had been pretending all along.

Nanci glanced up furtively at him, quickly guessing what the proud man was thinking. Her eyelashes fluttered, and when she looked up again, her eyes were desperate and red. "Edward, it wasn't intentional. It was Elizabeth and Sophie who started it! I don't want to divorce you! You don't want to either, right? You came back because you can't bear to leave me, right? I knew it. You wouldn't be so cruel!"

As she spoke, she wiped away tears with one hand and reached to clutch Edward's sleeve with the other. The meticulously ironed shirt was now crumpled and stained with tears.

Edward looked disgustedly at her hand. His icy gaze was like a sharp blade, making Nanci's wrist tremble, almost letting go. She steadied herself, gripping even tighter and rubbing the sleeve harshly before she continued, "Edward, I was wrong! I won't interfere in your affairs anymore. No matter what women you're with, as long as you don't bring them home, I..."

"Nanci!" Edward, unable to tolerate any more, harshly shook off her hand.

"Edward! You can't be fooled by her! Today it's me, tomorrow it might be Mom!" Sophie, seeing Nanci crying so miserably, was afraid Edward might reconsider.

Elizabeth chimed in, "Exactly. The Clarkson family has no place for such a shrew! She signed the divorce papers. Don't let her cling to you!"

The two ranted incessantly, their shrill voices jarring on Edward’s nerves.

Nanci stood aside, head bowed in a display of weakness and helplessness, yet internally she gave a silent thumbs up to the mother and daughter.

Edward closed his eyes, his voice tired and hoarse. "Get out, and don't show up in front of me again."

"Edward..."

"While I'm still speaking to you civilly."

Nanci bit her lower lip, tears streaming down as she looked at him.

"He told you to leave. Can't you hear him? Do I need to have them throw you out?" Elizabeth's excited expression overflowed as she spoke with heightened arrogance.

Sophie said with a smug face, "Nanci, oh no, Miss Ross, don't embarrass yourself."

She no longer cared about the luggage. She just wanted Nanci to leave quickly, afraid that Nanci might change her mind.

Nanci seemed to finally realize the reality, dragging her suitcase out, despondent and depressed.

She was acting through and through.

Afraid of revealing any signs, she still had tears on her face as she walked out of the villa's gate.

It was not until she was out of the neighborhood that she finally took a deep breath.

That was close!

Brian had been waiting for a long time before he saw a graceful figure pulling a suitcase out, and he hurriedly walked up to meet her.

Not far away, a black Rolls Royce slowly drove out of the neighborhood, catching this scene in its entirety.

Edward watched the retreating figure with an indecipherable look in his eyes.

Isaac also saw it and widened his eyes in disbelief. "Isn't that Mrs. Clarkson? Someone came to pick her up? And it's a man? No wonder she was willing to leave without anything."

It turned out that she had already found another man!

As he thought this, he subconsciously looked towards his boss.

Edward's expression was very grim, his deep blue eyes flashed with anger, leaving the atmosphere in the car tense.

The chauffeur sensed the depressing vibe and blurted out, "Maybe it's just an Uber."

Isaac quickly agreed, "Yeah, that's possible!"

But, did Uber drivers now drive Maybachs?

The chauffeur quietly sped up, trying to close the distance between the two cars.

They were getting closer.

As two cars passed by each other, Isaac’s eyes lit up, and he spoke up excitedly under the heavy atmosphere, "Boss! I know him! He's Brian Mathis, Mr. Ross's student. He's the current chairman of the Ross Clinic!"

Edward's gaze flickered slightly, and he commanded in a deep voice, "Turn around!"

The chauffeur had been speeding up so his boss could get a better look, and by the time he heard the command, he had already passed the best spot to turn around.

They turned around after driving a hundred more meters, but by then, the other car had disappeared.

The pressure enveloped the car again, causing the chauffeur to break out in a cold sweat.

Edward was silent for a few seconds, then spoke coolly, "Are you sure you didn't mistake him?"

Isaac shook his head hurriedly when he replied, "I’m 100% sure! Unlike the mysterious Dr. Lancy, his information is all public, including his photos."

As he spoke, he quickly took out his phone and showed a photo.

"Look, it's him."

Edward looked at the screen intently for a while, his lips tightly pursed, saying nothing.

To be honest, he hadn't looked carefully before.

"Find out where he lives, and we'll pay him a visit. If we want to find Dr. Lancy, Brian might be the key."

After a pause, his voice deepened. "Also, find out what the relationship between Nanci and him is."

"Yes, Mr. Clarkson!"

Meanwhile, in the car, Brian looked at Nanci’s red-rimmed eyes, clicking his tongue. "You cried? Regretting it? I didn't expect you to be like this!"

"Shut up!" Nanci snapped coldly, "I almost gave myself away. Good thing I reacted quickly!"

"Did Edward go back? Didn't you say he probably wouldn't sign the papers with you in person?" Brian started the car, asking puzzledly.

Nanci sighed deeply, "Who knows what he's up to..."

She hadn't finished her sentence when she suddenly sat up straight, her voice alert. "I think I saw Edward's car!"

Brian glanced at her speechlessly. "You must be joking."

Nanci narrowed her beautiful eyes, carefully scrutinizing every car within sight, and after confirming they were all unfamiliar, she leaned back slowly.

"Should I find you a psychiatrist?" the annoying voice continued.