Chapter 12

A few days later, there was still no sign of Natalie. But it was James Bennett who showed up at the Fletcher villa himself. Ethan met him in the study of his temporary office, secretly holding out a shred of hope. Maybe Natalie had sent her father to negotiate. Maybe this was all just her way of trying to bargain with him. But James didn’t come to talk conditions. Instead, he laid a folder on the desk, stamped with the official seal of the clerk’s office—an entirely legal divorce certificate. "Ethan, this is what Natalie insisted on." James's voice carried a faint sense of relief as he placed the divorce certificate on the table. "She said... from now on, she and the Fletcher family are even. There’s nothing left to settle." Ethan stared at that glaring red document. For a moment, he almost couldn’t believe his eyes—a rush of blood pounded in his head, as if he'd been struck by lightning. Divorce? Natalie had really… divorced him? This woman—who once chased after him so recklessl