Chapter 3

Three days later, at the airport tarmac.

A Gulfstream G800, entirely black with dark gold livery markings indicating the highest authority of the syndicate, lay silently on the runway. This was, of course, the resource I had accessed after entering the password that night.

However, standing in front of the boarding stairs, Victor was beaming with pride, his arms outstretched as if displaying his throne.

"See? Although we encountered some system restrictions last night, I used my more important connections to get this private jet transferred overnight! " He proudly raised his chin, swallowing his credit without a hint of embarrassment.

Eleanor, the mother-in-law, clutched her chest, wishing she could kneel down on the spot: "Victor, you are simply a savior! Our Winston family is so lucky to have you!"

Just as everyone was about to cheer and board the plane, Victor suddenly stepped forward and blocked my way. With his nostrils flared, he sneered in a condescending tone, "As for you, this high-class private jet is not something a lowly commoner like you is worthy of stepping on. Go back to your slums."

I didn't take a single step back, not even lifting my eyelids.

"Get out of the way." My voice was extremely calm, yet it carried an undeniable chill.

The fire that nearly took Selena's life three years ago still haunts me. Whenever she leaves the Winston family's absolutely safe house for Bode, I will never allow her to go out alone without my sight.

"Who do you think you are, daring to talk to me like that?!" Victor was furious.

I didn't bother uttering a single word, completely ignoring his obstruction and taking a firm step forward. With just a slight exertion of my shoulder, I shoved this outwardly strong but inwardly weak piece of trash aside. He staggered a few steps, nearly tumbling down the boarding stairs.

"Are you crazy?!" the mother-in-law screamed.

Selena stopped and stared at me with a complicated expression. She clearly hadn't expected me, who was usually silent and yielding, to be so assertive today.

After a long silence, she rubbed her temples and said coldly, "Suit yourself. Just don't cause me any trouble."

Upon arriving at the high-end venue in Boston, the negotiations were supposed to proceed smoothly. But just as Selena was about to walk into the main corridor, a sudden change occurred.

A man in a suit and tie, looking impatient, suddenly appeared from around the corner and rushed straight towards Selena.

Almost instantly, my intuition for dire situations, which had been sealed within me for three years, suddenly gave me a warning—that person's gait was not that of a hasty businessman, but rather a standard tactical assault footwork!

Driven by instinct, my body reacted before my brain. I sprang to life like a cheetah, leaping three meters in one stride. Just as the man was about to collide with Selena's shoulder, my right hand gripped his wrist like an iron clamp, and then, using the momentum, I shoved him away.

This level of physical contact barely falls within the scope of legitimate self-defense for ordinary people .

"Bang!" The man was slammed heavily against the wall.

To everyone else, it was just a madman committing violence in public. The man slipped and fell to the ground, clutching his arm in pain and yelling, "Is this how the Winston family treats key partners?! This is absurd! I declare all your cooperation plans completely canceled!"

Victor immediately swarmed over like a fly to blood, pointing his finger at my nose and cursing, "You useless piece of trash who only knows how to ruin things and drag things down! Do you know how many resources he holds? You just destroyed the hopes of the entire family!"

Selena stared at the mess, her eyes quickly shifting from shock to icy despair. She bit her lip hard, turned, and strode away without looking back at me.

After several days of relentless running around, Selena finally managed to negotiate another cooperation agreement on her wedding anniversary.

That evening, the group returned to the Winston family's villa.

As soon as I stepped into the hall, Victor's victory celebration began. He swirled his wine glass, boasting about how much he had contributed to the crisis, then his gaze shifted abruptly, fixing on me like a venomous snake.

"Actually, we could have had a better talk if it weren't for that neurotic piece of trash we had with us. What else can he do besides cause trouble like a madman at the meeting?" Victor said, belittling him with extreme sarcasm.

My mother-in-law slammed the cup on the table, pointed at me, and cursed sharply, "You worthless jinx! I've put up with you long enough! Not only are you useless, but you're also driving our whole family to our deaths!"

Various insults echoed in the magnificent hall.

Faced with this group of clowns jumping around, I remained quietly standing in the corner, not even disturbing my breathing.

Amidst the outcry, Selena finally snapped. She abruptly stood up, pulled out a white document that her lawyer had prepared beforehand, strode over to me, and slammed it heavily onto the table.

“I’ve had enough, Luke.” Her voice was icy cold. “Sign. Now.”

I could clearly see the six bold characters above—"Divorce Agreement".

“Sign it and leave the Winstons. You only make me feel tired and embarrassed,” Selena commanded condescendingly, her tone resolute and leaving no room for negotiation.

Facing the intense stares of everyone present, I slowly picked up the pure black fountain pen on the table, my eyes remaining deep and unwavering.

These foolish ants have no idea what I touched in the brief exchange at the venue, the moment I grabbed that man's wrist.

Those were thick calluses on the back of his hand, the kind of marks only a professional assassin who uses a Remington heavy sniper rifle year-round would bear. That man wasn't a business partner at all, but bait for a top-secret assassination operation!

What's even more ridiculous is that Victor was still boasting about his achievements, completely unaware that while we were returning on that private plane, this group of fully armed assassins belonging to our old enemies had already silently followed us all the way back to the country.

Right now.

The sound of the wind outside the window has changed.

My keen hearing clearly detected the extremely faint footsteps of a tactical flanking maneuver on the lawn surrounding the villa. This luxurious mansion was now completely locked down by at least two heavily armed assault teams. The deadly trap was now complete.

According to the fundamental ironclad rule of the "Silent Pact" from back then: as long as I am still Selena's legal husband, I am absolutely not allowed to use force. Once I break the seal and forcibly take action, the resulting energy ripples will make Selena an collateral target, subject to relentless and indiscriminate hunting by global underground forces.

If I want to protect her, I have to sign this agreement and use force.

If I use force, I cannot stay by her side.

Should I sign it?

My thumb slowly pressed down on the pen barrel.