Chapter 16

Curtis lowered his head guiltily. “Mr. Remus, we’re still searching. Shortly after Miss Silvia left the mansion, she disappeared from the surveillance camera. Tracking her down has been challenging. As of now, we haven’t been able to pinpoint her exact location.” “Keep searching!” Once Curtis left, Neil’s frustration grew. He could no longer concentrate on the documents. …… It was past midnight when Silvia returned to her mansion in North City. She barely had the energy to open the door. Unfortunately, her legs gave way as soon as she stepped inside. As such, she collapsed on the floor. Suddenly, someone grabbed her by the waist. Silvia wanted to see who it was, but she lacked the energy to open her eyes. Just before she lost consciousness, she heard a faint sigh. When Silvia regained consciousness, she noticed that someone had tended to her injuries. She sat up, put on her pajamas, and slowly walked outside. She was drenched in sweat by the time she got downstairs. Hearing voices from the kitchen, she headed in that direction and saw Chris walking out with a bowl of chicken soup. Chris was surprised to see Silvia. He quickly put the bowl on a table and rushed over to support her. “The doctor said you need to—” Before he could finish, Silvia pressed a dagger against his throat. “Why are you here?!” Silvia sounded cold unlike her usual self. She had already told Chris not to come again. Yet, he showed up after she got injured last night. It was too much of a coincidence. Chris was stunned before he explained, “I left a script here. When I returned to retrieve it, I saw you collapse. I realized you were injured after I helped you up, so I called a doctor to tend to your wounds.” Seeing that Silvia was still doubtful, he helplessly said, “If I really wanted to harm you, do you think you’d still be alive right now?” After a brief silence, Silvia finally lowered the dagger. She looked at him apologetically and said, “I’m sorry for misunderstanding you.” Chris smiled. “It’s alright. Also, you don’t have to worry. I won’t ask you about anything. The doctor will keep this a secret too.” “Okay.” Once Chris noticed that Silvia had finally lowered her defenses, he brought her the bowl of chicken soup and said, “Have some soup first. You lost a lot of blood, so you need to regain your strength.” “Thank you.” As Silvia sipped on the soup, the doorbell suddenly rang. Chris walked over to the door and saw Neil outside. A cunning look flashed in his eyes, but he quickly opened the door. “Mr. Remus, Silvia is—” Chris did not get to finish his sentence as Neil pushed him aside and entered. Neil’s expression turned cold when he spotted Silvia. “Silvia Pond! You’ve been missing for days because you’ve been with your boy toy the whole time?!” Before Silvia could respond, Chris explained, “Mr. Remus, please don’t misunderstand. Silvia—” “I’m not talking to you! Is Silvia mute? Why do you need to speak on her behalf?!” Neil cut him off in a chilly tone. Chris’s expression darkened. He frowned and said, “You’re Silvia’s husband, but you seem unaware of what she’s been through the past few—” “Chris!” Taking a deep breath, Silvia calmly gazed at him and said, “Thank you for taking care of me. You can leave now. I’ll treat you to dinner someday as a token of my gratitude.” Disappointment crossed Chris’s eyes, but he nodded and said, “Alright. Take care and rest well.” Then, Chris took his script and left. Only Silvia and Neil were left in the living room. An oppressive silence filled the air. Silvia continued to drink her soup as if nothing had happened. Neil sneered when he saw this. “Don’t you think you owe me an explanation?” Silvia said nothing. She got up, retrieved a card from a drawer near the TV, and placed it on the table. “There’s fifty million on this card. Let’s get divorced tomorrow.” She sounded indifferent. “Silvia Pond!” Neil glared at her. He grabbed her wrist and sternly asked, “What’s between you and Chris Rios?!” His grip nearly caused her to stumble. She shot him an impatient look. “You saw it yourself. I’ve prepared fifty million dollars like you requested. Can we get a divorce now?” Neil scoffed with an icy gaze. “Is this fifty million your reward for spending time with him these past few days? Chris Rios is pretty generous, but are you worth that much?” Seeing the disdain and mockery in his eyes, Silvia frowned. “How I got this money has nothing to do with you. Don’t forget that you promised to divorce me if I give you the money!” Neil threw the bank card onto the table and stared at Silvia. “You may not find it distasteful to get the money this way, but I do!” Anger flashed in Siliva’s eyes. “Are you going to back out of our deal?!” “I set the rules! I won’t accept this money or agree to a divorce!” Silvia sneered as she looked at his angry face. “Neil, I never expected you to be so forgiving. You think that I had sex with Chris, yet you still refuse to divorce me. I’m impressed!” Neil’s gaze turned cold. “You’ve been unfaithful to me, so why would I comply with your wishes?” “Whatever. I gave you the money, but you refused to accept it. In that case, I’ll file for divorce!” “Go ahead. Let’s see who dares to take your case!” Immediately after, Neil left the mansion. Silvia’s body reached its limit after she stood up for so long. She sank into her chair as blood seeped from her injured abdomen. Over the next few days, Silvia rested in the mansion in North City. She only returned to work once she made a full recovery. On her first day back at work, Darrion mocked and ridiculed her during a meeting. “Miss Pond, you disappeared for a few days after you offended Mr. Walls. You’re the president. Don’t you think you should have some sense of responsibility?” Silvia scoffed. She slammed the document on the table and gave Darrion a cold look. “I have a question too, Mr. Torres. You’re aware that Mr. Walls is a pervert, so why did you have me negotiate this deal? What’s your hidden motive?” Silvia’s forthright approach caught Darrion off guard. He was momentarily stunned before he clenched his teeth and said, “Mr. Walls is an important client of the company. What’s the harm in sacrificing yourself if it allows us to secure a deal with him? Miss Pond, if you’re unwilling to make sacrifices, how can we trust you to manage the company effectively?” Silvia could not be bothered to show him respect. “If you’re so keen on making sacrifices, why don’t you sleep with Justus Walls? Once you successfully get him to sign the contract, I’ll reward you handsomely,” she said coldly. Darrion’s face turned red with anger. He slammed his hand on the table and stormed out. Silvia was indifferent to his leaving. “Let’s continue our meeting.” After the meeting, Silvia asked everyone to leave except for Sigwald. Sigwald was a little anxious, but he put on a calm front. “Miss Pond, what can I do for you?” Silvia gave him a friendly smile and said, “Well, I just want to remind you not to pick the wrong side. Otherwise, you might end up with nothing.” Sigwald was Dulcie’s uncle. Three years ago, Leroy Reed, Dulcie’s father, had borrowed money from Sigwald to gamble. He lost, so Dulcie offered Sigwald 10% of MY Corporation’s shares to settle the debt. This made Sigwald a shareholder of the company. Silvia was okay with it as long as the shareholders did not cause any trouble. However, if they intended to create problems behind the scenes, she would kick them out one by one. Sigwald continued to smile. “Don’t worry, Miss Pond. I won’t take sides.” “Good to know.” Later that evening, Silvia found Neil standing at the door when she returned to the mansion. She frowned and intended to ignore him. However, he grabbed her wrist as she walked past him. “Silvia, come back with me!”