Chapter 5 A Deal Of $50 Million

Zoey hurriedly moved forward and intervened, pushing aside the housemaid, who was about to administer the medicine.

She had rushed to the scene upon hearing of Julian's awakening, but she was taken aback by what she found.

Fixing her gaze upon Julian, Zoey implored, "Julian, this woman is your wedded consort by my arrangement. How can you subject her to such treatment? Release her at once!"

The bodyguards exchanged uneasy glances but refrained from releasing their hold.

Corinne squirmed uncomfortably under the grasp, her eyes brimming with tears as they met Julian's.

Julian's gaze turned icy as he uttered with dispassion, "Release her."

The bodyguards promptly released Corinne, heeding Julian's command.

Corinne drew deep breaths, clutching her chest as her tumultuous emotions found solace.

Zoey promptly inquired about Corinne's well-being, to which she responded with a reassuring nod.

"Mother, I intend to commence divorce proceedings with her tomorrow."

Julian's tone, devoid of emotion, resembled more of a statement than a dialogue.

Zoey's countenance took on an unusual hue as she retorted icily, "No way. Corinne is now your lawful spouse. Henceforth, she stands as your only consort. I pledged to Corinne to safeguard her welfare."

"In that case, you can marry her," Julian remarked casually, devoid of any joke.

Zoey's eyes widened in disbelief as she retorted with a fit of coughing, "You're infuriating me! It's like you're intentionally trying to provoke me to the point of exploding!"

Julian's gaze flickered imperceptibly.

Zoey's complexion drained of color, and her voice strained as she spoke. "When you were incapacitated before, nobody else was willing to commit except Corinne. So, unless I'm out of the picture, divorce isn't even an option."

In the ensuing moment, Zoey expelled a spurt of blood.

Julian's eyes flickered with a surge of emotion. "Why is everyone just standing around? Help my mother go back to her room and get Dr. George here again."

The nearby bodyguard promptly complied. "Certainly!" He then hoisted Zoey with urgency, escorting her to an adjacent chamber.

Observing the commotion, Corinne remained in a daze, her instinct urging her to pursue, yet Julian's intervention halted her progress.

Julian regarded her with frigid indifference. "The divorce is postponed for the time being. But until my mother is fully recovered, you are not permitted to leave."

Surprise washed over Corinne. "Julian, what gives you the right..."

"This is my home," Julian retorted, a touch of derision playing in his eyes. "You're my wife. Allowing you to remain at home and live a life of luxury, isn't that fair?"

He stressed "my wife" with biting sarcasm.

Corinne's heart plummeted.

She could do nothing but watch him depart, feeling powerless.

The servant exchanged sympathetic looks with Corinne but dared not defy Julian's orders. Silently, they shut the door.

Silence enveloped the room in an instant as Corinne sank weakly onto the bed.

It appeared that the situation was far more challenging than she had imagined.

And thus, Corinne found herself confined to the servants' quarters, forbidden from leaving for an entire month.

During this month-long confinement, it felt like imprisonment for her. Her appetite dwindled, and bouts of nausea led to occasional vomiting.

This afternoon, Corinne received a phone call from the legal firm her father had been working with.

"Ms. Gibson, we've organized the assets held under your father's name. There are a total of 89 apartments, 11 villas, 5 luxury automobiles, 3 pieces of land, a 45% share in Gibson Group, assorted options, stocks valued at over 10 million, and a cash flow of 80 million."

Despite the substantial assets, liquidity was a concern.

The lawyer added, "Since your father didn't leave a will, you won't be able to inherit all of the property. Your uncle's pushing for a fair split of the estate through arbitration."

Split it evenly?

Corinne's blood boiled with outrage. How could her uncle even consider divvying up her father's estate? Outrageous!

"Absolutely not! I'd sooner toss it all into the sea than share it with him," Corinne declared, her teeth clenched.

The lawyer seemed to have anticipated Corinne's reaction and explained, "However, according to the laws of our country, if a critically ill person remains unconscious for more than three months and there is no notarized will, then relatives have the right to divide the estate. That is unless you can provide a security deposit of five percent of the estate's value, which amounts to one hundred million; the timeframe can be extended to six months."

A hundred million!

She only had the $50 million pre-advancement bride price Zoey had given her that day and no other funds. But she couldn't sit idly by as her father's property slipped into the hands of those scoundrels.

Where could she possibly drum up fifty million?

A stern face flashed in Corinne's mind, causing her heart to skip a beat.

Julian.

At that moment, the door creaked open, flooding the room with glaring light from outside.

Her gaze shifted towards the door, where Julian's towering figure loomed. "Come," he commanded. "My mother requests your presence."

Corinne's breath hitched slightly.

Rising to her feet, she met Julian's gaze. "I need to speak with you," she asserted.

"I've got nothing to discuss with you except our divorce," Julian stated coldly.