My wife melted my parents' gold memorial busts and gave the gold to a college student she sponsored. He posed with the gold bars, flashing a finger heart and a sickly sweet smile: "Got a golden gift! Kisses to my favorite angel investor~" I called Catherine, my voice icy. "You melted my parents' memorials. Explain." She replied flatly, "They’ve been dead for decades. The gold was better spent on Leo’s research than wasted on the dead." I clenched the phone. "Return their ashes in ten minutes." She scoffed. "That trash? I threw it out." Ten minutes later, police arrested Leo for grand larceny, and he was expelled. Meanwhile, Cross Group’s stock crashed, wiping out billions. If she wanted to cross every line, I’d play her game—my way. 1 When my security team dragged Leo out, his handsome face was already a bruised, swollen mess, a smear of crimson staining the corner of his mouth. His bloodied fingers were still desperately clutching the last gold bar to his chest. The next second, my leather shoe ground down on his trembling hand. Taking the gold bar from my bodyguard, I studied the audacious college kid before me. “Adrian Blackwood! What the hell is wrong with you?” he howled, his eyes spitting defiance even as his body trembled uncontrollably. A choked scream escaped him. I crouched down, grabbing his chin and forcing him to look at me. The venomous hatred in his eyes was crystal clear. “Catherine gave these to me! What right do you have to take them?” he shrieked, struggling against my grip. A faint, tell-tale love bite was still visible on his throat. I tapped his pale cheek with the corner of the gold bar. “Yours?” I asked, my voice deceptively calm. “It seems Catherine forgot to mention who the real owner of these gold bars is.” The blood-streaked ingot landed in the safe with a heavy thud, the sound making him flinch. He still didn’t seem to understand that some things can’t be acquired just by being young and handsome. Things like this pile of gold. Things like… Catherine. Leo’s gaze faltered for a moment, but he quickly tilted his chin up again. “Catherine said she was giving them to me, so they’re mine! She always keeps her word!” he declared. “You just wait. She’ll make you pay for this!” I instantly lost interest. Wasting my breath on- a low-life fool like this was pointless. I turned away from him and gave a cold command to my bodyguards. “Take him downstairs. It’s time he sobered up.” They moved at once, seizing Leo without a word. “What are you doing? Get off me!” Leo yelled, his struggles futile. “Catherine! Help me!” My men remained impassive as they delivered another round of brutal punches and kicks. Before he could even process the pain, one of them grabbed him by the hair and dragged him before me like a sack of dead weight, forcing him to his knees. His face was ashen, no different from a cornered sewer rat. All the smug swagger from his social media post had vanished. “Stop!” A familiar female voice cut through the air. Catherine was rushing toward us, her stilettos clicking furiously on the pavement. Her perfectly applied makeup couldn’t hide the panic and rage on her face. She carefully helped Leo to his feet, then spun to face me, her eyes blazing. “Adrian, are you insane?” she seethed. “It’s just a pile of gold! You’re not short on cash. Why are you making such a big deal out of it?” A pile of gold? That “pile of gold” contained the remains of my parents. She had desecrated their remains, and now she had the audacity to call me petty? It seemed lust had truly rotted her brain. I didn’t mind reminding her of a few things. “Catherine, it seems I’ve been far too lenient with you. You knew exactly what was inside those memorials, yet you dared to give them away,” I said, my voice dangerously low. “You’ve completely forgotten my rules.” My tone was even, but Catherine’s face instantly went pale. Yet Leo, the fool, was still running his mouth. “What woman doesn’t love a handsome, caring guy?” he sneered. “You’re just pissed that Catherine likes me. You’re jealous!” My gaze turned glacial as I looked at Catherine. “You know what I’m capable of. Do I need to remind you again?” “The ashes,” Catherine stammered, her face tight with a fear I knew well. “I’ll return them to you immediately.” There was a story she knew. A cocky trust-fund kid once mouthed off to me. The next day, his body was found at the bottom of a ravine. “Leo, apologize. Now,” she commanded, her fists clenched. “But Catherine—” “I said, apologize!” The reality of the situation finally seemed to dawn on Leo. The powerful woman he saw as his protector was nothing more than an ant in my eyes. He finally bowed his head, his voice a sullen mumble. “Mr. Blackwood, I’m… sorry.” I let out a cold laugh and climbed into the waiting Cayenne. Through the window, I saw Catherine gently tending to Leo’s wounds, dabbing at them with a handkerchief. The look of tender concern in her eyes was one she once reserved only for me. Five years ago, the Cross Group had gone bankrupt. Her parents, facing ruin and prosecution, had taken their own lives, leaving behind a mountain of debt. Catherine had waited for me for three days and nights in a blinding snowstorm, her tears freezing on her face. “Mr. Blackwood, I’ll give you everything I have. Just please, save me.” In that moment, she had moved me. Not just with her tenacity, but with her rare and desperate courage. I offered her a deal: marry me. She accepted without hesitation. In the five years since, I had poured my resources and energy into rebuilding the Cross Group, transforming it into an industry titan and placing it at the top of the financial world. Catherine, in turn, had grown from a timid, broken girl into a formidable powerhouse in the business world. I had believed our bond was unbreakable. Until today. Until she crossed the ultimate line for another man. 2 When I arrived home, the ceramic urns containing my parents’ ashes were sitting on my desk. My fingertips gently traced the cool, smooth surface. Ultimately, I sent the unfiled lawsuit documents to Catherine’s email. If she had any sense left, she’d know what to do. It was my final warning. Five years of marriage. I was willing to give her one last chance to choose. All she had to do was come to her senses, cut her losses, and get rid of that repulsive boy. Everything could go back to the way it was. But she seemed determined to walk straight off a cliff. The next morning, my assistant knocked frantically on my office door. “Mr. Blackwood, the board just appointed Leo as the new Chief Technology Officer…” I stared at the arrogant eyes in the resume photo, and a chill spread across my face. In his headshot, Leo wore an ill-fitting designer suit, a provocative smirk on his lips. His resume was even more brazen: Expelled in junior year of university. Zero work experience. Position sought: CTO. The absurdity was staggering. The previous CTO was a company veteran, a top talent in the industry whom I had personally headhunted with a massive salary. And now he was being replaced by this… waste of space? A cold smile touched my lips. “Notify the board,” I said, my voice sharp. “Effective immediately, Catherine Cross is no longer the CEO of the Cross Group.” My assistant hesitated. “Sir, if you act so decisively, Mrs. Blackwood will be furious…” “Just do it,” I cut him off. As I stepped out of my office, I could hear Leo’s voice booming down the hall. “So what if I got expelled? I’ve got Catherine in my corner! She’s all the backing I need!” Someone immediately chimed in with fawning agreement. “The last guy was one of Mr. Blackwood’s handpicked men, and she still fired him for you! That’s never happened before!” another voice added. “She dotes on you. You’d better take good care of her…” Leo chuckled. “Of course. What woman could resist a perfect man like me?” My steps faltered. The look in my eyes turned to ice. Noticing my change in demeanor, my assistant strode forward and sent Leo sprawling with a swift kick. “Where did this piece of trash crawl out from?” Leo scrambled to his feet, his face a mask of disbelief. “I’m with the CEO! Do you want me to have her fire you right now?” I walked slowly towards him, looking down from my full height. “The CEO, you say?” I drawled. “As long as I’m here, she calls none of the shots.” His face drained of all color. “Adrian Blackwood, what gives you the right?!” “The fact that I own 80% of the Cross Group’s shares.” His eyes burned with impotent rage, but all he could do was bite his lip and glare at me. Just then, Catherine rushed out of her office. “Adrian, what is the meaning of this?” “I should be asking you that,” I replied coolly. “The lawsuit I sent you yesterday. Were you blind, or are you intentionally defying me?” She bit her lip, softening her tone. “Darling, Leo is still so young. If he gets caught up in a lawsuit, what will happen to his future? He was just being impulsive, he didn’t mean what he said. Don’t hold it against him.” She reached for my arm, her eyes pleading. “There’s nothing going on between us, I swear. You have to believe me.” I pulled my arm away, a humorless smile on my face. “Catherine, you swore to me once that you would always listen to me. And now, for this… thing… you’re going to fight me?” Her face went white, her lips trembling as she struggled for words. I turned to my assistant. “Release a public statement. Leo is terminated, effective immediately,” I commanded, my voice sharp as a razor’s edge. “And let it be known that any company in this city that hires him is making an enemy of Adrian Blackwood.” Leo’s eyes suddenly welled with tears. He lifted his chin defiantly, his voice thick with emotion. “Catherine, it’s all my fault. I hate that I have no power, no way to stay by your side and protect you,” he choked out. “Since Mr. Blackwood dislikes me so much, I’ll leave right away. Please, don’t let me come between you…” Seeing Leo, with his tear-streaked face, still trying to “protect” her, was the final straw. Catherine snapped like a cornered animal. She spun around, shielding Leo behind her. “Adrian! Do you have to be so cruel?” I turned and walked toward the conference room without a backward glance, my voice as cold as ice. “I gave you a choice, Catherine.” 3 A week passed, and Leo was still parading around the company. Catherine seemed to be deliberately provoking me. Not only did she give Leo another promotion, but she also transferred 5% of the company’s shares to him. Since she was so insistent on challenging my authority, I saw no reason to show her any more mercy. At the auction, the room erupted in applause as I signed the final share transfer agreement. Just then, Catherine burst in, her face a thunderous mask of rage. “The Cross Group is my family’s company! What right do you have to auction off all the shares?” she demanded. “Adrian, is this still about those damn ashes? Are you that jealous? Haven’t you made enough of a scene?” She took a breath, her voice dropping to a low threat. “If you keep this up, don’t blame me when I walk away for good.” I slowly raised my eyes, the coldness in them deepening. It seemed that over the years, I had truly spoiled her. Spoiled her so much that she’d forgotten what lines should never be crossed. “Catherine, my patience has its limits.” My voice was quiet, but each word was a dagger. “I gave you plenty of chances. You’re the one who threw them away.” Leo, who had been trailing behind her, suddenly rushed forward and dropped to his knees in front of me, his voice choked with sobs. “Mr. Blackwood, you can look down on me, you can humiliate me, I can take it. I’m just a nobody with no background. But Catherine is your wife! How can you be so cruel to her?” He cried as if his heart was breaking, yet he kept his head held high, a perfect portrait of defiance against tyranny. What a masterful performance. His act ignited the room. Flashbulbs went off like fireworks, and reporters shoved their microphones in my face. “Mr. Blackwood, do you admit to using your power to bully others?” “Is it true, as the rumors say, that you view ordinary people as ants to be crushed?!” The scene descended into chaos. Amid the pandemonium, I caught a glimpse of Leo. His head was bowed, but a triumphant smirk played on his lips. My assistant immediately had security clear the room. As the last reporter was escorted out, the heavy doors of the conference room closed with a solid boom. I turned slowly, my gaze piercing Catherine. “Three strikes, Catherine. This is the last one.” “Make your choice. Cut all ties with him, and you can remain the CEO of the Cross Group. Or, you can take your pet and get out of my sight.” Catherine flinched, but then a raw hatred I had never seen before flared in her eyes. “Adrian, you think I’m afraid of you? I know all your dirty little secrets! If you dare to touch Leo again, I can’t guarantee what might slip out.” I laughed. This little woman, who once trembled in my arms, was now baring her fangs at me for a pretty boy. “Are you threatening me?” I tapped my fingers on the table, a contemptuous smile on my face. “Catherine, do you really think that scares me?” “You!” she sputtered, her chest heaving with rage. But under my cold, unyielding stare, she finally broke. Grabbing Leo’s hand, she fled the room. BAM! The heavy oak door slammed shut. The sound was like a sledgehammer, shattering the last remnants of our five-year relationship. Fine, Catherine. If you choose to burn everything down for him, then don’t blame me for being the one to light the match.
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