Chapter <b>33 </b>
Orion’s tone was stern as he spoke, and after that, he went upstairs,
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No one understood what had just happened, and even Xylia was confused. Just earlier in the day, Orion had been angry with her for dragging Ford Group into this mess. Yet now, he was defending her marriage to
Connor.
For the Ford family, the best way to handle this would have been to quickly divorce her from Connor and publicly sever ties between her and the Ford family, shifting all the online hate onto her.
This would clear up the crisis for Ford Group, but Orion wasn’t willing to <b>take </b>the simple approach.
Mnie, upset by Orion’s words, ranted loudly in the dining room. “You jinx! What did you say to Orion? Why is he so determined to protect <b>you</b>?”
Sonny had originally thought Tessa would soon be his stepmother, but he didn’t expect Orion to stop Xylia and his dad from getting a divorce.
He jumped off the bench, ran up to Xylia, and angrily said, “Even if you don’t divorce, I’m not calling you mom! I won’t ept a bad woman like you as my mom!” With that, Sonny ran off.
Mnie, who doted on her grandson, quickly chased after him, trying tofort him.
That left only Connor and Xylia in the dining room. Connor’s expression remained cold. He <b>lowered </b>his gaze. for a long moment, then finally lifted his eyes to re at Xylia.
Confused, Xylia raised an eyebrow, waiting for him to speak,
Connor finally broke the silence. “The hit<b>–</b><b>and</b><b>–</b>run, you’ve paid the price for it. You’ve been with me for years. I’m <b>not </b>going to cut ties with you. And besides, Grandpa doesn’t agree.”
His tone was condescending, and Xylia couldn’t help but frown. She hadn’t done anything wrong, but he spoke as if she had actuallymitted a crime. The way he acted like he was doing her a favor made her feel disgusted.
She looked up at Connor, determination in her eyes. “Connor, let’s get a divorce.”
Connor’s expression froze for a moment, and then he went silent.
The silence stretched on, heavy and <b>tense</b>, until Xylia finally spoke, her voice firm. “I’ll talk to Orion. We can file for the divorce in the next couple of days.”
For Tessa, for the Ford Group’s crisis–divorce seemed like the best choice. She felt there was no reason for him to oppose it.
But Connor’s expression turned cold. “What? You seem awfully eager to divorce me.”
Connor looked at Xylia with aplex expression. He hadn’t expected her to go this far for him.
7:51 Thu, Sep 11
Chapter <b>33 </b>
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He thought she was only choosing divorce to help him through this crisis, and a <b>sense </b>of guilt suddenly rose within him. “Stop thinking about divorce all the time. With that, Connor stood up and left.
Xylia watched him leave, her brow furrowed. She didn’t understand why he was <b>so </b><b>against </b>the divorce, but this matter was urgent, and she had to make it happen as soon as possible..
That night. Xylia tossed and turned in bed, unable to quiet her racing thoughts.
The online abuse kept pouring in, with her phone buzzing non–stop, <b>each </b>notification deepening her fear for
the future.
If the public kept feeding into the scandal, the hit–and–run would be something everyone believed. Even if she <b>designed </b>the most beautiful clothes, she’d be shunned.
But with Connor’s involvement, someone <b>had </b>fabricated evidence that led to her imprisonment. The guilt was already pinned on her, and there was nothing she could do to clear her name.
Unable to sleep, Xylia got up, went downstairs for some water, and tried to clear her mind. As she returned with her ss, she faintly heard familiar voices from the garden.
Curiosity piqued, she walked over, and a familiar voice reached her ears–one that made her blood run cold. Tessa, I was the one who posted the hit–and–run video online. It had nothing to do with you. Don’t feel guilty.
Xylia froze, a chill spreading through her body. In the dead of night, she clearly heard Connor’s conversation through the speakerphone.
Tessa’s yful tone came through. “She’s my sister. Even though she stole eighteen years of my life, I’ve never med her. But if she finds out, she’ll definitely hate me.”
Η
Connor’s voice grew <b>cold</b>. “She lived the wealthy life for eighteen years. It’s time she pays you back. Don’t feel guilty.
“You’re a top–tier dancer now. You can’t afford any stains on your record. The only way to secure your future is by pinning this on Xylia. This is <b>what </b>she owes <b>you</b>.”
Tessa,forted by Connor’s words, sighed and spoke in a soft tone. “But you have to make it up to her, right?”
Connor’s voice immediately softened. “Don’t worry. This is just a lesson for her. She’s been too rebellious, so I had to let everyone know <b>what </b>happened.
“But her <b>issues</b>? Don’t worry about them. Focus on yourpetition. I’ll be waiting for you to shine on stage.”
Xylia couldn’t listen anymore. Her mind was reeling as she stumbled back to her room, her <b>head </b>spinning from what she had just overheard.
The online scandal was Connor’s doing. For Tessa, he <b>had </b>destroyed her. Xylia remembered the old Connor, the one who would take the me for her in front of her parents, who wouldfort her when she felt hurt.
She used to be moved by all the things Connor did for her. But now she realized–those injustices had <be </b>
7:51 Thu, <b>Sep </b>11.
from him in the first ce.
A cold shiver ran down her spine, and she couldn’t shake off the feeling of disgust.
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She grabbed her phone, refusing to avoid the truth any longer. She had to clear her name online, even if it was just <b>a </b>tweet to exin things. She couldn’t let Connor and Tessa frame her as a criminal and ruin her future.
Just as she opened Twitter to post, she realized that all the notifications that had been popping up earlier were gone. She clicked on one of the old posts about her and saw that it had been deleted.
In one night, all the negative posts and news about her had been wiped off the inte. Xylia stared at her phone in disbelief, feeling as though the events of the past two days had been a dream.
Meanwhile, Connor had just hung up the phone with Tessa when he received a call from <b>his </b>assistant. “Mr. Ford, something’s wrong.
“The hit–and–run video we posted has been deleted, and all the negative news about your wife has vanished. We don’t know who did it.”
Connor’s eyes turned cold. He hung up the phone, deep in thought.
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