THE DISABLED HEIRESS, MY EX-HUSBAND WOULD PAY DEARLY.
Chapter 58

Chapter 58: Chapter 58

Immediately, Oliver turned slightly toward her, his brows drawn together, and said with clear frustration in his voice, "But again, why didn’t you slap him, Cora? Like, seriously. What were you waiting for? The disrespect was too much."

He gripped the steering wheel tighter, his jaw visibly clenched. "The way he was trying to force that jacket on you... I don’t know, it didn’t look normal. He was doing it like he had something else in mind. And I might not be able to prove it yet, but... I swear, something in me is telling me that Samuel is up to something. And I don’t like it."

Then Cora turned to look at him, a small smile forming on her lips. Her voice was calm, almost teasing. "Oliver, you really do worry too much. You’re still acting like we’re kids, like I need someone to always protect me."

She gave a soft laugh, more thoughtful than amused, and then continued, "I saw what he was trying to do. And honestly, I wanted to hit him too, or at least push him away. But I stopped myself. Not because I was scared or because I couldn’t defend myself... but because it just didn’t feel right."

Then Oliver narrowed his eyes slightly but didn’t interrupt.

Cora went on, "Everything about that moment felt... weird. Like it was being staged. It was too forced. What if someone was nearby, recording or snapping pictures? What if I did push him or slap him, and all they caught was that one moment where my hand touched his face? What do you think the headlines would say then?"

She looked at Oliver, her voice now more serious.

"Samuel has fans. A lot of them. People who don’t even care about the full story, just the shock of a headline. It wouldn’t take long for it to be twisted into something like ’Cora, the boss, bullying her staff.’ And we both know how that kind of stuff spreads like wildfire."

Oliver exhaled slowly. He didn’t like it, but he couldn’t argue. She was right. The world was quick to judge, and public opinion had no pause button.

He looked over at her again, then turned back to the road. "You’re right," he muttered. "I hate it, but you’re right. Still... if he tries anything like that again, I’m not going to be this calm."

Cora smiled again, this time softer, more grateful.

"I know," she said. "And that’s why I’m glad you showed up when you did."

At that moment, Oliver was still gripping the steering wheel tightly. His brows were furrowed, and although he hadn’t said anything, Cora could tell he was still deeply bothered by everything that had just happened. His silence spoke volumes.

Cora looked at him and said softly, "Oliver, I know you’re not happy with what happened. I’ll be careful, okay?"

Oliver didn’t respond immediately. He just nodded slightly without looking at her. Then he slowly pulled up in front of Cora’s mansion, bringing the car to a gentle stop. The air between them was still tense.

Cora opened the door and stepped out, then turned back to face him. "You’re not coming in?" she asked, hoping he might at least walk her to the door.

But Oliver shook his head. "No... I’ve got something important to take care of. Early tomorrow. We’ll see each other then."

Cora gave a small nod, though her eyes held a hint of disappointment. "Okay, no problem. We’ll see tomorrow. I also have something very important I just remembered. I need to deal with it tonight."

Their eyes lingered on each other for a brief moment longer. Then, without saying anything more, Oliver drove off into the night.

Cora watched the taillights disappear before turning toward her home. The quietness of the place wrapped around her like a heavy cloak. She walked inside, not even bothering to turn on the hallway lights, and went straight to her bedroom.

As soon as she entered, she closed the door behind her and sat on the edge of her bed, her fingers already moving toward her laptop. Something had clicked in her mind. Something sharp. Something necessary.

She opened the laptop, her eyes focused and stern. The moment it booted up, she logged into her financial dashboard. Her jaw tightened as she scrolled through a list of investments, and then she saw it—James’s file. A significant investment had been funneled into one of James’s projects under her name.

Cora’s lips curled into a cold, determined smile.

"Let’s see how you survive this," she whispered to herself.

She quickly picked up her phone and made a call to her private financial handler. When the line connected, she said in a crisp tone, "I want the full investment under James’s portfolio canceled—immediately. Transfer every cent into shared stock options under my name. I don’t want any lingering ties."

The voice on the other end was startled. "Ma’am, just to confirm... you want to pull the entire investment out tonight?"

"Yes," Cora said flatly. "Tonight. This is the first major strike. I want it done before sunrise."

Then the man on the phone said, "No problem, ma. It’s going to be done immediately. You’ll receive confirmation within the hour."

Cora smiled softly, nodding even though he couldn’t see her. "Good. Make sure there’s no mistake."

The call ended.

Cora didn’t say a word for a moment. She just leaned back in her chair, her arms crossed calmly, her lips slowly curving upward with satisfaction. Her eyes stared at the screen in front of her, the shares percentage loading on the company dashboard. Once it loaded, she tilted her head slightly.

70%. She had just become the majority shareholder of ZXZ Enterprise.

The same company James had begged her to invest in, the same company she helped build from the shadows.

And now... it would be hers.

She closed the laptop gently and stood up, stretching her arms with a quiet breath. Her feet carried her across the room slowly, and her smile deepened.

"This is just the beginning," she whispered to herself.