THE DISABLED HEIRESS, MY EX-HUSBAND WOULD PAY DEARLY.-Chapter 308

However Oliver didn't say anything. He stood still, arms folded, eyes narrowed. Clinton leaned in slightly, lowering his voice even more.

"You don't have to keep pretending with me," Clinton continued. "I'm not here to judge you, bro. I know the relationship is fake. I've known from the very beginning. You're just helping her with something, right?"

Oliver's jaw tightened. His mind raced, but he stayed silent. Clinton smirked like someone who had already won the game before the other person even learned the rules.

"Relax," Clinton added quickly, raising both hands as if to show he came in peace. "I'm not going to tell anyone. Not Uncle. Not the family. In fact, I want to help you."

Oliver still didn't reply.

"I'm serious," Clinton said, nodding his head. "You can trust me. I'll even make sure you get what you were promised for playing this role. Heck, I'll double it. You've been helping Cora, yeah? Maybe there was a deal? Some money? A business angle? I'll make sure you walk away with more."

Oliver gave a dry chuckle under his breath. "Why would you do that?" he asked flatly.

Clinton stepped closer. "Because if Uncle finds out—if he finds out this whole thing was a lie—he won't just be disappointed. He'll be furious. At you. At Cora. He might cut ties. He might cut you off completely. Trust me, the man doesn't forgive easily, and when he feels used? It's over."

Oliver's heart began to pound slowly in his chest. He knew Clinton wasn't bluffing. Cora's father had just started to trust him. There was warmth in the man's eyes that hadn't been there before. And the guilt Oliver felt for building that trust on a lie… it already weighed heavy.

"So let's avoid all that, yeah?" Clinton said smoothly. "Come clean with me now just between us. I'll tell you how to get out of this while things are still early. I've got your back."

Oliver looked at him long and hard.

Clinton's voice dipped into a whisper again, "You need to come clean with me, and I'm going to tell you what to do, how you're going to get away freely now that it is very, very early."

At that moment, Oliver still couldn't stop smiling. It wasn't just a casual smile anymore it was one of deep amusement, mixed with a touch of disbelief. This entire conversation was nothing short of a comedy to him. He looked at Clinton, then slowly leaned forward and gently tapped his shoulder.

"You know what, Clinton?" he said with a calm tone, almost as if he was speaking to a child. "If more people in this world were like you, I swear, nobody would be suffering. We'd all be holding hands, singing peace songs, and probably sharing a pot of stew in one big happy village. People wouldn't be pushing each other for money, love, or power. They'd just live in harmony. You're truly one of a kind."

Immediately Clinton raised his eyebrows slightly at Oliver's words. At first, it sounded like a compliment, but the undertone of sarcasm wasn't lost on him. Still, he forced a grin.

"Well," Clinton began, feigning humility, "since you already admitted that everything was kind of obvious, I figured it was better to just talk to you directly. Man to man. You know, clear the air. I'm really glad you're a reasonable guy, Oliver. At least you're someone who knows when he's made a mistake. It takes a genuine person to admit that."

Oliver let out a short laugh under his breath and slowly shook his head. He wasn't even mad just amused at how confidently Clinton was misreading the situation.

"You think this is me admitting to something?" Oliver said, looking at Clinton with calm eyes. "Let me guess you want me to open my mouth now and say a bunch of things that'll make your day. You want me to sit here and tell you that everything you've imagined is true, right?"

Clinton's smile tightened a bit.

"What do you want to hear?" Oliver asked, spreading his arms. "That Cora and I are acting? That we're faking everything? That this is some kind of scheme just to get your family's approval or some hidden benefit?"

He lowered his arms and stepped a little closer to Clinton.

"Well, hate to disappoint you, but what I have with Cora is real. Very real. We're not playing games. We're in a serious relationship, and any moment from now, we're probably going to get married. So again… what else do you want to hear from me? Or should I cook up something that sounds juicy just to satisfy you? Should I tell you what you want to hear, so you can feel smart about being suspicious?"

He was about to continue, maybe even drop a few more sharp lines, but before he could say another word, Clinton suddenly cut him off with a sharp chuckle and muttered under his breath.

"You crazy bastard."

Immediately, Oliver smiled again calm, confident, and completely unbothered. His arms were still folded as he tilted his head slightly to the side, the way someone would when they've had enough of an unnecessary conversation.

"Wow," he said with a soft chuckle. "So, this is it? This is the big talk?"

He took a step back, his voice still calm, but layered with something deeper clarity, amusement, and just a hint of mockery. "Clinton, I actually thought you had something important to say. I thought maybe you were going to surprise me with some real concern or some deep family wisdom... but this?"

He paused and tapped his own chest lightly. "You came all the way here to accuse me, then tried to bribe me, then tried to guilt-trip me, all in one breath. And now I see it clearly it's not even about me. It's about control. About you not understanding how Cora can actually love someone without your approval."

Clinton's jaw clenched a little. He said nothing, just stared.

Oliver smiled again, this time warmer, even genuine.

"Well," he said, "since it seems you don't have anything new or useful to say... I'll take my leave now."

He turned slightly, but looked over his shoulder with a smirk.

"So let me go take care of my girlfriend. We'll catch up some other time... if you actually have something important to say."