Chapter 97
Before Nora could respond, a nearby employee, who had also witnessed the scene, approached with curiosity.
“What happened?”
A young woman, seemingly one of Linda's employees, answered, still wide-eyed. “She fainted,” she said, still
breathless from the shock. “Probably from exhaustion. She’s been overworking herself for days.”
Leo scoffed, rolling his eyes. “Of course.”
Nora could feel the heat of his frustration radiating beside her. His cheeks had turned slightly red-not just from
anger, but from the sheer audacity of the situation.
Arnold had brushed past them as if they were
nothing, but for Linda, he had moved with urgency.
Sensing Leo’s growing irritation, Nora sighed and patted his arm lightly. “Don’t let it get to you,” she said in a
calm voice. “It doesn’t matter to me.”
Leo turned to her, frowning. “Nora...”
She shook her head again, this twith a small, almost imperceptible smile. “Really. | don’t care.”
Leo exhaled heavily and rubbed the back of his neck. “You should. That guy doesn’t deserve a second of your
patience.”
Nora chuckled lightly. “That's why I'm divorcing him, remember?”
Leo paused before nodding. “Right. Speaking of which... how’s that going?”
Nora glanced at him, her smile slightly sharper this time. “I feel the sway you do-I don’t want to waste any
more time.”
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Leo smirked at that. “Good. | was starting to worry you had too much patience.”
They left the parking garage together, and the conversation shifted to other things. But deep down, Nora
couldn't shake the unsettling feeling that even now, Arnold's presence still cast a long shadow over her
life.
That evening. Nora tried calling Arnold.
No answer.
Clupter 97
She tried again.
Still, nothing
With a sigh, she placed her phone on the bedside table and stared at the ceiling. She didn’t know why she had
expected anything different.
The next morning, the last of the paperwork at Silvermoon'’s central building was finally completed.
As they stepped out of the office, Leo stretched his arms above his head tically. “I swear,” he groaned, “I
never want to set foot in this place again.”
Nora chuckled. “You say that now, but you'll be back.”
Leo shot her a betrayed look. “Don’t jinx me.”
Just as they stepped outside, the day’s calm was shattered.
A loud commotion erupted near the entrance. A man with wild, desperate eyes charged toward Arnold, a
gleaming dagger in his grip.
It happened in a flash.
Linda, standing beside Arnold, reacted instinctively. She shoved Arnold out of the way-
And the blade plunged deep into her side.
A gasp rippled through the onlookers. Linda’s body wavered for a moment before collapsing forward.
“Linda!” Arnold's voice rang with panic as he caught her before she hit the ground. Blood soaked through her
pale blouse at an alarming rate.
The attacker, quickly subdued by security, was dragged away, but Arnold wasn’t paying attention. He scooped
Linda into his arms and rushed out of sight, disappearing into the sea of gasping spectators.
Leo, who had been watching the scene unfold with an unreadable expression, clicked his tongue. “Why does this
woman have accidents every three days?” he muttered under his breath.
Nora didn’t answer.
She had already turned away.
Arnold didn’t chfor the next few days, and Alex supposedly heard the news of Linda's injury and snuck
out that night to visit Linda.
Chapter 97
The days following Arnold's absence felt oddly weightless, as if something fundamental had gone missing
from the estate.
His presence had always been imposing, even in silence-an unspoken force that filled the space, lingering in the
hallways, in the subtle creak of the staircase, in the distant hum of his car pulling into the driveway late at night.
But now, there was only stillness.
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The estate was vast, yet without him.. The polished floors gleamed under the chandeliers, the air carried the
faint scent of old books and fresh linen, and the staff moved through their routines with practiced efficiency. But
it didn’t bother Nora much...
And then, on Friday evening, as she stepped through the grand entrance, she saw him.
Arnold was seated in the living room, his posture relaxed but his expression unreadable.
Beside him, Charles sat with a casual air, one ankle resting over his knee, a glass of whiskey in hand.
The dim glow from the overhead lights cast sharp shadows across Arnold's face, accentuating the tired lines
around his eyes.
Nora hadn't expected to feel anything upon seeing him again, yet for a fleeting second, something tightened in
her chest. He looked different. Not unkempt, not disheveled, but weary in a way that went beyond mere
exhaustion.
His dark eyes lifted at the sound of her footsteps, meeting hers with the squiet intensity they always held.
“You're back,” he said simply, his tone devoid of warmth but not entirely cold either.
Nora stopped a few steps away and nodded curtly. “Mm-hmm.”
For a moment, silence stretched between them.
It wasn’t awkward, but it was thick, charged with things left unsaid. Charles glanced between them but said
nothing, sipping his drink as if he were merely an observer in someone else's .
Nora had never been one for unnecessary pleasantries, and she saw no reason to start now. She had already
waited too long.
“The other day, | said-" she began, but Arnold didn’t let her finish.
Without hesitation, he reached down, pulled out a folder from his briefcase, and extended it toward her.
“Take a look at this,” he said, his voice steady, controlled. “If there are no objections, sign it.”
Chapter 98.