Liam Williams didn't dare to hesitate. He immediately let her into his office. But seeing the fury on Emma's mother's face, he knew instantly that his secret with Emma had been exposed.
He still didn't know who had leaked the information, but right now, he had a much bigger headache to deal with.
Emma's mother slammed the divorce papers onto his desk and demanded he sign them.
"My daughter will never be married to you again. For the sake of your country's fight against crime, I won't pursue this any further. But my daughter is innocent. Just sign it. She's still young. Without you, she can find someone much better."
Her words cut into Liam's heart like a knife.
"Mother—"
"Don't call me that. I don't have a two-faced son-in-law like you."
She cut him off immediately, making it clear she wanted nothing more to do with him. Liam knew she loved her daughter deeply, so even if she tore him apart completely, he deserved it.
After all, he had truly hurt Emma.
"Auntie, I will never divorce Emma. I've never even thought about it. She will always be my wife—the president's wife of Pinnacle Corporation."
Every word was spoken with unwavering determination. He looked straight into her eyes, his voice carrying the weight of an oath.
Emma's mother was stunned. She stared at him, her sharp eyes searching for any sign of deceit. She found none. But the rift between him and her daughter was already so deep. Even if they forced themselves to stay together, they would never be happy.
Her anger softened slightly, though her stance remained firm. Only her tone became a little less harsh.
"You're an excellent young man. I never expected Elijah to be involved in crime. But no matter how important your case is, you shouldn't treat marriage like a game. Marriage requires honesty. A relationship built on deception can never last. My daughter was hurt once, and now you've hurt her again. I can't bear to see her suffer anymore. If you truly care about her, just sign the papers. Her temper won't allow her to stay married to you."
Her words crushed the last bit of hope in Liam's heart. He had stood up moments before, but now he sank back into his chair, powerless.
Was this really the only ending?
Emilia Clark had been watching the door ever since Emma's mother entered Liam's office. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, she saw the older woman step out. She immediately got up and hurried over.
"Hello, Auntie."
Emilia greeted her politely.
"Who are you?"
Emma's mother studied her face. She looked familiar, but she couldn't quite place her. Emilia quickly explained that she had once been a patient in the same hospital as Emma. Now, with Emma's help, she had recovered and was working at Pinnacle Corporation.
Emma's mother nodded in recognition.
"Auntie, I haven't seen Emma in a few days. I've called her twice, but she kept saying she was busy. I didn't dare ask the president, so I was wondering—what has she been up to lately?"
Emilia's face was full of concern, and for a moment, Emma's mother didn't know how to answer. She suspected her daughter hadn't told this girl about the divorce.
She had read the divorce contract herself. Since Pinnacle Corporation was a massive international company, the divorce couldn't be made public immediately—it would cause a stock market shock. Even though Liam had already signed his name, it would take two years before the news could be released.
In other words, the marriage wasn't completely over yet. And Liam had also prepared another contract, transferring one of his companies to Emma. Emma's mother didn't feel comfortable making that decision on her own. She planned to show it to her daughter first. If Emma didn't want it, she would refuse. But if she agreed, her mother didn't want to be blamed for making the wrong choice.
"She's been busy lately. When she's free, I'll have her contact you."
Emma's mother brushed off the question. Emilia didn't push further. She simply smiled politely and escorted the older woman out of the building. All the while, she noticed Emma's mother's furrowed brows and occasional sighs—clearly, she was troubled.
After seeing her off, Emilia turned to head back inside. But a voice stopped her.
She turned around and saw Amelia White standing there in a light purple coat. Emilia couldn't help but smile and walked over to her.
"What are you doing out here?"
Amelia asked curiously.
"I just saw off Emma's mother. I don't know why she came to the company, but she seemed really upset."
As Emilia finished speaking, she saw a look of regret flash across Amelia's face.
"Miss White, what's wrong?"
Emilia asked, puzzled.
"Even her mother came in person. I'm afraid this time, my sister-in-law and brother are really going to get a divorce."
At that moment, Emilia finally confirmed the purpose of Emma's mother's visit. The only thing she still wasn't sure about was whether Liam had signed the divorce papers.
She sighed along with Amelia, pretending not to understand, even though she knew exactly what was going on. Then she walked back into the company with Amelia. Unfortunately, Amelia still couldn't go upstairs. But today, she didn't seem as angry as before. Emilia even noticed that her steps were lighter as she left.
When Emma's mother arrived at the small apartment where they were temporarily staying, she looked at her daughter—once a wealthy wife, now a divorced woman living in a cramped sixty-square-meter space. Her heart ached unbearably.
She couldn't say a word at first. She just held Emma and cried for a long time. Emma, seeing her mother like this, couldn't help but cry too. But she quickly pulled herself together and comforted her mother until the older woman finally calmed down.
Then, Emma's mother took out the divorce contract.
Emma's eyes landed on Liam's signature. She should have felt relieved. But instead, she couldn't help but sigh.
This marriage, which had lasted less than a year, had changed her life far too much.
"This is your husband's compensation."
Emma's mother pulled out another contract and handed it to her. Emma read through it, stunned. She hadn't expected Liam to write off the thirty million dollars she owed him—and on top of that, transfer a company worth hundreds of millions in assets and annual income to her.
Staring at the contract, Emma's heart was a tangled mess of emotions. She couldn't help but let out a bitter laugh.