Marcia nodded, her tone calm but laced with a hint of meaning. “That’s right.”
Broad’s thoughts drifted back to seven years ago.
It had been a grand business cocktail party, glittering with light and teeming with elites. Miranda wore a white evening gown, as pure and elegant as a jasmine flower, standing out brilliantly in the crowd.
Broad had only looked at her once and was instantly captivated. He approached her confidently. “Hello, I’m Broad, CEO of Kova Industries.”
Miranda smiled, her voice warm. “Nice to meet you.”
“And what should I call you?” Broad asked, his tone carrying a touch of curiosity.
Miranda gave him a mysterious smile. “Guess.”
At the time, Broad thought Miranda was just an ordinary girl with no significant background, but he didn’t care. To him, liking her was enough.
Miranda’s lively and outgoing personality quickly drew Broad in. Their relationship blossomed rapidly under the rush of attraction, and before long, they were headed for marriage.
Yet, Broad’s heart was not at ease.
He couldn’t help but think about his future. His success had come entirely from his own hard work. When it came to love, he believed in freedom, but for marriage, he had always envisioned someone with a strong family background who could support him. Miranda’s background, unfortunately, seemed too modest for that.
But Miranda’s smile was so enchanting that Broad ultimately abandoned his principles and proposed to her with conviction.
The day before the wedding, his mother, Marcia, pulled him aside. Her tone was grave. “Broad, I have no objection to you marrying Miranda. But if your marriage ever falls apart, she could take half of everything you’ve worked so hard for. All those years of effort would be wasted!”
Broad frowned, confused. “What should I do?”
Marcia handed him a prenuptial agreement she had prepared in advance. “Get her to sign this. If you divorce, she won’t get a dime.”
“That prenup worked entirely in our favor. Miranda gets nothing now.” Marcia’s voice pulled Broad out of his reverie.
Broad nodded. “Exactly. I plan to sue her and demand repayment for all the expenses I’ve covered over the years. I’m certain she won’t be able to come up with that kind of money.”
Meanwhile, Miranda was at home, sorting through a week’s worth of mail while humming to herself. Most of it was routine credit card notices, nothing out of the ordinary. But as she reached the last envelope, her movements froze.
In her hand was a court summons.
Frowning, Miranda quickly scanned her memory. Sora Group, the company under her name, hadn’t been involved in any recent financial disputes. Could it have been sent by mistake? But the recipient’s name was unmistakably hers.
With growing suspicion, she opened the summons. Her eyes barely skimmed the contents before rage consumed her.
Broad was suing her.
Miranda couldn’t believe it. To stall their divorce, Broad was resorting to such tactics. Anger surged through her, but it also brought clarity. She had long since moved on from him.
Just then, the doorbell rang.
Miranda opened the door to find another extravagant bouquet of roses, their multicolored petals clearly the result of expensive cultivation. This arrangement must have cost a fortune.
But Miranda was in no mood to admire flowers.
She stepped aside with a cold expression, letting Tony into the apartment without a word of greeting.
Tony, sensing her mood, looked slightly aggrieved. “Miranda, if you don’t like them, I can get you something else-”
Miranda didn’t respond.
Unsure of what to do, Tony placed the flowers on the coffee table. His eyes wandered to the court summons lying nearby. Curiosity got the better of him, and he picked it up to read.
Before Miranda could stop him, he was already finished.
“Wow, this is shameless! He’s asking you to repay living expenses after the divorce?” Tony exclaimed. “I can’t believe Broad is such a petty man!”
Then, with a mischievous grin, he added, “So, maybe it’s time you considered me? All the money I earn will be yours. We could even sign an agreement!”
Miranda gave him a scornful glance. “Enough, Tony. I’m not in the mood for jokes.”
“Who’s joking?” Tony protested.
He sat down, pulled out his phone, and began typing furiously.
“What are you doing?” Miranda asked, puzzled.
Tony smiled at her and held up his phone. “Transaction record. Two million dollars-plus a little extra for interest.”
“Darling, you and Broad are officially even. Now, can I pursue you?”
Miranda stared at him, stunned. “Oh my God, Tony, who gave you the right to do that?”
She couldn’t believe how quickly Tony had acted. Without another word, she grabbed her checkbook to write him a check.
“Two million isn’t a small amount. I’ll pay you back right now.”
Tony rushed over and held down her hand. “It’s just one endorsement fee. I’ll make it back in no time.”
Looking at her earnestly, Tony said, “I just want to give myself a chance, Miranda.”
At Broad’s house, Vivienne was applying a face mask when she heard a loud crash from the study. Startled, she pushed the door open slightly. “Honey, is everything okay?”
Broad didn’t respond. His chest heaved with fury, and his expression was dark and menacing.
Vivienne’s eyes fell on the phone lying shattered on the floor. Confused, she picked it up and tried to power it on. The screen flickered, revealing a transfer notification.
“Two million?!” she shrieked, her voice sharp with disbelief. “Why would Tony send you so much money?”
Broad took a deep breath, his eyes cold and unreadable. “That’s the price Tony paid for Miranda’s ‘freedom.'”
“Freedom?” Vivienne repeated, stunned.
Broad didn’t bother explaining further. He pointed to the lawsuit documents on the desk. “See for yourself.”
Vivienne snatched up the papers and skimmed through them. Her expression quickly darkened, jealousy and resentment flashing in her eyes.
Miranda. It was always Miranda.
Tony had gone to such lengths to please Miranda, even at the expense of mocking her. And now, he had handed over two million dollars without hesitation-all for Miranda.
Why? Why did every man revolve around her?
Even Broad, who was divorced from Miranda, still lost control whenever her name came up.
Vivienne ripped off her face mask, her voice dripping with bitterness. “Broad, there’s something you don’t know.”
She paused deliberately, her tone tinged with mockery. “Tony is just one of the men bankrolling Miranda.”