Chapter 30: Chapter 30: I Don’t Want Money, Just a Divorce
His voice was a whisper, audible only to her.
The hot breath he exhaled brushed against her cheek like a feather.
He was deliberately teasing her.
Holly’s eyes widened, and she glared at him.
But the more she glared, the more audacious he became.
As if certain she wouldn’t dare make a sound, he kissed her while his hands began to wander.
Holly tried to push him away, to resist, but he grabbed her wrists and pinned them behind her back.
Now she was completely immobilized.
She was burning with shame and indignation, her eyes turning red with anger.
"You’re not the Eldest Miss Sinclair anymore. You’re married now; you can’t be so willful."
Outside the door, Isabella Sinclair was still droning on. "A man like Tristan is one in a million. You need to learn to be content... Holly, are you even listening?"
Getting no response, Isabella’s tone grew annoyed.
Holly didn’t want to answer.
Because deep down, she didn’t agree with her aunt at all.
’I’m not being willful!’
’Tristan Sterling doesn’t love me, so why should I be content in a loveless marriage?!’
’I won’t!’
"Holly?" Isabella’s voice sharpened with impatience.
As if seeing right through to her thoughts, Tristan Sterling’s eyes darkened, and he bit her lip—hard.
"...Ngh..." Holly winced in pain.
Hearing her niece finally make a sound, Isabella’s annoyance subsided slightly.
She muttered a few more bland remarks before finally leaving the hospital room.
Her aunt’s words made Holly feel even worse.
This path to divorce was proving to be incredibly difficult.
A woman should be independent and strong, but without her family’s backing, she couldn’t help but feel a lack of confidence.
’It’ll be better once my brother wakes up,’ she thought.
She desperately missed the days when her brother had spoiled her like a little princess.
Holly found herself lost in those happy memories, unable to pull herself out.
Tristan Sterling’s dark eyes narrowed, his sharp gaze seemingly able to pierce through one’s very soul.
"Nothing to say to me?"
The man’s deep, cold voice spoke up.
He had been waiting.
Waiting for her to thank him.
But even now, she hadn’t so much as cracked a smile for him.
"I do."
Holly snapped back to reality, her face as cold as ice.
Tristan Sterling was satisfied.
But then—
"Divorce!"
She spat out the single word.
The air froze.
The soft curve of Tristan Sterling’s lips instantly hardened, and his gaze turned as sharp as a sword.
The atmosphere turned heavy, but Holly straightened her back, meeting his gaze without a trace of fear.
"Say that again."
The man forced the words through his teeth, each one dripping with ice.
’Little ingrate.’
’Still thinking about divorce.’
"Tristan Sterling, you don’t even love me. What’s the point of dragging this out?"
Holly gave a sad smile, a trace of exhaustion crossing her beautiful face. "I’m begging you, just let me go. If it’s about the alimony, fine! I don’t want it. I won’t take a single penny. Is that okay?"
With her brother’s condition showing signs of improvement, she didn’t care if she had to leave with nothing.
’She doesn’t even want the money?’
’She wants a divorce that badly?’
"No!"
Tristan Sterling was enraged, flames of fury dancing in his eyes.
’Even that’s not okay?’
Holly broke. "Why? I already said I don’t want any money—mmph..."
Her furious shout was smothered by his kiss.
He was like a storm, taking advantage of her surprise to invade, to conquer...
Holly’s mind went blank with a BUZZ.
She struggled with all her might, but her strength was no match for his.
Her flowery punches were nothing more than a tickle to him, and she only succeeded in making her own hands sore and numb.
"Tristan Sterling, you... let go... mmph..."
The difference in their strength was too great; all her resistance seemed pale and futile.
He gripped the back of her head, kissing her wantonly.
He had intended to punish her for her insolence, but as the kiss deepened, Tristan Sterling found himself losing control.
He wanted to take her right then and there.
His hands followed his thoughts.
Reaching for her collar.
A button was torn open, and the sudden chill on her skin shocked Holly’s hazy mind back to clarity for a moment.
Seeing that her last line of defense was about to fall, Holly was overcome with shame and fury.
The pent-up frustration inside her grew wildly, like spring grass after a rain.
’They were about to get a divorce, what right did he have to treat her like this, again and again?’
’Wasn’t humiliating her in his office enough? Now he had to do it in her brother’s hospital room...’
SLAP!
Holly suddenly swung her hand and slapped Tristan Sterling across the face.
The crisp sound of the slap echoed throughout the hospital room.
The charged atmosphere vanished without a trace.
The small space fell terrifyingly silent.
Only the sound of their ragged, chaotic breaths remained.
The man, his desire thwarted, felt his handsome face darken inch by inch.
Holly clenched her fists, her eyes bloodshot as she stared at him in rage.
He suddenly seized her jaw, forcing her to tilt her small face up as his frigid breath ghosted over her lips.
"Holly Sinclair, do you really think I can’t live without you?!"
His voice was so cold it had no trace of warmth, as if it had come from Hell itself.
His grip was immense; Holly felt as if her jaw was about to be crushed.
A mist of tears welled in her eyes. She was in too much pain to speak.
And he had no intention of hearing her answer anyway.
After speaking, he flung her chin away.
With a SLAM, he stormed out of the room.
Holly’s head was thrown to the side.
The tears she had been holding back finally rolled down her cheeks.
...
「The next morning.」
Holly Sinclair arrived at the building that housed Vervain Studio.
Looking at the magnificent, imposing building before her, a cold sneer touched her lips.
This was The Sterling Group tower.
The entire building belonged to The Sterling Group.
For Vivian Linton to have her studio here... it was obvious Tristan Sterling had arranged it.
Holly suppressed the bitterness in her heart and walked toward the entrance.
Just then, a black Bentley pulled up to the curb.
Tristan Sterling and Vivian Linton got out of the car.
A handsome man and a beautiful woman—and with Tristan Sterling being the big boss—the pair immediately drew everyone’s attention.
"Wow, the Second Master drove Miss Linton to work again. Miss Linton is so lucky."
"What do you mean, ’drove her’? They probably live together..."
"Exactly! They’re so close. It looks like wedding bells will be ringing soon..."
A few female employees who saw them couldn’t help but whisper and gossip, their voices filled with envy.
Holly’s hands tightened unconsciously.
She averted her gaze and continued walking into the building.
"Holly!"
But Vivian Linton wouldn’t let her go, calling out her name in an overly familiar tone.
Holly knew Vivian was doing it on purpose.
’She wants to twist the knife, to see me hurt and upset.’
’Hah.’
A cold laugh echoed in Holly’s mind.
She turned, looking back at the two of them with a blank expression.
The moment he saw Holly, a flicker of suspicion crossed Tristan Sterling’s eyes.
"Tristan, I forgot to tell you, I invited Holly to my studio. I’m planning to have her help me restore Mrs. Quincy’s cheongsam. Even though what happened last time was mainly Manager Walsh’s fault, I’ve felt so guilty, like I owe Holly...
"So, after thinking it over, I decided to invite Holly to Vervain. She might be a bit inexperienced, but I’ll help her. She’ll definitely have better opportunities at Vervain. You can consider this my way of making it up to her. What do you think?"
Vivian Linton smiled sweetly, reciting her well-rehearsed lines to Tristan Sterling in a soft, gentle voice.
"It’s your decision."
Tristan Sterling nodded.
The distance was a bit too far, and Vivian had deliberately kept her voice low, so Holly couldn’t hear what they were saying.
But judging by the phony smile on Vivian Linton’s face, Holly knew it couldn’t be anything good.
But she didn’t care.
"Morning, Holly."
Vivian wore a friendly smile as she greeted Holly, casually tucking a strand of long hair behind her ear.
Revealing her fair neck, and...
...the faint, varied marks on its side.
They were hickeys.
Last night, Tristan Sterling and Vivian Linton had slept together.
