Chapter 6
The next day, the online narrative underwent a complete reversal:
[Holy shit! Knox Riviera’s wife is actually the L&W Group heiress?]
[What stand-in bride? She was born into wealth!]
[Knox Riviera married a goddess and didn’t even appreciate what he had?]
[$80,000,000 in contract penalties-looks like he really is getting stripped of everything.]
I scrolled through these comments with mixed feelings.
My phone rang-an unknown number.
“Ms. Lockhart, this is Jordan Hayes, Knox Riviera’s agent,” a trembling voice said.
“Is there any way… any possibility you might give Knox another chance? He truly regrets his actions now.”
“Regrets what exactly?” I asked, leaning back on my sofa, my voice even.
“He says he shouldn’t have let you be humiliated, shouldn’t have favored Dahlia, shouldn’t have-”
“Enough,” I cut him off.
“Tell Knox our arrangement is over. The divorce papers will be delivered to him tomorrow.”
After hanging up, I continued browsing the online discussions.
Just then, Emily knocked and entered my office.
“Ms. Lockhart, there’s a situation you should know about,” she said, wearing an odd expression-like she was trying not to smile.
“What situation?”
“Knox Riviera is… downstairs. Outside our building.”
I paused. “What does he want?”
“He’s demanding to see you. Security won’t let him up, so he’s… kneeling on the plaza.”
I set my phone down. “Kneeling?”
“Yes, and…” Emily bit her lip. “Someone’s already filmed it. Videos of ‘Trophy Husband Begs Forgiveness on His Knees’ are going viral.”
I walked to the floor-to-ceiling windows and looked down.
From twenty floors up, I could only make out a crowd gathering in the plaza below.
My phone rang again.
This time it was a video call from Knox.
I answered.
On screen, Knox appeared kneeling at the entrance of the L&W building, tears streaking his face.
“Wren, please, give me one more chance,” he choked out. “I was wrong. I truly understand how wrong I was.”
The crowd around him kept growing, many holding up phones to record the scene.
“Knox, what are you doing?”
Chapter 6
“I’m atoning,” he lifted his head, eyes bloodshot.
“I hurt you, and I’ll stay on my knees until you forgive me.”
“Get up.”
“No,” he shook his head.
“Wren, I’ve lost everything. My film contracts, all my endorsements, even the house we lived in is yours.”
“But I don’t care about any of that. I only care about you.”
I watched him on the screen, feeling absolutely nothing.
“Knox, you don’t care about me.”
“I do! I swear I do!” he shouted, his voice growing louder as the crowd continued to swell.
“Then tell me, when is my birthday?”
The screen suddenly went quiet for several seconds.
“I… I…”
“What’s my favorite food?”
More silence.
“What do I do for work? What time do I finish each day? Why did I agree to our marriage arrangement in the first place?”
Each question landed like a hammer blow.
Knox’s face grew increasingly pale.
“I… Wren, I…..”
“You don’t know anything about me.”
I said calmly, each word crystal clear. “Knox, you never cared about me as a person. You only cared about what being Mrs. Riviera could do for your
career.”
“That’s not true!” he frantically shook his head. “I really—”
Just then, a familiar voice cut through the crowd.
“Knox!”
Dahlia pushed through the onlookers, rushing to Knox’s side.
“Get up!” she cried, trying to pull him to his feet.
“This is all my fault! I’m the one who ruined everything! Please don’t do this-I can’t bear to see you like this!”
Knox’s expression shifted noticeably when he saw Dahlia.
“Dahlia… what are you doing here?”
“I heard you were here…”
Dahlia sobbed dramatically. “Knox, let’s go. Stop begging her. She’ll never forgive you-she doesn’t have you in her heart!”
Through the video, I watched the scene unfold with perfect clarity.
Knox hesitated, it was just a few seconds of hesitation, but I saw it clearly.
The moment Dahlia appeared, his attention shifted away from me.
Chapter 6
His eyes lingered on Dahlia’s face, and he reached out to wipe away her tears.
“Dahlia, don’t cry…”
Seeing this, I ended the video call immediately.
Emily, standing nearby, had witnessed the entire exchange.
“Ms. Lockhart…”
“Prepare the divorce papers,” I said, turning toward my desk. “Deliver them tomorrow.”
“Also, notify the legal department that if Knox doesn’t pay the $80,000,000 in damages to Stellar Studios within a month, we’ll proceed with legal action as per the contract.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Emily noted. “Anything else?”
I thought for a moment.
“I want a complete audit of every resource Knox has received from our group over the past year.”
“Film investments, endorsement arrangements, business partnerships… calculate everything down to the last penny.”
