Remarried Wife: Mr. Ex, We Will Never Reconcile!-Chapter 70: Vera Sheridan Records Their Intimate Video
"Hubby, isn’t it that we don’t need to go? As long as we don’t go to the office, it’s assumed to be canceled by default," Vera said calmly.
The Kane Group, CEO’s office.
Ian Kane sank into the black leather sofa, his long legs crossed, outlining a smooth and powerful leg line. The phone casually held against his ear revealed a low-key and luxurious mechanical watch on his cold white wrist.
His deep gaze fell on the exquisite golden birdcage on the coffee table.
Inside the cage, a pale yellow canary flapped its wings anxiously, chirping incessantly at the closed cage door, seeming to futilely crash against an invisible barrier. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎
The man’s slender fingers tapped casually on his knee, "Theoretically, yes. But the thought of us still being tied in this divorce cooling-off period, it’s unsettling."
"So, it’s better to cancel it first, clean and neat," his tone was plain but was a decision that left no room for discussion.
Vera furrowed her eyebrows, her fingertips unconsciously clenching the phone—was he truly uncomfortable with this, or... had he sniffed something out? Regarding the jewelry company’s matter, she had Maeve Holloway find an agent under her name, Ian should not be able to track it.
"What’s wrong? Don’t want to go?" On the other end of the phone came his prolonged, slightly playful laughter, which, like a feather, gently scratched at her eardrum, yet made her heart feel a chill. Vera’s heart tightened, her gaze swept over the registration slip on Maeve’s desk, then she had a sudden inspiration: "It’s not that... I just feel that whether or not we cancel it is the same. Besides, I really don’t have time this afternoon..."
Ian raised an eyebrow, his cold pale noble face slightly smiling, "Oh? What’s the matter?"
Vera feigned a sweet wife tone, "Hubby, I have an appointment with an OB-GYN specialist this afternoon."
Ian’s finger paused in mid-air, his expression turned serious, "What’s wrong, are you feeling unwell somewhere?"
Hearing what sounded like a nervous tone from him, Vera slightly tugged the corner of her mouth, but her tone softened as much as possible, "Hubby, I want to try IVF, I’m going to the OB-GYN for a consultation this afternoon, to have a comprehensive examination to see if my body is suitable for IVF."
Ian was momentarily taken aback.
Vera continued, "I didn’t want to listen to Mom about doing IVF before because I wanted to wait until my mental health improved, to naturally conceive, and have a love child of ours. But my condition has not improved and even worsened... With our sexless marriage, I also feel insecure... I think with a baby, we can be more closely connected."
She spoke with utmost "sincerity," as if it came from the heart.
Ian’s fingers started tapping on his knee again, his gaze fell on the exhausted canary.
Its eyes were dull, squatting on the cage rack, appearing honest, resigned.
The man raised his wrist to check his mechanical watch, "Why didn’t you tell me earlier? Have you already made the appointment?"
Vera, "I was thinking of giving you a surprise... It’s a two-thirty specialist consultation."
In reality, it was Maeve who made the appointment. After her one-night stand with Quentin, she took contraceptives, but she kept spotting these past few days, feeling uneasy, so she had booked a specialist consultation in the morning.
Ian, "Which hospital? I’ll accompany you."
Vera raised an eyebrow, was he suspicious of her lying or not?
"Friendship Hospital, I’m at Maeve’s studio now."
Ian, "I’ll be there right away."
After they hung up, Maeve came over and handed her a glass of lemon water, "Getting through this afternoon, what about the following days?"
Vera took a sip of water, "Tomorrow and the day after are the weekend, the civil affairs office is closed, and for the remaining four or five days, I’ll think of other ways to get through it."
Maeve leaned against the sofa, looking at her, "Vera, for someone with intense control issues like Ian, if he finds out you really want a divorce, he’s likely to cling onto you. You’d better have concrete evidence of his infidelity as a backup to protect yourself."
Vera had thought about this problem too.
The evidence she had of them booking a room isn’t concrete enough, and when the time comes, Ian is sure to argue that he and Nina didn’t book the same room.
But Nina had already returned to her hometown and was tightly controlled by Ian, unlikely to provide any evidence for her.
Vera’s mind recalled the figure of Serena Everett.
"I’ll think of a way."
"Can’t he just amicably separate with me? I have no value to him anyway..." Vera said, and as she continued, she looked at Maeve, her fingertips quietly digging into the glass cup.
During the first half of their marriage, she actually enjoyed the joy and happiness of being a wife.
Every night she would prepare his suit in advance, carefully matching ties and cufflinks for him in the morning... Occasionally cooking, making soup for him...
Now thinking that he’s always been pretending, she felt wronged, resentful, and unbalanced.
"Maeve, does someone like him really not have any love?" Was it all just an act?
She asked again, more to herself.
Maeve understood her, a person who dared not touch love, finally moved and warmed, gave her all, only to end up stepping into the "deep love" trap set by Ian step by step.
"Vera, you have to understand, with a family background like Ian’s, with parents like that, he couldn’t have been raised to be a loving and well-adjusted person. He has never truly experienced love, so how can he give love to you?"
"This might sound a bit extreme, but many people do realize issues with their families of origin and grow from it." Vera is such an example.
"However, judging by Ian’s actions, he clearly doesn’t realize he has problems."
Listening to Maeve’s objective and rational words, Vera covered her mouth, tears fell uncontrollably, and she turned her face to look out of the floor-to-ceiling window.
Maeve also sighed in her heart.
Ian wasn’t just a good man in front of Vera, in front of their friends too, he was always amiable and enthusiastic, who could have guessed he was hiding so deeply.
The most complicated part about him is that he doesn’t have love, but he knows what love is and carefully sets up traps of love to lure Vera.
She had changed her registered name online to Vera to prevent Ian’s suspicion, and she had rescheduled her appointment for two days later.
Half an hour later, Ian came to pick Vera up for the hospital.
After seeing the specialist and undergoing a series of gynecological examinations, the middle-aged female specialist said that she was in good condition, suitable for IVF.
Just after leaving the specialist clinic, Ian checked his watch, there was still an hour and a half left until the civil affairs bureau closed.
"Mrs. Kane, we still have time to get to the civil affairs bureau now."
Vera’s heart tightened.
When she was just having the check-up, she secretly delayed as much as she could, but time still remained.
"It will automatically withdraw in a few days, why are you so fixated on it." She glanced at him with disdain, "I’m going to the restroom first; the examination just now made me feel a bit uncomfortable."
Ian Kane’s lips curved slightly, and he helped her with a little blazer. "Withdrawn, I’ll feel at ease. Let’s go, I’ll accompany you to the restroom."
...
At the restroom window, Vera stood with one arm crossed over her chest, looking down at her phone’s screen, watching the slowly changing time, her mind racing.
She tried to call Owen Sheridan to have him distract Ian Kane, but his phone was off.
Vera put down her phone, paced a few steps, suddenly remembered someone, considered for a moment, and then composed a text message.
[Senior Grant, could you please find a tricky work issue right now and call Ian Kane away, is that okay?]
Ian Kane is a workaholic and won’t ignore a tricky work issue.
The message had barely been sent when Noah Grant replied almost instantly: Okay.
Vera felt reassured, and when she stepped out of the bathroom, she saw Ian Kane facing the wall opposite, making a phone call, accompanied by a bodyguard.
"Old Man Grant, I’m on my way to the civil affairs bureau with my wife, she doesn’t want a divorce, to withdraw the application." Ian Kane’s tone was calm, yet it carried an imperceptible hint of pride and satisfaction, as if declaring a sort of ownership, "No matter how big the issue, it will have to wait for two hours."
In the tearoom, Noah Grant fiddled with a smooth chess piece in his hand, rubbing the slightly indented "Vera" engraving on the bottom with his fingertips, and a faint smile flickered across his mature, handsome face.
He spoke into the phone, his voice suddenly cold and pressuring, "What if I say it’s the people from the Securities Regulatory Commission that came, about the malicious acquisition of the Kane Group’s shares last time? The evidence chain point is troublesome! You need to get over here right now!"
Ian Kane’s face suddenly darkened, the laziness and pride just now instantly replaced by sternness, his fingers heavily tapped on the fabric of his trousers, revealing a trace of displeasure for being disturbed, and his voice turned cold: "Understood."
He hung up the phone.
Vera walked up to him, looking very anxious, "Honey, I’m fine now, let’s go. Can we still make it?"
Ian Kane turned, gazing at her, "I have a sudden issue to handle; I’ll have someone take you home first. We can do this next week."
Vera frowned, asking with concern, "What could be so urgent?"
Ian Kane smiled, "Work."
They parted ways at the hospital’s underground parking garage.
Once Vera got into the car, she truly breathed a sigh of relief.
Returning home alone, her mind was filled with the words Maeve Holloway had said.
...
The forecast for Ardendale tonight was thunderstorms. Vera closed all the villa’s windows and called Ian Kane, who said he could make it home tonight.
In the living room on the first floor, Vera dialed Serena Everett’s number.
On the other end, Serena Everett sounded surprised, "Sister-in-law, you need me?"
They rarely communicated.
Vera, smiling knowingly, asked, "Serena, are you in Ardendale or Tristone now?"
In her social media, Serena Everett had just posted a video of her and her blind date, Evan Shaw, camping in the afternoon.
"Sister-in-law, I’m in Ardendale."
Vera said, "Here’s the thing. Since returning from Vani last time, my husband said the mother plant Da Hong Pao from your place is the best, and we’re out at home. I wanted to ask if you still have any."
Serena had just posted that she got this year’s new batch of mother plant Da Hong Pao tea, geolocated in Ardendale.
"I have it, sister-in-law. Coincidentally, I just got it yesterday. I didn’t know you ran out. How about I bring it to you now?" Serena offered warmly.
Vera smiled and exchanged a few cordial words with her.
About an hour later, Serena arrived in a blue Mercedes, carrying a specially-supplied tea gift box, and rang the villa’s doorbell.
Vera opened the door.
She had prepared a sumptuous dinner, just delivered by a five-star hotel.
She invited Serena for dinner.
Soon, lightning and thunder roared outside, fierce winds raged, and large raindrops pelted against the floor-to-ceiling windows. Soon, torrential rain poured down.
After dinner, the downpour showed no signs of relenting.
Vera naturally invited Serena to stay overnight.
When Ian Kane returned, it was still raining outside.
As he reached the second floor, he saw a woman sitting on the sofa in the dimly lit living room.
She was wearing an off-white camisole nightdress, watching television, the blue light from the screen illuminating her porcelain white, smooth shoulder.
Ian Kane, having drunk, was filled with a boozy haze, his steps unsteady as he stumbled to the sofa, bent down, and enveloped the woman in his arms, his head buried in her warm, fragrant neck in the next second.
Serena was startled.
"Ah—hmm—" She was just about to speak when her lips were fiercely kissed by him, the overwhelming smell of alcohol engulfing her, her fists pounding against his chest in resistance, fearing that Vera would come out and see!
Little did she know, Vera was right behind a tall green plant, holding her phone, quietly recording the scene.
