Chapter 346: James Returns
Chapter 346: James Returns
Years had passed since the car accident, and Uri no longer lost his temper whenever it was mentioned.
What truly angered him was Mia's attitude—the truth seemed so obvious to him, yet she still chose to believe James and defend him like this.
"Yes! I believe him! James isn't like you—he would never hurt his own brother!" Mia stared hard at Uri, unable to conceal the hatred in her eyes.
Even without evidence, they both knew Uri was the one who had ordered Orla to act.
"Uri, if James had truly wanted you dead, how would you have had the chance to wake up?" Mia questioned.
If James had truly been behind the accident, he would have made sure to finish the job—he was never the kind of person to leave such obvious loose ends.
"That's because he thought I was no longer a threat!"
"Really? Then what about four years ago when you first woke up?" Mia pressed.
She couldn't stand Uri’s hypocrisy—turning his back on his own brother while slandering James.
James had given him plenty of room at first; it was only because of Pax that James had developed murderous intent toward him.
"That's because I disguised it well. He thought I was truly disabled!"
Mia looked coldly at him.
Uri refused to consider that if someone had really wanted him dead, they would have been keeping track of his recovery the entire time.
He had already decided that James was behind the accident, relying on subjective speculation rather than proof.
Mia realized that even if she had proof right now and put it in front of Uri, he would still brush it off as fake.
She stopped arguing—it was pointless. "Uri, if you truly think you're the rightful heir, why didn't you compete with him openly when you woke up, instead of resorting to these despicable methods to destroy him? It’s because you know yourself—you're not as good as him! You can't beat him!"
As Mia exposed his insecurity, Uri’s expression turned ugly.
But Mia wasn't going to let him off.
She wanted him to face reality and stop playing the victim and saying things that made no sense.
Ignoring his burning gaze, she stood up. "Also, I wasn't 'stolen away' by James. Listen carefully—even if you hadn't had that accident, and even if you had confessed to me back then, I wouldn't have accepted you. I didn't know who you truly are back then. I only ever saw you as a brother. I don't love you. I didn't love you then, I don't love you now, and I never will."
She turned to leave.
As she passed him, he called her name.
His voice no longer held its initial tenderness; itcarried a bone-chilling coldness.
"Are you really going to push me?" Uri asked. "I'm giving you one last chance. Take back what you just said, and I can let bygones be bygones."
Mia couldn't be bothered with him anymore.
When views don't align, there is nothing left to say.
She straightened her back and walked out of the conference room, ignoring the gazes of the staff as she entered James’s office.
It wasn’t until the door closed her that she finally let herself relax.
She leaned against the door, eyes closed, feeling completely exhausted.
After a moment, she pushed that vulnerability deep into her heart and sat in James’s chair.
She picked up his favorite pen, gently stroking it.
Regardless of the pressure, she would hold on and do everything she could to protect the company. She would do everything in her power to keep James's life's work from falling into Uri's hands, stopping him from using it to hurt the people James cared about.
James had to hold on as well; for her, for their son, and for his friends, he had to return safely.
......
Under pressure from Carl and others, the official search continued for five days. Finding no leads, the authorities withdrew, but James’s people never gave up, expanding the search area.
Mia became so busy she wished she could turn twenty-four hours into forty-eight.
She had to familiarize herself with the Smith Group's operations while fending off the pressure from Uri and various parties.
Although she could now handle matters independently, the group's complex relationships pushed her to her mental limit.
She practically lived at the office, imagining how James must have endured it when the company was in even worse shape.
Having experienced the burden herself, she felt even more for him and grew more determined to protect everything that was his.
Blair returned to Imperial City to support her, telling her not to worry about the branch office.
Together with Carl, Bruce, they stood behind her.
Because of their presence, she and Uri currently maintained a surface balance of power.
But as time passed, even the loyal shareholders began to waver, and the pressure on Mia grew heavier.
Half a month later, with still no news of James, the atmosphere turned tense.
Mia worked until six in the morning, preparing for the shareholders' meeting at nine.
Because there was still no word on James, the shareholders were clearly wavering; in such a short time, she had no way to gain their trust.
By now, most shareholders' positions were clear.
Those who had once firmly supported her began to shift because James's father, Victor, had directly given his shares to Uri.
Combined with his mother Beatrix's holdings, the shareholders leaned heavily toward Uri.
Last night, she worked with Robert and Carl to stabilize the situation, successfully matching Uri's shareholding.
Only one person remained: Clea, James's mother.
They had saved her for last, as they all felt that at such a critical moment, she would definitely stand on James's side.
Mia arranged to have lunch with Clea.
She retreated to the rest room for three hours of sleep, then got up and applied makeup to look more alert.
Just as she was about to leave, the office door was flung open with a violent force that echoed through the room.
Robert tried to stop the intruder, but Clea swung her bag at his hands. "Move aside."
She had relied on James’s status at the top of the pyramid, whether sincere or not, had grown accustomed to being fawned over.
Now, with James's accident and no news after half a month, it seemed clear to her that he was done for.
She understood that without James, she was nothing in the Smith Family.
Worse, she had spent years using James’s power to bully Beatrix, and now the tables had turned.
To protect herself, she felt she had no choice but to please Beatrix by coming to the company to show her firm support for them.
Mia, remembering their meeting when she had amnesia, immediately went up to her.
Their previous meeting hadn't been pleasant, but since she had appeared as Uri’s fiancée back then, she considered it normal for Clea to be hostile.
She chose to ignore the past and greeted her with a smile. "Mrs. Smith..."
"Am I that close to you?" Clea asked, publicly embarrassing Mia. "Look at yourself—what are you?"
Mia could not afford to worry about her own feelings at that moment; she could only wonder what had gone wrong with Clea.
"Mrs. Smith, let's talk inside the office," Mia said. She did not allow herself to get angry, as she still desperately needed Clea's support.
The group had all believed Clea was their most reliable ally, which is why they had scheduled her last.
Mia had intended to use the lunch appointment to comfort her, but she never expected to encounter such hostility.
"I have nothing to say to you," Clea commanded arrogantly. "Hand over the shares and all my son's assets immediately. My son may be dead, but I'm still here as his mother. His inheritance belongs to me! You've taken over his assets and still want to swallow the Smith Group. The company belongs to the Smith Family. Without James, there's still Uri. It's not your turn no matter what! With such a big appetite, aren't you afraid of choking yourself?"
When Mia heard Uri's name, everything became clear.
She looked at the woman who was insisting James was dead while pointing a finger at her and cursing.
This woman was James's mother, yet she was evidently swayed by whatever Uri had promised her to make her turn against them.
Mia's heart ached, for James.
From Uri to Victor and now to Clea, the realization finally struck Mia. She understood that James had never taken her home, not because she wasn't good enough, but because he wanted to spare her from facing a family like this.
James had been born into this environment, and her heart broke for the man he had become in spite of it.
Mia's eyes reddened as she looked at Clea and spoke through gritted teeth. "Mrs. Smith, do you know that Uri orchestrated James's accident? If something really happens to him, Uri is the murderer!"
Clea paused briefly at those words, but quickly dismissed them as nonsense. "You're still trying to slander Uri. You woman, you truly have evil intentions! Don't try to manipulate me. Hand over my son's shares! Do you hear me!"
Clea remained aggressive, relentlessly pressuring her.
"Robert, call security. Show her out," Mia commanded. At this point, she refused to waste any more words on Clea and called for security directly.
"You bitch, you dare!" Clea shouted, but Mia ignored the outbursts as the woman was forcibly dragged out.
After being escorted from the building, Clea sat in her car and immediately called Uri.
He took a while to answer, and as soon as the line connected, Clea spoke in an ingratiating tone. "Uri, I just went and scolded Mia. Now the whole company knows what kind of person she is. It will definitely affect her support. And don't worry, at tomorrow's shareholders' meeting, I'll definitely support you."
"Clea, who do you think you are to scold her?" Uri replied coldly.
"I... Uri, I'm sorry." A chill rose from Clea’s feet. Though she hated Mia more with every passing second, she felt forced to apologize.
In her mind, she hadn't been wrong to scold her; she viewed Mia as a woman who had seduced James into surrendering his assets.
She resented that even someone as heartless as Uri seemed to have eyes only for Mia.
Regardless of her hatred, she didn't dare show anything but weakness.
With James presumed dead, she had no remaining support.
Forced by her circumstances, she believed that to secure a comfortable future, she had to humble herself and please Beatrix and Uri just to stay by Victor's side.
She had no choice but to obey Uri.
Uri and Beatrix had promised her in Victor's presence that if she supported Uri, her past transgressions would be forgotten and she could remain with the Smith family.
As for James, she had convinced herself he was already dead.
Even if she suspected who had killed him, she saw herself as a powerless woman with no means of changing the outcome.
"Uri, don't be angry. I won't dare do it again," Clea apologized humbly.
Uri hung up without a word.
He planned to use tomorrow's shareholders' meeting to force Mia to face reality.
He was certain she couldn't hold onto the Smith Group or wait for James to return.
In his mind, both the company and Mia already belonged to him.
......
Clea's betrayal caught Mia and the others completely off guard.
From morning until evening, they exhausted every strategy for the following day's shareholders' meeting.
By eight-thirty in the evening, the final shareholder had also refused to see them.
"Ms. Wilson." Robert looked at Mia as she sat in the back seat looking exhausted. "Should I take you home to rest?"
Everything was now set in stone; they had done all they could.
"Take me to Luxe Haven," she replied.
"Yes, Ms. Wilson."
Robert turned the steering wheel and soon drove onto the road he had traveled countless times four years ago.
The bodyguards followed, escorting her car all the way to the residence.
After confirming it was safe, Mia stepped out and went upstairs.
In the past half month, she had slept at most three or four hours a day, keeping herself tightly wound.
She had not dared to let herself relax or allow her mind to drift toward James.
But the moment the last shareholder refused her, she suddenly found herself missing him with an overwhelming intensity.
Luxe Haven was the first place that came to mind—the home where they had lived together for four years, a place filled with memories of the two of them.
Standing at the door, Mia entered the password.
The lock verified successfully, and she pushed open the door.
When she turned on the light, she froze.
Starting from the entrance, decorative lights throughout the house began to glow, filling the entire space.
Under the lights hung photos—all of her, from different periods of her life.
She could not remember where many of them had been taken, though the clothes represented her evolving preferences over the years.
The ones hanging at the entrance were clearly photos James had taken of her on his phone when they first met.
Regardless of whether he lacked skill or effort back then, the photos really didn’t look good.
As someone who had never loved being photographed, she had stopped letting him take her picture after seeing how bad he made her look.
She wondered now where these photos could have come from.
Mia walked further in. Apart from the first few ordinary shots, she became more and more beautiful through his lens.
She could hardly believe the James in her memory had been capable of capturing this.
The photos were beautiful, recording every expression and smile with a sense of life.
It was often said that pouring emotion into a subject could bring it to life; in these images, Mia could clearly see how James’s feelings for her had changed over time.
The further she walked, the more intense the emotion became.
Mia stood in the living room, tears streaming down her face before she even realized it.
She felt certain that if James were there to see these photos, she knew she would have beenruly happy.
James had prepared everything.
Against the backdrop of gallery, Mia saw the candlelit dinner set on the dining table—the candles unlit, the flowers already withered.
She also saw a thick document on the coffee table beside a red velvet box.
Seeing this, Mia understood that half a month ago, when James mentioned a dinner to make things up to her, he had actually meant returning to Luxe Haven.
He had planned to give her all this.
Their ending was here, had occurred here, where they once cooked a meal together and she had been eager to sign the divorce papers.
Now, he had chosen this same place for their new beginning.
Mia slowly crouched down.
The top document was marked with long-dried bloodstains that had turned dark brown over time.
The date on the document confirmed it was signed just days before the accident.
Mia realized that the dark stains were James's blood—blood shed to protect both her and Pax.
He had not only transferred the Smith Group shares but had also signed over the entirety of his assets, even thoughtfully including Pax's custody rights.
She understood his intent: he wanted her to hold the dominant position in their future relationship, ensuring she was left without a single worry.
He had sought to erase her fear of being trapped in a marriage she couldn't escape, carefully considering every concern she had ever held about remarriage.
Turning to the last page, she found an elegant envelope.
Guided by a sudden instinct, she reached out to pick it up and opened it.
Inside was a letter scented with her favorite gardenia fragrance.
James's familiar handwriting came into view, beginning with the word: [Wife].
Seeing that word, Mia’s eyes reddened as tears instantly welled up.
She sniffed, trying hard to restrain her grief, and waited for her vision to clear before she continued reading.
[Mia, I really want to call you wife again. I want to remarry you. I want to stand by your side openly, hold your hand, hug you, kiss you, and be your man. I want to be your husband and hear you call me husband. But I also know you're not ready to remarry me yet.
Preparing all this for you, including the ring, isn't to pressure you, but to tell you my determination to be with you for life.
Mia, I love you to my bones. Words alone aren't enough—I'm putting it in writing. Mia, for the rest of my life, I will never do anything to hurt you again, I will never betray you. I'm willing to spend my whole life waiting for you, until the day you feel I'm worth trusting, willing to give me another chance, entrust your happiness to me, let me become your other half—then you can put on the ring, and we can remarry.
Wife, no matter how long it takes, I'll keep waiting for you.
As I said before, from the moment I married you, I never thought about divorcing you. In my heart, you will always be my wife.]
Signed at the end: [James]
After the name was a date of the night before Pax had fallen ill with chickenpox.
On the signature was a handprint pressed in blood.
Mia looked at the seal, the words before her became increasingly blurred.
The tears she had been holding back finally fell in heavy torrents.
She clutched the red velvet box, her composure finally breaking as she cried out in pain, "James..."
For over half a month, she had refused to believe he was gone.
Even though she had known deep down that his chances of survival were nearly non-existent, she simply wouldn't accept that possibility.
But at this moment, seeing the physical proof of his devotion, she finally broke down, her emotions no longer controllable.
She felt a bitter regret, questioning why one often waits until after a loss to feel such sorrow.
She realized that love for someone truly cannot be hidden.
She could see how much James loved her, and acknowledged that he had done everything possible to make-up for his past mistakes.
She had seen it all clearly and wondered why she had chosen to ignore it or why she hadn't given him another chance.
She was overwhelmed with the regret of not cherishing him and not allowing them that second opportunity.
"James, as long as you come back, I'll agree to anything! I just want you back!"
Immersed in her grief, she suddenly heard the sound of the door unlocking behind her.
Her body shook violently.
She knew that only she and James possessed the password to this home.
With tears streaming down her face, Mia turned toward the door.
Through her tear-blurred vision, she saw a familiar figure standing at the door.