Chapter 23: Unseen Shadows

Chapter 23: Unseen Shadows

Emily strode into Creston Media with a confident clack of her eight-centimeter heels, her camel coat and long hair flowing behind her. She exuded an undeniable presence.

As Jason opened his mouth to speak, Emily's black sunglasses tilted in his direction. Though she didn't meet his eyes directly, Jason couldn't help but shiver. He pointed towards the inner office.

Emily pushed the door open with a decisive motion, walking straight to the desk. The man behind it, Ethan, was leisurely putting down his phone. He glanced up at her with his deep black eyes, but his fingers remained nonchalantly playing with a pen.

Emily's irritation grew as she took in his demeanor. She removed her sunglasses, tossed her bag aside, and was about to speak when she noticed a magazine on the coffee table. A smirk crept across her lips as she snatched the magazine up.

"Did you buy out this magazine?" Emily demanded, her tone accusing.

"Yes," Ethan responded succinctly.

Emily narrowed her eyes. "Did you also remove the trending news and hot searches?"

"Yes," Ethan admitted with casual ease.

His nonchalance only fueled Emily's frustration. She threw the magazine in front of him.

"What's with this? Do you have too much money to burn?"

Ethan glanced at the magazine's cover, then back at Emily's equally striking face, slowly blinking his long lashes.

"I don't want others to see it."

Emily was taken aback by this reason. "You don't want others to see? Are you the Pacific Ocean's guardian now? Who do you think you are?"

Ethan's calm gaze met hers. "I'm your husband."

Emily was momentarily speechless.

She crossed her arms and scrutinized him for a moment before her red lips curved into a sly smile.

"Wait a minute—you're not actually... jealous, are you?"

Ethan's eyes widened slightly, blinking rapidly as if caught off guard. He adjusted his collar awkwardly.

Before he could respond, Emily stepped closer to the desk, leaning forward. The smile vanished from her face.

"Chairman Harrison, have you forgotten something?" Her voice was light but carried a heavy tone. "You no longer have the right to be jealous!"

Ethan's expression hardened as he locked eyes with her. His slanted eyes narrowed menacingly.

Just as Emily was about to stand up, Ethan grabbed her chin firmly. His long fingers easily trapped her delicate chin as he stood up, his tall frame looming over her.

"Then you must have also forgotten that you're still my wife, hmm?"

Emily twisted her neck but couldn't free herself. She grabbed his firm wrist and turned her head away.

Two clear red marks appeared on her smooth chin. Emily frowned slightly.

Ethan's grip was too tight.

Emily touched her chin and scoffed, "Ethan, I find you truly contradictory."

"You were the one who wanted a divorce, and now you're the one not wanting it. How could you be so inconsistent!" Emily laughed coldly. "As Mr. Lu Xun said, no one can escape the 'true fragrance' law."

Ethan: "...?"

"That wasn't Mr. Lu Xun's saying," Ethan remarked flatly. "You should read more books and not just rely on random online quotes."

Emily: "..."

Is this elementary school kid trying to lecture me??

Emily didn't respond to Ethan's diversion. She gave him a scathing look. "If you're worried about rumors and gossip from a divorce, there's no need."

She cast a disdainful look at him. "After all, no one knows whether Ethan's wife is a person or a ghost."

Thanks to marrying you, I'm now labeled as an "ugly and old rich woman" out there. It's a major stain on my life!

Ethan remained silent for a moment before looking at her. "You're aware of the gossip."

He picked up the magazine again. "Then why didn't you consider that when posing for such covers?"

"What do you mean by 'such covers'?" Emily snatched the magazine from him, her tone sharp. "What's wrong with this cover? It's from a legitimate magazine. Did it break any laws or rules?"

She was aware of some prejudice against magazines like "The Lover," but Ethan's disdainful remarks felt particularly jarring coming from him.

Ethan glanced at the cover's glamorous image with a hint of displeasure. "It seems you enjoy all this attention."

Emily: "..."

Emily turned her head away. "Forget it, I won't discuss this with you. You don't understand."

"I don't," Ethan said, his lips curving slightly. "You don't need to use artistic pretenses to appear noble."

Emily's brows shot up. "What do you mean?"

Ethan's gaze grew cold. "I'm saying you should find something more meaningful to do. Instead of spending time with a camera and spending money on lenses, why not fly to Paris and buy a few more clothes?"

Emily's face turned pale. "Is that how you view photography?"

"Do you think photography is the same as sitting in a mall with air conditioning, swiping a credit card?" Emily's eyes were locked on him, her voice trembling. "Or do you think buying a lens or camera is less valuable than buying clothes?"

Ethan opened his mouth but saw Emily's chin begin to tremble. She pointed a slender finger at his chest, her eyes wide with anger.

"Who are you to say that? Do you understand photography? Do you know how I shoot?"

Emily's finger shook as she pointed at him, her voice breaking. "Do you know that I've carried my camera through Southeast Asia, sweating buckets and still got heatstroke? Do you know that I kneeled in the Indian Ocean's ice-cold water just to capture the perfect sunset? I spent a lot of money on cameras and lenses, but do you know how much effort I put in and how many places I've been?"

Tears streamed down Emily's face as she spoke, her sobs turning into a heart-wrenching cry.

"You know nothing! How dare you belittle something I love and am passionate about! What gives you the right?"

Ethan was stunned.

He hadn't expected such a strong reaction from her, let alone her crying.

He'd never seen Emily cry before. When she got angry, she was always proud and stubborn, like a peacock that would never bow down.

She wasn't supposed to cry like this, so heartbroken.

Emily sat in the corner of the sofa, facing away from him. He couldn't hear her crying, but the sound of her sobs was very clear, like a little girl who had been deeply wronged.

Ethan had never seen her like this before.

Watching Emily's slender shoulders heaving, his heart ached as well.

He hesitated for a moment before slowly approaching her. As he awkwardly lifted his arm, she slapped his hand away.

"Go away!" She turned to glare at him, her face flushed with tears.

Emily wiped her eyes and, when she turned back around, her face was filled with determination and even hostility.

"Don't worry, even if I spend money on equipment, I won't use your money anymore." Emily's gaze was steady. "As for the divorce, I don't want that five billion!"

Ethan: "!"

Ethan's throat went dry, "——"

Before he could speak, Emily turned on her heel and walked away, not looking back.

She grabbed her bag and took the magazine with her, coldly stating, "I'll take this with me so it doesn't sully Chairman Harrison's eyes!"

Ethan: "..."

Ethan opened his mouth but couldn't find any words. He watched as Emily stormed out, yanking the door open and leaving without a backward glance.

Jason was startled by the door closing with a bang.

He had expected Chairman Harrison to entertain the angry Mrs. Harrison for a while, just as he had the last time, so he had cut off all internal lines...

Why was it over so quickly this time?

Jason saw Mrs. Harrison leave, her black sunglasses obscuring much of her face, and her nose was red. It looked like she had... cried?

She didn't even glance at Jason as she left.

Jason hesitated before heading to the boss's office.

"Chairman Harrison, you..." Jason started but was taken aback.

He saw Ethan sitting at his desk, one hand propped on his forehead, seemingly lost in thought. His usually stoic face had a rare look of defeat, with his shoulders slumped and his mouth pulled down.

Jason had worked with the boss for years but had never seen him like this.

After a long while, Ethan finally reacted. He weakly waved his hand and said in a dry, rough voice, "You can leave for now."

"Okay."

"Wait." Ethan suddenly called out to his assistant.

"Gather Mrs. Harrison's photography work from the past few years—especially her award-winning works and the magazines she's done since returning to the country—and bring them to me."

**

The top floor of Creston Media remained lit well into the night.

All the assistants had gone home, leaving only Ethan in the office. He propped his chin on his hand, staring at the various photos on the computer for a long time.

He saw the sunset she captured while wading in the sea, the magnificent orange hue of the setting sun painting the surface of the water—a view he had never seen before. He also saw the ancient temple where she had suffered from heatstroke, with its vast, almost cinematic textures and light effects...

He discovered that she had been to so many places, some poor and exotic—places he couldn't even imagine her visiting in her glamorous gowns.

She had

indeed been to many places he had never been, seen things he couldn't even imagine.

Ethan leaned back in his chair, feeling a sense of defeat. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, staring at the stark, glowing screen in front of him.