His lips curved faintly—not a smile, but something colder. His eyes lingered on her flushed face before he continued, voice unhurried and certain.
“I thought you were already planning to quit your job and let the Graves name handle things for you.”
Sophia’s already annoyed expression turned even darker. Anger flared openly now.
“Magnus Graves!” she shouted.
Magnus flinched, startled by the sudden outburst. The cup rattled in his hand, coffee rippling dangerously as his fingers stiffened.
She didn’t stop. “Fine. You want a hundred million?” Her voice shook with fury. “I’ll get it. Even if I have to go into debt, I’ll pay you every cent!”
Magnus ignored her, lifting the cup again as if she didn’t exist.
She continued, voice hard. “But the moment I hand you that money, we’re burning that contract.”
His eyes darkened sharply. ‘Burn the contract? So she can stay my wife forever? She really thinks she’s very clever.’
“Don’t even think about it,” he said coldly.
But she didn’t let him finish.
She grabbed her phone from the table, her fingers moving quickly as she scrolled. “We can do it immediately,” she said, voice icy. “In fact, let’s get a divorce right now. I’ll pay you for breaking the contract.”
The instant the worddivorceleft her lips, his expression turned lethal.
The coffee cup slipped from his hand and hit the table with a dull thud.
“You want to divorce me?” he asked, disbelief burning in his eyes.
She met his gaze head-on, her expression frighteningly calm. “I don’t like being framed by people. Before you twist this into something uglier, it’s better to end this marriage.”
Her tone was cold and disinterested, yet every word cut sharp—angry, determined. “I can take care of my own life—even if I have to do it alone. Even if I have to go into debt to repay you.” Her eyes burned with quiet anger. “That’s still better than being accused and insulted by you.”
Magnus’s fingers tightened around the cup. His jaw hardened as he stared ahead, displeasure flashing across his face.
“You should think carefully,” he said, even as his grip on the cup tightened further. “This deal was made because your grandmother asked you to marry me. Are you really going to dishonor your grandmother’s last wish?”
“Don’t worry about my grandma’s wishes, Mr. Graves,” she replied in the same detached tone as she rose to her feet. “I won’t accept disrespect fromanyone.”
She picked up her phone from the table and turned away from him, already moving toward the door.
“You can think it over,” she added without looking back. “The moment you agree, let me know. I’ll meet you at the courthouse to get a divorce.”
Then she walked away, storming out of the house, leaving him behind at the table.
Magnus remained frozen in his seat, stunned.
‘She really wants a divorce?’ His face was filled with disbelief as he stared at her retreating back until she disappeared from view. ‘Does she really not like me?’
***
“A hundred million?”
Emma stared at Sophia in disbelief, her eyes wide. She blinked, then repeated it slowly. “Onehundred million?”
Sophia shrugged lightly and nodded. “Yeah. He asked for it. And I told him I’d pay.”
She leaned back in her chair as she spoke. The restaurant around them buzzed quietly with low conversation and clinking cutlery. Despite its fame, the place was calm, refined. The décor was European—old, elegant, inspired by eighteenth-century design, with ornate decorations and sophisticated seating scattered throughout.
