Chapter3 The Company's in Trouble
"Your father's right." Harrison looked at Miranda, his tone softer but still condescending.
"Miranda, stop being childish."
"If word gets out about a divorce, it'll look bad for both our families."
"I might have made a mistake today, but you’ve got to use your head too."
He paused, his eyes suddenly turning cold with a hint of threat.
"Otherwise, if we really get divorced, don't expect me to come crawling back."
Miranda didn't even bother looking at him anymore.
She turned to her mother and brother, her gaze more determined than ever.
"Mom. Christian."
"Let's go. To the courthouse."
...
Half an hour later, outside the courthouse.
Miranda held the thin divorce certificate in her hands, feeling lighter than she had in ages.
Five years of love, ended in a single day.
"This is ridiculous! Absolutely ridiculous!"
Dominic's anger, suppressed the entire drive, finally exploded.
He pointed at Miranda, his face full of anguish.
"Do you have any idea what you just did in front of the Whitmore family? How do you think they'll treat Ariana now?"
"She's a young woman! How is she supposed to face people after this!"
Miranda spun around to stare at her own father.
She'd had a miscarriage. Her husband had abandoned her. She'd just been through hell.
And her father was worried about how the Whitmores would treat Ariana? Was this how a father should act?
"Since you care so much about Ariana," Miranda said, enunciating each word carefully, "then don't ride back with me, Mom, and Christian."
She turned, opened the car door, and helped her mother into the back seat.
Christian shot Dominic a cold glance, his face dark, and got into the driver's seat without a word.
The black sedan sped away, leaving Dominic standing there alone, his face ashen with humiliation.
Late that night, at the Lancaster estate, in Miranda's bedroom.
After washing up, Miranda lay on the soft bed.
This was her room from before she got married. Everything was still familiar, allowing her frayed nerves from the day to finally relax a bit.
She picked up her phone and, almost without thinking, opened Facebook.
The most recent post was from Ariana, posted half an hour ago.
"Thank you for taking care of me, Harrison. Having you here after everything that happened means so much."
The photo showed a restaurant scene.
Ariana held a bowl of soup, her smile gentle and sweet.
Harrison sat beside her, not looking at the camera but gazing at her with tender eyes.
That look in his eyes. Miranda had chased after it for five years and never received it once.
She remembered countless anniversaries when Harrison had rushed off because of a phone call from Ariana.
She remembered their honeymoon, when Ariana had a breakup and he'd immediately booked a flight back to comfort her.
She remembered running a high fever while he was out celebrating Ariana's birthday.
It wasn't that he didn't know how to love. He just didn't love her.
This kidnapping, this brush with death, this innocent life lost, it had finally opened her eyes completely.
It was good.
And also terribly sad.
Miranda gently touched her stomach, her eyes stinging.
"Baby, I'm sorry."
"I hope next time you're born into a family that truly loves you and wants you."
She was about to close the app when her finger suddenly froze.
Her eyes locked onto the bottom right corner of the photo.
There, you could see a hand holding a fruit plate, and on the wrist was a watch.
That Patek Philippe celestial watch looked exactly like the one her father had been wearing today.
That absurd thought surfaced again, growing wild and out of control.
Miranda's heart started pounding.
After making sure her mother was asleep, she quietly got up and went to the study.
Christian was still working, his brow furrowed.
"Christian."
He looked up. Seeing it was her, his expression softened slightly. "Why aren't you sleeping?"
"Has Dad come home yet?" Miranda asked carefully.
Christian rubbed his temples. "No. Haven't seen him all afternoon. His phone's going straight to voicemail too."
Miranda's heart sank deeper and deeper.
She took a deep breath, as if making a difficult decision.
"Christian, can you help me look into something?"
"What is it?"
"I need you to find out if Ariana's father, the one who's supposedly in prison, actually exists."
Christian looked startled. Seeing his sister's cold expression and realizing she wasn't joking, he turned serious.
"Okay. I'll handle it."
He stood up and patted her shoulder. "You just got divorced and you're still recovering. Don't overthink things. Take care of yourself."
Miranda forced a smile.
"Don't worry about me. Now that I'm away from that jerk Harrison, I feel great."
She noticed the dark circles under her brother's eyes and the nearly empty coffee cup on his desk. She took the cup away, her heart aching for him.
"You're the one who needs rest. Stop working so late."
As she took the cup, her peripheral vision caught what was on the computer screen.
It showed the Lancaster Corporation stock chart. A sea of red, plummeting at a steep angle.
Miranda's pupils contracted sharply.
Something had happened to the company.
Without showing any reaction, she said goodnight to her brother and hurried back to her room, locking the door behind her.
Her hands trembling, she searched "Lancaster Corporation" on her phone.
One shocking headline after another appeared.
"Lancaster Corporation Project Fails, Cash Flow Crisis Suspected"
"Partners Pull Out, Lancaster Corporation on Brink of Bankruptcy"
"Lancaster Chairman Dominic Under Investigation for Embezzlement"
Miranda covered her mouth to keep from crying out.
So everything at home had already fallen apart.
And her brother, trying to keep her from worrying, had been bearing all of this alone.
Just as her mind was reeling, her phone screen lit up with a news alert.