Chapter 8 8

After throwing the last pebble into the river, Ethan turned to look at Olivia, a meaningful, warm smile gracing his lips.

"It's simple. Because you spoke those two words, I had to stand up and protect you."

"Which two words?" Olivia asked, her brows furrowing in genuine confusion.

"My husband."

The moment Ethan uttered the words, Olivia’s cheeks flushed a deep crimson. Fidgeting nervously, she stammered, "Don't... don't read too much into it! No one in the family knows the hidden details of our marriage contract. I only call you that in public to avoid suspicious looks; it doesn't mean anything else!"

"I'm not reading too much into it," Ethan replied, his tone steady and calm. "But it's the first time in over two years that I’ve heard you say those words. It made my heart feel genuinely warm and grateful."

At that moment, a strange flutter stirred in Olivia’s chest. No matter how useless or incompetent the rumors claimed Ethan to be, living under the same roof day and night for two whole years was bound to breed some mutual attachment. Even a cold stone would warm up with enough time and presence, let alone a living, breathing human being.

She shot a quick glance at him from the corner of her eyes, her tone softer than its usual sharp edge. "In truth... you’ve suffered a great deal of grievance and humiliation during these past two years because of me."

Ethan couldn't help but feel a wave of quiet surprise. In his memory, Olivia had always spoken to him with cold detachment or sharp commands, but just now, her voice was remarkably gentle. For a fleeting second, he felt as if the sun had risen from the west.

Smiling faintly, he said, "There's no real grievance or justice to speak of. I'm simply abiding by the terms of our contract."

"You..."

Olivia had thought that by opening up and showing a softer side, they could find a different way to coexist. She hadn't expected this dense idiot to mention the "contract" at every turn, seemingly entirely oblivious to her pride and feelings. A spark of irritation and resentment flared within her.

"The contract will expire very soon anyway," she said, her voice instantly reverting to its former coldness. "When that time comes, you'll have your absolute freedom. You won't have to endure my family's insults or live with your head bowed in my house ever again."

Olivia turned back to stare blankly at the flowing river. In this moment, she felt like a fragile, battered boat drifting entirely alone in the middle of a vast, turbulent sea—a profound sense of isolation and helplessness washing over her. She had only wanted to find someone to share the heavy thoughts burdening her heart. Why did something so simple have to be so difficult?

As her thoughts spiraled, her nose tingled, and two silent streaks of hot tears slowly rolled down her cheeks. She was exhausted, drained by the endless friction. At this exact moment, she desperately craved a shoulder to lean on, but Ethan was merely her husband on paper; he couldn't provide the strength and security she truly needed.

Watching her slight back tremble as she wept silently, Ethan thought to himself with a mixture of pity and resolve: 'You stubborn woman... a day will come when you will fully understand what is in my heart.'

Stepping a fraction closer, he said in a low, unwavering voice filled with absolute confidence, "Rest assured. Every single grievance and insult you have endured from this family, I will personally restore to you tenfold in honor and status. I will make them pay."

Turning away from him to quickly brush the tears from her face, Olivia replied icily, "I’ve heard enough of your grandiose boasting and fairy tales for one day, and I have no desire to hear more. Besides, my affairs have nothing to do with you."

She added sharply, "Take me back to the company right now!"

"Haha..."

Ethan smiled but remained silent; he knew that the absolute truth often sounded like a wild lie to those accustomed to helplessness. Shaking his head at her stubborn silhouette, he stepped back a few paces, smoothly pulled out his phone, and dialed a number.

"Elder Yanis, secure a few top-tier Royal VIP tickets for Ivy’s concert tonight and have them delivered directly into my wife's hands. As for how to present them, you know the drill."

His train of thought was broken by Olivia's sharp voice calling out from a distance, "Ethan! Are you going to stand there like a statue all day? Are we leaving or not?!"

"Oh... coming!"

With a brief chuckle, Ethan quickly jogged over to catch up with her.

---

Neither Ethan nor Olivia knew that the confrontation that had taken place in the company lobby that morning had been captured on video by an employee. The footage had already been uploaded to the internal corporate platforms, spreading like wildfire across the entire Vance corporate network.

Consequently, the fury of the Vance family members had reached a boiling point—especially since a broke country bumpkin had dared to insult a high-profile investor's wife with such demeaning words.

Worse still, the video clip of Ethan effortlessly analyzing and exposing the counterfeit imperial green jade pendant around Stephen’s neck had exploded in popularity the moment it hit the broader internet. The social media platforms were ablaze with chaotic debates.

Some claimed Ethan was merely a fraud spouting unverified nonsense.

However, genuine jewelry appraisers and gemology experts firmly validated his analysis, hailing him as a hidden genius in the field of rare antiquities.

Meanwhile, Stephen sat with a furious, dark scowl inside the luxurious private lounge of the Imperial Bar. Across from him sat a sharp-featured young man with calculating, cold eyes, casually scrolling through the viral video on his phone.

Stephen slammed his fist down, his face flushed purple with humiliation. "Damn it! Brother Julian, I absolutely cannot swallow this insult! That piece of garbage actually dared to call my exquisite treasure a piece of cheap street-vendor junk in front of everyone... I’m going to make him pay a brutal price. I will crush him completely!"

Julian didn't say a word. Instead, his hand shot forward with lightning speed, gripping the jade pendant around Stephen’s neck.

Snap!

"Brother Julian..."

Stephen gasped in absolute horror as his priceless imperial green jade shattered into worthless, brittle plastic shards under the sheer pressure of Julian's fingers.

"What imperial green jade, you absolute moron?!" Julian barked, tossing the shards aside with disgust. "Stephen, are you truly an idiot, or are you just pretending? This is nothing but mass-produced chemical plastic from a low-grade factory! From now on, don't you dare tell anyone in this city that you know me. Your family's public embarrassment is enough; I refuse to be made a laughingstock because of your sheer stupidity."

Stephen froze in his seat, his face a mask of absolute shock. He had truly never expected that the treasure he paid a fortune for was indeed a cheap counterfeit exactly as Ethan had claimed. The realization that a worthless live-in son-in-law had exposed him before the entire city filled him with an even deeper, murderous humiliation.

Julian composed himself, poured a glass, and said indifferently, "But there's no need to waste your energy over a broke country bumpkin. Crushing a parasite who lives off scraps is easier than stepping on an ant under your boot, isn't it?"

"Come, drink."

---

Back at the Vance Cosmetics headquarters.

Olivia had intended to go straight to the general manager's office to settle her remaining paperwork, but she was stopped cold when the security guard informed her with total indifference that Chloe had already ordered all of her personal belongings to be thrown directly into the large waste bins out back.

An intense wave of anger and humiliation washed over Olivia, tears threatening to spill over as she caught the mocking, smug stares of the surrounding staff.

She desperately wanted to storm into Chloe's office and slap her across the face, but her deep-rooted dignity held her back. Swallowing her bitter grievance, she walked with heavy, stiff steps toward the disposal area near the back lobby.

She searched through the discarded boxes with trembling hands until she finally gathered her files and personal items, placing them neatly inside a small cardboard box.

"Here. This package arrived for you just a moment ago. We don't know what kind of junk it is, but it's been sitting around here for hours."

As Olivia picked up her box and prepared to leave, the receptionist—heavily made up and dripping with condescension—called out to her in a cold, detached voice.

Truly, when the tree falls, the axes fly.

Even though Olivia still carried the Vance bloodline, the moment she was stripped of her title, even a low-level receptionist dared to treat her with such blatant disrespect—a stark contrast to the bright, fawning smiles she had received that very morning. It was both tragic and utterly ridiculous.

Olivia took the elegant, rectangular box. There was no name, tracking number, or shipping labels written anywhere on it; it didn't look like a standard courier package at all. Driven by curiosity, she opened it on the spot.

The moment her eyes landed on the contents, her face struck a pose of absolute astonishment. Neatly resting inside the box were three Royal VIP tickets to the world-renowned pop star Ivy's concert.

Although these tickets looked visually similar to the ones Stephen had flaunted earlier, they bore no specific seat numbers. Instead, they were the exclusive, ultra-rare "Royal Open Suite" passes.

Her brows knitted tightly as she fell into deep thought. Suddenly, Ethan’s words from this morning flashed through her mind—his promise that he would personally secure tickets for her.

"Could it really be him?" she murmured to herself. Clutching her box tightly, she hurried out of the building, her mind completely spinning with questions.

---

While Ethan sat on the modest sofa in their apartment waiting for Olivia’s return, his phone buzzed smoothly in his palm, signaling an incoming call.

"Speak," he answered coldly.

A deep, authoritative voice resonated from the other end. "My Lord... I have successfully returned to the country tonight."

Ethan replied in a flat, expressionless tone, "Very well. Proceed with the operations exactly according to the strategic plan I laid out for you previously. It doesn't matter how many millions you have to spend; what matters to me is that I see tangible results as quickly as possible."

The moment Ethan smoothly concealed his high-end phone, the front door swung open. Olivia walked in, carrying the box of her belongings, her gaze locked onto him with an unreadable, incredibly deep expression.