The Queen Returns—And She's Unforgiving

Evelyn greeted Morgan before taking a seat.

"Mr. Harvey, what brings you here today?" She didn't answer Lucas' question but instead turned to Morgan, not even bothering to ask about his injuries.

Morgan, with a polite smile, responded, "Ms. Reed, we need to draft a new agreement. The courthouse rejected the one we signed last time because some clauses were problematic. They need to be revised and signed again. Here's the new draft."

Evelyn understood that the process was complicated, and the details were strictly enforced, so she didn't make any small talk. She took the new divorce agreement and looked it over.

The asset division remained largely the same as last time, but this time, there was an additional clause. Lucas was offering her 20% of TechNova Group's stock-not just shares but actual equity, giving her some control over the management of the company.

She studied it carefully. Then, she noticed that the contract for the stock transfer listed Deborah as the official shareholder, while Evelyn herself was named as the one holding the management rights.noveldrama

Evelyn looked up at Lucas. "So, your plan is to conceal my identity as a shareholder, whereas Granny will only be a shareholder in name?"

Lucas glanced at her, his tone calm and indifferent. "What's the issue?"

"Is this to prevent people from knowing I'm your wife?" She quickly guessed his reasoning. After all, with that much stock, the company would definitely be aware of the shareholder's identity.

Lucas had chosen Deborah to hold the shares to avoid drawing attention and protect his own interests, particularly in regard to Tiffany, so rumors wouldn't spread.

His gaze remained cold, his voice neutral. "If there's no issue, just sign it."

Evelyn stared at him. "If you're so worried about my ownership being discovered by the higher-ups at TechNova Group, why bother giving me the stock at all?"

It seemed excessive, and the gesture was completely unexpected. She hadn't anticipated that Lucas would go out of his way to give her this kind of benefit.

He simply replied, "I won't frame you." His voice was as steady as ever, without offering any further explanation.

Evelyn wasn't about to say no to money, especially considering TechNova Group's stability and future potential. She was definitely benefiting here, but Lucas' actions still didn't make much sense to her.

She read through the rest of the agreement. The two conditions he had previously mentioned were included-she was to keep their divorce a secret from Maria for one year, and they weren't allowed to publicly discuss their marital status or the timing of the divorce.

However, there was something new this time.

There was an additional clause-she wasn't allowed to date for one year. If she violated any of the terms, she would owe him reasonable compensation.

Evelyn's gaze lingered on the "no dating for a year" clause. She looked up at him, asking, "What's the reason for this?"

Lucas sat with an air of aristocratic indifference, his expression unchanged. "It's just a precaution, given the need to keep the divorce from Grandma."

She understood that part. She wasn't concerned with the clause and quickly moved on to the next issue. "So, I'm free to date once the year is up?"

His gaze was as unreadable as ever. He paused for a moment before replying, "You can interpret it that way."

Evelyn nodded lightly and continued scanning the contract.

This version of the agreement included a more precise definition of "reasonable compensation". If she breached the contract, any compensation would be null and void, and if she held any equity in a company, she would have to transfer half of it to him.

Moreover, she would be subject to any demands of "mental compensation" from him, though the specifics weren't spelled out.

Evelyn frowned. "What does this mean?"

She was almost certain Lucas didn't know about her stock in Flying Seal Group, but he didn't explain further. Instead, he took out a pen from his pocket.

His right hand was injured, so he switched to using his left hand to sign all three copies of the divorce agreement. Though it was awkward for him, he didn't seem impatient.

He finished signing, then handed the pen to her. "Sign it. Once you do, the divorce certificate will be ready."

Evelyn stared at the agreement. She was sure she wasn't going to reveal her relationship with Lucas, so the compensation clauses wouldn't affect her too much. He couldn't touch her Flying Seal Group shares.

After a few moments of thought, she decided that she didn't have time to waste on Lucas. She needed to get the divorce certificate as soon as possible, so she grabbed the pen and signed her name.

When it was time to sign the stock transfer for Tech Nova Group, her pen ran out of ink. Morgan handed her his pen, and she finished signing the contract.

Lucas stood up, his expression distant. "Let's go."

Evelyn felt a little dizzy as she stood, but she kept herself composed. Then, she followed him toward the courthouse.

The staff reviewed the documents. Once they confirmed everything was in order, they handed the couple two copies of the divorce agreement. "Please sign here. After that, we'll take your fingerprints to complete the process."

Evelyn's heart raced as she stared at the final step. She didn't pay any attention to Lucas beside her, following the instructions and taking a seat to sign.

As the staff prepared the divorce certificate to be stamped, they paused and looked over the documents once more, then asked, "Are you both sure this divorce is voluntary?"