Ch. 891..900

This Time, I Will Get My Divorce, Mr Chapter 891

 

 

Nervous Meeting

 

 

He really knows how to flirt.

 

 

“No, it’s not.” Toby had no idea Sonia was overthinking, though her reddened face did arouse him, but he held down the urge to bite her.

 

 

Sonia kept glaring at him. “Why not? I’m going to be thirty in three years. Don’t you think it’s icky calling me that?” If she was a teenager or a lady in her twenties, she would have accepted that easily. Of course, she was still happy hearing that, and it was sweet, but it still felt awkward for her.

 

 

Toby chuckled. “Don’t think too much about it, and don’t make yourself sound like an old woman. If you’re old, then I’m ancient. Just toss it out the window. I call you baby because I want to. No matter how old you are, you’re still my baby, even if your hair is all white.” He held her in his embrace. “Age has nothing to do with it. It depends on how much someone cares for you. I love and care for you, so you’ll always be my baby.”

 

 

That made Sonia even redder, and her heart started to race. She would be lying if she said she was not delighted to hear that. Every woman would love to be someone’s baby, and she felt delighted to be his. She hugged him back and closed her eyes. “You’re such a flirt.” She smiled. “At this rate, I’m going to lose myself in your love.”

 

 

“And I’ll be more than happy to hold your hand.” He brushed his hand down her hair. “I’ll make sure you never lose your way.”

 

 

“I’m holding you to that.” She looked at him.

 

 

Toby nodded. “Of course.”

 

 

Sonia said nothing, but she held him tightly.

 

 

Toby brushed her hair and kissed the top of her head. “Why did Mrs. Lane call us over?” He could understand if she only called Sonia, but inviting him as well was weird.

 

 

She leaned against his chest, her eyes closed. “Mrs. Lane is my mother’s best friend, and she’s really nice to me, just like how my mother was. I might call her Mrs. Lane, but she’s like my mother. Now that she knows we’re back together, she wants to see you.”

 

 

For some reason, Toby felt himself getting nervous. If Mrs. Lane sees Sonia as her daughter, does that mean I have to think of her as my mother-in-law, and that I’m meeting her parents? “Must we go?” Toby gulped and asked, sounding hoarse.

 

 

Sonia felt him tensing up. She opened her eyes and got up to look at him. “You don’t want to see them?”

 

 

“It’s not that.” Toby shook his head. A long while later, he finally said, “I’ve never actually done this before, so…”

 

 

Henry was still alive when Toby married Sonia, but he was already hypnotized back then. He believed that he was forced into the marriage because he had to repay some debt. Because of that, he despised her and had no love for Henry. She had asked him to meet his father before they got married, but he had refused without any hesitation. He never expected that he would lose the chance to meet Henry forever.

 

 

Technically, he had never met his in-laws. He did visit his grave with her, but it was still something he would never get to do. This great loss in life translated to an intense hatred for Tina. If it were not for her, he would not have had to go through so much to find his true love, nor would he let Sonia lose her only family.

 

 

If he was not hypnotized, he would have gotten together with Sonia a long time ago. He would never have let Paradigm Co. get into trouble without even lifting a finger to help. Yes, he had done a lot of wrong things, but Tina was even worse than him. Sonia lost her parents, and her biological parents were… inconsequential. It was natural that she thought of the Lanes as her parents, which would make them his in-laws, given how much they cared for her.

 

 

He had no chance to see his in-laws before this, but now he did. The problem was that he had no idea how to deal with them, or how he should talk to them. He had been the leader of a great company for too long. Aside from Sonia, his grandmother, and Jean, he was always arrogant to everyone else.

 

 

He did have the position and wealth to do so, so he never thought that was the wrong attitude to take. Nobody thought so either. However, now that he was about to see the couple whom Sonia thought of as her parents, that attitude would not fly. They would be his in-laws after all, but still, he had no idea how to deal with them.

 

 

The Greys were his in-laws back when he was hypnotized. Technically, he had experience dealing with in-laws, but the problem was he never liked them.

 

 

Yes, he disliked them. He was under a spell that made him believe he loved Tina, but how he felt about everyone else did not change. He knew the kind of people the Greys were, and he disliked them for that. He was only polite to them for the sake of Tina, but when push came to shove, he was still arrogant when it came to the Greys.

 

 

Titus and his wife knew that, and they hated it, but there was no way they could do anything about it. Instead of his in-laws, Toby treated the Greys like business veterans whom he could overwhelm.

 

 

He was not lying when he said he didn’t know how to deal with in-laws, as he never treated the Greys like they were his in-laws. Things were different now, though. This time, he was going to see a couple whom Sonia saw as her parents. She cared for them deeply, and he felt no resentment toward them. Naturally, he could not treat them like how he treated everyone else. He had to treat them like real in-laws, but he had no idea how to do that. The more he thought about it, the more frustrated he got. In the end, he pursed his lips.

 

 

Sonia was astonished to see him looking so nervous, and her jaw dropped. “Whoa. Toby, don’t tell me that you’re nervous about the meeting?”

 

 

She hit the bullseye, and he tensed up further. “I’m not,” he lied stubbornly.

 

 

Sonia pinched his arm, but it was as hard as steel. She was amused. “Yeah, right. I can see right through you. Look at your face. It’s practically telling me you’re nervous.” She poked his cheek.

 

 

Toby held her finger. “Stop messing around.”

 

 

“Alright, fine.” Sonia grinned, letting him pull her finger down. It’s so obvious that he’s nervous.

 

 

She found it unbelievable, however. Toby held immense power in his hands, and yet he felt nervous right after she told him they were going to meet a couple whom she thought of as her parents. He looked like every guy who was going to meet their in-laws the very first time, and the Lanes were not the ones who raised her up. He would be more nervous if he were to meet Dad and Mom.97841

 

 

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This Time, I Will Get My Divorce, Mr Chapter 892

 

 

Toby’s EQ

 

 

The thought of Toby looking cautious and nervous when he met her foster parents made her smile. However, the amusement did not last long. Her parents had passed away, and Toby would never have the chance to see them in the flesh. There were only graves of them left.

 

 

Toby noticed the sorrow coming from Sonia. One look at her face was enough to tell him what she was thinking about. He patted her head and assured, “Alright, don’t think too much about it. We should think about the gifts I should bring for Mrs. Lane tomorrow.”

 

 

“Are you free tomorrow?” Sonia looked at him.

 

 

“Yes. This is important. Even if I don’t have time, I’ll make some.”

 

 

“You don’t have to do this.” Sonia shook her head. “I can tell Mrs. Lane about this. She’ll understand.”

 

 

“This is nothing.” He kissed her forehead. “There are a lot of capable people in the company. If the company can’t run just because I’m out for one day, I would have trained them for nothing. Don’t worry about it. Tom can handle things without me.”

 

 

Since he was being serious, Sonia had no reason to refuse. “I see. I’ll tell Charles we’ll be going tomorrow.” She got up from his embrace and whipped her phone out.

 

 

Toby watched as her fingers flew across her phone screen. It did not take long for her to send her reply. Charles had been waiting for it, so not long after Sonia sent her reply, he texted her back. It was a cat emoji that said okay, and he also texted, ‘See you tomorrow’.

 

 

Sonia locked her phone. “I texted Charles. We can go straight to his place tomorrow.”

 

 

Toby nodded. “Now can you tell me what kind of stuff the Lanes like? I need to get prepared.”

 

 

“Mr. Lane likes wine, and as for Mrs. Lane…” Sonia pointed at her cheek and smiled. “She likes handbags and makeup products.”

 

 

Toby nodded. “I have some original wine back at my place. Mr. Lane should love it. As for Mrs. Lane, I’ll give her Doir and Chenal’s makeup products and perfume. They’re next season’s stuff that hasn’t been released yet. What do you think?” Toby looked at Sonia.

 

 

Sonia nodded. “They’ll love it.”

 

 

Original wine? They’re the first batch of wine made by the biggest wine factories in the world, and they cost a lot. Toby’s listed on Forbes. That’s why he has the wine.

 

 

The Lane Family was not one of the top families in the world. They were rich in Seafield, but not when it came to the whole nation, let alone the world, so despite their wealth, they could never purchase original wines. Mr. Lane loved wine, and he loved collecting them. When she was a kid, he lamented the fact that he had no original wine among his large collection. I bet Mr. Lane is going to be ecstatic about this gift tomorrow.

 

 

There was also the case of Mrs. Lane. She might be in her fifties, but she was elegant and loved to look beautiful like any other woman. She was young at heart and loved anything young ladies liked. She could buy any of the most expensive luxury items she wanted, but the most she could do was purchase the in-season items. She was not privileged enough to get anything that would only come out next season.

 

 

Toby was different, however. All the companies would happily give him the products that would only be released in the next season or even the next year if he asked for it. He would be spoiled for choice. Mrs. Lane is going to be excited to get next season’s items.

 

 

Mrs. Lane was the one inviting them over, and Sonia knew her well enough to figure out her plan. She was probably going to warn Toby and ask her to cherish Sonia for life. Sonia lost her mother, so Mrs. Lane would step up as her defender. She would quiz Toby in the place of Lina and support Sonia all the way.

 

 

However, if Toby were to give her all these presents, Mrs. Lane would probably toss everything behind her and acknowledge Toby right away. She would probably see him as her own son, as his presents were perfect for a lady, and it stroked her ego. Mrs. Lane could show off the items to her friends, and she would enjoy a higher status among them. That alone was enough to make Mrs. Lane support Toby.

 

 

The thought that the Lane couple would be delighted upon receiving the gifts made Sonia smile. He can be stupid at times but really smart at other times. I only brought their preferences up casually, and he’s already preparing the perfect gifts that they can’t refuse. No wonder he can be so successful. He reacts fast.

 

 

Toby was oblivious to her thoughts. He patted her head and stood up. “Stay here. I’ll call Tom.”

 

 

Oh, he’s going to ask Tom to prepare the gifts. “Okay, sure.”

 

 

Toby went back into the study. He had left his phone in the study, so he could only make the call inside. Sonia sat back down on the couch and switched the TV on. Toby came back out a few minutes later. He sat beside Sonia, wrapped his arm around her waist, and watched TV with her.

 

 

Sonia was used to him hugging her every time he sat down beside her. She did not look uneasy when he held her. In fact, she accepted it easily and offered him half the blanket. They watched TV together side by side like a family. Two hours later, Sonia could not fight off her sleepiness anymore, and she fell asleep on Toby’s shoulder. Toby looked at her and smiled. He slowly removed her head from his shoulder and carried her in his arms before taking her to the bedroom.

 

 

It was eight when Sonia woke up the next day. Toby had left for Fuller Group a while ago. Tom might have handled work for him the day before, but he needed to sign a lot of documents himself. He had to work, or the documents would pile up, so after he woke up, he left a slip of paper for Sonia and left.

 

 

Sonia yawned. She looked at the slip and put it on the cabinet before getting out of bed, then went to the porch and opened the door to take her breakfast. Toby’s message did not tell her that someone would be sending breakfast over because he was sure that she knew he would send someone to give her the breakfast of the day if he left home before she did. She behaved like he expected and came to the door right after she woke up.

 

 

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This Time, I Will Get My Divorce, Mr Chapter 893

 

 

Connor in Seafield

 

 

She took the breakfast and said thanks to the waiter. Sonia closed the door and went back to have her food. The breakfast was as big as usual, and it was all her favorite. He really remembers what I like, huh? Sonia thought as she ate. Despite how great the breakfast was, she felt that Toby’s absence took away some of the enjoyment.

 

 

She massaged her forehead and sighed. It hasn’t been too long, and I’m already missing him just because he’s not around for breakfast. At this rate, will I lose all my appetite just because he isn’t around? No, no, no. She shook her head. I can’t let this happen. She patted her cheeks.

 

 

She was fine with missing him, but not to the point it controlled her. If they were to break up in that state, she would lose everything. She must not lose herself and feel demotivated just because Toby was not around for a while. I can’t become a girl who can’t do anything without him. I should be more rational about this.

 

 

True love was cherishing your partner while they were around and doing your own thing while they were not. Staying calm at all times was key. Losing all motivation to do anything while they were gone would be dangerous. I should put him aside for now. He’ll be back at night, and we can spend a lot of time together then. Now that he’s working, I should get to work too. Love is important, but work takes priority.

 

 

If she were to lose love, at least she would still have her career. If she put love before her career, she would be left with nothing if the love was gone. Sonia took a deep breath and put Toby aside for now. She finished her breakfast and took a shower. She then got changed and went out.

 

 

Right after she came out of the complex, a man in a black suit suddenly appeared out of nowhere and stood before her. “A minute, Miss Reed.”

 

 

Sonia looked at the man, a frown furrowing her brows. “And you are?”

 

 

The man seemed like an ordinary Joe in a suit and glasses, and he had a professional smile on his face. He looked like Tom, and Sonia thought he must be someone’s assistant. “Hello, Miss Reed. Allow me to introduce myself.” He adjusted his glasses. “I’m Xander Little, and I came here on my employer’s orders. He wants to see you.”

 

 

“Your employer?” Her frown deepened. “Who is he? Why does he want to see me?”

 

 

Xander was still smiling. “His surname is Salzburg. I think you can guess who he is, Miss Reed.”

 

 

Salzburg? Sonia froze up for a moment, and a name popped into her mind. Connor? Her eyes widened, and she looked at Xander in shock.

 

 

The look on Xander’s face did not change, though there was a mysterious air about his smile now. “I see you know who he is. Yes, he’s the head of Westsanshire’s Salzburg Family—Mr. Connor Salzburg. Miss Reed, if you may. He’s right outside the neighborhood.” Xander extended his arm outward, inviting Sonia to go with him. He seemed demanding though, apparently telling her that she had to go whether she liked it or not.

 

 

Sonia stopped looking shocked, but she was still panicking internally. Her heart raced, and her lips were pursed. She had never thought Connor would come to see her. Toby did tell her that Connor would try to convince her to let Anya go, and she was prepared to take that call, as she thought that was how he would contact her. Connor was in Westsanshire and would not travel to Seafield that easily, or so she thought.

 

 

Instead of giving her a call, he came to Seafield himself and waited right outside her neighborhood. She was not prepared to see him. After all, she had no idea what kind of person he was. If she met him just like that, she would be at a disadvantage. What should I do? Should I see him? She bit her lip and hesitated.

 

 

Sonia’s hesitation annoyed Xander, and he wasn’t smiling so hugely anymore. When he spoke again, he sounded a lot colder. “Are you listening, Miss Reed?”

 

 

She noticed the hostility, and she was not surprised. Sonia already knew that Xander was not a good person from the start. He might have the same cunning smile like Tom had, but Tom’s smile was mysterious, not unnerving.

 

 

Xander, on the other hand, had an eerie and unnerving smile. Connor is infamous in Westsanshire. I can’t expect much from his assistant. With that kind of master, it’d be a miracle if his assistant turns out to be a great guy. Sonia took a deep breath and held her unease down. She put on a deadpan look and scoffed. “How laughable.”

 

 

That wiped the smile completely off Xander’s face, and he asked icily, “What do you mean, Miss Reed?”

 

 

“I’m talking about you and your boss,” Sonia said. “He’s here for Anya’s case, isn’t he?”

 

 

Xander did not answer.

 

 

Sonia continued, “You want to save Anya, but you can’t ask for the local authority’s help, since the Colemans are at the helm. They’re friends with the Fullers, so they won’t let Anya go just because you asked them to. The only way to free her will be through me or Toby. If Toby and I sign the memorandum of understanding, Anya can be released, but there’s a little thing preventing your boss from going straight to Toby, so I’m the only avenue left. But…”

 

 

“But what? Speak up, Miss Reed.” The look on Xander’s face was getting stormier by the minute.

 

 

Sonia pursed her lips. “You came to me for help, but you’re giving me attitude instead. You tried to push me around, and quite frankly, I’m upset. Don’t forget that you’re the one who’s asking for my help. Shouldn’t your boss be the one to see me? Why is it the other way around? You don’t even know what you should do when you’re asking me for help, and you think I’ll do as you say? Go back and tell your boss to see me himself.”

 

 

Xander did not expect her outright refusal, and he seemed irritated. He thought taking Sonia to Connor would be a simple task. She’s just a useless woman who got this far with Toby’s help. How hard can it be? She won’t say no. Reality proved him wrong, however. Sonia was far from useless, and she was not someone who could only rely on men to solve her problems.

 

 

A useless woman would never have the courage to refuse him. His employer was the head of the Salzburg Family after all. However, aside from the initial shock after hearing Connor’s name, Sonia had remained calm since then. She did not even care about who Connor was. It might be either a brave or stupid move, but her reply alone told him that it would be difficult to take her to Connor. For a moment there, Xander felt humiliated, and there was a hint of anger in his eyes. “Are you sure you’re not going, Miss Reed?”

 

 

This Time, I Will Get My Divorce, Mr Chapter 894

 

 

This is Connor97843

 

 

Of course Xander thought it was humiliating. He had strutted in like a peacock, thinking that a mere woman would never refuse him. He thought she would do as he said, but Sonia was not the coward he thought she was. Instead, she had great courage within her, and it was a reminder of his earlier foolishness. It was as if she just broke his pride, and it made him snap.

 

 

Sonia noticed the veiled threat, and she tightened her grip on her handbag. “My answer is still the same no matter how many times you’re going to ask. I won’t go.” I’d be mad if I went with him. Who knows what would happen if I did? I’m not going, just in case.

 

 

Xander finally ran out of patience, and venom dripped in his eyes. “Since you’re not coming with me, then I might have to take you by force, Miss Reed.”

 

 

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” She froze up for a moment and took a step back. Fear bubbled within her, but she held it down and looked at the man cautiously. “You’re at Bayside Residence, one of the high-end condominium complexes in Seafield. There are surveillance cameras everywhere. Touch me and it won’t be pretty. Same thing goes for your boss. Do you think Toby will let this slide?” She used Toby to threaten them.

 

 

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Xander stopped in his tracks, and the anger on his face subsided. It was replaced by concern and worry. He was just trying to finish his task and take her to him, but he forgot that he was in Seafield. He was on Toby’s turf, not somewhere he could do whatever he wanted. He was the outsider here, and if Toby found out that he attacked Sonia, he would fly into a rage and ruin Connor’s plan. Xander clenched his fists as he was out of ideas.0

 

 

The sight of him stopping in his tracks told Sonia that her warning worked. She heaved a sigh of relief in silence, and she was touched at the same time. Toby did protect her at all times. Even though he was not around, his name alone made her feel safe. As long as he was there, she had nothing to fear. He actually managed to be my biggest defender and protect me at all times, just like he promised.

 

 

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Sonia took a deep breath and put those thoughts aside. It was not the time for sentiments. She was planning on leaving and escaping into her home while Xander was still in a trance. She would then call Toby and tell him that Connor had come to Seafield.

 

 

Sonia stared at Xander as she slowly retreated. She planned to turn back and run once she had put some distance between them. If she ran right away, Xander would be alarmed, and he would catch up to her in no time.

 

 

She closed her eyes and retreated, keeping her breathing and mind calm at all times. It was imperative to stay collected, or she might slip up and get caught. However, Xander had already snapped out of it even though Sonia did not make any mistakes. He noticed her backing off and realized what she was trying to do. He shot her a fierce look. “You think you can run?”

 

 

Sonia looked shocked that he saw through her. She ditched her original plan and made a run for the complex right away.

 

 

Xander tried to go after her, but then a deep male voice sounded. “Xander, stop.”

 

 

The look on Xander’s face changed, and he stopped. He turned around to bow at the man in fear and respect. “Sir.”

 

 

The man who came was Connor, and Sonia heard Xander greeting him. She realized who he was as well, and she stopped. Connor’s here himself? Sonia looked surprised for a moment. Did his patience run out from waiting outside too long?

 

 

Sonia was still caught up in her mind, but Connor broke her train of thoughts. “You must be Miss Reed. Can we have a chat? I mean you no harm, I promise,” he said. He sounded warmer than his cold, cruel assistant.

 

 

Sonia pursed her lips, but she said nothing. She was weighing her choices. Her mind was telling her to ignore Connor and go straight into the complex. She would be safe if she did that, but her heart was telling her to stay. She wanted to see Connor with her own eyes and judge what kind of man he was. It was both for her and Toby’s sake. Sonia took a deep breath and decided to follow her heart. She turned around slowly.

 

 

Sonia finally saw the legendary Connor Salzburg, but she was shocked. This man is Connor?

 

 

She had never seen Connor in person until this moment, but from what Oscar and Toby told her, she imagined Connor to be a big, burly thug who cussed every time he spoke. She thought he would smoke cigars and look murderous like the mafia bosses on TV. Sonia thought he would be a capricious man who killed people for fun.

 

 

However, it was different in reality. He was the opposite of what she had in mind. Connor was in his fifties, but he looked no older than thirty years old. He took good care of himself, and he had soft, gentle features. The man was in white traditional attire, and his hair was slicked back. A warm smile hung on his face, and he looked nothing like the head of an aristocratic family.

 

 

He did not have the majestic air that the typical family head had. In fact, he looked like a scholar or artist. The man was young, and he did not look or act like a scheming, conniving bastard.

 

 

Looks are deceiving though. So he’s the man Toby’s mother loved. I can see why she loved him so much. Any woman would fall for just his looks alone.

 

 

There are girls whom boys would fall in love at first sight with, and the same goes for girls. I bet all the girls had a crush on him when he was younger. He’s the guy of every girl’s dream. She never thought Connor would be a guy like that. It was completely different from what she had in mind.

 

 

Connor noticed her staring at him, and he fiddled with his jade ring. Something glinted in his eyes for a moment, and he asked gently, “You’re expecting a burlier, more thuggish man, aren’t you, Miss Reed?”

 

 

He saw through me? Sonia’s eyes widened.

 

 

Connor smiled. His smile was as gentle as his voice. “It’s nothing. Everyone looks at me the same the first time they see me, and they think about the same thing every time. I don’t have to even guess what you were thinking about.”

 

 

This Time, I Will Get My Divorce, Mr Chapter 895

 

 

 A Talk

 

 

I see. Sonia heaved a sigh of relief. And I thought he was a psychic.

 

 

A lock of her hair had fallen out of place from the running earlier and she pushed it behind her ear. She looked at Connor and said, “I imagined quite a different person, Mr. Salzburg. I never thought you’d look so friendly. I apologize for looking so surprised.”

 

 

She was just being polite, though. Connor’s looks were deceiving, but she knew he was not friendly at all. He was just putting on an act, but thanks to that front, she was not feeling as nervous anymore.

 

 

He ignored the little white lie and waved her off with a smile. “It’s nothing. If anyone should apologize here, it’s me. I’m sorry for scaring you, Miss Reed. I spoil my assistant a little too much, so he can be quite arrogant. I’m really sorry for his behavior.”

 

 

Connor was about to bow when Sonia stopped him. “It’s alright, Mr. Salzburg. You don’t have to do this.” She would have let him bow to her, but he might get back at her for this, so she stopped him. People like him thought they could do no wrong, and all their apologies or bowing were just for show.

 

 

If she did not stop him, he would get back at her someday for this. He might be smiling on the outside, but he would have already thought of Sonia as his enemy on the inside. Whatever courtesy they offered was just for show. If someone was stupid enough to let them do it, they would think that the other person was at fault, not them. Just as Sonia expected, Connor started beaming the moment Sonia stopped him. He straightened his back and said, “My, you’re such a kind person, Miss Reed.”

 

 

Sonia forced a smile. “You flatter me, Mr. Salzburg.” Yeah right. I would have let you bow if it weren’t for the fact that you’re a hypocritical snake. The fact that he betrayed Toby’s mother disgusted her despite them not meeting before. Sonia was a woman, so of course she would take the women’s side and reject jerks like Connor.

 

 

“You’re too modest, Miss Reed. I’m just speaking the truth.” Connor’s warm smile had still remained.

 

 

She looked at his smile, and she frowned. For some reason, the way he carried himself felt familiar. A lot of people were gentle, and she had seen a lot of people like Connor, but due to their differences, everyone was different despite them being gentle.

 

 

It was her first time seeing Connor, but the way he carried himself was really familiar. She must have seen it before, or she would not feel this way. Who is it? She bit her lip and wracked her brain to search through her memories. A moment later, the image of a young man in a white shirt popped into her mind. She opened her mouth in disbelief. Toby? Toby’s the one who gave me that feeling before?

 

 

Sonia quickly faced Connor again and compared him to the young, gentle Toby in her mind. In the end, she noticed that Toby acted just like Connor when he was younger.

 

 

There’s no way two men can carry themselves in the exact same way, unless one of them is modeled after the other. Connor can’t be modeled after Toby. The guy is about twenty years older than Toby is, so Toby must be modeled after Connor. The younger they are, the easier they are to sculpt. There are only a few people who would model Toby after someone though. It’s either his grandmother, father, or mother.

 

 

No way Grandma and Toby’s father would model him after someone else, especially not Connor. Grandma thinks he’s the one who seduced Toby’s mother while Toby’s father thinks Connor’s the one standing between him and his wife, stopping them from being a real couple.

 

 

They hate Connor’s guts. There’s no way they’d model Toby after him, so that leaves only one answer. The one who modeled Toby after Connor was his own mother. She loved Connor, but she couldn’t see him, so she modeled her own son after her lover just to satiate a part of her yearning.

 

 

If that’s true, then Toby’s really… Sonia gasped as sadness and sympathy welled up within her. If that was true, then Toby had her sympathy.

 

 

Even though she did her job as Toby’s mother and showered him with all her love while she was alive, it could not change the fact that she used Toby as some sort of tool.

 

 

She did not bring him to this world out of love. She only thought of him as an item to complete her mission and break free from the Fullers. On top of that, she even modeled Toby after Connor just to calm her yearning. To make things worse, she abandoned Toby when he was only ten years old and took her own life for Connor’s sake. It traumatized Toby and something that he still could not get over after many years.

 

 

Toby’s mother was the textbook definition of selfish. She only loved and cared for Toby because he was the only thing she could use to finish her task. Her love was filled with selfish agendas. It tainted the love of a mother, one of the purest loves in the world. Compared to that, the love and care Jean had shown for Toby was more innocent and pure.

 

 

Oh, Toby. Sonia felt tears welling up in her eyes, and her heart ached.

 

 

A lot of people envied Toby for being born in a great family like the Fullers. He was born on a silver platter, but none knew that his childhood was a wreck. And the one who did all this to him is right in front of me. He’s the cause of all his pain. That fact alone made her feel nothing but contempt toward Connor, and she showed it all in her eyes.

 

 

Connor noticed that as well and he squinted. A flash of cruelty appeared in his eyes, but it faded right away. He kept smiling as if nothing had happened. “Is there something on my face, Miss Reed? Why are you looking at me like that?”

 

 

Sonia looked down, hiding the contempt she felt for him. “Nothing. Are you here to talk about Anya’s case?” Sonia cut to the chase.

 

 

He was surprised about how straightforward she was. He fiddled with his thumb ring while smiling. “Yes, that’s part of why I’m here, but I’m also here to see an old friend.” There was love and reminiscence in his eyes when he said that.

 

 

She noticed that and she could guess who his old friend was. Toby’s mother. She was not buried in the cemetery of the Johann Family after her death because the family was not what they used to be anymore at that point.

 

 

She was not buried in the Fuller Family’s cemetery either. The Fullers would have allowed it, but Toby’s mother probably refused the offer. She wanted to break free from the Fullers when she was alive, so it was impossible that she would want to be buried in the family cemetery after her death. That would tie her to the family for eternity.

 

 

The Fullers buried her in a regular cemetery in the end, but Sonia had no idea where it was as Toby never told her about it either.

 

 

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This Time, I Will Get My Divorce, Mr Chapter 896

 

 

Connor’s Terms

 

 

That was not important, however. What was important was when Connor brought Toby’s mother up, Sonia could see that the love in his eyes was genuine. So he still loves her? But so what? He cheated on her even though he said he loves her. She’s gone now. Pretending like she’s your greatest love means nothing. The only one who thinks it means something is you. People like me and everyone else think you’re as disgusting as a piece of rat poop in the bathroom’s corner.

 

 

She was starting to get lost in her thoughts, but Connor started talking. He spun his thumb ring and gave Sonia an apologetic smile. “Sorry. I’m at that age now. I love to reminisce. You guys must think I’m a drag.”

 

 

Sonia forced a smile. “Not at all, Mr. Salzburg, but it is time we talk business.” In other words, she was telling him to cut the crap and stop talking about his past. She had no interest in it, and she was disgusted by it.

 

 

Connor got what she said, of course. His smile did not waver, though it had become mirthless. He extended his hand to Xander, and Xander whipped out an arm-length walking cane from nowhere. He handed it to Connor with two hands. Connor took it and tapped it on the ground, putting both his hands on the top of the walking cane, which was adorned with a dragon’s head.

 

 

Now that he had his walking cane, Sonia could feel the air change. He was finally looking like the head of a family, and there was an air of a leader about him. He was no longer a simple scholar. So this is what he looks like when he negotiates, Sonia thought. She pursed her lips and got on guard.

 

 

Connor was starting to take his real form, and she knew he was getting serious. I can’t let my guard down, or he’d be dominating the talks. She was no match for Connor. He was about twenty years older than she was, and he had led his family for more than a decade. The man was a sly old fox, while she was just a newbie. One false move could cost her dearly.

 

 

At the same time, she was looking forward to this encounter. She could learn from it and grow. Chances like this did not come by every day. She breathed deeply to calm herself down. Don’t panic. It’d be bad if he sees an opening. She clenched her fists and lowered her eyes. She tried to stay as calm as she could. I can’t let him know that I’m nervous.

 

 

Connor was oblivious to her thoughts. He was still holding his walking cane and looking as calm as ever, though he was slightly surprised inside. He was surprised that Sonia could stay so calm even under pressure. He assumed his usual stance earlier in an attempt to scare her so he could have the upper hand in the negotiations. Much to his surprise, this tactic failed where it should have succeeded.

 

 

Even if she was feigning it, meeting his gaze calmly was already impressive enough. She was praiseworthy, at least among the younger generation. A pity she’s on Toby’s side. He squinted for a moment and resumed his gentle smile. “I know what happened between you and my foolish daughter, Miss Reed. She’s the one at fault here, and I apologize for her behavior.”

 

 

Sonia’s eyes glinted. “You’re more reasonable than your daughter is, Mr. Salzburg. At least you know right from wrong. I can’t say the same for your daughter.” A smirk curled her lips, and she pointed at her head. “Maybe there’s something wrong with her. She needs to look at things from more perspectives. Your daughter thinks she can do no wrong. If anything goes wrong, she’s always quick to point fingers. She never stops to think if she’s at fault. I can’t believe that a reasonable man like you is her father.”

 

 

She did not care if Connor was pretending to apologize. The fact that he acknowledged Anya’s faults made him heaps better than Anya. Even if he was saying that to save Anya, at least it made Sonia feel better.

 

 

I can’t believe you’re her father? Connor looked down and tightened his grip on his everwalking cane. “You’re right, Miss Reed. This is my fault. She has been separated from me since she was an infant. Her environment changed her a lot, and it’s all on me. I’ll try to change her ways if I can. Will you give me a chance to do that?” He looked at her, his gaze turning sharper.

 

 

Sonia pretended that she had no idea about what he was talking about. She smiled. “I’m glad to hear that, Mr. Salzburg. She’s your daughter, and it’s your job to educate her. You certainly don’t need an outsider like me to give you any chance to do that.” She noticed that Connor was starting to look angry, and mockery glinted in her eyes for a moment. She continued, “Don’t worry. You’ll get your chance to educate her once she has done her time.”

 

 

He wanted her to let Anya go, but she would not do that. Sonia feigned ignorance and drove him up the wall. It was one way to get back at him for betraying Toby’s mother. She might have lost some respect for the woman now, but she was still a woman, and Sonia had to protect women wherever she could. She had to get some justice for the women who were hurt by men. Connor’s face fell right after she finished talking, and Sonia would be lying if she said she was not nervous. For the most part, however, she felt delighted. She had managed to anger Connor.

 

 

Connor gripped his walking cane so tightly, he almost crushed it. The warmth in his eyes was gone and replaced by cold venom. “Are you sure you don’t know what I’m talking about, Miss Reed?”

 

 

Oh, he’s not beating about the bush anymore. He’s cutting straight to the chase. She took a deep breath and smiled. “What do you mean, Mr. Salzburg? Am I missing something?” She kept playing dumb. As long as she kept this up, he could never say she was lying.

 

 

She still won’t let up? Connor did not expose her, but he laughed mirthlessly, and his smile dripped with venom. “Fine, if you don’t get it, then I’ll make it clear. Can you let my daughter go for my sake? Of course, I’ll pay for all the damages she did. You can have whatever you want as well, Miss Reed. I’ll do whatever I can to get it for you. What do you think, Miss Reed?”

 

 

He gazed at Sonia, and Sonia flicked her hair back. “I can have whatever I want? Really?”

 

 

“Of course.” Connor nodded, looking absolutely arrogant. There was scorn and disdain in his eyes, as if Sonia was nothing but a mere beggar.

 

 

This Time, I Will Get My Divorce, Mr Chapter 897

 

 

Sonia Survives the Storm

 

 

Sonia was not angered by his attitude toward her. She snorted to herself and said, “You’re indeed a generous man, Mr. Salzburg. Fine, since you’re offering, then I demand the entire Salzburg Group in exchange. Would that be alright with you?”

 

 

She gave Connor a pleasant smile.

 

 

Connor’s expression hardened. “What? Salzburg Group?”

 

 

“Yes.” Sonia was still smiling as she nodded.

 

 

Connor’s lips twitched as he stared at her incredulously. He never thought that she had the audacity to request for the entire Salzburg Group.

 

 

There was a smug glint in Sonia’s eyes when she saw that Connor had fallen silent, and she probed once more, “So, is that okay with you, Mr. Salzburg?”

 

 

Certainly not! Salzburg Group is the foundation of the entire Salzburg Family!

 

 

Connor was on the verge of going ballistic, and he could barely keep his face straight.

 

 

However, Connor’s assistant was far less capable of keeping his composure. He marched forward and rebuked Sonia, “What a shameless woman you are! How can you possibly even think about asking for Salzburg Group? You should take a good look at your own competency first!”

 

 

Sonia smirked. “It doesn’t matter if I’m competent or not. The point is, are you willing to hand over Salzburg Group? Mr. Salzburg, you’re the one who said that I could make any request at all. I’m asking for Salzburg Group, but are you willing to give it to me?”

 

 

She fixed her eyes on Connor.

 

 

He stared her in the eye for a while before he finally sneered. “I get it now. Miss Reed, you never had any intention of letting my daughter go, so you decided to ask for Salzburg Group because you knew that I would never use it to exchange for my daughter’s freedom.”

 

 

Sonia was not surprised that he had seen right through her. She simply smiled back at him. After all, it was obvious that she had no intention of letting Anya go free, and anyone could see that coming from a mile away. It was not like he would really give up Salzburg Group in exchange for Anya, right? If he had agreed to it, then she would have been dumbfounded.

 

 

For a man like Connor Salzburg, the family’s foundation was of the utmost importance. Even a simpleton would know how to choose between those options. Therefore, she purposely requested that he hand over Salzburg Group. In a way, she was letting him know that there was no room for negotiation, and she would never let Anya off scot-free.

 

 

When Connor saw her meaningful smile, his face darkened as his grip on the walking cane tightened further. He never would have predicted that after all his years of living, he would still fall for a young woman’s trick. Indeed, he had been certain that she would not refuse his offer.

 

 

After all, a cursory search on the web was enough for him to know how Paradigm Co. was doing. If she had taken up his offer, she could have used his help to build Paradigm Co. up, and it would not remain the middling company that it was now.

 

 

She was in a relationship with Toby Fuller, and if he had been willing to give her a hand, Paradigm Co. would not be doing so poorly. It would have reentered the market and become one of the top companies by now. However, Toby did not do so. This surely meant that he did not love her all that much, because otherwise, it was unlikely that he would just sit idly by.

 

 

If she really wanted to expand her company, she should have seized this chance. He had delivered it to her on a silver platter, but she actually refused him! Just for the sake of getting her revenge, she chose to forego this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!

 

 

Connor had no idea if she was blind or stupid.

 

 

As for him, the head of the Salzburg Family, who had never fought a losing battle, had actually been fooled by such a stupid woman.

 

 

She had made a mockery out of him.

 

 

What he had assumed was a done deal was actually an illusion, and the thought of this made him livid.

 

 

“Miss Reed, aren’t you afraid that I’ll be displeased by your actions today?” Connor finally shed his mask of courteous civility and eyed Sonia with a neutral expression that made him seem like a venomous snake.

 

 

Sonia could tell that he was referring to both the fact that she refused to forgive Anya, and also the fact that she had just fooled him. True enough, she realized that she was playing with fire when she did that. After all, he was the head of the Salzburg Family, and a lot more dangerous than the people she had faced in the past, like Anya Steinfeld, Tina Gray, or even Titus Gray.

 

 

She did not know the kind of person that Connor was, so she should not be treating him the same way she treated the others earlier on. There was no way of knowing what he might do if she pushed him too far. However, it was too late now. She had already had her fun fooling him, so she could only bite the bullet and continue down this path.

 

 

Having thought that, Sonia exhaled discreetly and stared straight into Connor’s cunning eyes. “Mr. Salzburg, haven’t I already offended you? There’s no point in dwelling on what I do or do not fear. I’ll be honest with you. If I make the decision that pleases you, then it will only make me unhappy. I love myself the most, so naturally, I will only do the things that make me happy, even if it means that others will just have to be unhappy as a result.”

 

 

“So, Miss Reed, what you’re saying is that there’s no way you’re willing to let this slide just this once?” Connor narrowed his eyes.97845

 

 

Sonia’s fists tightened as she steeled herself and announced, “Exactly. Anya committed a crime, and she deserves to be punished for it. It’s for her own good.”

 

 

“For her own good, huh.” Connor had an insincere smile on his face as he clapped his hands slowly, but he quickly stopped and began to look a little thoughtful. “However, Miss Reed, I must advise you to not be so hasty with your decision of wanting to punish my daughter. I think you should take the time to consider your options carefully. Who knows, you may very well change your mind.”

 

 

“Consider my options?” Sonia furrowed her brows.

 

 

What was there for her to consider in this situation? Did he think that she would really let Anya off after giving it more thought? Hah, what a joke!

 

 

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Even if it meant offending Connor Salzburg, she did not care. She was never going to let Anya get out of this unscathed. So what if she could not go up against Connor herself? She had Toby’s help, and therefore, she had nothing to fear.0

 

 

Sonia opened her mouth to reject his suggestion.

 

 

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However, Connor interrupted her before she could speak. “I’ll give you two days to reconsider, Miss Reed. I’ll see you again in two days’ time, and hopefully, I’ll hear a satisfactory answer from you when I do. I’ve taken up enough of your time today, Miss Reed. Good day!”

 

 

After saying that, Connor resumed his mask of cordial civility and smiled at her, then nodded at her before walking off.

 

 

Mr. Little hurried behind him, but after taking a few steps, he quickly threw a dark look at Sonia before he continued making his way out. Soon enough, both of their silhouettes disappeared from her sight.

 

 

Finally, Sonia was able to breathe a sigh of relief as she relaxed. She had been tightly wound up, so now that she released all of her tension, her legs turned to jelly and she nearly stumbled to the ground. Thankfully, she managed to support herself with the furniture next to her and avoided falling flat on her butt.

 

 

Even though she had not crumbled to a heap on the ground, her back was soaked through from cold sweat. It was a rather chilly day today, so by now, her clothes were sticking to her and it felt a little uncomfortable.

 

 

This was the result of the pressure she felt in her stand-off with Connor. She had met her share of intimidating people in her life, but none of them were half as intimidating as Connor was today.

 

 

The pressure she felt from those people never instilled a sense of fear in her, and she never felt like she was in any danger around them. However, Connor’s presence made her feel like she had fallen prey to a venomous snake who was about to sink its fangs into her.

 

 

Even Sonia had no idea how she managed to stand her ground in his presence, but she managed to ignore her fear and the pressure that she felt and kept her composure the entire time.

 

 

Thankfully, the storm was over.

 

 

Sonia massaged her temples and felt behind her. Her trip to Paradigm Co. would have to wait, as she needed to get changed and inform Toby about Connor’s unexpected visit. She turned around and headed for the apartment, and along the way, she gave Toby a call.

 

 

Toby picked up the phone almost immediately. He was smiling and was about to speak, but Sonia beat him to it. “Toby, I have something very important to tell you!”

 

 

This Time, I Will Get My Divorce, Mr Chapter 898

 

 

Toby Doesn’t Love Her Very Much

 

 

Toby heard the somber tone in Sonia’s voice, and his prior delight instantly vanished. “Go ahead,” he said solemnly.

 

 

Sonia was standing in front of the elevator, so she closed her eyes and calmed herself down before she slowly started regaling what had happened.

 

 

Meanwhile, Connor and Xander had climbed into Connor’s car.

 

 

Xander made sure that Connor was comfortably settled in his seat before he started the car. “Sir, where are we headed for now?”

 

 

“Drive to the police station. Let’s take a look at that woman,” Connor drawled out in a solemn voice. He sat in the backseat of the car with his legs apart, and both his hands rested on top of the walking cane that was between his legs.

 

 

Xander quickly acknowledged his command and turned on the navigation system before driving off. He began to vent, “Sir, that woman, Sonia Reed, really doesn’t know what’s good for her! You went to see her in person, but she still refused to cooperate with you!”

 

 

Connor had an indiscernible look in his eye as he gazed out of the car. “You’re right. I never thought that she would be this stubborn. I thought she was just a weakling who managed to gain the favor of the Fuller Family. Who knew that she would have the guts to reject my offer?”

 

 

“Sir, we should never have come looking for her.” Xander frowned. “Anya Steinfeld destroyed both Sonia Reed and Toby Fuller’s attires, so we need to get both of them to forgive her in order for us to get her released from detention. We should have just gone straight to Toby Fuller. If he agreed to let Anya go, then Sonia would not be able to go against him even if she was unhappy about it. I doubt that she would have the guts or the ability to stand against Toby.”

 

 

Xander had a scornful expression.

 

 

Perhaps she would, if she was willing to end her relationship with Toby, but would she be willing to do that? Even though they realized that she was not a weakling who relied on the Fuller Family, they still believed that she would not give up on Toby so easily. After all, Toby wielded great influence in the business world, and as long as she remained in a relationship with him, then she would surely receive a lot of benefits. Therefore, would it not have been better if they met up with Toby directly?

 

 

There was no need for them to pay Sonia a visit. She was just an incompetent woman who was not worth their time.

 

 

“You don’t understand!” Connor’s wrinkles deepened as he narrowed his eyes. “I didn’t come to see her for the sake of asking her to forgive Anya. Like you said, if we looked for Sonia now, we would still have to pay a visit to Toby later on, so it would’ve been easier if I just went straight to him since he’s the one who has the final say. I have no reason to get Sonia’s opinion in the matter since Toby’s decision would be enough, but I came to see her anyway. Why do you think that is?”

 

 

Xander shook his head.

 

 

Connor snorted. “I came to meet her to see just how important she is to Toby. Once I’m certain about this, then my plans will not go awry.”

 

 

Xander came to a realization. “So that’s why. In that case, sir, did you find out what you wanted to know?”

 

 

He turned to look at Connor in the rearview mirror.

 

 

Connor tossed his walking cane to the side corner and said, “At first, I thought that Sonia would be some kind of goddess with breathtaking beauty, or maybe a remarkable talent of some sort in order to captivate Toby into winning her back after the divorce. This is why I made the trip to see her. I wanted to be sure of Toby’s affections toward her. That way, we could use her to keep him in check, but it seems like I have overestimated her. She might be of some importance to Toby, but it’s definitely not to the point where he would do anything for her.”

 

 

“What do you mean, sir?” Xander voiced his curiosity.

 

 

Connor crossed his legs and rested his hands on his knee. “I observed her carefully, and she may be quite pretty, but she’s not that beautiful. There’s nothing special about her either, or else, why would her company be doing so poorly under her leadership? The only positive thing I noticed about her was her attitude, which I felt deserved some praise, but other than that, I see nothing unique about her. Toby will surely be aware of this as well, and that’s why he hasn’t truly fallen in love with her. If he really loved her, then why would he stand by and watch as Paradigm Co. faced obstacle after obstacle? For a man like Toby, he could have Paradigm Co. relisted on the stock exchange with just a wave of his hand.”

 

 

“Yes, that is the case.” Xander nodded along. “Sir, you believe that Toby doesn’t love Sonia very much, and that’s why he hasn’t done anything to help her?”

 

 

Connor hummed non-committedly.

 

 

“But something doesn’t add up.” Xander frowned.

 

 

Connor looked grim. “What doesn’t add up?”

 

 

“Both of these people.” Xander continued to drive as he added, “If Toby doesn’t love Sonia all that much, then why did he try so hard to win her back after their divorce? In the information that we received, it was obvious that he had put in a lot of effort into wooing her.”

 

 

“Perhaps he found her compatible.” Connor fell silent for a moment before he explained, “He may not love her very much, but it doesn’t mean that he doesn’t love her at all. Toby probably has some affection for Sonia, but just not a lot of it. Furthermore, he can’t stay single forever as the Fullers will need an heir. Therefore, instead of looking for a woman that he has no feelings for at all, it would be better to resume his relationship with Sonia, who he did have some feelings for. At least, she would be more compatible with him than any other woman. The Fullers are one of the most influential families out there, so it doesn’t matter if Sonia comes from an inconsequential family background, as the Fullers do not need to make a marriage of convenience. In fact, a marriage alliance would be damaging to the Fullers as it might weaken the foothold that they have in the business world.”

 

 

“So that’s why.” Xander finally understood the situation, but his brows were still creased. “But sir, if Sonia isn’t that important to Toby, then would our plans still work if we used her to control Toby? Doesn’t this mean that he would easily give her up?”

 

 

“You’re right to be concerned about this. Sonia is of little value to us, but she still has some value to her. At least, she is of some importance to Toby, and as long as we put it to good use, we might not get everything that we want, but we will still get something out of it,” Connor declared as he toyed with the ring on his finger.

 

 

Xander nodded once more. “You’re right, sir. Oh, we’ve arrived at the police station.”

 

 

Connor’s expression stiffened when he heard the words ‘police station’, and his fingers tightened around the ring on his finger until it almost felt like he would crumble it to pieces. However, he soon regained his cool and calmly got out of the car before heading into the police station.

 

 

When he reached the entrance, he suddenly paused in his footsteps and stared up at the banner above the doors. His mind raced, and his face started twitching all of a sudden.

 

 

Xander noticed the change in Connor, and he immediately called out, “Sir!”

 

 

When Connor heard Xander’s voice, he calmed down and gripped his walking cane a little tighter. Then, he said in a low voice, “I’m fine. Let’s go.”

 

 

“Yes, sir.” Xander followed along behind him.

 

 

A police officer brought them to Anya.

 

 

She had been detained for two days. Throughout this time, she could not eat well, and she could not sleep well either. Everything she did was under surveillance, and it reminded her of those two months of torture that she endured.

 

 

In just the span of two short days, she had lost a significant amount of weight. Her cheeks were sunken and her skin was sallow. She looked like she was at her wit’s end, and her limp hair had lost all its previous luster. She looked like a completely different person, and even Xander jumped a little.

 

 

Despite that, Connor’s expression remained neutral as if he had not noticed any change in Anya. He leaned against his walking cane and walked over to Anya. Then, he stuck the walking cane under her jaw and lifted her head up.

 

 

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This Time, I Will Get My Divorce, Mr Chapter 899

 

 

 Anya on the Verge of Madness

 

 

Anya’s face was on full display, but her eyes were closed as if she was asleep.

 

 

Xander noticed this and came forward. “Sir, shall I wake her?”

 

 

Connor hummed in agreement.

 

 

Xander took a look around the room and saw a cup of water on the table. It had probably been left behind by the police officers who interrogated Anya. When he saw the cup of water, he swiftly went over and picked it up before splashing the water onto her face.

 

 

The police officer who brought them into the room stared at them in shock. He never thought that these two men would resort to such means to wake her up. However, Mr. Salzburg seemed to be fine with the way his assistant treated Anya. This puzzled the police officer very much. Isn’t Anya Steinfeld Mr. Salzburg’s daughter? Why is he completely fine with how his assistant treated his daughter?

 

 

At the same time, Anya regained consciousness after getting water splashed onto her face. She had been a nervous wreck for the past two days, and now that she had been startled awake, she screamed in fear.

 

 

Her piercing screams made Connor incredibly annoyed. He barked, “Shut up!”

 

 

As soon as Anya heard Connor’s voice, she stopped screaming and raised her head in disbelief.

 

 

When she saw Connor’s grim face in front of her, her eyes turned wide with fear. “M-Mr. Salzburg, why are you here?”

 

 

She gulped in fear, and her body began to tremble.

 

 

When the police officer saw this scene, he became even more puzzled. That’s weird. Isn’t she his daughter? Why is she frightened at the sight of him? And she didn’t call him father or daddy either, but Mr. Salzburg. This feels really odd!

 

 

Despite being curious, the police officer did not dare voice his doubts. After all, it was a family matter, so after taking another look at the three of them in the trial room, he turned around and walked away.

 

 

Earlier, Mr. Salzburg had requested to meet with Anya alone. The police chief had agreed to Mr. Salzburg’s request, so there was no reason for the police officer to stick around.

 

 

Soon enough, there were only three of them in the trial room: Anya, Connor, and Xander. Xander wisely stood guard at the door and kept out of the conversation between Connor and Anya. As for Connor, he slowly removed his walking cane that was under Anya’s jaw and placed it back down on the ground.

 

 

Anya felt relieved that it had been removed where it had been beneath her jaw. She forced a smile and spoke very carefully. “Mr. Salzburg, you… you haven’t told me why you’re here yet.”

 

 

This old man who stood in front of her now typically had a calm and jovial demeanor, but in reality, he was a very twisted person. Anya recalled the methods that he used to torture people and began to shiver instinctively. She tried to be as careful and respectful as possible to avoid making him angry.

 

 

“Why am I here?” Connor walked past the table and took a seat before shifting his chilling gaze to Anya. “You should be asking yourself that question. Anya Steinfeld, didn’t I tell you that if you came to Seafield first, then you should stay out of trouble? I warned you to stay out of sight as it’s not time for you to make an appearance yet, but what did you do instead? On the first day that you arrived in Seafield, you went and created a scene by getting into an accident with Toby Fuller, and you ended up pissing off Sonia Reed. You exposed yourself to them, and I had to change all of my plans because of you. Tell me, are you a glutton for punishment? If you are, then I don’t mind doing you a favor!”

 

 

When Anya heard his words, she felt a chill rib down her spine, and she immediately shook her head in terror. “No, no, no! Mr. Salzburg, I know I messed up, I really do. I shouldn’t have been so reckless. I… I just couldn’t stop myself. I couldn’t just swallow down my anger, so I—”

 

 

“So you decided to act so foolishly?” Connor interrupted her in annoyance.

 

 

Anya lowered her head and fell silent.

 

 

Connor snorted in fury. “Alright then. You’re incredible, you know that, Anya? I don’t mind if you tried to do something to them, but at the very least, you should have done a good job. If you had managed to strike either Toby or Sonia down with one fell swoop, then I would have sung your praises, but what did you do instead? Not only did you go behind my back and act according to your own whims, you even resorted to such useless tactics. All child’s play, and you didn’t even manage to do it properly! And now you’ve exposed me as well. You’re hopeless.”

 

 

He pointed at her, and his finger was trembling from his rage.

 

 

Anya felt contempt for the way he described her, and a look of hatred flashed in her eyes, but she did not dare to make her true feelings known. She quickly hid away all signs of her contempt before looking up and nodding guiltily. “You’re right, Mr. Salzburg, I’m hopeless. I’ve realized my mistake, Mr. Salzburg, so please save me from here. I won’t act alone again. I’ll do everything you ask me, really. I’ll listen to you and do whatever you want me to do as long as you save me from this place. I don’t want to be locked up in here anymore. I can’t do anything when I’m in here, and there’s always someone keeping an eye on me. It makes me feel like I’m back in that mental asylum, and it’s too hard…”

 

 

Anya broke down in tears by the end of her pleading. It was obvious that she was frightened and in a lot of pain.

 

 

Connor knew about her past, so naturally, he was aware of how it was like for her in that mental asylum. Therefore, he knew that she was telling the truth about how she was suffering, and it was not a lie.

 

 

Even so, he merely threw her a chilly gaze and said, “Don’t worry, I’ll save you.”

 

 

Immediately, her crying stopped. She raised her head and stared excitedly at Connor with tear-stricken eyes. “Really? You’re not lying to me right, Mr. Salzburg? You’re really going to save me?”

 

 

Connor toyed with his ring again and replied indifferently, “I never lie to anyone. Back then, I approached you first and promised to help you, so naturally, I’m going to see it to the end. I won’t give up on you halfway. Isn’t that obvious from the fact that I spent such a huge sum of money to hire an attorney for you, and I’ve even come to Seafield personally? In any case, you may be foolish, but you’re not totally useless yet. I’ll still get some use out of you.”

 

 

Anya kept nodding along. “Yes, of course. I know that you’re the best, Mr. Salzburg, so please, hurry up and get me out of here. I really can’t stand staying here any longer.”

 

 

She was beginning to sound a little hysterical.

 

 

However, Connor was unmoved. “What’s the rush? We’re in Seafield, not Westsanshire. This is Toby’s playground, and you pissed him off. Even if I wanted to save you, it would not be easy for me to do so in his city. It’s impossible to get you out right now, so you’ll just have to wait for a while.”

 

 

“What?” Anya could not believe her ears. Her eyes opened so wide that they nearly popped out of her head. “I have to stay here for a while? No, Mr. Salzburg! I can’t stay here any longer. If I continue staying here, then I’ll go mad. I’ll really go mad!”

 

 

She could not accept that this was happening, and she began to jerk around violently that it almost felt like her wheelchair would fall apart.

 

 

When Connor saw the way she trashed about, he felt utterly repulsed. “You’re on the verge of madness anyway, so it doesn’t matter if you become a little more psychotic. In any case, I want you to stay here a little longer too. You went against my orders and acted according to your own whims, and you couldn’t even get anything done. Did you really think I wouldn’t settle this score with you?”

 

 

Connor sneered.

 

 

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This Time, I Will Get My Divorce, Mr Chapter 900

 

 

0

 

 

Toby’s Concern

 

 

Anya froze in shock as she stared dazedly at Connor. It never crossed her mind that Connor would want to keep her in here for the sake of teaching her a lesson!0

 

 

“M-Mr. Salzburg, you can’t! You can’t!”

 

 

She snapped out of her daze after some time and began to plead, her bulging eyes fixed on Connor. “Mr. Salzburg, I beg you, please don’t leave me here. I’ve really learned my lesson, and I will never go against your word ever again, I promise! So please save me from here. Please get me out of here!”

 

 

Connor remained stoic despite the sound of Anya’s pleading echoing across the room.

 

 

He got up with the help of his walking cane and walked away without even taking another look at Anya, who was still cuffed to her wheelchair. As he made his way toward the door, he said without turning around, “Like I said, if you made a mistake, then you should bear the consequences. You went behind my back, but I’m already being merciful by letting you stay here. You should be thankful for the fact that I still have a use for you, because otherwise, Toby won’t even have the chance to mess with you when you’re in prison. I will do it myself, and I’ll get someone to make sure that you snuff out in prison!”

 

 

His words silenced all of her pleading. She stared after him, her face stricken with terror and her body trembling violently.

 

 

He actually wanted her to die!

 

 

Of course he did. A miserable old conniving git like him would not keep someone around if they were of no use to him. She should be thanking her lucky stars that he still found her useful enough to not take her life just yet. At the same time, she was also clear now. As soon as he got what he wanted, then she would no longer be useful to him, and she would not be able to escape from his grasp. It meant that he was never going to let her get away with causing trouble for him. It was only a matter of time before she got her punishment.

 

 

Anya shuddered at the thought of this. There was no point in her begging for his help anymore, since he would never agree. In fact, she was beginning to fear that her pleading might only serve to make him angrier. If he lost all patience with her, then he might just get rid of her immediately. It would be too late for her to do anything then.

 

 

She simply had to put up with it for now. She was able to survive two months of torture at the mental asylum anyway, and it was unlikely that she would have to spend more than two months locked up in here!

 

 

Anya finally quietened down. She lowered her head and made no response.

 

 

Connor felt a little surprised that she settled down and stopped making a fuss. Soon enough, he smirked. “Seems like you’re behaving yourself now once you’ve realized the predicament you’re in. Not bad. It’s a good sign, so keep it up.”

 

 

Once he said that, he left the room along with Xander.

 

 

Only then did Anya lift her bloodshot eyes and stared at the exit. She gritted her teeth and snarled, “You old git, just you wait and see! You can threaten me now because you have something on me, but when I get my hands on something that I can use against you, I’m going to destroy you immediately!”

 

 

Connor walked out of the police station without the faintest idea of Anya’s resentment toward him. Once he got in the car, he closed his eyes and began to massage his temples.

 

 

Xander buckled up in his seat and turned around to ask, “Sir, are we heading back to the hotel now?”

 

 

Connor’s eyes were filled with an indiscernible emotion when he reopened them. “Still no news on where Valerie’s grave is?”

 

 

Immediately, Xander lowered his head and could not look Connor in the eye. “I’m so sorry, sir, but no. The Fullers hid the location of Ms. Johann’s grave very carefully, and it seems like no one has visited her all these years. We haven’t been able to find out where she was buried, and I think our only option is to ask the Fullers. But even so, only two people in the family know where she’s buried—Toby Fuller and Old Mrs. Fuller.”

 

 

The second wife, Jean White, and the younger son, Tyler, probably had no idea where the grave was either.

 

 

Connor stayed silent, fidgeting with the ring on his finger as he became lost in his thoughts. Finally, he stopped toying with it and waved his hand. “Drive back to the hotel.”

 

 

“Yes, sir.” Xander started the engine.

 

 

In the meantime, at Bayside Residence.

 

 

Toby abandoned his meeting that was halfway through and left behind a room full of disgruntled executives. He sped straight over to Sonia’s apartment and dashed into the living room without removing his shoes, leaving a trail of dirty tracks behind him.

 

 

When Sonia heard the commotion, she leapt off the couch and stared at the entrance in alarm.

 

 

However, when she saw Toby’s flurried arrival, she called out with a smile, “Toby…”

 

 

She could not even finish her sentence before Toby flashed across the room to appear right in front of her, and he swept her up into a fierce embrace. It was almost as if he thought that she would disappear the moment he let go.

 

 

Sonia could feel the anxiety emanating from him, and her smile was slowly replaced with a concerned expression.

 

 

She reached out and gently patted him on the back as she asked softly, “What’s the matter? Why are you in such a frenzy?”

 

 

When Toby heard her voice, he slowly came out of his anxiety. He loosened the hug a little and looked down at her. Instead of responding to her, he asked, “Are you alright? Did Connor Salzburg do anything to you?”

 

 

His hands moved to her shoulders and he began to look all over her to see if she was hurt in any way.

 

 

He was worried that she might have been harmed during her meeting with Connor. When Sonia realized that she was the reason for his agitated state, her heart grew warm.

 

 

She took his hands off her shoulders and held them in her hands as she shook her head. “Nothing happened. I’m fine, don’t worry. I was a little worried that Connor and his assistant might do something to me at first, but in the end, they didn’t. We just had a conversation and they left right after.”

 

 

Now that he was sure she was okay, Toby heaved a sigh of relief. He pulled her into his arms again. “Thank goodness. You have no idea how worried I was when I heard you say that Connor Salzburg came looking for you. I was so anxious that I rushed over right away.”

 

 

Sonia blinked in realization. “So that’s why the call ended so abruptly when I told you that Connor came to see me. It’s not because your phone ran out of battery, but instead, it’s because you hung up the phone?”

 

 

When Connor left, Sonia headed back to her apartment and called Toby to let him know that Connor came to see her. However, as soon as she said that, that call abruptly ended. It had been very sudden, so she assumed that Toby’s phone must have coincidentally ran out of battery.

 

 

It turned out that he was the one who ended the call.

 

 

“Yeah, I did.” Toby nodded. “When I heard that Connor came looking for you, I got so worried that I ended the call and rushed over to see you.”

 

 

“But what about your work?” Sonia stared at him.

 

 

Toby stroked her hair and declared, “To me, your safety is far more important than work.”

 

 

Sonia’s face turned red.

 

 

Toby pulled her over to the couch and took a seat before moving on to the matter at hand. “What did Connor say when he came to see you?”

 

 

“He offered to give me anything I wanted in exchange for letting Anya go free,” Sonia replied.

 

 

Toby piped in confidently, “But you didn’t agree.”

 

 

Sonia shook her head. “Of course I didn’t agree. It’s impossible that I would. If I agreed, then wouldn’t it imply that I was afraid of him? Wouldn’t that make me seem like a doormat? So no matter what, I would never agree. Not only did I not agree to his condition, but I even made a fool out of him.”

 

 

She started laughing once she mentioned it to Toby.

 

 

Toby’s brows creased a little. “Made a fool out of him?”

 

 

“Yup.” Sonia nodded.

 

 

“How did you make a fool out of him?” Toby looked at her.

 

 

Sonia had a slight pout as she said, “He wanted me to forgive Anya, but I didn’t agree, so he made me an offer and said that I could ask for anything that I wanted. I asked him to give me Salzburg Group, and he immediately changed his tune with me. Isn’t that hilarious?”

 

 

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This Time, I Will Get My Divorce, Mr Chapter 901

 

 

Deliberately Nurtured This Way

 

 

0

 

 

“It’s not funny at all!” Toby refuted Sonia with a stormy expression.

 

 

Sonia’s smile froze on her face. “You… you’re upset?”

 

 

She saw how grim he looked, and it was obvious that he was angry.

 

 

Toby reached out and cupped Sonia’s face with both of his hands. “I am angry. In fact, I’m furious. Do you have any idea why?”

 

 

Sonia blinked in bewilderment. She did not respond since she obviously had no idea why.

 

 

Toby sighed. “I’m angry because you made a fool out of Connor right to his face. Did you think about what would’ve happened if you had infuriated him, and he decided to do something to you right there and then? What would happen to you if he did that?”

 

 

“I… I know it was careless of me.” Sonia finally figured out why Toby was angry. He was worried that she might have gotten hurt.

 

 

She took his hands off her face. “Actually, as soon as I did that, I realized how reckless I had been and regretted it. I was also worried that he might do something to me, but luckily, he had his apprehensions and did not do anything to me.”

 

 

“You should be thankful that he had his apprehensions. If he had nothing to be wary of, then you probably wouldn’t be here right now, but with Tim Lancaster.” Toby still had a deep frown on his face.

 

 

Sonia grabbed his arm and tried to appease him. “Okay, okay, don’t be angry anymore. I’ve realized my mistake, and I won’t do it again.”

 

 

Toby felt helpless after taking a look at Sonia, who was blinking at him with a pitiful expression. He massaged his temples and said, “So long as you don’t do it again.”

 

 

“I definitely won’t,” Sonia quickly promised.

 

 

Toby flicked her on the forehead. “Did Connor say anything after he changed his tune?”

 

 

“He told me to not make a decision so hastily, and that he was giving me two more days to reconsider. He said I might change my mind,” Sonia replied.

 

 

Toby’s eyes narrowed. “Change your mind?”

 

 

“Yeah, that’s what he said. He looked like he was absolutely certain that I would change my mind after thinking about it for two more days.”

 

 

Toby’s lips formed a thin line. “This means he’s got a hold against you, or else he would not have said such a thing.”

 

 

“I think so too.” Sonia toyed with Toby’s hands as she asked in puzzlement, “But I don’t know what he would have that he could use to threaten me.”

 

 

As soon as she returned to the apartment, she had begun to ponder about this, but she still could not think of anything. This was why she was certain that Connor had nothing on her.

 

 

Toby glanced at her. “Since you can’t think of anything, then let’s not dwell on it. In two days’ time, we’ll find out what he’s up to.”

 

 

“Yeah.” Sonia nodded. “I thought so too.”

 

 

“When the time comes, I’ll go with you to meet with him,” Toby decided.

 

 

Naturally, Sonia did not object. She would be quite nervous if she met Connor alone, but if Toby came with her, then she would feel a lot more reassured. In any case, Connor did not say that she could not bring someone with her.

 

 

“Did he say anything else?” Toby asked again.

 

 

Sonia shook her head. “No. He only said these things to me, but…”

 

 

She looked up at him in contemplation.

 

 

Toby realized that she had something to say that concerned him.

 

 

“Just say it,” Toby urged her while stroking her luscious hair.

 

 

Sonia took a deep breath. “Okay, I’ll say it. Before he brought up the possibility of me forgiving Anya, he mentioned that he didn’t come here just for Anya. He came to visit an old friend as well. Even though he didn’t say who it was, I’m quite certain that he was talking about your mother.”

 

 

All at once, Toby’s expression darkened, and the air around him became a little stifling.

 

 

Sonia could feel it too, so she hurriedly grabbed his hand. “Toby, you…”

 

 

She tried to say something, but Toby interrupted her. “I’m fine.”

 

 

His voice was hoarse and full of disdain as he said, “He’s here to visit my mother? Hah. He betrayed her, but he’s still shameless enough to come and see her. It’s been over thirty years. He never came to see her when she was alive, and even after she died, he didn’t come to visit her grave either. What’s the point of coming now? How much more insincere can he be?”

 

 

Sonia nodded in agreement.

 

 

She thought the same as well. Connor came running after over thirty years of absolute silence, so no one would feel moved by his deep devotion. In fact, it would only make them feel disdainful. If Connor really cared about Toby’s mother, then he would have come to Seafield to visit her, or at least visited her grave when she died. If he did any of that, then Sonia would still be able to admit that he had some decency in him.

 

 

But now, it was only her sense of dignity that stopped her from spitting on him.

 

 

“By the way, Toby, did you know?” All of a sudden, a thought occurred to Sonia and she gave Toby’s thigh a light smack.

 

 

Toby felt a tinge of numbness in his thigh, and he cocked his eyebrows. “What is it?”

 

 

Sonia quickly summarized, “When I pictured Connor Salzburg, I always thought he would be this hulking man with a menacing look in his eyes, but surprisingly, he actually looks like a scholarly gentleman with a pleasant demeanor. He wore a white suit and carried a walking cane around with him, and he looked like a distinguished professor. He was the complete opposite of what I had expected.”

 

 

“I know. I’ve seen his picture before.” Toby had no reaction when he heard Sonia’s description. He was well-aware of Connor’s appearance.

 

 

It only made sense, since Connor was who Toby suspected to have killed his father, and even if he had not, Connor was still his mother’s ex-lover. It stood to reason that Toby would have some understanding of Connor.

 

 

However, what Sonia was referring to was not Connor’s physical appearance, but his aura and personality.

 

 

She bit her lip and asked tentatively, “Toby, do you remember what you used to be like? I’m talking about the old you, before you were hypnotized.”

 

 

Toby narrowed his eyes. “Why are you asking me about this?”

 

 

Sonia averted her eyes. “Don’t ask me about it first. Just hurry up and answer me.”

 

 

She flapped his arm to hurry him.

 

 

She was acting cute toward him, and Toby had a weakness for that, so he dutifully responded to her question. “Gentle?”

 

 

“What else?” Sonia continued urging him.

 

 

Toby chuckled. “Jolly. I would always have a smile on my face.”

 

 

This was how she had described him in the past, so he copied her words. In reality, he could not recall what he had been like before. Thanks to the hypnosis, his memory of his past self was rather fuzzy. He became the person that he was now because of the hypnosis, and there was no way for him to return to his old personality.

 

 

Sonia sighed. “You’re right. The old you was indeed like that, but I’m curious to know—did someone shape that old personality of yours?”

 

 

“My mother,” Toby replied at once. “My father and grandmother only paid attention to my education and my moral character, but they never had a hand in shaping my personality. They believed that each person had their own personality, and as long as I was an upright citizen, then I would be fine no matter what my personality was like. My mother, on the other hand, had a different mindset, and she influenced a large part of my old personality. She wanted to have a son with a gentle personality. Since she was my mother, and since she was not trying to influence me in a negative way, I did not go against her wishes.”

 

 

Toby was not very concerned about his personality, as he only cared about having a mind of his own. He did not think that his way of thinking clashed with his personality. He was a clear-headed person, so even if there was a mismatch between his thoughts and personality, it still would not affect his decision-making.

 

 

Therefore, as he grew up, he continued to mold himself in accordance to his mother’s wishes, and even during the ten-year period after his mother’s death, he still remained the same. It was only after the hypnosis that he developed a new personality that was cold and distant, and when that happened, the old Toby Fuller with a gentle personality was gone.

 

 

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This Time, I Will Get My Divorce, Mr Chapter 902

 

 

Who You Were Meant to Be

 

 

For some reason, although he was saddled with regrets and felt somewhat sorry for his mother, he was relieved by his change of character.0

 

 

0

 

 

His mother was proud of the Toby Fuller of the past and had everyone singing praises for him. However, this only gave the old Toby a lot of pressure. No one knew he disliked his past self as he felt his mother was not looking at him, but rather, looking at someone else through him.

 

 

“Just as I expected.” Sonia sighed sorrowfully after listening to the man’s words.0

 

 

Sensing a vague premonition, Toby lifted Sonia’s chin, forcing her to meet his eyes. “Just as you expected? Did something happen for you to bring up my past character so abruptly?”

 

 

This man is still as perceptive as ever. Sonia’s red lips twitched a little before she bit her lip and uttered a response. “Toby, the truth is… I was reminded of how you were the moment I met Connor Salzburg today.”

 

 

“Huh?” Toby frowned.

 

 

Sonia took a deep breath before explaining herself, “Looking at Connor was just like looking at how you were in the past, that gentle and graceful boy in white. Do you know that Connor and you give off the same kind of energy? You two are so much alike, not in terms of your looks, but in the way you two expressed yourselves as well as your personalities. Naturally, I’m comparing Connor to your past self since how you are right now is completely different from him. How you were in the past is almost identical to Connor. It’s not even a stretch to say that the two of you were one and the same person. Do you understand me when I put it this way?”

 

 

She fixed her gaze at him after her explanation.

 

 

His character was exactly the same as Connor’s. To put it more bluntly, someone had intentionally developed his character to be just like Connor’s. And that person was his own mother.

 

 

The reason why he thought of his mother was because of Sonia’s question on the person who had developed his past character. With the fact that she told him that his past character was exactly the same as Connor’s, everything fell into place in his head.

 

 

Toby was not a foolish person, which was why it was not impossible for him to read between the lines of what Sonia was saying. It was because he understood Sonia that he blanked out with his body tensing up once more at this moment.

 

 

Clenching his fists tightly, Toby fixed his gaze on Sonia before asking in a somewhat trembling and hoarse tone, “What are you saying? Connor Salzburg is just like how I was in the past?”

 

 

Toby had only ever seen pictures of Connor and had never met the man in person. Although he had heard talks about how Connor’s character was and how Connor treated others, thoughts of himself being similar to Connor had never crossed his mind, nor did anyone mention this to him. Thus, it was no surprise why Toby never knew how similar he was to Connor.

 

 

Looking at Toby, who was clearly starting to get agitated, Sonia nodded reluctantly even though she knew that it would be hard on the man right now. “Yes.”

 

 

After all, he grew up according to what his mother wanted. In order for him to fulfill her wishes, he gave up on his ideal personality and grew into the character his mother wanted.

 

 

Everything he did, he did for his mother.

 

 

However, the end result of Toby’s actions was for him to be told by another that the reason why his mother had raised him in this way was not because of her fondness for a gentle and warm child, but because she wanted to realize her longing for another man through him.

 

 

Anyone in his position would feel turmoil in their heart. Even more so for a man as prideful as Toby. Toby lowered his head slightly and stayed silent, as he did not wish for others to witness his expression in this instance.

 

 

Nevertheless, Sonia noticed from the cold air Toby was exuding that he was angry and extremely furious, but she did not know who was the target of his anger.

 

 

Was it Connor, Sonia herself, or… his own mother?

 

 

After some time had passed, Toby abruptly lifted his head and revealed a pair of bloodshot eyes. Though his voice became hoarse by the minute while filled with indications that he was holding himself back, he said, “I need some time to calm down.”

 

 

Sonia knew that he was feeling awful at this moment as various emotions would no doubt spring inside him. Should he choose not to calm himself down here, troubles would no doubt appear further down the road. With such thoughts, Sonia nodded to Toby. “Alright, then I’ll return to my room for now.”

 

 

“No need.” Toby grabbed Sonia’s hand to stop her from getting up. “I’ll head over to the study.”

 

 

Saying that, he released his grip on her hand before standing up himself and leaving for the study. Even in such a moment when his heart was in turmoil, the man had not asked her to take a step back, but rather chose to take a step back himself.

 

 

This man is really…

 

 

As Sonia watched Toby’s usually tall and straight back become somewhat hunched at this moment, she felt a vague sense of unpleasantness and felt her heart aching inside with her eyes filled with pain for the man.

 

 

The birth of one person was the end of another. For the prideful man—that was looked up to by others and even caused others to feel inferior to him—to be hunching like this would be a shock to anyone.

 

 

Furthermore, the person that had brought the man into this state was none other than his mother, whom he had great respect for. Although the reason for his birth was his mother’s desire for freedom, Toby still loved her and respected her. Yet, he had never considered that his mother—who had always treated him well and loved him dearly so—had mixed her motherly love for him with such impure desires.

 

 

His own mother wanted a gentle and warm child merely because the person she loved was a gentle and warm person. Just because she could not meet with her beloved, she molded her own son to be exactly like her beloved. It was all so that she could use her son to relieve her longing for her lover.

 

 

Was it really appropriate for a mother to treat her own son as a stand-in for her lover? Toby knew precisely that he was a substitute for Connor, which was why his back was hunched now.

 

 

Every person in this world was unique and should not be taken as a substitute for anyone else. However, regardless of how firm and upright his posture usually was, it was expected for someone as prideful as Toby Fuller—who had unknowingly become someone’s substitute—to be hunching his back after being dealt such a blow, especially since it was not an enemy but his beloved and revered mother who dealt such a fatal blow to him.

 

 

Oftentimes, the most painful wounds a person could have was not dealt by their enemies, but by the people closest to them. Sonia’s eyes reddened at such thoughts.

 

 

As she clenched her fists, she stood up instantly and shouted at Toby, “Toby Fuller!”

 

 

With his hand on the door handle, Toby was already by the entrance of the room and was about to open the door to leave at this point. After Sonia called out to him, he stopped in his tracks but showed no other reaction aside from staying silent.

 

 

Wearing a serious expression, she stared at the back of the man before saying, “Toby Fuller, there’s something I’ve never told you all this time. Truthfully, I have always regretted the fact that you’ve not reverted into that gentle Toby Fuller.”

 

 

Toby was stunned at her words with his eyes turning into a deep shade of crimson red by the seconds. What does she mean by that? She wants me to continue being a stand-in for Connor Salzburg?

 

 

Just when he was about to turn around and question her, Sonia continued, “However, I no longer have such regrets. Instead, I’m glad that you did not revert into that Toby Fuller. I know now that the past you weren’t the real you. Although the way you are now was formed by way of hypnosis, you were the one that chose this; no one else influenced you in this. Perhaps the current you is the real you, and perhaps this is your ideal character. That’s why I’m happy right now, and I’m happy for you. Congratulations, Toby Fuller. You have finally returned to being who you were meant to be!”

 

 

Before Sonia knew the reason for his personality, she felt that it was such a pity for Toby to have not returned to how he was in the past. After all, she loved how gentle he was. Who wouldn’t be fond of that gentle and graceful boy dressed in that white shirt of his?

 

 

Nevertheless, now that she knew the origins of his gentle personality, she no longer felt that it was a pity.

 

 

Moreover, she felt slightly grateful for Tina to have found Miles to hypnotize Toby, where it had indirectly aided Toby into becoming his true self once more.

 

 

This Time, I Will Get My Divorce, Mr Chapter 903

 

 

 Sonia’s Reassurance

 

 

After Sonia’s explanation, Toby widened his eyes before turning around abruptly. Though his eyes were still red from anger, his pupils were trembling. He was agitated and elated over what Sonia had said.

 

 

Toby thought that Sonia was lamenting on why he wouldn’t continue being Connor’s substitute, and on why he wouldn’t turn back into that gentle Toby Fuller. He felt a surge of anger rising and wanted to question her if she really liked his past self to the extent of asking him to be just a stand-in.

 

 

If his mother had raised him purely without basing it on her own preference, and Sonia chose to like the past him, at most, he would be slightly upset, but would not be angry about it. The reason being, that would still be the real him.

 

 

However, his past self was molded in the shape of Connor. How could Toby accept this should Sonia prefer his past self over the present him? It would be as if she had never loved him and had only ever loved the illusion of his character.

 

 

Fortunately, her words after that completely quelled his anger.

 

 

It turned out that Sonia loved not the illusion of his character, but his true self—who he really was on the inside. Why else would Sonia say that she was glad that Toby did not return to how he was before?

 

 

That was because Sonia knew Toby was not just a substitute for Connor. He was Toby Fuller; he was his own person. He should have had his own personality that was untainted by another person.

 

 

And so, Sonia congratulated him on turning back into who he was meant to be.

 

 

After Sonia congratulated him, Toby couldn’t hold back his elation and agitation any longer. He took swift steps toward Sonia and tightly embraced her in his arms. With how tight his embrace was, it was as if he wanted to merge with her into becoming one person.

 

 

“Sonia… Sonia… Sonia!” Toby leaned his head on her shoulder and continued crying out her name. Each cry of his was filled with heavy emotions. It was just as heavy as the tone of his voice.

 

 

Looking at the man, Sonia knew the reason for the man’s agitation.

 

 

It was because of what she said.

 

 

She clearly knew the influence her words would have on him.

 

 

When the man found out that he was just a substitute that was fostered by his mother, he would subconsciously question his own existence, questioning whether he should’ve been born into this world.

 

 

To be born into this world, yet denied from being his own person. To not be able to be his true self but just somebody else’s stand-in. Thus, a sense of disgust was born inside of the man. As a result, he rejected his own existence.100064

 

 

However, Sonia’s words were an acknowledgment of his existence. She was telling him that there was a meaning for him to be here in this world and that he wasn’t just a stand-in for somebody else.

 

 

He was his own person. He was Toby Fuller.

 

 

Naturally, Toby got agitated by her words and rushed to embrace her in joy.

 

 

“That’s enough now.” Sonia smiled while patting Toby’s back before she softly said, “You should let go of me first. I can’t breathe properly with how tightly you’re hugging me.”

 

 

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Toby lessened his strength in his embrace, but did not release her from his embrace as he continued to hold her in his arms. At this moment, he couldn’t do so. It was only by holding her in his arms could he believe that what he just heard was true.0

 

 

Sonia felt amused and helpless as she could feel Toby being reluctant to break their embrace. The gap between a usually independent, distant man and a man who was clinging onto her like a child now was indeed amusing to her.

 

 

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Fine. I should just let it be if he wants to continue hugging me.

 

 

Since Sonia was no longer asking for the man to let go of her and had decided to allow the man to continue hugging her, she continued patting his back and comforted him. “Don’t worry. No matter what happens, you’ll have me by your side. Not only me, but Grandma, Jean, and even Tyler are by your side as well. We all know that you are your own person, and not just another person’s substitute.”

 

 

Although she did not want to mention Jean, she had to bear her aversion for Jean and mention Jean’s name in order to comfort the man.

 

 

At this point, Toby was still quiet and had buried his head right at Sonia’s neck. He only muffled a sound as an indication that he was listening and would take her words into mind. And so, Sonia did not say anything more, and the two of them stayed silent as they continued to be in each other’s arms.

 

 

It was only when Sonia’s phone rang did Toby reluctantly release her.

 

 

She took out her phone and smiled when she saw the caller ID. “It’s Mrs. Lane. She’s probably calling to ask what you like to eat so that she can prepare them for tonight’s dinner.”

 

 

After Toby took a glance at the caller ID, his emotions became much better. “Answer her. I’ll leave for the study first.”

 

 

Toby still needed to take time to calm himself down. Though Sonia had said much and somewhat comforted him, he still needed to think about certain things himself. After all, it was his own mother. He—as her son—needed to process what his own mother had done to him.

 

 

Sonia understood where Toby was coming from, which was why she had not objected when Toby wanted to leave for the study, and instead nodded in agreement. However, she believed that he would take no time at all in the study after the encouragement she gave. That was why she was relieved even though Toby was going to process things by himself at this time.

 

 

“Go ahead. I’ll call you when it’s time for lunch,” Sonia said while looking at Toby.

 

 

With a slight nod, Toby turned around and left for the study.

 

 

Sonia then called Mrs. Lane back after watching Toby enter the study. Due to Sonia watching Toby intently, the ringing had stopped as she did not answer the call even after some time had passed. Now, she had to call her back instead.

 

 

After Toby entered the study and closed the door, he stood with his back against the door and closed his eyes slightly as he pinched the bridge of his nose. He wore an expression that was full of fatigue—both physically and mentally.

 

 

He’d always thought that although he was born for the purpose of his mother’s freedom, his mother still loved him, and that her love for him was pure and untainted by any other feelings. Yet, he only found out now just how wrong he was.

 

 

His mother did love him, but it was not just a simple mother’s love. At the very least, he would never be able to reach Connor’s position in his mother’s heart.

 

 

For the sake of Connor, his mother nurtured him into the likes of Connor. In her heart, as long as she could relieve her longing for her lover, whether or not her son had a character of his own did not matter. Even so, in order to make his mother happy and not disappoint her, he still tried his best in becoming someone gentle even when he disliked it.

 

 

It was all because his mother liked it.

 

 

He knew that his mother was unhappy about getting married to his father, which was why Toby chose to become someone he didn’t like in order to make his mother happy. Yet, everything was just a lie in the end. It was all a lie!

 

 

Toby hung his head with both his hands clenched into fists. Due to how hard he was clenching his hands, his arms trembled slightly with his veins bulged. The air around him turned frightfully cold.

 

 

Toby had not doubted Sonia’s words and even believed her instantly. In the past, he would always have the suspicion of his mother looking at someone else through him, but he never had any proof for his suspicion and thought that he was mistaken.

 

 

Yet, he realized that he wasn’t wrong with his suspicion the moment Sonia said that his past self was just like Connor. His mother was looking at someone else through him as Toby was specifically nurtured to be the substitute for Connor.

 

 

Just a stand-in!

 

 

This was a mockery to Toby.

 

 

To think he, Toby Fuller, the head of the Fullers, would one day be someone else’s stand-in.

 

 

And that someone else might even be his father’s murderer!

 

 

He couldn’t forgive his mother’s actions. Although he would still give her his respect, he would no longer give her his love. After all, no one would be able to accept just being a stand-in for someone else, much less him, Toby Fuller.

 

 

Nevertheless, he did not care anymore. Neither the fact that his mother treated him as a substitute and never fully treated him as her son nor loved her son with all of her heart mattered anymore. Now, even without his mother, there were other people who truly loved him.

 

 

Little Leaf, and Grandma, they both love me a lot.

 

 

After Little Leaf knew that how he was before was specifically nurtured according to someone else, she immediately let go of her fond memories of his past self and accepted the current him.

 

 

This sentiment of hers was enough for him to remember her for the rest of his life.

 

 

This Time, I Will Get My Divorce, Mr Chapter 904

 

 

 Wanting to Take Action Regardless of Everything Else

 

 

Speaking of Grandma…

 

 

Thinking of his grandma, Toby suddenly remembered how surprised and relieved Rose was when she first saw him six years ago.

 

 

Six years ago, he had just finished his heart surgery and was getting ready to fulfill his promise with Little Leaf for a meeting. Yet, just before he could do so, he was hypnotized by Miles.

 

 

After the hypnotism, there was a drastic change in Toby’s personality. His warm, gentle personality was replaced by coldness and indifference.

 

 

After his change in personality, Toby clearly remembered that there was something nagging at him when he first met Rose. That nagging he felt was how Rose was surprised over his change in personality yet never questioned him about it.

 

 

Normally, wouldn’t someone ask in a panic about the reason for such a drastic change in personality? To ask the person whether something had happened in their life?

 

 

However, Rose did not. After a moment of being taken by surprise, she immediately held Toby’s hand and wouldn’t stop telling him that it was a good thing for this to happen.

 

 

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At the time, tears welled up in Rose’s reddened eyes. He knew that those tears were from her emotions of joy. Although he couldn’t understand why Rose reacted that way at the time, he knew better now. Perhaps Rose already knew the truth behind his old personality—how his personality was nurtured by his mother to be just like Connor’s.

 

 

That was why Rose was relieved by the change in his personality and had told him repeatedly that it was a good thing for him. But a few months back, when he had somewhat returned to how he was in the past after that car accident, Rose’s eyes were filled with anxiousness, though she herself said nothing at all.

 

 

He always thought that the anxiousness Rose had then was due to the injuries he sustained from the car accident. Looking back on it now, perhaps her anxiousness stemmed from the possibility of him turning back into how he was before, and that he would return to his old self. Clearly, she did not wish for Toby to return to being a stand-in for Connor.

 

 

Rose’s thoughts were the same as Sonia’s, which was why he could say with certainty that both his grandmother and Sonia loved him.

 

 

As long as they were with him and always filled him with their love, he could stop rejecting himself and doubting himself over being made into a stand-in. Furthermore, he would no longer need to care about what his mother’s thoughts were or his mother’s love tainted by other feelings.0

 

 

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Now, he could let go of his feelings for his mother as there were people that truly and sincerely cared about him. Naturally, though he overcame his doubts and wouldn’t hold any grudges against his mother since she was ultimately the one who gave birth to him, he would never forgive Connor.

 

 

Absolutely not!0

 

 

The true master?

 

 

I will let Connor know that no one else in this world is the true master of the Fuller Family!

 

 

With his fists clenched tightly, Toby was filled with bloodlust as his eyes turned crimson red. At this moment, his phone in his pocket rang. With the ringing of his phone having somewhat dispersed the stifling air in the room, Toby loosened his fists and took his phone out.

 

 

Seeing that it was his assistant, Tom, calling, he walked over to his desk and answered the phone. “What is it?” He sounded indifferent.

 

 

“President Fuller, bad news. Connor Salzburg is in Seafield.” Tom’s tone was laced with stress on the other end of the line.

 

 

Toby murmured in assent. “Yes, I already know of it.” He pulled out a chair and sat down.

 

 

Tom was shocked by his president’s reply. “You knew?”

 

 

Toby pursed his lips. “He was here for Little Leaf. It was Little Leaf who told me about it.”

 

 

Tom immediately understood his president’s explanation. “So that’s what happened when you took the phone call from Miss Reed back in the conference room.”

 

 

Back then, Tom was also present in the conference room and was also aware of Sonia’s phone call to Toby. After all, Toby’s phone was with him at the time as he was responsible for his phone, which was why he would be the first to know of any incoming phone calls. If it was somebody else that had called, he would have immediately ended the call and wouldn’t have notified his president as Toby hated answering calls during a meeting.

 

 

But Sonia was the exception.

 

 

That was why when Tom saw it was Sonia calling, he immediately passed the phone to Toby. Sure enough, Toby answered the call without any hesitation. When Toby did, his face wore a gentle expression that gave everyone in the conference room goosebumps and shocked them to the bones.

 

 

Tom had initially thought that the others in the room would see his president’s humble side as Toby would try to please Sonia through the phone. After all, Tom knew that men would bend over backward to please their lovers once they fell in love. Not even the great Toby Fuller could escape this love spell.

 

 

Just by looking at how Toby was grinning from ear to ear when he knew that it was Sonia on the phone, Tom knew that his president would bend over backward for Sonia.

 

 

However, contrary to Tom’s expectation, the others in the room did not witness his president’s side of trying to please Sonia, but saw his president’s expression going through a drastic change while staying silent. Right after Toby ended the call, he grabbed his jacket and left the conference room in a hurry. Recalling how dark his president’s expression looked, it still frightened him greatly until now.

 

 

As Toby’s assistant, Tom should have left with him as well. However, he stayed back and continued to chair the meeting as it was still ongoing. That was why Tom was in the dark about what Sonia had told Toby for Toby’s expression to change that much and for him to be that angry.

 

 

He assumed that Sonia might have gotten into some trouble, such as being involved in some sort of accident. However, he realized now that it was the news of Connor Salzburg arriving in Seafield, and that the man had even gone to meet Sonia.

 

 

Toby firmly believed that Connor was his father’s murderer, while Sonia was someone that had a special place in Toby’s heart.

 

 

It was to be expected for Toby to undergo such a change the moment he heard of the two meeting. With his anger mixed with his worries over Sonia, Toby naturally couldn’t sit still and left the room in a hurry.

 

 

After figuring out the incident back at the conference room, Tom hurriedly asked with concern, “President Fuller, is Miss Reed alright? Did Connor harm Miss Reed?”

 

 

“No.” Toby shook his head slightly. Should Connor dare touch a single hair on Sonia, Toby would go to war with the Salzburg Family regardless of any national laws, let alone thinking about the numerous people that would be made jobless and homeless by his action.

 

 

He only wanted the death of Connor.

 

 

If not for the national laws, the hundreds of thousands of employees under the Fuller Group, and the innocent employees under the Salzburg Group, Toby would not hold himself back and would use any means necessary to question Connor on whether Connor was his father’s murderer. Who wouldn’t break down under illegal means of interrogation, right?

 

 

However, there was still kindness in him. He knew that if he had done what he thought of doing, there would be war between the Fuller Family and the Salzburg Family. Once the fight between the two families broke out, the employees of the two groups would end up bearing the brunt. When that time came, many would choose to end their life as they would lose their means of living.

 

 

Although the employees meant little to the cold and distant Toby, the sense of responsibility and morals instilled within him since young prevented him from doing so. Else, he would have gotten his revenge a long time ago.

 

 

“Good thing he didn’t.” Tom sighed in relief after hearing his president’s answer. Here, Tom was not nervous about Sonia but his own president instead. He knew how much Toby cared about Sonia, and that Toby would go crazy should anything happen to her.

 

 

“By the way, how did you find out that Connor is in Seafield?” Toby asked with his eyes narrowed in suspicion, as he did not disclose this information to anyone else. “Did he come by the Fuller Group?” he speculated.

 

 

Tom immediately shook his head. “That’s not it, President Fuller. Connor did not come to the Fuller Group. I was notified by the police that Connor went to the police station half an hour ago to meet with Anya.”

 

 

“So that’s how you knew.” Toby slightly nodded. He was not surprised by the fact that Connor went to the police station. Anya is Connor’s daughter, and is the only reason he came to Seafield. There’s no way he wouldn’t go meet her.

 

 

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This Time, I Will Get My Divorce, Mr Chapter 905

 

 

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They Might Not Be Father and Daughter

 

 

Toby pinched his nose while asking in a grave tone, “What happened after that? Has there been any updates from the police? What did they say?”

 

 

Tom shook his head. “Sorry, President Fuller, but there’s no update regarding this. According to the police, Connor asked to meet Anya alone when he went. The police couldn’t comply with his request to let Anya off, but Connor is one of the city’s biggest taxpayers, so the police wouldn’t turn down such a small request. Therefore, the police had no idea what they had talked about during their private meeting. But…”

 

 

“Shoot!” Toby frowned in displeasure.

 

 

Tom hemmed. Not daring to tarry, he hurriedly continued, “The police officer who took Connor to see Anya gave us a strange piece of information. He said that judging from Connor and Anya’s manner toward each other, they didn’t seem like father and daughter; instead, they seemed more like a superior and his subordinate.”

 

 

“Oh?” Toby stopped pinching his nose as suspicion showed on his face. “A superior and his subordinate?”

 

 

“That’s what the police officer said, but I don’t know the details. I didn’t see it myself, after all,” Tom replied seriously.

 

 

Toby rubbed his thumb and forefinger together a few times. “Did he explain in detail why they seemed not like father and daughter, but like a superior and his subordinate?”

 

 

“He did.” Tom nodded. “According to him, when Connor saw Anya, his face didn’t show the slightest excitement or joy of seeing his daughter. Even if he wasn’t happy, he should’ve been angry, right? After all, now that his daughter had gotten into such big trouble, he should’ve been exasperated and disappointed as a father. But Connor looked neither happy nor angry. When he saw Anya, he looked very imperturbable, as if Anya weren’t his daughter but someone unrelated to him.”

 

 

“Is that so…” Toby mumbled thoughtfully while lowering his eyes. Then, he asked, “What about Anya, then?”

 

 

“Anya was strange, too. When she saw Connor, she didn’t react like she was meeting her father; she didn’t look happy at all. A daughter should’ve been excited and overjoyed to see her father come to save her, right? But she wasn’t. When she saw Connor, she was only terrified.”

 

 

“Terrified?”

 

 

Tom nodded. “That’s right. I’ve confirmed it repeatedly, and the police officer insisted that she looked terrified. People in their line of work would’ve seen all kinds of people, so there was no way he would’ve misread her expression.”

 

 

What Tom said was indeed true, so Toby didn’t ask any further. After a while, he finally said, “Go on.”

 

 

“Yes, President Fuller.” Tom continued, “Anya was terrified of Connor from the bottom of her heart. According to the police officer, Connor had probably done something to her before, which was why she was so terrified of him. And besides, when Anya saw Connor, she didn’t call him ‘Dad’ or ‘Father.’ Instead, she called him ‘Mr. Salzburg,’ which was why the police officer wondered if they really were father and daughter.” The father wasn’t happy to see his daughter, nor was he angry or exasperated by her incompetence. On the other hand, when the daughter saw her father, she wasn’t excited about being rescued. Instead, she was terrified. This is strange no matter how one looks at it, right?

 

 

Toby narrowed his eyes in thought without saying a word. Anya was terrified of Connor, who had done something very terrifying to her. Would a father do something terrifying to his daughter? Well, there certainly are such fathers in the world, but I believe they’re in the minority. However perverted Connor is, he wouldn’t have done anything terrifying to his daughter—unless they weren’t father and daughter! They aren’t father and daughter, huh… Toby’s eyes flickered as the idea crossed his mind. That’s right! If they aren’t father and daughter, then all of this makes sense. “Tom,” he said.

 

 

Tom straightened up upon hearing Toby’s words. “Yes, at your service, President Fuller.”

 

 

“Try to get your hands on Anya and Connor’s DNA samples,” Toby ordered in a grim voice.

 

 

Realizing what Toby meant, Tom immediately asked, “President Fuller, are you suspecting that…”

 

 

“Uh-huh,” Toby replied.

 

 

Tom took a deep breath. “Yeah, that’s indeed likely. It’s just that I don’t understand it. If they really aren’t father and daughter, then why are they pretending to be?”

 

 

Toby’s eyes darkened. “It’s pointless to think about these right now. We’ll know why once we get to the bottom of it.”

 

 

“Yes, President Fuller,” Tom replied.

 

 

Toby massaged his temples. “How did the meeting go after I left?”

 

 

Upon hearing his question, Tom instantly rolled his eyes. Oh, President Fuller, so you still remember that you’re the company’s president and that you’ve left the Fuller Group and the meeting behind, huh? He wished he could throw this remark at Toby, but he didn’t have the nerve to do so. Therefore, he could only take a deep breath, compose himself, and reply with a businesslike smile, “Don’t worry, President Fuller. The meeting went without a hitch. After you left, I gathered everyone and continued the meeting.”

 

 

The meeting wasn’t a particularly important meeting where Toby had to be present. In reality, even if Toby—the Fuller Group’s president—was absent, the meeting could still go on, for the amount of property and money involved weren’t much. Because of that, Tom had the courage to continue the meeting as Toby’s personal assistant. If there were many properties involved and the amount of money was huge, Tom couldn’t chair the meeting on Toby’s behalf, of course.

 

 

Upon hearing that the meeting had gone smoothly and ended without a hitch, Toby gave an “Uh-huh” in satisfaction. “Good to hear that. Well, if there’s nothing else, I gotta go,” he said. With that, he hung up the phone heartlessly right away.

 

 

At the Fuller Group, Tom rolled his eyes as hard as he could as he listened to the disconnect tone on his cell phone. President Fuller, you can hang up all you want, but before you do so, could you please tell me if you’ll still be coming to work today? There’s a desk full of documents waiting for you to sign and deal with! He turned to look at the pile of documents on Toby’s desk before letting out a sigh of distress. There are so many documents, and they’re all urgent. When is President Fuller gonna come back to deal with them? They’re worth a fortune, a fortune I say! He grabbed his own hair in frustration.

 

 

A while later, however, Tom suddenly calmed down and looked at the pile of documents coldly. Ha! If he’s not coming back, then fine. It’s President Fuller’s own company, anyway, so the money lost will be his own. Even the boss himself doesn’t worry about it, so why should I—a mere employee—be worried? At the thought of this, Tom instantly felt much more relaxed. Then, he walked out of Toby’s office while humming a tune.

 

 

Meanwhile, at Bayside Residence, after putting down his cell phone, Toby sat in his chair and linked his fingers together on the desk before him. The lights in the study were off, and the curtains were closed, so it was very dark in the study. As a result, Toby was almost shrouded in darkness, which made him seem mysterious and grim since no one could see his expression clearly.

 

 

Just then, there was a knock on the door, and Sonia’s gentle voice rang outside. “Toby?”

 

 

Upon hearing the woman call out to him, Toby looked up and took his hands off his desk. Then, he stood up, went over to the door, and opened it.

 

 

Seeing the pitch-dark study, Sonia turned to look at the man before her. She asked with a slight frown, “Why didn’t you turn the lights on?”

 

 

“I forgot,” Toby replied as his thin lips parted.

 

 

Sonia didn’t bother to ask if he had really forgotten to turn on the lights or if he had purposely kept them off. Instead, she asked, “Are you feeling better?” She was referring to whether Toby had swallowed the fact that he was a substitute.

 

 

Toby lowered his eyes. “Yeah, I am.”

 

 

“Then what about your mom—”

 

 

Toby lowered his eyes and replied impassively, “I don’t blame her for that, but I won’t have any feelings toward her anymore. Now all I have for her is respect.” Even though his mother was nice to him, he really couldn’t withstand the fact that she had used him as a substitute. That isn’t something a mother’s supposed to do!

 

 

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This Time, I Will Get My Divorce, Mr Chapter 906

 

 

 A Man Who Is Easily Moved

 

 

Upon hearing the man’s words, Sonia nodded in understanding. “Good to hear that. No matter what, you still have us by your side. None of us will treat you as a substitute for anyone, so don’t think too much about it. Got it?” she said while staring at him.

 

 

Toby felt a warm feeling in his heart at the sight of the woman’s serious expression. Caressing her tender cheek, he replied softly, “Yeah, I got it.”

 

 

Sonia put her hand on the back of the hand that Toby caressed her cheek with. She asked, “That’s good. Are you still sad and upset, then?”

 

 

Toby shook his head. “No, I’m not sad or upset anymore, because you said you’re staying by my side.” He was only upset, anguished, and furious when he first learned that his mother had raised him to be Connor’s substitute. After all, it was his own mother who had done so to him.

 

 

However, after his anger cooled, he gradually calmed down. He began to realize that even though his mother had treated him as a substitute, she had passed away for nearly 20 years, and he didn’t have to bother about a person who had passed away for a long time.

 

 

Still, as he was unable to vent his anger on her, he could only take all his anger and humiliation out on Connor. It didn’t matter whether or not Connor knew he was a substitute for the former. Even if Connor was aware of it, he wouldn’t let Connor off. Somebody had to bear the responsibility for the wrong that had been committed. Since his mother had passed away, it was only natural that Connor should be the person who bore the responsibility.

 

 

After he figured this out, his anger subsided a lot, and the violent rage within him gradually disappeared. Even if he didn’t figure it out, he wouldn’t keep being angry all the time. Instead, he would quickly compose his emotions. He couldn’t let Sonia worry about him all the time, for his anger would scare her and make her feel uneasy. Moreover, she had been comforting him all this while, so he couldn’t let her concerns and words of comfort come to naught. At the thought of this, he caressed her cheek even gentler, and his hand lingered on her face, as if to trace its outline.

 

 

Sonia’s cheek itched somewhat as Toby caressed her, so she grabbed his wrist and took his hand off her face right away. “Well, since you’re alright, let’s eat first. It’s well past noon now, and I’m hungry. You must be hungry as well, aren’t you?”

 

 

Toby didn’t answer her whether he was hungry or not. Hearing that Sonia was hungry, he took her hand and hurried to the kitchen. “Let me fix you something to eat.”

 

 

Seeing him in such a hurry, Sonia stopped him with a look of amusement. “Wait a minute.”

 

 

Toby stopped in his tracks and looked back at her. “What’s wrong?”

 

 

“You don’t have to cook. I’ve already made lunch.” Sonia tugged at her apron.

 

 

Only then did Toby notice that Sonia was wearing an apron. His attention had been focused on her face since he opened the door and saw her just now, so he really didn’t notice the apron she was wearing.

 

 

Sonia put down the apron. “I made a lot of your favorite dishes, so eat more later. I made them specially for you.”

 

 

Toby’s eyes lit up visibly. “You made them specially for me?”

 

 

“Uh-huh.” Sonia nodded. “That’s of course. A certain man was angry and upset, so I had to appease him by making some of his favorite dishes for him, right?”

 

 

Toby realized what Sonia meant. She made lunch for me because she wanted me to pull myself together; she doesn’t want me to lose my reason or even doubt myself and abandon myself to despair after learning of the cruel truth. At the thought of this, he swept her into his arms and held her tight once again.

 

 

Sonia’s nose hurt so much when it bumped against Toby’s sturdy chest that her eyes reddened in an instant. Still, she smothered a cry of pain, or else the man would definitely get nervous and check on her from head to toe. To avoid getting into unwelcomed situations later on, she decided to bear it.

 

 

While the man wasn’t noticing, Sonia gently massaged the tip of her nose until the pain subsided; only then did she finally exhale and put her hand down. She knew that Toby had hugged her all of a sudden because he was moved by the fact that she had made lunch for him. Because of that, he suddenly released his emotions and embraced her to express his excitement and joy at this very moment. This guy is just like this. He won’t say verbally that he’s touched or happy. Instead, he’ll express it in a more passionate and straightforward way like hugs and kisses. In reality, such direct expressions can better tell whether a person is really moved or happy.

 

 

“Alright, that’s enough.” Sonia stuck out her forefinger and poked the man gently in the waist. “It’s just a meal, right? Do you have to be so touched? People who have no idea what happened would think that I’ve done something earth-shaking.” Speaking of it, this guy’s appearance gives the impression of being cold and indifferent. Not only is he cold toward outsiders, but he always seems self-important and capable of everything. Even so, only I know that in private—especially when he’s facing me—he’ll smile at me, speak softly to me, and even flirt with me. At the same time, he’s easily moved. A person who is easily moved must be soft-hearted as well. However, I know very well that he isn’t soft with anyone else, but only with me and those whom he cares the most. How could such a man not be charming? Perhaps that was why I fell in love with him all over again.

 

 

Not knowing what Sonia was thinking, Toby rubbed his chin against her head. “To me, every single thing you’ve done for me is even more moving than any earth-shaking thing.”

 

 

Sonia didn’t know whether to laugh or to frown at the man’s remark. “I’m really embarrassed to accept what you said. Alright, hurry up and let go of me and go to eat. Aren’t you hungry?” She patted Toby on the back.

 

 

Only then did Toby reluctantly let go of Sonia. Then, she took him by the hand and went to the kitchen with him, serving lunch with him before having lunch together at the dining table.

 

 

It wasn’t until the man enjoyed his meal with no sign of the terrifying chilliness that had shown in his eyes when he learned that he had been a substitute that Sonia finally gave an inward sigh of relief. In reality, she wasn’t idling outside during the time when Toby had gone to the study to calm down. Instead, she was reflecting upon whether it was right of her to tell him about this. After all, this wasn’t some good news. After that, though, she suppressed her doubts and felt that she did the right thing. As one of the parties involved, Toby had the right to know the truth. And besides, only by knowing it earlier could he take early precautions to prevent the fact from being learned by others and used by someone like Connor to mock him.

 

 

If Connor really were the person who had killed Toby’s father, there would definitely be a fight between the two men. If Connor were to learn about Toby being his substitute and mock the latter for it while he was still unaware of this, it would definitely be a huge blow to him. Even if Connor didn’t do so, Toby still had other enemies in the business world, and they would use this to attack him if they learned about it. Therefore, she decided to simply let him know earlier and erase any traces that would lead anyone else to learn about it so that he wouldn’t hear anyone attack him using this. She believed she was doing this for Toby’s own good, so she didn’t think it was wrong of her to tell him about it.

 

 

Seeing Sonia holding her fork and spoon in a daze with a blank look in her eyes, Toby asked with a slight frown, “What are you thinking?”

 

 

Sonia’s eyes flickered. Coming to her senses, she shook her head and replied, “Nothing. I was just thinking about my phone conversation with Mrs. Lane just now.” She had no intention of telling him what she had just thought about. Since he had gotten past the matter, she didn’t have to bring it up again.

 

 

“What did you two talk about?” Toby picked up the glass of water beside him and took a drink from it.

 

 

Sonia picked up a chunk of fish and put it on his plate. “She asked what time in the evening we would go to her place so that she could arrange for someone to greet us at the gate. She also asked what your favorite food is so that she can have the food ingredients bought in advance to prepare dinner. Also…”

 

 

This Time, I Will Get My Divorce, Mr Chapter 907

 

 

Sonia’s Guilt

 

 

Toby’s heart skipped a beat when he captured the sly look that flashed past Sonia’s eyes. However, he remained calm and acted as if nothing happened. “What else?”

 

 

“Mrs. Lane also asked me whether you were nice to me. If you’re not…” She smirked.

 

 

Meanwhile, Toby’s grip on the cup that he was holding tightened a little. “What will happen if I’m not nice?”

 

 

Noticing that his grip tightened, Sonia pursed her lips into a smile. “Kick you out of Lane Residence, of course. She also recommended that I break up with you.”105413

 

 

Upon hearing that, Toby’s facial expression darkened immediately.

 

 

Although he knew that Grace only meant that only if he wasn’t nice to Sonia, he was still upset to hear those words as it sounded ominous. How could he feel happy hearing that after all the effort he had exercised to get Sonia back again?

 

 

“What about you? How did you reply to her?” Toby asked gloomily with his lips pursed.

 

 

Nevertheless, Sonia burst into giggles when she noticed his upset expression. “Of course I said yes. Mrs. Lane would have rushed over if I said no.”

 

 

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Immediately, the uneasiness that Toby was feeling dispersed into nothing. I knew she wouldn’t disappoint me.0

 

 

“Don’t worry. I can tell whether you’ve been nice to me or not, and I won’t lie to frame you.” Sonia grabbed her cup and took a sip of water while Toby hummed in acknowledgment with a smile on his face. “I know.”

 

 

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“What time are we heading over tonight? I need to inform Mrs. Lane about it,” she placed her cup down and asked.

 

 

At this moment, Toby glanced at his wristwatch and pondered for a moment before answering, “About 7.00PM, I guess. I need to head back to the old manor to talk to Grandma first as I need to clarify something with her.”

 

 

His eyes narrowed before his facial expression darkened.

 

 

He wanted to know if Rose knew from the start that he had been raised by his mother as Connor’s replacement.

 

 

Noticing the change in Toby’s facial expression, Sonia opened her lips and looked like she wanted to say something.

 

 

However, she chose to not say it in the end and closed her mouth. Whatever. It’s better if I don’t ask him about it since he didn’t mention why he wants to meet Grandma. If he didn’t tell me about it, he probably doesn’t want me to know about it.

 

 

After lunch, Toby cuddled Sonia for a while before he pressed her against the couch and started peppering her with kisses until she zoned out while staring at the ceiling. Then, he chuckled with satisfaction and left.

 

 

Hearing the footsteps of the man walking away, Sonia didn’t bother getting up to send him off.

 

 

Why should I even send him off when I don’t have any energy left after those kisses? It’s already good enough for him that I didn’t scold him. How dare he use the excuse of feeling upset for being a replacement to get me to console him after I wash the dishes! How dare he press me against the couch and take advantage of me?! What a shameless man!

 

 

She looked away from the ceiling and touched her red and swollen lips. Just then, there was an embarrassed look on her face.

 

 

Sonia placed her arms against the couch behind her to prop herself up before turning to look at the entryway.

 

 

There was no one there, and it was obvious that Toby already left.

 

 

Sonia looked away before she returned to the room to pack her stuff. It was time to head to Paradigm Co.

 

 

Initially, she planned to head over early in the morning, but she couldn’t do so because of Connor.

 

 

Now that it was already afternoon, she couldn’t delay it anymore and had to head to Paradigm Co.

 

 

If she didn’t go again, her absence would be marked for the second day in a row. The higher executives would surely criticize her as she was the president now.

 

 

Sighing, Sonia changed into a new set of outfit from the closet and did her makeup before heading out with her handbag.

 

 

After a day and a half’s break from the company, she couldn’t help but feel like it had been a lifetime ago since she last stepped foot at Paradigm Co.

 

 

Shaking her head and smiling, Sonia returned the greetings of her employees and headed into the elevator. Then, she went up to the highest floor and entered her office.

 

 

After entering the office and placing her handbag down, someone knocked at her door before she could even sit down.

 

 

Sonia took her seat and said to the person outside of her office, “Come in.”

 

 

Subsequently, the knocking on the door stopped. Immediately, the door was opened and a figure in a black business suit entered the room.

 

 

It was Daphne.

 

 

At that moment, Daphne looked completely like a different person. She had cut her hair to a length that was below her ears and changed out of her usual high heels into flats. Even her pair of glasses had been changed.

 

 

Although the glasses’ frame was still black, it was way smaller than the previous one.

 

 

An odd look appeared on Sonia’s face when she saw Daphne’s change of appearance. “Miss Daphne, why did you return to work so soon? Are you not going to take a break for a few more days? Also, your…” She pointed at Daphne’s hair.

 

 

In response, Daphne placed the documents onto Sonia’s desk before replying with a smile, “I feel much better after resting for two days, so I figured that it was time to come back to work. Since I’m used to working with high intensity, I might find it hard to adapt back to work if I take a break for too long. As for my hair…”

 

 

She ran her fingers through her hair. “One of my friends told me that my hairstyle last time was too old-fashioned, so she took me to a hair salon to change my hairstyle since she noticed that I’ve been in a bad mood recently. She claims that my mood will be lifted with a new hairstyle. Still, it’s my first time cutting my hair so short, so I’m not sure if it looks nice.”

 

 

“It looks good.” Sonia quickly nodded. “It’s really nice and suits you very well. Your friend really has an eye for good hairstyles.”

 

 

She complimented Daphne with a thumbs up.

 

 

Upon hearing that, Daphne seemed somewhat embarrassed as her face flushed. “Thank you for complimenting me, Chairman Reed.”

 

 

“It’s not a compliment. It’s true that you look good like this. In fact, you look better now. Looks like you really did adjust your mindset during your two days at home.”

 

 

“Yeah.” Daphne nodded. “Since President Lane doesn’t know that I fell pregnant, I won’t tell him about it, and I’ll go through the abortion myself. After that, I’ll act like nothing ever happened. About President Lane’s attitude toward me, I’ve already accepted the fact that feelings can’t be forced, and I won’t dream of him having any feelings toward me anymore. I’m choosing to move on and see him as my university friend and ex-boss. If that’s the case, I probably won’t feel as sad when he treats me badly, wouldn’t I?”

 

 

When Sonia heard her words, a forceful smile appeared on her face. However, Sonia felt her heart aching when she looked at Daphne. “Are you really planning to give up? Don’t you feel that it is a pity to let go of a crush that lasted for years?”

 

 

Daphne shook her head. “I might feel that way, but what else can I do other than give up? Even if I continue holding on, it won’t change President Lane’s perception of me. In fact, my determination might even disgust him even more.”

 

 

105414

 

 

Sonia was rendered speechless. It’s true that being determined isn’t necessarily rewarding as Daphne didn’t manage to get Charles to fall in love with her. However, isn’t it the same for Charles on my side?

 

 

She sighed before staring at Daphne apologetically. “Maybe I shouldn’t have encouraged you to pursue Charles in the first place.

 

 

Daphne had liked Charles ever since they studied in university together, and her crush on him remained hidden until a few months ago, so Sonia encouraged Daphne to pursue Charles after finding out about her feelings.

 

 

Then, Daphne gained courage because of her encouragement, which led to what happened today.

 

 

All of this is my fault!0

 

 

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This Time, I Will Get My Divorce, Mr Chapter 908

 

 

No Regrets

 

 

If I didn’t realize Daphne’s feelings, or if I did but didn’t encourage her, she wouldn’t have had the courage to confess to Charles. As long as she didn’t express her feelings and treated him like before, things could have been different now.

 

 

Nevertheless, Daphne waved her off and smiled when she saw the guilty look on Sonia’s face. “It’s fine, President Reed. You didn’t do anything wrong, and you were just trying to help me out. Even if you hadn’t encouraged me to pursue President Lane, I’d still do it on my own.”

 

 

“Really?” Sonia straightened her posture a little while Daphne lowered her gaze and chuckled. “In the past, you never knew that President Lane had feelings toward you, so you couldn’t reject him. Since I’m not sure whether the two of you would get together or not as a bystander, I had always hid my feelings so that no one would know about it. However, I realized that I could go after him without any worries or consequences once he confessed, and you rejected him.”

 

 

“So, the reason why you never confessed in the past was that you’re not sure if I will get into a relationship with him once I know about his feelings?” Sonia glanced at her.

 

 

Daphne nodded. “Yes. I started having the urge to confess after knowing that you won’t get together with President Lane, so even if you discourage me, I will still pursue him. Nevertheless, you gave me encouragement before I could properly plan how I wanted to pursue him.”

 

 

“I see.” In that instance, the sudden realization hit Sonia.

 

 

Meanwhile, Daphne stared at her and explained, “That’s why you shouldn’t feel guilty, President Reed. Although I was suffering because of President Lane’s disgust toward me, I’ve already thought things through. Feelings can’t be forced, and I can’t expect him to love me back just because I love him. What happened between us that night was a mistake, and we are both responsible for it. I won’t make him take responsibility for it, and I’ll settle things on my own without his knowledge. I’ll act like nothing ever happened that night, and I don’t care if his attitude toward me remains the same in the future. I’ll try to move on and forget about him. From now on, I’ll look for a man who loves me and get into a new relationship.”

 

 

Seeing how serious Daphne sounded as well as how she looked forward to starting a new chapter, Sonia was relieved.

 

 

“It’s good if that’s what you think. I hope that you’ll find someone who truly loves you and treats you well,” she said genuinely.

 

 

Daphne nodded with a smile. “Thank you for your kind words, President Reed. I believe that I will.”

 

 

“Of course you will!” Sonia smiled as well. “Still, are you really planning to abort the baby?”

 

 

“Of course.” Daphne hummed in acknowledgment. “Since I’m planning to start a new chapter in my life, I’d naturally have to take care of the matter with the baby, or it will be unfair to my future husband. Besides, what if my future husband refuses to take care of the baby once I give birth to it? Even if I refuse to get married because of the baby, I still can’t provide the baby with fatherly love. What should I tell my baby when they ask me about their father? It would be best for me to abort it now. Although it sounds cruel, it’s for the best.”

 

 

As she said that, there were still sentences she decided not to speak out loud.

 

 

If I keep and raise the baby, President Charles would surely take the child away from me once he knows that the child has his blood. Even if he won’t accept me as the child’s mother, the child still belongs to him, and he definitely won’t let the child stray outside and will take the child back to the Lanes. By then, I definitely can’t fight against him. This means that I will have to be separated from my child once he finds out about the child’s existence. Can I really watch and do nothing as he takes my child away from me? I don’t think I can do that. I will definitely have emotional connections with my child after giving birth to them and raising them up. Knowing the fact that my child might get taken away from me without me being able to do anything pains me. Since I can’t accept something like that happening, it is better for me to abort the baby while I still don’t feel so emotionally attached yet.

 

 

At the thought of that, Daphne caressed her stomach with a dim look in her gaze.

 

 

It was obvious that she didn’t really want to abort the baby and felt bad about doing so.

 

 

“I guess it’s for the best.” Sonia sighed. “It’s better for you, too. When are you going for the abortion?”

 

 

Initially, Daphne had already planned to get an abortion before she requested a break from work and had already set an appointment to do so.105415

 

 

However, a call from Sonia stopped her because Sonia experienced the same thing as she did.

 

 

Back when Sonia found out that she was pregnant, she was devastated because she never expected herself to get pregnant just because of a drunk night.

 

 

Most importantly, she didn’t even know who the father of the child was.

 

 

Sonia didn’t have any feelings or emotional attachment toward the baby and never thought of keeping the baby. Although she was adamant about getting an abortion, she didn’t rush to get it due to her being too busy with work and everything else that was happening, which sent Carl into a frenzy and poisoned her, causing her to have to abort the baby.

 

 

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While she felt lost after getting an abortion, she was more than relieved at the same time as it meant that the consequence of that drunken night was finally gone.0

 

 

However, Sonia regretted her action after that when she realized that she was starting to fall in love with Toby again.

 

 

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That was how hypocritical women were. When they weren’t in love in a person, being pregnant with that person’s child would make them feel devastated, and they’d want to get an abortion, but it would be different once they fell in love with that person.

 

 

Therefore, Sonia didn’t want Daphne to take the same path as she did and regretted aborting the baby.

 

 

Because of that, she gave Daphne a call that night after Daphne took leave and advised her to not act rashly by aborting the baby. Sonia suggested Daphne rest for a few days and reconsider the abortion. She didn’t want Daphne to do something that she might regret due to her impulsivity because Sonia figured that Daphne would regret doing so.

 

 

After all, Daphne was in a different situation. While Sonia didn’t know whose child she was pregnant with, Daphne knew that she was pregnant with Charles’ baby.

 

 

Thus, Daphne must have been extremely courageous to make the decision to abort the baby considering how much she loved Charles.

 

 

Of course, it could also have been an impulsive act, so Sonia wanted her to calm down and reconsider her decision as Sonia didn’t want her to regret getting an abortion when she thought about Charles again.

 

 

Still, she didn’t expect Daphne to be so adamant with her decision to get an abortion even after two days,

 

 

Looks like Daphne has really made up her mind. If that’s the case, I don’t have to worry about her regretting doing so.

 

 

“Tomorrow,” Daphne adjusted her glasses before answering. “I’ve already made an appointment at the hospital, and the operation is scheduled for tomorrow at noon.”

 

 

Sonia nodded. “I see. Since tomorrow is the weekend, you should take a break for about a month after the operation for your postpartum recovery.”

 

 

This Time, I Will Get My Divorce, Mr Chapter 909

 

 

 A Lavish Gift

 

 

Postpartum recovery wasn’t just for women who had given birth.

 

 

Those who didn’t get to give birth to their baby––had a miscarriage or abortion, could do so as well.

 

 

In fact, they were encouraged to do so as it was beneficial for their body’s recovery.

 

 

However, Daphne shook her head and rejected Sonia. “It’s fine, President Reed. I don’t need that. I grew up in a different culture from yours, and people in our culture generally don’t believe in postpartum recovery, so I’m not planning to do that as well. Like I’ve said, I’m afraid that I might get lazy after taking a break for a few days because I might not be able to get used to the high intensity work-life after I return, so a month’s break is definitely not going to do. If that’s the case, I don’t think I can carry on with my job anymore.”

 

 

After saying what she wanted, she chuckled.

 

 

However, Sonia frowned. “Is your job more important than your body? Daphne, I know that you’re a career-minded woman, but you can’t just disregard your health because of your job. I know that going through a postpartum recovery is not prevalent in your culture, but it must have its reason for being so well-practiced here. I’m doing this for your own good. If you return to work right after your operation, you won’t be able to continue working if your body gives in on you.”

 

 

Daphne went quiet and didn’t say anything because she knew that Sonia was only suggesting she go through a postpartum recovery for her own good.

 

 

Truthfully, she wasn’t against doing so, but she was just afraid that she might feel uncomfortable during that period, and it would remind her that she just aborted her baby.

 

 

Daphne was afraid that she might start thinking of Charles following that and start regretting getting an abortion.

 

 

If I keep thinking about the baby, I’ll definitely start regretting my actions…

 

 

The reason why she didn’t want to go through postpartum recovery was that she wanted to use her busy job to numb and distract herself from the uncomfortable feeling of her body so that she wouldn’t think about the baby or Charles.

 

 

However, she couldn’t say that because she didn’t want Sonia to know about it.

 

 

If Sonia knew, she would definitely think that Daphne was trying to use her job to harm herself.

 

 

Noticing that Daphne had her head hung low without saying anything, Sonia sighed. “Just listen to me. Rest at home after your operation, and don’t come to work before the one-month mark. Even if you come, I’ll get someone to send you home, is that clear?” she said with a stern voice.

 

 

Right then, Daphne’s mouth moved a little. It seemed like she still wanted to argue against Sonia, but Sonia immediately glared at her. “Alright. That’s enough. I’ve made my decision, and you’re not allowed to argue against me. I’ll visit you when I’m free, and I’ll be pissed if I find out that you’re not resting at home.”

 

 

Daphne was taken aback by Sonia’s stern expression before she chuckled. “President Reed, seriously… Fine, I get it. Thank you for worrying about me. I’ll make sure to rest well.”

 

 

I guess I’m really lucky to have such a nice boss, She thought to herself.

 

 

Meanwhile, Sonia’s facial expression softened. “That’s good to know. Is anyone accompanying you for the operation tomorrow?”

 

 

105416

 

 

“Yes. My friend will be with me,” Daphne replied.

 

 

Upon hearing that, Sonia was put at ease. “I’m relieved to know that someone will be accompanying you. I’ll pay you a visit at the hospital later on.”

 

 

“Alright,” Daphne agreed.

 

 

After that, Sonia reached out for the documents that Daphne placed on her desk previously. “It’s settled. You may leave now if there’s nothing else. Get off work earlier today so that you can prepare for tomorrow.”

 

 

“Alright. Thank you, President Reed.” Daphne bowed a little before leaving the office.0

 

 

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After Daphne left, Sonia massaged her temples before grabbing a pen from her pen holder and started going through the documents.

 

 

When she was halfway done, the landline on her desk suddenly rang.0

 

 

She grabbed the receiver and held it between her shoulder and her head before saying while signing the documents, “This is the president’s office. May I know who is on the line?”

 

 

“President Reed,” A polite voice of a woman rang out. “This is the reception calling. Someone from Fuller Group came over with a lot of bags claiming that they are gifts that President Fuller prepared for the elders. He wants you to check them to see if they’re suitable, or if you want them to prepare more.”

 

 

Upon hearing that, Sonia paused for a moment before quickly coming back to her senses.

 

 

I guess those are gifts that Toby prepared for Mr. and Mrs. Lane, huh? I thought that he would bring them over to the Lane Residence tonight after his preparation, but I didn’t expect him to send them over for me to check because he’s afraid that they might not be enough.

 

 

Grinning, Sonia replied, “I see. Please send someone to bring them up for me.”

 

 

“Alright, President Reed,” the receptionist replied.

 

 

Then, Sonia placed the receiver back on the landline and continued working.

 

 

About ten minutes later, someone knocked at her office door.

 

 

After getting Sonia’s permission to enter, two security guards came in with bags of gifts. Thereafter, Sonia instructed them to place the gifts on the couch of her lounge. “Be careful. Don’t knock them over.”

 

 

“Don’t worry, President Reed.” The security guards assured her while moving the gifts, and Sonia gave them two bottles of water after they were done. “Thank you for your hard work.”

 

 

“You’re welcome, President Reed.” The security guards were surprised by her gesture and quickly motioned around with their hands as they were afraid of accepting her goodwill.

 

 

They only reached out for the water bottles after Sonia demanded them to take it, and she sent them down after that.

 

 

The office became quiet once again.

 

 

Sonia walked over to the gift bags and noticed that all of them looked exquisite. It was obvious that the gifts in these gift bags were extremely expensive.

 

 

Opening every single one of the gift bags, she found a lot of wine and makeup products.

 

 

Then, she started separating the gifts for Grace and Curtis before going through them.

 

 

Toby got Curtis a few bottles of estate-bottled wine.

 

 

Although Sonia didn’t know much about wine, she knew the price of an estate-bottled wine.

 

 

One bottle of these wines was extremely expensive, and some of them couldn’t even be bought just with money. Only those that fulfilled the requirements of having money and a high social background were able to get their hands on an estate-bottled wine.

 

 

Thus, having a bottle of estate-bottled wine was enough for one to brag around, not to mention a few bottles of them.

 

 

Toby was extremely generous for gifting Curtis five bottles of estate-bottled wine from different estates as if he was stamp-collecting.

 

 

I bet Mr. Lane would be extremely delighted when he sees these.

 

 

Sonia grinned before placing the wine bottles at a side carefully. Then, she started going through Grace’s gifts.

 

 

After opening all of her gift bags, Sonia realized that Toby had prepared not just makeup products but perfumes, handbags, scarfs, shoes, and other accessories as well.

 

 

This is literally a full gift collection of women’s favorite items. Although everything added here is not as expensive as those few bottles of wine, Mrs. Lane probably wouldn’t mind since the things that she likes are different from what Mr. Lane likes.

 

 

She was guessing that Grace would be delighted to see these gifts just like Curtis.

 

 

Following that, Sonia repackaged the gifts so that they wouldn’t look like they had been opened before massaging her temples and sighing. “He has really outdone himself this time.”

 

 

It is enough to prepare a gift for each of them since we’re only going out for dinner. I can’t believe he actually prepared so many gifts. Does he want them to get a stroke from being too happy or something?

 

 

At the thought of that, Sonia’s phone that was on her desk started ringing.

 

 

Immediately, she stopped what she was doing and headed to her desk. When she glanced at her phone and saw Toby’s name on the caller ID, she smirked.

 

 

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This Time, I Will Get My Divorce, Mr Chapter 910

 

 

 Something Bad Happened

 

 

As expected, Sonia knew that Toby would contact her.

 

 

Since he had already gotten someone to send these gifts over, he would surely want to make sure that his gifts were appropriate.

 

 

At that thought, she answered the call without any hesitation. “Hello?”

 

 

“Did you see the gifts?” The man’s magnetic voice rang out from the other end of the call.

 

 

Just then, Sonia sat down on the single-seated couch and stared at the gift bags in front of her before smiling and nodding. “I did.”

 

 

“Do you think my gifts are appropriate? Do I still need to prepare more?” Toby, who was sitting on a vintage sandalwood chair in the manor, straightened his back and asked.

 

 

Sonia felt her mouth twitching a little. “More? Please don’t.”

 

 

“Why?”

 

 

“Are you seriously asking why?” she cried out. “Are you planning to scare them off by preparing so many gifts?”

 

 

“Is it too much?” Toby tilted his head a little. It was obvious that he didn’t feel like he had prepared a lot.

 

 

Sonia rolled her eyes. “To you, it might not be a lot, but to people like us, it’s just too much. It’s only your first time visiting, so you shouldn’t need to prepare so much. Just one for each of them is already enough. Nevertheless, they will still be happy to receive your gifts.”

 

 

After all, anyone would be happy to receive estate-bottled wine and the latest makeup products that hadn’t been released yet.

 

 

Hearing her reply, Toby chuckled. “It’s fine. These aren’t much anyway. Didn’t you say that I should treat them like my own parents? If that’s the case, I can’t just simply prepare my gifts for them.”

 

 

“I did say that… but these are too lavish.” Sonia frowned, but Toby shook his head. “It’s not since I have the financial capability to do so. Besides, I’d naturally give them the best of the best to thank them for taking care of you since they treated you so well.”

 

 

She was taken aback by his reply. “Are you saying that you did all these to express your gratitude?”

 

 

“Yes.” Toby nodded. “They deserve it, after all. If you only treat them as your elders, and they’re only alright to you, I won’t put in so much effort to prepare these gifts. Instead, I could have just prepared them gifts that I usually give others. However, since you’ve mentioned that you guys are close because you treat them as your own parents, and they treat you like a daughter, I can’t be perfunctory as your man. Doing so will make it look like you’re not important to me. I’m preparing all these gifts to let the Lane couple know that I’m willing to spend my all to make them happy for you, which indirectly shows how much I love you, and that you didn’t make a wrong decision to get back together with me.”

 

 

He was willing to spend all this money because Sonia was important to her.

 

 

Although it sounded superficial, being willing to spend for a partner was a great implication of how much the person valued their significant other, and that was the truth.

 

 

Nonetheless, Sonia didn’t expect the real reason why Toby prepared so many gifts was because of her.

 

 

This made her feel warm and giddy all over.

 

 

“I see. I guess we will go with these gifts since you’ve already prepared them.” Sonia’s voice took a gentle turn.

 

 

Initially, she was planning to get Toby to take some of the gifts back as one gift per person was enough.

 

 

However, she had decided that it didn’t matter.

 

 

Since he’s doing this to express his gratitude to Mr. and Mrs. Lane for taking care of me and wants them to know that he really cares about me, I can’t disregard his good intentions, can I?

 

 

Upon hearing Sonia’s reply, the corners of Toby’s lips curled up. “The gifts are alright, aren’t they?”

 

 

“Yes, they are.” Sonia nodded. “If these gifts are problematic, it would be an insult for other gifters.”

 

 

Toby chuckled. “That’s good to know. I’ll come over to pick you up at 7.00PM tonight.”

 

 

Sonia hummed in acknowledgment. “Alright. I’ll be waiting for you in the lobby. By the way, are you still at Grandma’s place?”

 

 

“Yeah.” Toby nodded. “Grandma is taking an afternoon nap right now, so I’m waiting for her to wake up.”

 

 

“I see. I thought that you have already returned to Fuller Group.” Sonia reached out for the teapot on her coffee table before pouring herself a cup of tea.

 

 

The tea had already gone cold, and it tasted slightly bitter.

 

 

Sonia placed the cup back onto the table with a frown and didn’t drink from it anymore.

 

 

“I’m not returning to the Fuller Group today. I’ll head to Paradigm Co. to pick you up after my discussion with Grandma,” Toby replied gently while Sonia smiled. “Well, since Grandma is not awake yet, why don’t I accompany you if you’re bored?”

 

 

Immediately, Toby straightened his back, and his gaze brightened. “Sure!”

 

 

He’d be a fool to reject Sonia, who offered to accompany him.

 

 

Noticing the excitement and happiness in the man’s voice, Sonia couldn’t help but laugh.

 

 

The two of them continued chatting about everything from the gifts to worrying job matters before they started gossiping about Charles and Daphne.

 

 

Nevertheless, Sonia was mostly the one doing the talking while Toby listened and chimed in to give some suggestions occasionally.

 

 

Unknowingly, they had already been on call for about two hours, and the time now was 5.00 PM.

 

 

Sonia had barely gotten any job done in her office during the entire noon as she had been consoling Daphne and talking to Toby.

 

 

Staring at her desk piled up with documents, she felt like crying at the thought that there would be more documents on her desk tomorrow.

 

 

Nevertheless, she didn’t regret talking to Toby for the entire noon and disregarding her job as none of these documents were urgent or important.

 

 

If that wasn’t the case, she wouldn’t have spoken to Toby on the phone for so long as she still had her priorities well sorted.

 

 

“President Reed.” Right then, the door to her office was opened, and one of Daphne’s assistants appeared at the entrance of her office with an anxious look. “Something bad happened.”

 

 

Seeing how anxious the assistant looked and the fact that they didn’t even bother knocking, Sonia knew that something really bad must have happened.

 

 

Immediately, she couldn’t care less about Toby anymore as she placed her phone down and asked with a stern expression, “What happened?”

 

 

The assistant huffed for air to calm himself down before quickly replying, “The factory that we are working with said that the supplies that we ordered got stolen by another party.”

 

 

“What?!” Sonia stood up abruptly. “Who did it?”

 

 

105418

 

 

Although Toby couldn’t hear the assistant’s voice clearly from the other end of the call, he could still vaguely hear Sonia’s voice.

 

 

Upon sensing the shock and disbelief in her voice, he frowned. “Sonia, what happened?”

 

 

Nevertheless, Sonia didn’t answer him as she had already placed her phone on her desk and couldn’t hear him.

 

 

Then, she moved away from her desk and headed to the assistant. “How could it get stolen? We customized those supplies and paid a deposit. All that’s left is the final payment after getting our supplies. Our company’s logo had been literally printed on those supplies, so who would take them away? What about the factory? How dare they give away our supplies when we already signed a contract with them?”

 

 

The assistant smiled wryly. “They really did it, though. Just now, we received a call from the factory saying that they had already shipped our supplies to the other party. They knew that they were in the wrong for breaking the contract and are willing to pay double for our liquidated damages.”0

 

 

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