Novels by authorscarlet903

The courtroom doors opened, and Claire walked in with her family. She carried herself with absolute confidence.As far as she was concerned, the outcome had already been decided.Ethan had money and she was his former wife so she was entitled to half.Her face was full of excitement. If the court believed he had deliberately hidden his wealth, she expected to walk away with even more.Claire's lawyer was already waiting.He was a polished middle-aged man from one of the city's most respected firms, Berne & Sterling LLP, a law firm famous for handling high-profile corporate and family disputes.He stood as Claire approached but the moment his eyes moved past her, his expression changed.He saw the defendant Ethan and more importantly, he had seen the people sitting beside him. His legal team! The firm's senior partner leaned toward him and whispered.“That's them.”The lawyer frowned. “Who?” “Hayes Law firm!" His face stiffened. “They're representing him?”The senior partner nodded.

Claire and her family stood near the courthouse entrance. It was a few minutes until their trial. Claire folded her arms and smiled. Her father, Robert, laughed loudly while Marcus, who had been their ride, stood beside her. “Today is going to be a good day.” Claire's mother had a happy smile on her face. Claire smirked. “That jerk has been hiding money from us this entire time.”She clenched her fists.“He thought he could play us all. He thought he could secretly become rich while pretending to be the same useless man we've always known.”Her expression twisted with greed.“But not anymore. I'm going to milk everything out of him.”She laughed coldly. “Everything.”Her mother immediately joined in. “Don't forget the child support.”Claire's eyes lit up.Her mother leaned closer. “You can drain him for years. If he really has that much money, imagine how much you could collect.”Claire gritted her teeth before breaking into a smile. “Yes.”She had already started imagining it. A l

“For a project of that scale? Around three months.” The contractor said politely. This was a big-shot client so he sounded very respectful and calm.Ethan frowned. “I need it ready in three weeks.”“Three weeks?” The contractor was surprised. He had a lot of questions, but as long as the client had the money, he could do that.“That would require a massive workforce, multiple shifts, and expedited materials.”“I don't care.” Ethan sat down. “Tell me the price.”The contractor hesitated before giving him a figure. Ethan didn't even blink.“Send me the invoice. I'll send the payment today.”The contractor's voice immediately changed. His eyes sparkled, realizing he had hit a gold mine on this“Yes, sir.”“Start work tomorrow.” Ethan ended the call. Then he looked toward the dining room.“Now…”A smile appeared on his face. “Let's start with an expensive breakfast.”By evening, news of Ethan's purchase had spread throughout the city. A mysterious young man had appeared out of nowhere an

“Ethan?”The woman standing before him smiled in disbelief.“It really is you.”Ethan studied her face for a moment before recognition settled in. “Elena?”Her smile immediately widened. “I knew it!” She laughed and gave him a light hug.“It has been years!” Ethan smiled.They had been high school classmates. Back then, neither of them could have imagined where life would eventually take them.“How have you been?” Elena asked.“Doing well. You?”“I just moved to the city recently. I started working here.”She gestured toward the property center. “I haven't been here very long.”Before Ethan could reply, a few snickers came from behind them. “She must be desperate.”Another employee laughed. “She hasn't sold anything since she started.”“Can you blame her? She's new to the city.”Elena's expression tightened. “Guys, that's enough.”One of the women rolled her eyes. “Relax. We were only joking.”Ethan glanced at the employees.They were looking at him with barely concealed amusement.To

Ethan and Claire sat opposite the clerk, and a stack of documents lay neatly between them.The clerk adjusted her glasses and began going through the divorce settlement.“After reviewing the financial records, we have determined that Mrs. Claire possesses several assets acquired during the marriage, including her business interests and associated properties.”Claire's jaw tightened.The clerk continued. Under the applicable marital property rules, Mr. Ethan would be entitled to a portion of those assets.”Claire's fingers curled into fists beneath the table. Ethan simply shook his head. “I don't want any of it.”The clerk glanced between them. “Are you certain?”“Yes. I said I don't want anything.”“Then this makes things very easy.” She pushed the documents towards him and handed him a pen. “Sign them”Claire stared at him. Claire looked at him. She had expected Ethan to fight for it or demand money as a settlement.Claire's expression hardened. “You'll regret this.”Ethan leaned ba

“You think because you got an average job now as a laborer in the marines and you managed to get your life is finally on track so you can suddenly do whatever you want?”Ethan glanced at his watch. “You’re late, so let's stop wasting time.” His voice remained completely emotionless. That infuriated her. Claire stared at him with so much rage. “You really sold the house? Where are we supposed to live?”Ethan gave her a faint smile. “That sounds like a family problem.”Robert's mouth fell open.Ethan glanced over at the SUV that had brought them. The driver's door opened and a familiar man stepped out. Marcus. Claire's so-called family friend.He walked toward them with an irritated expression, his expensive shirt perfectly pressed and his watch gleaming beneath the afternoon sun.In Ethan's previous life, Marcus had been the man Claire secretly loved.He had also been the man Ethan foolishly trusted. Shortly before the apocalypse, Claire convinced him to use the house as collateral