?Chapter 408:


    Let’s End This Charade with a Divorce


    Marissa was certain that no matter how much Connor knew about rissa and the Peridot Consortium, he couldn’t surpass Xander in knowledge. Xander had been a high-ranking member of the Peridot Consortium for several years and had a close connection with rissa.


    Revealing anything about Doomsday Base was out of the question, even to Connor, who was her husband only in name. Thus, Marissa smiled warmly and spoke. “Mr. Daniels, I’m all ears if you choose to share. If not, I’ll respect your silence.”


    Connor’s expression darkened immediately after her words. “Why don’t you trust me?”


    She responded apologetically, “It’s not about personal trust. This involves the entire organization. I’m bound by duty not to disclose any information.”


    Her words seemed to resonate with reason, leaving Connor momentarily at a loss for words.


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    After a brief silence, marked by a trace of irritation, he asserted, “I forbid you from meeting Xander again.”


    Marissa, puzzled and defiant, asked, “What right do you have to control my actions?”


    “Do you think it’s eptable for my wife to date another man publicly?” Connor assumed the correctness of his stance was self-evident.


    “I am not really dating him,” she rified.


    “Even pretending to date him is off-limits. If you must act, it should be with me alone,” he insisted.


    “Why must you be so overbearing?” Marissa’s frustration grew. “We are not truly a couple. You have no authority over me.”


    “Even if ours is a pretend marriage, you owe me fidelity as long as you carry the name Mrs. Daniels.”


    “Let’s end this charade with a divorce, then,” she proposed sharply.


    “Grandma wouldn’t agree to it,” Connor dered, turning his gaze to Marissa. He often used his grandmother as his most reliable excuse, making it difficult for Marissa to seek a straightforward divorce.


    Upon hearing this, Marissa turned to face him, her realization of his character deepening—he was utterly shameless. They had once agreed to a mutually beneficial arrangement: to pretend to be a couple without interfering in each other’s lives. Yet, he increasingly acted as though she were his property.


    It was particrly disgraceful that he often used his ny-year-old grandmother as leverage.


    After a brief silence, she spoke calmly. “Connor, I need to maintain the pretense of a rtionship with Xander for a while. This is necessary for my justified visit to the Peridot Consortium. You can’t stop that.”


    “Why do you want to visit the Peridot Consortium?” Connor inquired thoughtfully. “Are you nning to steal something from them?”


    Marissa simply pursed her lips in silent admission.


    Connor was clever and authoritative. Without cating him, her n to retrieve the chip from the Peridot Consortium might be jeopardized.


    Acknowledging her tacit agreement, Connor nodded.


    After a moment of contemtion, he asked, “Is the item you’re after very important?”


    Marissa nodded. “Yes, it is.”


    Connor then smiled slyly. “In that case, you don’t need to pretend to be with Xander. You don’t need to use that as an excuse to visit the Peridot Consortium.”


    “Why?” Marissa asked, puzzled.


    “This ties back to the big secret about the Peridot Consortium I mentioned earlier. Unfortunately, you didn’t want to hear about it, did you?” Connor’s tone carried a hint of arrogance.


    When Marissa saw his smug demeanor, her lips curled in mild annoyance. “Share it or not, it’s up to you. Since Xander has been deeply involved with the Peridot Consortium for years, I suspect he knows more than you.”


    “You’re quite mistaken,” Connor replied with a touch of pride. He continued, “Aside from a select few at the top of the Peridot Consortium, only Bu and I are privy to this secret. Xander, that fool, knows nothing of it.”


    His animosity toward Xander was clear.


    Marissa, feeling a protective urge, bristled slightly at his words. She had always shielded Xander like a mother would protect her child, and hearing him disparaged made her ufortable.


    Now, however, her curiosity about the secret outweighed her irritation.


    She offered Connor a cating smile and coaxed, “I’m intrigued now. Mr. Daniels, would you mind sharing this secret with me?”


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