Chapter 43 She Will Take Half Your Fortune
Three minutes later, Raymond slammed the tablet down on his desk. Charles craned his neck to see, but the screen had already locked. He tentatively called out, "Sir?"
Raymond glanced at Charles, "Pull every scrap of information on Paige from the prison system and dispose of it. Make sure no one else can find these records. Take care of it yourself; now!"
Though Charles didn’t know what Raymond had seen, he assured, “I had pulled some strings to get this info; no one else could possibly find it.”
Regardless, Raymond insisted, "I want that data obliterated! Understood?"
Charles couldn’t fathom what had been in that email, but he knew it contained something others weren't supposed to see. He nodded and promptly set out to handle the task.
Raymond settled back into his wheelchair, absorbed in thought for a moment before picking up the tablet again.
As the screen brightened, the email’s first line appeared: Three months into Paige's incarceration...
Without swiping the screen, Raymond tapped the delete button decisively, then went to the trash folder to permanently shred and erase the email before setting down his tablet.
Leaning forward to press the intercom on his desk, Raymond spoke with a secretary, "Could you send Mr. Heller to my office, please?"
It wasn't long before the door of Raymond's office was knocked on by a middle-aged man in a suit. Lawyer Heller entered with an air of utmost respect.
"Raymond, how can I help you?" Mr. Heller greeted him carefully.
Raymond gestured to the chair opposite his desk.
Heller had been working with Bradley for years, and Raymond had always treated him quite well.
As Heller took a seat, Raymond didn't beat around the bush, "What would happen if I were to divorce...without a prenuptial agreement in place?"
Hardly settled in, Heller shot up from his seat, "Raymond, you got married?"
Not many dared to interrupt Raymond.
But this was an exception.
Raymond couldn't refute it; he indeed was married.
"Yes, I got the license. Now, I'm considering a divorce. What's the best course of action?" Raymond inquired without missing a beat.
Heller couldn't sit any longer; urgency took over.
He was Bradley's go-to lawyer, used to navigating the tumultuous seas of business. Yet, this revelation from Raymond had Heller sweating bullets.
He paced in front of Raymond's desk, hand smacking into his palm, "How'd you rush into marriage without even a prenup? If you divorce now, Hawke Corporation could wind up signing over half its fortune to someone else!"
Heller had his hands in all of the Carnegie family's legal documents, aware of more than anyone else in the group. The largest shareholder in Hawke Corporation wasn't Bradley or the current CEO, Louis.
It was the man right before him, Raymond Carnegie.
With no prior agreement about premarital assets nor defined shares of marital gains, in Northwind, this was tantamount to conceding legally that all you owned was to be shared equally with your spouse.
Half of my entire net worth is on the line for her; the hit to Hawke Corporation will be staggering!
After pacing around the room, Heller returned to the front of Raymond's desk, leaned towards him, and queried, "Raymond, no prenup at all? Does the chairman know?"
Raymond blurted out, "He pushed me into getting the marriage license!"
Heller gasped in shock!
Then, he started earnestly advising, "Raymond, the chairman has an excellent eye for quality. He's chosen for you a true gem. Do you have any idea how much your shares are worth? If you go through with this divorce, even if Hawke Corporation remains the top entity in Northwind, it may take years to regain its former glory!"
Raymond knew the experienced lawyer was verbose, but he also knew that no one understood Hawke Corporation better than him.
Resigned, Raymond stated succinctly, "She's unaware of who I am."
Heller, stunned, exclaimed, "Really? Then... enact the split fast! I'll draft the divorce papers right now... Wait here, Raymond..."
Before his voice even trailed off, Heller was already walking towards the door.
Frowning deeply, Raymond considered that despite his talkativeness, Heller had strong professional chops; in no time, he presented Raymond with the still-warm divorce agreement.
"Raymond, once she signs, I'll immediately process the divorce papers for you."
Raymond remained silent.
Paige had navigated the last room of the villa without a hitch.
She was naturally in high spirits; even though she hadn't discovered how to access the secret space yet, she was now certain it was within that room.
With the location found, it won’t take more than two days for her to figure out how to unlock that secret space!
The object she coveted was nearly within her grasp!
Yet, the thought of having to deal with the pretentious Xena that afternoon left Paige feeling somewhat irked.
What a waste of time! But she couldn't avoid it.
Her mother’s life was still controlled by the Sackler family.
Upon arriving at the bridal store, Paige saw Xena had just put on a dazzling wedding dress. It was a heavy work of art, embellished with countless tiny diamonds that shimmered brilliantly under the store's bright lights.
Xena immediately spotted the plainly dressed Paige and called out, "Paige, over here."
Paige just walked over, her eyes betraying no change at all.
Xena Sackler spoke up first, "Do you like my wedding dress?"
Paige replied with a hint of sarcasm, "That dress would make a pig look good!"
The joy on Xena Sackler's face faded by half, "Can't you say something nice? Oh, I get it, jealousy, right? Let me tell you, Louis and I have set the date, the fifteenth of next month. Unfortunately, with such short notice, I had to settle for off-the-rack. Otherwise, Louis would've had a custom gown made for me."
No sooner had Xena Sackler finished speaking than someone came in from outside. Xena, overcome with excitement, picked up the hem of her gown and ran toward the man, shouting, "Louis!" Only then did Paige realize Louis had arrived.
Typical Xena, the fool who only wanted to show off in front of others.
Paige was busy, she didn't have time to waste on the likes of Xena. Plus, she wasn't exactly keen on seeing Louis.
So, as Xena dashed off to Louis, Paige pulled out her phone.
She opened a chat with Pearl and typed: The task you were given last night, time to make your move.
After hitting send, Paige caught a glimpse in the mirror of Xena, clinging onto Louis hurriedly. At the same moment, Paige's eyes met Louis's in the mirrored reflection...
