Vanya's POV
Cliff was naturally suspicious. With the recent news of M Group's IPO and the fact that I had bought that piece of land in the shopping mall, if I disappeared now, he would definitely suspect that I was the mastermind behind M Group.
Theodore said, "I'll drive you."
I nodded. Theodore went downstairs to get the car, with me following closely behind.
I was worried about being late and hurried out of M Group, but as I descended the stairs, my foot slipped, and I fell backward.
Instinctively, I closed my eyes tightly, expecting to land flat on my back, but the next second, I fell into someone's arms.
I opened my eyes to see Theodore smiling down at me.
"Don't rush. We won't be late," he said softly.
My face turned red instantly. I quickly got into the car.
Theodore, sitting in the driver's seat, had a faint smile on his face.
"Buckle up and hold on," he said.
Before I could react, he floored the gas pedal.
If I hadn't been seated properly, I would have been thrown out of my seat.
When we arrived near the apartment complex, I saw Elliot's car just pulling up.
Without a gate card, Elliot couldn't enter the complex and was driving in circles outside.
I grabbed my bag and said, "I'll go ahead."
"Wait," Theodore said, brushing a strand of hair behind my ear with a gentle look in his eyes.
"Go ahead."
I felt a bit embarrassed and quickly got out of the car.
As Theodore turned to look at Elliot, the smile on his face disappeared. He drove away.
"Luna Vanya!"
Elliot looked puzzled when he saw me emerging from outside the complex instead of from within. But he didn't ask immediately, just said, "Alpha Cliff sent me to pick you up."
I nodded casually.
Elliot hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Luna Vanya, where were you just now?"
"At the school library," I replied indifferently. "What? Does he need to know my every move?"
Previously, Cliff had suddenly demanded that I report my daily activities, but I ignored those messages. What I did was none of his business.
"Alpha Cliff is just concerned about your safety..."
"Or maybe he's worried I'll embarrass him with an affair," I said.
For the CEO of the Todd Group, being cuckolded by a wife he didn't love would indeed be quite humiliating.
Elliot wanted to explain further, but seeing that I didn't want to talk about it, he kept quiet.
When we arrived at the Packhouse, I pushed open the door.
Jenny saw me and immediately came forward, asking, "Luna Vanya, did you have a good time during these months?"
"Very much," I replied calmly, then asked, "When is Veronica coming over?"
"Madam?" Jenny looked puzzled. "She... didn't say she was coming."
I frowned and glanced at Cliff, who was sitting on the couch nearby.
He had lied to me?
I threw my bag aside and said, "Jenny, you can go upstairs. There's nothing for you here."
"Yes, Luna Vanya," Jenny replied and went upstairs.
I walked up to Cliff, who had no intention of speaking first. I simply sat down opposite him and said bluntly, "You tricked me into coming back. What do you really want to say?"
"Who did you sell that polluted land to?" Cliff asked.
I found it amusing and countered, "Didn't you investigate yourself?"
Ever since the news of the polluted area's greening project spread, Cliff had only asked me once, and then never brought it up again.
I didn't believe for a second that he would let go of such a lucrative opportunity. If he didn't get an answer from me, he would definitely look into it himself.
Apparently, he had obtained the false information I deliberately planted.
Cliff was questioning me because he wasn't satisfied with the results of his investigation.
"Kendrick Tuck... there's no such person in Los Angeles," Cliff said, closely observing my reaction.
I naturally didn't show any slip-ups.
Kendrick was me, and I was Kendrick—a fake identity. It was only natural that Cliff couldn't find anything.
"How should I know? Maybe some foreign entrepreneur," I said indifferently, casually changing the subject. "Did you bring me back just to ask this? I don't have time to answer your boring questions."
I made a move to get up and leave, but Cliff restrained his temper and asked, as if compromising, "How long do you plan to stay upset?"
"I'm not upset. Since you won't agree to the divorce, I have to use my own methods to force you to agree," I said.
As soon as I spoke, Cliff's anger flared up. "Vanya, you're really set on getting a divorce? Is it all because of Theodore?"
"I've told you a million times. It has nothing to do with Theodore!"
"Do you think I'll believe that?" Cliff grabbed my wrist and demanded, "You want a divorce, and it's not for Theodore—what else could it be? Because Theodore likes you. He can give you money and he can provide better resources for the Dalton family, right?"
Looking at Cliff in his current state, I found it laughable.
I deliberately said, "Yes, Theodore likes me. He can give me money and offer better resources for the Dalton family. So I can't wait to divorce you. Are you satisfied now?"
"You!" Cliff was furious, struggling to suppress his anger as he asked, "So these past three months, you've been with Theodore the whole time, haven't you?"