Chapter 83 Even After Divorce, He Won't Let Her Go
Janet stood just a few steps away.
She had hoped that joining Luminary Ventures Group would mean seeing Alaric more often, but he rarely came by, leaving everything for Robert to handle.
Today it was Luminary Ventures Group's anniversary celebration, and they'd invited a bunch of media outlets.
Her friend was among the invitees.
When Janet saw her friend approaching, her eyes showed a mix of surprise and anxiety.
"What are you doing here?"
Amy Wells noticed Janet's tension and gave a slight smile, speaking softly, "Our editor-in-chief got an invite from Luminary Ventures Group. She couldn't make it, so she sent me instead."
Her eyes carried a hint of gratitude. "If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have had the chance to come to something like this."
A lot of big shots were here today, and this was the first time Amy had seen so many gathered in one place.
If she managed to catch the eye of one of these bigwigs, her career in Shadowpine would be more than just a small-time entertainment reporter.
Janet's expression changed slightly, and she lowered her voice. "I just shared some gossip with you. It's your sharp instincts that dug up this news. Your success is inevitable and has nothing to do with me."
Amy knew Janet worked at Luminary Ventures Group, and considering Alaric and Evelyn were her bosses, if they found out about this, Janet might lose her job, and Evelyn wouldn't let her off easily.
"Don't worry, if anything happens in the future, I won't drag you into it."
Hearing Amy's assurance, Janet breathed a sigh of relief.
Her gaze drifted towards where Alaric and Evelyn were standing.
Alaric's expression was dark and his eyes cold.
Standing next to Evelyn was Bruce.
Bruce's expression also showed a hint of displeasure.
Janet couldn't understand the complex relationships between them.
Bruce and Alaric were long-time friends, and Evelyn was Alaric's wife in name.
Even if there was no love, Alaric's personality would never allow Evelyn to cheat and tarnish his reputation.
Amy noticed Janet's gaze fixed on Alaric and saw Alaric, Bruce, and Evelyn standing together harmoniously, which puzzled her as well.
"Janet, don't overthink it. No guy would let his wife cheat unless he truly didn't love her. After all, you're Mr. Hughes' first love. Your place in his heart is naturally different from Evelyn's."
Janet wasn't comforted by Amy's words.
She wasn't sure what place she held in Alaric's heart.
When she first returned to the country, she had been confident that she held a special place in Alaric's heart.
But after more than a month, that confidence had long disappeared.
Janet felt a deep sense of unease.
She tried to suppress her anxiety and said softly, "Maybe."
Evelyn noticed that Bruce was sticking close to her, not willing to leave her side, and raised an eyebrow.
"I see Sebastian and Jack are here. Aren't you going to talk to them?"
"No," Bruce replied bluntly.
Evelyn gave him a quiet glance but didn't say much, letting him follow her.
Bruce was currently the subject of rampant online gossip as a homewreck in Evelyn and Alaric's marriage.
His attentiveness to Evelyn fueled public speculation, with some even whispering about it.
"Bruce has some nerve, sticking to Ms. Stone with Mr. Hughes right here."
"Bruce only got his position because the Howard family's original heir died in a car accident. Otherwise, he wouldn't be in charge of the Howard family."
"But I've heard that he and Mr. Hughes are good friends. Maybe Mr. Hughes doesn't care about Evelyn, so he turns a blind eye. After all, in these wealthy families, business marriages are common, and everyone plays their own game."
The person speaking looked at Evelyn with a mix of disdain and jealousy.
"But I saw the Stone family's announcement saying Evelyn is currently single. Maybe after this scandal broke, Mr. Hughes quickly divorced her."
As she spoke, Evelyn walked over, causing the speaker to be nudged by her companion.
Seeing Evelyn and Bruce pass by, she was startled but relieved that Evelyn didn't pay them any attention and instead walked directly towards Donald.
Cordelia saw Evelyn coming and took the opportunity to head to the restroom.
The restroom was located in the backyard of the venue.
Cordelia walked through the sparsely populated corridor and entered the restroom.
When she came out, she saw Alaric standing in the hallway outside, smoking.
It seemed he was waiting for her. When he saw her, he removed the cigarette from his mouth and looked at her intensely.
"We've been divorced for less than half a month, and you're already eager to find someone new?"
He had seen Cordelia chatting happily with Carl earlier, and it made him feel stifled.
Cordelia frowned. "As you said, we're divorced. Whether I find someone new or not has nothing to do with you."
The air suddenly became tense.
Alaric paused for a few seconds, then flicked the ash from his cigarette.
"The Lewis family isn't as good as the Gray family."
"Your taste is getting worse."
The smell of cigarette smoke spread through the air, making Cordelia wrinkle her nose and want to move away.
"Thanks for the reminder, Mr. Hughes. I'll seriously consider the Gray family."
With that, she tried to walk past Alaric.
His face instantly darkened, and he grabbed her arm, pushing her against the wall.
His eyes burned as he looked at her, jealousy simmering inside him.
He gritted his teeth and said in a low voice, "Dominic already has a fiancée."
"In Astoria."
His warm breath brushed against Cordelia's face as he spoke, making her momentarily dazed.
Seeing her distracted by thoughts of another man, Alaric felt conflicted.
She was wearing a short burgundy dress today, her long, straight legs drawing attention.
At the party earlier, many men had their eyes on her, their curious and probing gazes making Alaric want to gouge their eyes out.
He grabbed her waist, leaning in, his nose brushing against hers, his voice husky as he asked, "Does your foot still hurt?"
His deep eyes lingered on her pink lips, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly.
His sudden closeness and change of topic, spoken in a low, tender tone, made Cordelia's mind go blank for a moment.
She quickly regained her composure and pushed against Alaric's chest.
"Alaric, let me go! We're divorced."