Chapter 516 Hitting the Raw Nerve
Marlowe was watching the grand, joyous wedding ceremony, while someone beside her was watching her intently.
Her bright eyes seemed radiant, yet somehow tinged with an indescribable bitterness and self-mockery.
In that moment, his heart inexplicably tightened, as if pierced by a silver needle.
Marlowe watched as Lila walked down the red carpet on Elijah's arm. She felt happy for them, but also envious.
Her every expression fell under Grant's watchful gaze.
Suddenly, Marlowe's hand, resting on her lap, was enveloped by warmth.
She froze momentarily. When she realized Grant had taken her hand, she reacted like a startled rabbit, quickly pulling away under the table.
Grant hesitated briefly, then swiftly recaptured her retreating hand.
This time, he held it firmly.
He was unaccustomed to her resistance.
No matter how she tried, she couldn't free herself.
Marlowe looked at him with confusion and even fear, her eyes clearly asking, "What are you doing? Let me go!"
The fear in her eyes stabbed at his heart like a thorn.
"I'm not going to hurt you," Grant said softly, his tone unexpectedly gentle. "I just want to hold your hand."
Marlowe furrowed her brow.
She understood even less now.
What was he trying to do?
The Alexanders, sitting nearby, exchanged brief glances before returning their attention to the wedding, deliberately uninterested in the drama unfolding beside them.
Victoria was delighted watching Lila enter the sacred halls of matrimony.
She knew taking this step hadn't been easy for Lila, but Victoria trusted that Owen wouldn't let her down.
In front of all their friends and family, Lila completed one of life's most significant milestones.
"I do."
"I do."
They exchanged rings.
Owen gazed at Lila before him, his heart never ceasing its excited rhythm.
He had finally married the woman he loved most.
He leaned down to kiss his bride and whispered, "Lila, you're mine forever now."
Lila's eyes glistened with tears. Only now, as they exchanged rings, did she truly realize she had married Owen.
Perhaps marriage wasn't as frightening as she'd imagined. After all, she genuinely loved Owen, and his love for her was something she felt constantly.
The reception began.
Before long, both Marlowe and Grant were called away.
Marlowe didn't want to go, but Caspian had summoned them.
At the hotel lounge.
By the entrance, the butler stopped Grant. "Mr. Grant Scott, Mr. Grant Scott instructed that you wait here. Only Mrs. Scott is to enter."
Grant's face instantly darkened.
Marlowe gave him a fleeting glance, saying nothing.
Then she walked in.
Grant watched her retreating figure, pressing his tongue against his back teeth in frustration.
Last time, she had met with his father alone and subsequently left him.
This time, he wouldn't let history repeat itself.
What they discussed in the lounge remained unknown to him.
Nearly an hour later, Marlowe emerged.
"What did my father say to you?" Grant asked.
Marlowe glanced at him. "He said if I wanted a divorce, he could help me—even before the baby is born."
Grant was momentarily speechless, his brow furrowing in silence.
"Did you tell my father you wanted to divorce me?" He barely contained his displeasure as he asked.
Before Marlowe could answer, a robust, angry voice bellowed from the lounge, "Grant, you have five seconds to get in here!"
She raised an eyebrow and stepped aside to let him pass.
Grant entered with a dark expression, calling out, "Kevin, keep an eye on her. If she disappears, don't bother showing your face to me again!"
Kevin sighed inwardly. "Yes, Mr. Scott."
Marlowe was exasperated.
She wasn't planning to run away. Was all this really necessary?
What she didn't know was that Grant was terrified she might flee again.
She had escaped once before, and he was now conditioned to fear her disappearance.
Inside the lounge.
Caspian and Grant sat facing each other.
The butler stood nearby, feeling the pressure of their intense auras, especially Grant's.
"What?" Caspian snorted. "Got something against me?"
Grant's lips tightened. He remained silent.
Although Grant said nothing and was skilled at concealing his emotions, it was all transparent to Caspian.
Caspian's voice was steady and severe. "I've already promised Marlowe that if she insists on divorcing you, I'll support her. You've wasted enough of her time. If you don't love her, let her go."
Grant's expression darkened further. He raised his deep-set eyes to Caspian, his tone cold, "She's carrying my child."
The implication was clear: Divorce was not an option.
Caspian retorted, "So what?"
Grant was perplexed.
Caspian continued, "Setting aside whether it's even your child, even if it is, she can still divorce you. After the baby is born, it will still be a Scott, regardless of whether you're married. Who says you can't divorce with a child? When you don't love each other and live in discord, it affects the child's development. Better to end it early so the child can accept the reality from the beginning—it causes less damage that way."
"Bottom line: if you don't love her, let her go. If you try to force her to stay, don't blame me for intervening!" he warned.
Caspian's progressive thinking surprised Grant, darkening his mood even further.
The butler was also taken aback. Caspian's words seemed to precisely target every point that would anger Grant.
Grant seriously questioned whose father Caspian really was.
Weren't parents supposed to encourage reconciliation, not separation?
Why was Caspian so different?
Marlowe had no idea what they discussed inside.
Nor did she care.
She waited a while, then lost patience.
She headed straight for the elevator.
Kevin's heart skipped a beat as he hurried after her. "Mrs. Scott, where are you going?"
"I've told you not to call me Mrs. Scott, Kevin. Do I need to buy you something to improve your memory?" Marlowe stopped and turned to look at him, exasperated.
Kevin stopped too, making up an excuse with a straight face: "But Mr. Grant Scott said he'd dock my pay if I didn't call you Mrs. Scott."
Marlowe fell silent.
"Then when he's not around, you don't have to use it," she said.
Mainly because she found it uncomfortable to hear.
Kevin remained silent.
It seemed Marlowe truly had no interest in being Grant's wife anymore.
She had begun to despise the title.
Grant's journey to win back his wife would be arduous indeed.
Marlowe returned to the reception, said goodbye to Lila and Victoria, and left early.
By the time Grant emerged from the lounge and received Kevin's message, he rushed to leave as well.
One month later.
Serenity Grove Manor.
Alexander changed clothes and emerged from the dressing room to find Victoria still lounging in bed.
Since starting work at the research institute, she had always risen punctually.
But in recent days, she would only get up when he called her.
He approached and felt her forehead—her temperature was normal, no signs of fever or cold.
"Darling, you'll be late for work," he said, pinching her cheek gently.
Victoria murmured, her voice drowsy and hoarse, "I'm so tired. Don't want to work."
Alexander frowned. He hadn't even made love to her these past few days—why was she so exhausted?
In fact, recently she'd been falling asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow.
Even when he wanted to make love, he couldn't bear to tire her further.
After much dawdling, she finally dragged herself out of the comfortable, soft bed.
She washed up, changed, and went downstairs for breakfast.
Sitting at the dining table, she looked at the food before her and frowned slightly.
Alexander, whose eyes had been on her constantly, quickly noticed her expression. "What's wrong? Not to your taste?"
Hearing this, Sawyer immediately offered, "Not to your liking? I'll have the kitchen prepare something else right away."
She quickly stopped him. "It's fine, Sawyer, no need to go to such trouble."
"I just don't feel very hungry."
In the end, she ate the sandwich and drank the milk anyway.
After Alexander dropped her off at the research institute, he headed to his company.
As soon as she arrived, she immersed herself in work.
During the day, Billy came to see her.
It was about the poisoned little girl from the laboratory.
"Victoria, the girl's family wants to meet you," Billy said, sitting on the office sofa munching on barbecue-flavored chips.
Victoria didn't even look up. "What for? Isn't Professor Everett Stevens handling this case?"
Billy was puzzled too. "I don't know. Professor Stevens went, but they specifically asked for you. They threatened to take the child home—no more treatment, no more research opportunities for the lab."
Victoria stopped what she was doing and looked up at him. "Didn't you reach an agreement before? Sign consent forms?"
"We did, on both counts," Billy said, equally frustrated by the loophole. "But the person who signed is no longer the child's guardian, so they claim it's invalid."
"Schedule a time and let me know," she conceded reluctantly.
Billy immediately sprang from the sofa. "I'll arrange it right away."
At noon, Alexander arrived on schedule to take her to lunch.
Just as she got into the car, her phone rang.
Seeing Grant's name, she frowned slightly.
This bigshot rarely called her unless...
She answered immediately.
Before she could speak, Grant's cold, urgent voice came through, "Victoria, where's Marlowe?"
Victoria was silent, thinking, 'She's Grant's wife—why is he asking me?'
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