Chapter 47 A Deadlock

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Chapter 47 A Deadlock

Luke had truly made up his mind to cut ties with her clean and decisive, every word dripping with coldness.

Seeing this scene, I didn’t feel the slightest bit of satisfaction. Instead, I found it utterly ridiculous..

It turns out that when a man wants to break things off, there’s no way he can’t.

Look at him now, how certain his words are, not leaving Anna a single chance.

But even though it’s such a simple matter, I’d been caught up in this struggle for years, constantly pulled back and forth. He’d rather see me hurt and upset each time and even blame me, accusing me of being petty and calculating.

Now, as he grows colder toward Anna, it makes me look like a fool for ever being in his life..

What exactly do I mean to him?

Anna probably felt the same. No matter how she treated me, at least she genuinely cared for Luke. In the end, this was her fate. How can she accept it?

We were both women, and I knew full well that from the start, she schemed step by step to separate me from Luke, slowly taking my place in his heart. From the very beginning, she wanted to replace me.

Now that Luke has said these words, exposing her true nature, all her years of effort have been wasted.

“Luke, what am I to you?”

Luke spoke, each word sharp and deliberate. “From now on, you’re just a sister. Don’t come to me anymore. It’s inconvenient. I don’t want Chloe to see and feel any more hurt.”

“Chloe?”

Anna scoffed. “Do you think Chloe will ever come back?

A tight knot formed in my chest. She knew something after all. But would she really expose it in front of

Luke?

Luke’s eyes abruptly turned to her. He asked, “What did you say?”

“Luke, Anna continued, “I know you’ve been looking for Chloe. I want to find her too, just as much as you do. But all signs now point to her being kidnapped and sold abroad.”

Anna wiped her tear–streaked face and let out a cold smirk. “Luke, you’re not a child. You know what a scam center, right? The women there are the most pitiful, especially the pretty ones. Chloe probably already became one of them, the scam operations, the moment she stepped onto that ship,”

“Shut up!” Luke’s gaze turned tey as he fixed her with a cold stare. “How do you know all of this?”

I’ve had people look into it. Luke, do you know about the kind of dehumanizing torment women endure there for them to break their spirit? Men would line upto violate those women until they gave in. Do you know what happens to those who refuse to comply? Don’t be naive. Chloe’s so beautiful. She’s probably

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Chapter 47 A Deadlock

been through it already.”

Shap!

Luke slapped her hard across the face. “I said shut up. Didn’t you hear me?”

“Even if you bring Chloe back, she’ll never be the same You’ve already lost her. From the moment you touched me, from the day Chloe was violated, there was no going back for you.”

Anna laughed hysterically. If people found out that your wife was sold to the scam center, it would ruin both of the families. We’d all be dragged down by her Can you still accept someone as filthy as her as your

wife?”

“Get out! Get the hell out of here!” Luke was furious, his voice low with rage.

Anna covered her cheek and smiled devilishly. “Luke, why are you being so naive? You were happy when you were on top of the, weren’t you? The truth is, you’re not as tied to Chloe as you think. Carter is back, clearly here to compete for the inheritance with you. At a time like this, you’re wasting time on these matters? How stupid can you be?”

“What are you trying to say?”

Tm telling you, we can’t move past this, but what we can do is change the future. You’ve wronged Chloe, and that’s a fact. No amount of apologies can undo that. If Chloe’s really trapped at the Scam Center, whether or not she was violated, even if you buy her back, there’s no such thing as a sealed secret. Once rumors get out, how do you think people will view you? How will they view her?”

Luke had stopped trying to drive her away. Instead, Anna stepped closer, her hand pressing down on his shoulder as she leaned in. “Luke, do you know the biggest difference between adults and children? Adults have to make choices.

“I’m a woman too. If something like that happened to me, I’d only have one thought. Death. I can’t live with the shame of betraying my lover, my family. I’d feel like my very existence was a mistake.

“If Chloe didn’t die, her mind would be permanently starred. Even if she’s saved, the psychological trauma will follow her for the rest of her life. She can never be the same. The smallest thing, the slightest change, could make her have a mental breakdown. Even if she doesn’t kill herself at the scam center, it’s likely she would when she comes back. In this information age, no one can escape the truth. Have you thought about the consequences when that happens?

“It won’t just ruin our family’s reputation. Chloe is a victim, yes, but the public opinion they’ll place on her will break her. And you will become the laughingstock What will they say about you? That your wife isn’t pure? That she is a wh*re? You-

“Enough!” Luke snapped, his voice harsh and filled with disdain.

He seemed to have really seen such a scene in his mind. His expression turned dark with distress.

Luke, you know I love you, I really do want what’s best for you. Even if you stand by Chloe, others will mock you. If you choose to divorce her, people will call you heartless. Once the public opinion gains traction, it’ll tarnish your name, your company’s name Carter is watching, waiting for his moment. Do you think Jeffrey will let that slide?”

Luke’s forehead was covered in sweat. Anna leaned in even closer, whispering softly in his ear, “Carter is

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Chapter 47 A Deadlock.

going to replace you. It’s only a matter of time.”

Luke shuddered. “So, this is a deadlock?”

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“No. The solution is simple. You just stop. After all, Chloe’s gone. No one can trace it back to you. If something happens to her, people will just say she was dumped in the sea to feed the sharks. No one will ever know she was your wife. She’ll disappear from this world quietly, and no one will ever blame you.”

Luke stared at Anna piercingly, and he asked, ‘So, you want me to do nothing? Let my wife stay at the

Scam Center?”

Anna smiled, no longer pretending to be weak. “What you need is a wife who can help you, not one with a dirty past and a tainted history. Do you really want to hand over your inheritance to someone else?”

“That’s impossible!” Luke shot back.

*Carter returns at this time, and Chloe vanishes? Maybe her disappearance was all part of Carter’s plan.” “You mean to say he’s plotting against me, waiting for me to fall into his trap?”

 

 

Chapter 48 He Will Make His Move Against Me 

 

At this point, I couldn’t help but admire Anna deeply. 

It was clear that Luke had intended to sever all ties with her, but with just a few carefully chosen words, she had steered him completely off course. 

Luke’s expression was serious, as though he was deeply contemplating this matter. 

He wondered, “No wonder I’ve always thought he was overly concerned about Chloe. Could it be that his goal from the very beginning was to target me?” 

“Luke, think about it. He never comes home, not even once a year. Why did he suddenly start moving his overseas assets back to the country? And now he’s spending every day with Grandpa, drinking tea and playing chess. It’s obvious that he knows Grandpa’s health is deteriorating, and he’s trying to gain favor in front of him. 

“And your situation with Chloe could be the reason Grandpa starts to dislike you. Recently, Grandpa’s been dissatisfied with you, and there have been a few problems at the company. If you leave the company now, and something goes wrong, wouldn’t Uncle Carter have a perfect opportunity to attack?” 

Luke’s expression clearly changed. He asked, “Would he really go that far?” 

“Luke, people will do anything for money, and your family inheritance is such a big prize. Anyone with a scheme won’t let it slip by. Who in this world truly sees money as worthless? I suspect that Chloe’s disappearance might even have something to do with Carter. If you let your emotions get the best of you, you’ll fall right into his trap. Think about it: if you’re caught going abroad to search for Chloe, regardless of whether you find her or not, you’ll be caught in a scandal. The media will jump on it, and Jeffrey will be furious. He might even strip you of your position as CEO.” 

Luke frowned deeply and asked, “Are you saying I should just ignore Chloe? She’s been my childhood sweetheart; we’ve grown up together. If she’s really suffering abroad, how can I just abandon her?” 

“Luke, Chloe needs to be saved, but you can’t do it yourself. You can find someone else to handle it. Even if someone finds out, it won’t trace back to you.” 

Luke’s attitude toward Anna softened slightly. “I’ll think about it. You can leave now.” 

“Alright.” 

Though Anna had left, it was clear that Luke had taken her words to heart. 

He instructed his assistant to investigate Carter’s whereabouts. 

The assistant, unsure of why Luke had suddenly become so concerned about Carter, immediately began his search. 

Soon, the assistant returned with news. “Mr. Bolton, he not in the country.” 

“Where is he then?” 

“He’s abroad, and in the city where we’re about to land 

Luke’s face suddenly changed. “Anna was right after all 

 

“Mr. Bolton, what do you mean by that?” 

“Cancel my flight immediately.” 

Roy was puzzled. How could Luke’s mood change so suddenly? 

Just a moment ago, he had been eager to leave, but after Anna’s visit, everything seemed to shift. 

“Mr. Bolton, you’re not going to look for Mrs. Bolton anymore? What if she’s abroad right now?” 

 

“I couldn’t be sure before, but now I’m certain that this has something to do with Uncle Carter. He must have set a trap for me abroad. Chloe is just the excuse; the real plan is to lure me there!” 

Roy was even more confused after hearing this explanation. “Mr. Bolton, I understand you’re worried about Mrs. Bolton’s disappearance; but your current state is too unstable. How does this all relate to Mr. Carter? I really don’t understand.” 

“You don’t need to understand. If it weren’t for Anna’s reminder, I almost fell for his trick. Uncle Carter will definitely make his move against me to seize control of the Boltons‘ inheritance!”