Chapter 29: Unexpected Turn of Events

Chapter 29: Unexpected Turn of Events

Previously, when Emily had tearfully declared in the office, "I don't want five billion for the divorce," Ethan was momentarily shaken but didn't take it to heart. It wasn't until he saw the divorce agreement she had drafted that he realized she was serious.

She wanted nothing and left gracefully, appearing to have no lingering attachments.

For the past few days, Ethan couldn't help but wonder. If there hadn't been such misunderstandings, they might have been a loving couple now. Perhaps they would have been the happiest pair in their respective families—much happier than the other couples in their arranged marriages. They had the best reason for happiness.

Even if they were an arranged marriage, feelings might have developed over time, and he still would have been drawn to her. Would she have liked him as she did in the beginning, without reservations?

Either situation would be better than the current one.

He had messed everything up.

He had been attracted to her pure and sincere nature but forgot that he was incapable of nurturing such purity.

They taught him many things, but they never taught him how to love his partner…

Ethan's long fingers lightly traced the agreement the lawyer had just delivered, his dark eyes lost in thought.

After a moment, he seemed to make up his mind, gently popping off the pen cap with one hand.

At the moment he set the pen down, a self-deprecating smile curved his lips.

Some things, he might truly be unworthy of.

**

When Emily heard Ethan wanted her to draft the agreement, she was instantly overwhelmed.

Ethan was notoriously unreliable. Last time, he said he'd draft an agreement, but it seemed to have ended up at the North Pole or somewhere—she never saw any trace of it.

This time…

Emily exhaled and made up her mind.

If he continued to dawdle and procrastinate, she would bring in external legal help and involve both families.

Surprisingly, Ethan didn't delay. Two days later, his Cayenne was parked in the underground garage of Emily's apartment.

He handed her a document, and Emily eagerly opened it, only to find it wasn't a divorce agreement, but—

A contract.

AlisaCreston Media Visual Arts Studio

Emily: "?!"

She remembered Ethan mentioning creating an independent studio for her during her birthday party.

He was serious??

Emily was bewildered as she flipped through the contract, growing more puzzled by the minute.

The contract stated that her photography studio would operate independently, and she wouldn't technically be an employee of Creston Media; the studio would be a partner in a cooperative relationship with Creston Media. What was odd was that she had never seen such a cooperative model.

According to the terms, Creston Media would inject funds into the studio and provide resources for its development—but the studio's profits would be independent of Creston Media.

Even if the studio incurred losses, Creston Media would cover them.

In short, "Money and resources are yours; the profits are yours, and the losses are mine."

Emily was stunned.

What a bizarre contract!

It was even more unequal than an unequal treaty!

She looked up at Ethan in disbelief. "You…"

"I think, with your talent and ability in photography, you deserve to have your own studio," Ethan spoke gently.

The man seemed to be in better spirits than before, at least not looking like he was resigning to his fate.

But Emily felt that the aura and atmosphere around him had changed. When his dark eyes were fixed on her, they carried an ambiguous emotion, but when his eyelids lowered, those unspoken thoughts were hidden away.

"Jessica's styling studio currently mainly handles magazine covers. Creston Media has more extensive resources, including advertisements, promotional posters, portrait photography, and more."

He paused. "If you want, Creston Media can also help manage finances and taxes, allowing you to focus on your photography."

Emily bit her lip. "That's one way to put it…"

"Emily," Ethan called softly, his gaze deep.

"I didn't understand your work well before and said some biased things…"

Emily raised an eyebrow but remained silent.

"I know you don't need an apology, and I understand that verbal apologies don't mean much." Ethan looked at her. "This studio is my gesture."

He paused. "Emily, I should have done this sooner."

She was warm and radiant, meant to shine. It was he who had dimmed her colors and light.

He had seen her while shooting—confident and captivating, glowing with light.

So, whether those lights belonged to him or not, he wanted to help her keep them.

And make them shine even brighter.

Emily held the contract, her teeth lightly scraping her lip, obviously still hesitating about something.

She definitely needed a studio. After all, she couldn't keep relying on Jessica.

Creston Media's resources and funds were, of course, invaluable. And this contract—

It was something she wouldn't find anywhere else, even if she searched the world with a lantern.

The only thing was…

Emily looked up at the man watching her.

"Will you interfere with my work?" she asked him. "Will Creston Media control what I shoot and who I shoot with?"

Ethan shook his head. "I won't interfere with you; your work is entirely your decision. However, if there are financial or PR crises, Creston Media has extensive experience in those areas."

He lifted his hand, lightly tapping the contract with his index finger. "So, what do you think?"

Emily looked at his overly long and neat fingers and pursed her lips slightly.

You'd be a fool not to take money when it's offered.

Emily took a deep breath, said nothing more, and took the pen to sign decisively.

After signing, she closed the contract and held out her hand, palm up. "Where's the divorce agreement?"

Ethan stared at her pale, tender palm for a couple of seconds, then met her eager eyes, reading the impatience and "I dare you to back out" in them.

He suppressed his bitterness and turned to retrieve the divorce agreement, his movements slightly faltering, and then slowly handed it to her.

Emily took it and quickly realized that this agreement was vastly different from the one she had drafted the previous day—it was noticeably thicker.

Emily opened it, glanced at it, and was stunned, even more shocked than when she saw the contract.

In this agreement, besides the five million monthly living expenses Ethan was to pay her, he had also allocated several properties, shops, and real estate under his name—spanning almost two pages, worth tens of billions.

Emily was stunned and flipped another page, her eyes widening in astonishment.

Ethan had also granted her a one-time alimony payment—

Of one hundred billion.

**

"Holy sh*t!" Jessica clutched her chest, nearly having a heart attack, "Holy sh*t, holy sh*t…"

"One hundred billion!" She, not believing it, asked Emily for the third time, "Did he really give you one hundred billion??"

Emily nodded and counted on her fingers. "And the two mansions in the Inner Ring, the commercial shop on Zhonglu Street, a few villas in the suburbs…"

She couldn't remember all the assets.

But she vaguely recalled that the agreement didn't seem to include the Star Tower.

She remembered that when Ethan first mentioned divorce, he had said he would leave the Star Tower to her.

Why had he given her a pile of other properties but left the Star Tower?

But, well, it didn't matter anymore.

With this much, what else could she ask for?

Jessica clicked her tongue twice, patted Emily's shoulder, and said, "I've decided. From now on, I'll call you—"

"Qi Hundred Billion!"

Emily: "Huh?"

Jessica: "You're not just a fairy now; you're the life winner Qi Hundred Billion!"

Emily moved her neck awkwardly.

"Actually, I wasn't planning to sign at first…"

"Why not!" Jessica protested. "Why wouldn't you sign for the money you earned by your own ability?"

Emily: "…"

She had originally intended to leave gracefully, giving Ethan a "goodbye and onto the next, more obedient" approach.

Even when she saw the agreement, she had maintained a dignified posture.

Ethan had only sighed slightly.

"Sign it," he told her, "It's what you deserve."

He paused, his dark eyes shifting to the side. "It's all I can give you now."

Emily: "..."

Seeing him like this, for some reason, an image of a smirking little figure sitting on a pile of money appeared in her head, pretending to be deeply troubled:

Sigh, I'm so poor.

Look, all I have left is money : )

"Hey, do you think," Emily asked Jessica, "That him giving me so much money all at once could lead to a financial crisis?"

Jessica snorted. "You're overthinking."

"Other rich people might face crises, but for a family like the Harrisons, which has been wealthy for generations, there's no such thing. However…" Zhi Ying tilted her head in thought.

Divorces among the wealthy aren't like those of ordinary people, often involving hundreds of billions in asset divisions. Although the media often reports on "high-profile divorce cases," in reality, wealthy divorces are much rarer than ordinary ones.

The probability of divorce among domestic wealthy individuals is even less than five percent.

So, a billionaire like Ethan, divorcing his wife and granting her a hundred billion under her demand—

Is truly unparalleled in this world.

Jessica sighed lightly, somewhat touched.

He really does love Emily…

Emily nudged Jessica's arm. "But what?"

Jessica shook her head. "Nothing."

She smiled. "Now that you're the life-winning Qi Hundred Billion fairy, in this world, there's probably no one richer than

you. Be careful with your money."

Emily: "…"

**

At the moment, Ethan was alone in his office, flipping through the documents Emily had left behind.

He had been quite uneasy about her signing the agreement. After all, one hundred billion was a huge amount.

However, she hadn't seemed particularly excited or surprised about it. Her expression was calm and serene.

She had made her decision.

Ethan flipped the agreement and sighed softly.

At this point, he had no room to say anything.

"Ms. Emily," came a calm voice from the office door. "A letter for you."

Ethan looked up and noticed the office's administrative assistant holding a letter, seemingly hesitant.

When Ethan took the letter, he looked at the envelope, marked with a black "The Harrisons."

He opened it and found a detailed letter inside.

The letter wasn't long but had one clear point: Emily, their daughter, had been a blessing to the Harrisons.

Regardless of the past grievances and disputes, the Harrisons had always been proud of her.

In this letter, Ethan's parents expressed their sincere gratitude and admiration.

Ethan took a deep breath and set the letter aside.

He still had many things to deal with in the company, but he couldn't find the motivation.

Maybe…

He should go out for a walk.

He walked out of the office, stood in the corridor, and glanced at the bright, bustling city outside the window.

The morning sunlight bathed the entire city.

He took a deep breath, closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them and turned his gaze upward.

He looked at the sky.

The light was warm and bright.

It seemed like it would be a nice day.