Chapter 4

Chloe called me in the middle of the night. "Ethan, why aren't you replying to Logan’s messages? He just wants to thank you."

"We owe you one for handling my parents today. Who knows how long they would have made a scene otherwise."

"Are you free tomorrow? Logan and I really want to take you out for dinner."

I rubbed my temples, feeling a headache coming on. "No, I have to go to the office tomorrow."

"But if you don't come, Logan will think you’re holding a grudge. Plus, I’m planning on bringing him into the company to help out. That way, you won't have to carry such a heavy workload anymore."

"It doesn't matter. I don't care about the company anymore."

The company was a startup I had built from the ground up and gifted to Chloe as a wedding present. She used to promise me she’d cherish it forever. She used to say that even though she was the CEO, I held the real power. She had given me absolute authority.

But everything changed the moment Logan returned.

Apparently, a company generating tens of millions of dollars a year couldn't compare to a single free apartment.

The location of Logan's estate wasn't even in a high-end district. If Chloe wanted real estate, we could have bought dozens of luxury condos. The moment she used that absurd excuse to demand a divorce, I knew our six-year marriage was a hollow shell.

Holding on would only drag us both into endless misery.

"Chloe, are you sure you want to hand all my active projects over to Logan?"

There was a long pause on the other end of the line.

The clients and resources for those projects were built entirely on my personal network. Without my connections, those deals would collapse instantly.

"We’re going to be family soon anyway, so there’s no need to draw such hard lines. Besides, you’ve been handling too many projects. It's time to delegate."

*Family?*

Chloe really thought of herself as some ancient queen, expecting me to peacefully coexist with her concubine.

"Do whatever you want."

I hung up. First, she divorced me. Now, she was using Logan to strip away my authority. The timeline of her actions was so tight it made my blood run cold. She was in such a rush to push me out.

The next morning, I went to the office as usual to wrap things up.

The moment I walked into my office, I saw Logan sitting in my chair, casually playing with my ID badge.

Seeing me enter, his hand flicked, dropping the badge onto the hardwood floor. He deliberately ground his leather shoe over it before stepping toward me.

"Oh, look who’s early. Ready to hand over your crown, buddy?"

"Ethan, I’ve got to say, you’re the most pathetic man I’ve ever met. Imagine handing your own woman over to another guy."

I sneered. "If I'm done playing with her, what's wrong with giving her to you?"

Logan’s face instantly darkened. He lunged forward, grabbing my collar, and let out a cold laugh. "You think I buy that?"

"If you really didn't care about Chloe, why are you still lingering around after the divorce?"

"Aren't you two just 'fake married'?" I countered.

Logan laughed out loud. "Ethan, are you stupid or just incredibly naive?"

"Do you seriously think Chloe is ever going to remarry you?"

He leaned in, his face dripping with smug satisfaction. "Let me tell you a secret. Even after the buyout money cleared, Chloe won't divorce me."

"In her heart, I'm the only one who matters."

I couldn't argue with that, nor did I want to waste my breath arguing with him. I walked over to the desk, gathered a few files, and turned to leave. But Logan grabbed my arm, refusing to let me go.

The second he saw Chloe walking down the hallway toward the office, his demeanor flipped instantly. His eyes filled with tears, and he adopted a fragile, victimized look.

"Ethan, I know you hate me. But Chloe already handed these projects to me. You can’t just take them back."

He whimpered, putting his hand over my files. Before I could even push him away, he threw himself onto the floor.

"Ethan! What are you doing?!"

Chloe slammed the door open and rushed to Logan's side, kneeling down to check on him.

"I'm fine, Chloe. Don't blame Ethan."

"He's right. He’s been running these projects from the start. It’s not fair for me to just take over."

Chloe’s eyes went from worried to absolutely furious as she glared up at me. "Ethan! What is wrong with you?! Didn't I already talk to you about this?"

"They're just a few projects! Is it worth getting violent over? I didn't know you were this petty. If you want projects so badly, I can fund a few new ones for you!"

"Is our company really that desperate for cash?"

I looked down at Chloe, a wave of profound disappointment washing over me. Every single time Logan was involved, regardless of the truth, I was always the villain.

She was right. The company didn't lack money. It just lacked a free apartment.

"I didn't touch him. Believe what you want. As for the projects, if he wants them, he can have them."

Whether the clients would actually agree to work with an incompetent freeloader like Logan was another story entirely.

Chloe stared at me, momentarily stunned by my cold indifference. She told Logan to step out so we could talk alone.

Once the door closed, her angry expression softened, and she reached out to grab my hand, offering a sweet smile. "Logan’s new to the corporate world, so he doesn't know how things work. Don't take what I said to heart."

I looked at her and let out a sharp chuckle. "So, you knew he was putting on a show the whole time?"

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