After Divorce I Married a Tycoon-Chapter 132: Killing Without a Knife

Meanwhile.

Adrian Sutton, his heart pounding with a mix of nerves and excitement, held Claire Mercer’s hand the entire way.

This was the first time he had ever held her hand so formally and openly.

’Claire’s hands are so fair and delicate, her skin so smooth and her fingers so slender...’

On the surface, his expression was as calm as ever.

But in reality, he was so thrilled that his palms were already starting to sweat.

He led her along slowly, wishing the walk could last a little longer.

That way, he could hold her hand for just a little more time.

He wished he could just keep holding her hand like this, forever and ever, and never let go.

Though he deliberately slowed his pace, the two of them still reached the open-air parking lot all too soon.

They walked straight up to a luxury car that was clearly worth a fortune.

When she saw him open the car door for her with practiced ease,

Claire Mercer froze. "This car..."

"Oh, it’s Silas’s," Adrian Sutton said, using Silas Rowan as an excuse again.

"The Rowan family is powerful and influential, but Silas himself is in investment."

"He has a lot of personal assets and plenty of luxury cars."

"He specifically lent me this... less conspicuous one today to help you make a good impression."

’I had originally wanted to gift her a supercar in the Rowan family’s name.’

’But knowing Claire, she would have never accepted it.’

’My aunt told me she didn’t even want to wear this six-million-dollar gown she has on.’

’If I tried to give her a supercar worth tens of millions on top of that, she’d refuse it outright.’

’Oh well. I’ll find another chance to improve our quality of life later.’

’It’s not that I find our current life too modest, or that I dislike it or can’t adapt.’

’I just want Claire to enjoy the very best life I can give her.’

’But there’s no rush. I’ll take it slow.’

’When she wins the design competition, besides the three-million-dollar prize money, I can give her a luxury car.’

’That way, she won’t feel burdened and can accept it with a clear conscience.’

’After all, it would be a reward for her own talent and hard work.’

’She deserves it!’

Even if Adrian Sutton hadn’t said anything, Claire Mercer would have guessed the car probably belonged to Silas Rowan.

It made her marvel once again at how genuinely kind the Rowan family was to her.

’Regardless of whether I ever find my biological parents...’

’I will do my absolute best to honor the Rowan family’s parents for the rest of my life.’

The two of them drove to the hotel where the banquet was being held.

It was a seven-star hotel chain under the CZ Group and the most luxurious hotel in Rhonia.

Only incredibly wealthy and prominent families could afford to host banquets here.

Some middle-class families would also choose to hold their wedding receptions or birthday banquets here to boost their social standing.

And the Sinclair Family, in order to flaunt their status as the richest family in Rhonia,

had naturally chosen this hotel as the venue for Gavin Sinclair’s wedding.

At the hotel entrance, two giant posters stood on either side.

One was a wedding photo of Gavin Sinclair and Scarlett Jewel.

In the photo, Scarlett Jewel was smiling brilliantly, looking genuinely happy.

Gavin Sinclair’s expression, on the other hand, was rather intriguing.

He looked as if someone had held a knife to his throat and forced him to pose for the picture.

It was obvious that Gavin Sinclair had not been happy during the wedding photoshoot.

When Claire Mercer arrived at the hotel entrance and saw their wedding photo, she couldn’t help but let out a soft chuckle.

’Back then, the two of them couldn’t even stop themselves from fooling around behind my back at the hospital.’

’Now that they’re finally together, how have they ended up looking like a resentful couple?’

The other giant poster was a solo picture of Claire Mercer.

In the photo, she was smiling softly, her features sweet and her aura elegant.

She was wearing a black evening gown.

Her thick, jet-black hair was styled in large waves, cascading casually over her shoulders.

Though it was just a casual candid shot, it captured her beauty perfectly.

Anyone who didn’t know better would have mistaken her for a stunning starlet who had just entered the entertainment industry.

Claire Mercer remembered this outfit.

It was from the day the Mercer Family held the banquet to formally acknowledge Scarlett Jewel.

She hadn’t asked anyone to take her picture, so it was obviously taken without her knowledge.

"This photo was..."

"Roxanne Peyton took it."

He didn’t dare admit that he had been the one who secretly took it.

He was afraid she would think he was a pervert.

"My godmother said she wanted to make a poster of you for the hotel entrance and asked me to provide a photo."

"Coincidentally, she showed me this picture the last time we had dinner."

"I thought it was perfect for a poster, so I had her send it to me."

"Oh, I see."

Claire Mercer didn’t overthink it, nor was she in the habit of prying until she got to the bottom of things.

If he said Roxanne Peyton took it, then that must be it.

After all, Roxanne did love photography, whether with a camera or her phone.

Whenever she saw something beautiful, she couldn’t resist capturing it.

Claire Mercer couldn’t help but take another look at her own poster.

Then she glanced over at Gavin Sinclair and Scarlett Jewel’s wedding photo.

The two giant posters stood side by side at the hotel entrance, one on the left and one on the right.

But the subjects of the posters struck even Claire herself as somewhat ironic.

Roxanne Peyton and Stella Thorne arrived at the hotel entrance soon after.

When the two of them saw the posters, they first showered Claire Mercer’s poster with stunned praise.

"Girl, with looks like these, it’s a crime you’re not an actress."

"You’d totally put the number one beauty in the industry to shame, wouldn’t you?"

"You look ridiculously beautiful in a casual snapshot..."

"I’d trade a day of my life for just a tenth of my girl’s beauty."

Claire Mercer couldn’t help but laugh out loud at her friends’ antics.

Then, when Roxanne Peyton and Stella Thorne saw Gavin Sinclair and Scarlett Jewel’s wedding photo,

they both curled their lips in disgust.

If it weren’t for their good upbringing, they would have spat at the couple in the poster.

As Claire Mercer and Adrian Sutton walked ahead, the two friends couldn’t help but start muttering to each other.

"You think that Gavin Sinclair is blind?"

"Claire’s looks leave that homewrecker Scarlett Jewel in the dust by a country mile."

"That idiot actually tossed aside a great beauty like Claire to go after some rotten cabbage."

"Look at Scarlett Jewel’s face, it’s so stiff. Who knows how much plastic surgery she’s had."

Stella Thorne curled her lip and scoffed disdainfully.

"No matter how much work she gets done, she’ll never be one-ten-thousandth as beautiful as Claire. And in terms of character, she’s a total failure."

"Besides, look at Gavin Sinclair’s expression in the wedding photo. It’s hilarious."

"It’s like someone was holding a gun to his head, forcing him to take the picture."

"That look of utter despair on his face is killing me."

Roxanne Peyton said, "Do you think Mrs. Rowan deliberately put that giant poster of Claire next to their wedding photo?"

"Think about it. On one side, you have the former fiancée, and in the wedding photo, you have the mistress who successfully schemed her way to the top."

"When you compare their pictures, isn’t this basically a public execution for Scarlett Jewel?"

Stella Thorne nodded. "It’s very likely. Mrs. Rowan probably did it to get justice for Claire."

Roxanne Peyton analyzed the situation. "Mrs. Rowan’s move is ruthless. You could say it’s like killing someone without a knife."

"Just imagine, when Scarlett Jewel sees their two photos placed side-by-side at the hotel entrance..."

"...with so many guests coming and going today, all of them distinguished and high-status people..."

"...and when they see this stark comparison and recall their former relationship as fiancée and mistress..."

"...isn’t that homewrecker Scarlett Jewel going to be furious enough to drop dead?"

"And everyone will question the taste of that pig, Gavin Sinclair."

"His past of cheating, deceiving her into marriage, and faking a disability will all be brought up again."

"Do you think their so-called ’wedding of the century’... can possibly go smoothly?"

Stella Thorne couldn’t help but exclaim in admiration, "Ruthless. She’s truly worthy of being Mrs. Rowan."

"Honestly, I’m a little tempted to go to Gavin Sinclair’s wedding just to see the look on Scarlett Jewel’s face."

Roxanne Peyton replied, "Forget it. Don’t you think it would be an eyesore?"

"I had my dad send our family’s driver to attend Gavin Sinclair’s wedding banquet."

"I’m going to call him right now and tell him to be sure to record Scarlett Jewel’s expression from beginning to end."

With that, Roxanne Peyton immediately pulled out her phone and called her family’s driver.