The divorce proceedings took three days to process.
On the final day, everything was set. Bruce sat quietly at the head of the long polished table, his hands folded loosely in front of him. Lawyers and clerks lined either side of the table, passing papers back and forth. Willis leaned back in his chair, relaxed, one ankle resting over his knee while Marcus and Caro sat opposite him. A thick folder was placed in front of him. Willis cleared his throat. "Before we begin, this is a contract termination agreement," he said, pushing the folder towards Bruce. "You'll receive a sum of $1 million upon signing." He paused, watching Bruce's expression with relish. He went on. "In exchange, you waive all future claims against Caro Griffin and the Griffin family. You get nothing beyond the buyout. No alimony. This works only with your full consent." One of the lawyers gently placed a pen in front of Bruce. But to everyone's surprise, he didn't reach for it. Instead, he stared at it as if it were the only object left in the world. Three years. Three years of swallowing his pride. Of cooking meals that went cold while she worked late. Of pretending not to notice her disgust, her distance, or her indifference towards him. Three years of believing foolishly that if he endured long enough, if he loved her hard enough, she would eventually love him back. He remembered every insult from her family. Every sneer. Every time he was spoken to like a hired help instead of a husband. He remembered lowering his head when Marcus called him useless. He remembered being laughed at for delivering pizzas, for daring to exist before his in-laws without money. One night was all it took to ruin him. His wife slept with a stranger powerful enough to buy her. And by the next day, she's ready to divorce him. Unforgivable. Bruce’s jaw tightened. He'll never forgive her. He lifted his eyes and turned to Willis. "I consent," Bruce said quietly. He reached out and picked up the pen. "Just tell me where to sign. Let's get this over with." "Not so fast, tiger," Willis held up his hand. "We haven't agreed on the amount I'm paying you. $1 million. Nothing more, nothing less." Bruce's eyes snapped to him. For the first time that day, anger broke through the calm face. He leaned forward slowly, palms pressing into the table, his gaze locked on Willis. “Keep your filthy money,” Bruce said dangerously. “I don’t want a single cent of it.” Willis burst into laughter. "You can act tough all you want, Bruce. It still doesn't change your reality." He leaned forward slightly, eyes gleaming with contempt. "You're a loser. And you'll always be a loser. That's your pathetic reality." A slow bitter smile curved Bruce's lips. "I don't know how I'm going to do it. Maybe not today. Maybe not tomorrow. Maybe not even next year." He paused as he locked eyes with Willis's. "But mark my words, Willis. Someday, I'll make you pay dearly for this. That's a promise." For a brief moment, the room fell silent. Then Willis laughed even harder. "Ohhh, I’m terrified," he mocked, clapping his hands. "Really. Shaking in my boots." His face hardened. "Just shut up, sign the papers, and get the hell out of my sight." Caro finally turned towards Bruce. She wrinkled her nose at him. "You should have taken the money, Bruce. I know you've never been smart, but rejecting a million dollars? That’s just stupid." Marcus folded his arms. "It is a lot of money. It could've set you up for life. But you let your foolish pride rob you of it. Typical idiot." Bruce lifted the pen and pointed it at both of them. "Don't think I've forgotten about you two and the Griffin family." Caro stiffened. "I will have my revenge," Bruce went on, his voice as hard as nails. "When the Griffin family downfall comes, do not forget this day. Because I'll be the one who destroys you." For a couple of seconds, there was silence. Then Marcus threw his head back and laughed. Caro joined in and soon, even Willis was laughing his head off. "Destroy us?" Caro scoffed. "You must've lost your mind." "The only thing you can destroy is your own life," Marcus added, wiping tears of laughter from his eyes. "Delusional bastard! Get yourself a life, Bruce." The laughter roared again, filling the room. Bruce didn’t respond to the laughter. Slowly, he reached forward and lowered the pen to the papers. He scratched his signature across the Contract Termination Agreement. Then the divorce papers. In less than sixty seconds, Bruce completed his signature on all documents provided while everyone laughed at him. Finally, Bruce lifted the pen and set it down. It was over. Three years of humiliation and unreciprocated love was gone. Just like that. Bruce exhaled quietly. "It is done!" At that exact moment, Bruce's phone buzzed in his pocket. Bruce frowned slightly as he reached into his pocket and pulled it out. The screen lit up. He clicked on the text message that had popped up out of nowhere. A jolt of electricity zapped throughout his entire body as he read the text on the screen. The message read: Congratulations, Master Bruce. After identity verification and lineage confirmation, we are pleased to inform you that you are now the sole inheritor and controlling authority of the Shepherd Conglomerate. Total Valuation: $100,000,000,000,000 USD Assets: Global banking, defense, technology, energy, rare metals, and sovereign investments Status: FULL TRANSFER COMPLETE You will be picked up shortly. Welcome back to the throne.Latest Chapter
Black Card
Bruce stepped back into the hallway, his eyes scanning for a nurse, a doctor, anyone who could tell them what had happened. A young nurse with a clipboard was passing by, and Bruce stepped into her path."Excuse me," he said in a calm voice. "The boy who was in Room 412. Where was he transferred to?"The nurse looked at the empty room, then turned her gaze back to Bruce. "Oh, that boy? He was moved to the public ward on the second floor. Room 217."Lucy came out of the room, her complexion pale. "What? Why would they do that? Under whose orders?"The nurse shifted uncomfortably. "You'll need to speak with the head doctor about that. Dr. Morrison. His office is on the third floor."She started to leave, but Lucy caught her arm. "Wait—please. My son needs to be isolated. His immune system—""I'm sorry," the nurse said, pulling her arm free. "I'm just following orders. Speak with Dr. Morrison."She hurried away, her footsteps echoing down the corridor.Lucy stood frozen, her hands shaki
Trapped
Bruce looked down at Scarlett as she crumpled at his feet, her tears soaking into the floorboards.Watching her grovel and seeing her body tremble with genuine terror made his heart race with excitement.It felt so good to have control and power over his former mother-in-law. To crush her pride and force her down to her knees.He had her right where he wanted her. It would have been easier to crush her to dust, but Bruce was thinking about the long term. Now that he had her in the palm of his hands, he could use her however he wants. He crouched down, bringing himself to her level. Scarlett flinched, expecting another slap. Instead, Bruce reached out and gently tilted her chin upward, forcing her tear-streaked face to meet his eyes."Look at me, Scarlett."She obeyed, her breath trembling.In a quiet voice, he said, "I'm not going to destroy you."Her eyes grew wide with hope. "You're not?""No. Not yet." He released her chin and stood, looking down at her with the same cold detachm
Scarlett grovels
"No," Scarlett’s voice trembled as she shook her head violently. "No. It's not possible. You cannot be Bruce Dominic Shepherd. I refuse to believe it. I refuse!"Bruce regarded her indifferently, as if her doubts meant nothing to him."I have nothing to prove to you, Scarlett," he said quietly. "You are the least of my concerns. My beef is with the Griffin family. Not with you. You're not even worth my time nor my effort."Scarlett swallowed hard, her mind spinning.The man she had just tried to frame for sexual assault was the richest person on earth."Wait," she said, her voice cracking. "Let me get this straight. You're actually Bruce Dominic Shepherd? How? Last I checked, you were a nobody. You lived off my daughter's money. You couldn't even afford a doormat!"Bruce's eyes hardened. "I'm not going to bore you with the history of how it happened. You don't deserve an explanation." He stepped closer, his eyes narrowing into sharp slits. "But I am going to make you suffer for what y
Busted
Bruce quickly backed away, his eyes widening as he understood what she was doing. The torn fabric hung from her shoulders, exposing her brassier.Before he could react, she lunged forward, grabbing his wrist with surprising strength. Her fingers wrapped around his hand and pressed it firmly against her bare breast, squeezing his fingers around the soft flesh so his fingerprints would be imprinted on her skin."There," she hissed, her breath hot against his face. "Now you're trapped here with me, Bruce."Bruce couldn't believe Scarlett would go to such length. Was she really this desperate to destroy his life?"This is your end," Scarlett laughed wickedly. "I have your fingerprints on me. Your DNA will be everywhere. The court will believe my story over yours. A struggling Uber driver against a Hollywood actress? You're finished."Bruce looked down at his hand resting on her chest, then back at her face. His expression remained surprisingly calm."So, this is your plan?" he asked. "T
The set up
The next morning, Bruce stood before the small bathroom mirror, adjusting the collar of his plain button-down shirt.He was just reaching for his keys when the doorbell rang.Bruce crossed the small living room and opened the door. He found Lucy at the doorway, her hands folded in front of her. She had changed into a clean blouse and jeans, her hair brushed back from her face. The dark circles under her eyes were still there, but she looked better than she did last night. "Lucy," Bruce said, leaning against the doorframe. "You're up early."She smiled nervously, "I wanted to thank you. Again. I don't know how to repay you. What you did last night, no one has ever done that for me before." Bruce gently shook his head. "Lucy, we talked about this yesterday. There's no need for you to pay me back. Just try to get back on your feet, alright? That's all I ask."She nodded quickly, wiping at her eyes with the back of her hand. "I will. I promise." She took a steadying breath. "I'm going
Scarlett plot
When Marcus and Caro got back home, it was already late at night."You're making a mistake," Caro said as they pulled up the driveway of the Griffin estate. "Signing that deal. It's going to cost us."Marcus stopped his car in front of the main mansion. "What makes you say that?"Caro leaned in. "I don't trust these people, Dad. ABC Holdings came out of nowhere. One minute they're suing us, and the next they're offering us the deal of a lifetime. It just doesn't add up.""It's good enough for me," Marcus said as he stepped out of the car and walked up the steps. Caro hurried after him. She reached out and grabbed his arm, forcing him to slow down. "You should have taken more time and done further research."Marcus stopped and turned to face her, his expression hard. "You read the contract with me. The documents and the financial records. They're legit, aren't they?"Caro hesitated. "Yes, they look legitimate."Marcus folded his arms. "They have government contracts, don't they?""The
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