《The Forsaken Wife's Empire》全部章節：第 31 章 - 第 40 章

(Patricia’s POV)“No need to read anything,” he said coldly. “If the president needs it urgently, we dare not keep her waiting.”He handed the signed paper back to James and turned sharply to me, his eyes filled with disgust.“Mr. James, I want this mad woman kicked out of this building,” he said in a quiet but commanding tone.James turned to me, anger burning in his eyes. I could tell he hated how I had to stand there alone, taking all their insults. I knew he was just waiting for me to say one word, and he’d throw them all out of the hotel without hesitation.But I wasn’t going to let that happen. That would ruin everything.Today was the Bedford Annual Shareholders’ Meeting, being held right here in my hotel. It was also the day I planned to reveal my first surprise to the Bedfords. I needed them to stay.“What are you waiting for, Mr. James?” Lucy snapped furiously. “She doesn’t belong here! Send her out immediately!”“I’m sorry, Miss Bedford,” James replied politely, keeping his

(Mason’s POV) “Let’s proceed with the votes, please,” the officiant said. The ballot box was brought in right away, and ballot papers were handed out to all the shareholders. My heart pounded heavily in my chest. This wasn’t the first time we had gone through this process, but for some reason, I felt really nervous this time. The president of Smithfield was influential, and some of the shareholders already looked like they had made up their minds. What if we lost? I took a deep breath to steady my racing heart and wrote down my dad’s name. Then I dropped the ballot inside the box. The other shareholders did the same, and soon, everyone settled down, waiting for the votes to be counted. “Thank you, everyone, for participating,” the officiant said. “Now, we’ll count the votes together.” To ensure transparency, two baskets were brought in... votes for Smithfield’s president went into one, and votes for the Bedfords went into the other. The first three votes went to my dad, and I in

(Raymond’s POV)My heart pounded hard in my chest as our eyes met. It wasn’t the first time, but somehow my body always reacted the same way whenever it happened.My gaze lingered on her face. Then I noticed a loose strand of hair across her cheek, and without thinking, I reached out and brushed it away.Patricia flinched at my touch, but she didn’t move back. She just stood there, staring at me. There was something in her eyes, something I couldn’t quite read.“Patricia…” I murmured before I could stop myself.She swallowed. “Yes?”“I…” I hesitated, my mind racing again.Should I ask her about everything? About the Bedfords? About the news? What if it upset her? Or worse, what if I wasn’t ready to hear her answer? “What is it?” she asked, her tone curious.“It’s uh… it’s about the news,” I finally said. “I heard you’re now the chairman of Bedford Corporation.”She let out a soft laugh, completely different from the reaction I expected.“Isn’t that surprising, Raymond?” she said calm

(Patricia’s POV) We arrived at Julie’s school a few minutes later. The whole place was beautifully decorated. Parents were walking in and out of the building, and children in different costumes ran around happily. A smile spread across my face. It was the first time I had ever attended a school event. I’d never had a child, and I’d never had a reason to be at a school before. But now, being here with Julie felt right. Maybe coming here was the best decision I could have made today. My phone suddenly started ringing, pulling me out of my thoughts. I quickly took it out of my bag and sighed when I saw the name James flashing on the screen. “Hello, ma’am,” he said as soon as I answered. “Everyone is here waiting. Are you coming?” “Something came up, James,” I said calmly. “I won’t be able to make it there today. Please take care of things.” “Is everything okay, ma’am?” he asked, his voice full of concern. “Are you alright...” “Yes, I’m fine,” I said gently, cutting him off. “I’ll

(Patricia’s POV) The driver pulled over in front of a familiar building. The name "The Bedford Corporation" stood boldly on a sky-blue plate at the top. The building looked tall and respectable, but still, it couldn’t compare to the Smithfield Headquarters, my empire. My chest tightened as unpleasant memories of this place flooded back. I remembered how I used to come here, back when Mason and I were still something. I used to make lunch with love and bring it to him at his office. I could never forget the first day I brought him lunch, or how his father treated me that day. “Did you think bringing lunch for him will make you a good wife?” Gilbert spat. “Mason isn’t hungry, and he definitely doesn’t need your food.” “Dad, please be kind,” Mason tried to defend me. “She put a lot of effort into making that.” “Spare me that nonsense, Mason! She’s just a gold digger looking for any possible way to make you love her.” “But I love her…” “No, you love her body and her pretty face,”