At that moment The room fell into stunned silence.
Cora's words had landed like a punch to the gut.
"I don't want anything."
James blinked. "What?"
She looked up at him, her expression as calm as ever. "You heard me. I don't want your money."
At that moment James scoffed and stood to his feet, stepping forward like he needed her to hear him more clearly. "You better take that one million dollars, Cora. Because once this is over, I won't even give you a damn penny in the future. Not one."
However Cora's gaze didn't waver.
Without another word, she picked up a pen, calmly crossed out the section of the contract that entitled her to the settlement, then pressed the tip of the pen to the bottom of the page—and signed her name.
Smooth. Graceful. Unshaken.
Immediately James and Emily scrambled toward the table.
They bent over the contract together, eyes racing across the page.
And there it was—her signature.
They couldn't believe she had really signed it. She wasn't bluffing.
James threw his head back and burst out laughing, full of disbelief and cruel joy.
"She really signed it!" he shouted.
Emily gasped dramatically and leaned into James, pretending to be weak with surprise, arms draping softly around him. "Oh my God… I thought she wouldn't sign it," she whispered with fake concern.
Immediately James pulled her close, gripping her waist with excitement. "Finally," he said, voice thick with pride. "Finally, I can rise without shame. No more hiding. No more rivals mocking me because of my crippled wife. I can finally reach the height I was meant for."
Just then, the lawyer closed the file with a satisfied snap and turned to Cora with a cold smile.
"Well then," he said smoothly, "since the papers are signed, you are no longer the Young Miss of the Lorenzo family. It would be best if you vacated the premises immediately."
Cora didn't flinch.
Before she could respond, James clapped his hands once and stepped forward with that smug grin he wore so well. "Don't stress about packing," he said. "I'll call some people to handle it for you. We'll box up everything and have it delivered to your next destination. In fact—" he pulled out his phone, "I'll get it started right now."
At that moment Cora raised her hand calmly.
"No need," she said. "I'll call someone to handle it myself."
Again James paused, surprised. He lowered the phone slightly.
"Really?" he said, eyeing her curiously. "Who are you going to call? Your family?"
He chuckled quietly to himself. As far as he knew, Cora didn't know anyone important in South Caden. She didn't mingle. She didn't attend the high-society events. She barely left the house unless it was for therapy.
He always thought it was because of her condition. Or because she was just a small-town girl trying to adjust to the city.
Still… if he was honest, there was one thing he could give Cora credit for.
She had never asked him for money. Not even once. Not even when he started making more and more of it. She never demanded luxury bags, fancy dinners, or show-off vacations.
Unlike Emily—who drained his card like it was an ATM made for her amusement.
But then again, that was the expense of being with a high-class woman.
Not a crippled bumpkin girl.
James raised a brow and smirked. "If you're talking about your family, then you'll be waiting a while," he said with a mocking chuckle. "Cloudridge isn't exactly next door. It'll take them forever to get here."
But Cora didn't argue.
She simply reached into the side pocket of her wheelchair and brought out her phone.
She dialed.l, Calm, Collected, almost emotionless.
When the line connected, she said, "I've divorced James. Send someone to come get my things."
That was it, No tears. No explanations.
She ended the call like she'd just placed a lunch order.
Then she looked up at James with a slight, unreadable smile. "They'll be here shortly. I just had to make the call."
James' face stiffened slightly. He wasn't sure why, but something about how calm she was put him on edge.
Emily, meanwhile, scoffed from behind him. Her lips curled in disgust.
"Cloudridge?" she said with a sneer. "That rundown farming district?"
She laughed bitterly. "I can't believe you live in that dirt. What were you doing there—milking cows and planting yams?"
Cora's expression changed instantly.
Gone was the calm. Gone was the control.
What remained was steel.
Her eyes darkened—not with tears, but with quiet fury. She could take humiliation. She could take betrayal. But an insult to her family?
That was a line Emily should never have crossed.
She looked at James, hoping—just hoping—for a flicker of decency. For him to say something. To check Emily's words.
But instead, James was smiling. That same crooked smile, as if he enjoyed watching her pride get trampled.
Cora turned to Emily, voice sharp and clear. "You're right. My family lives in the dirt."
Emily raised a brow, almost surprised at the admission.
"But unlike you," Cora continued, her voice now razor-thin, "they know how to turn a kitten into a lion."
Emily snorted and burst out laughing. "Oh please," she said between laughs. "You're really funny, Cora. I'll give you that."
She flipped her hair over her shoulder with fake elegance. "But since we're talking about lions and heights—weren't you the one who said you brought James to where he is now?"
Her voice turned mocking. "Because if that's true, then you must be a very generous dirt princess."
James' face twisted with irritation. He stepped forward.
"That's enough," he snapped at Cora. "You've got through today to leave. I don't want to see you here tomorrow."
He turned back toward Emily and wrapped an arm around her waist. "Once I receive my award tonight as the Youngest Inspiring Entrepreneur, this house will be full of people. I'm throwing a party here. I'm not having it ruined by some ex-wife sitting in a corner looking pitiful."
James stood tall, expecting Cora to break—expecting her to shiver beneath the weight of his authority, the sharpness in his voice. He was used to her being soft. Silent. Accepting.
But instead, she smiled.
A slow, calm, dangerous smile.
Her cheek lifted slightly, her lips curling in amusement. "You're still thinking about that inspiring award?" she asked, her voice light but cutting.
Then came the words that made the air in the room shift.
"For an event you'll be kicked out from?"
James froze, frown tightening.
Cora's eyes sparkled now—not with pain, but with power. "If I were you," she added softly, "I wouldn't bother attending. You'll only leave there humiliated."
The room went still.
James blinked, stunned by the certainty in her voice.
Emily's expression twisted, half-confused, half-irritated. "Wait—what are you saying?" she asked, then let out a forced laugh, trying to brush it off. "So what now, Cora? Are you saying you're the one who'll hand James the award?"