Crises in Love (Zora and Jaylan)
Chapter 463

After what seemed like an eternity, he lifted his tear-streaked face to look at me, managing a sinister smile through his misery. "Divorce? Sure, I'll agree to your terms... but I have one condition of my own." Finally, he was talking. Of course, I knew what his 'condition' would be.

I smiled, content and confident, then spoke with deliberate emphasis, "You're in no position to bargain with me!"

"Then forget about getting a divorce!" He wore a shamelessly defiant look. "If we split, who's going to deal with all the debts? If I die... the kids will be fatherless!"

"That's fine by me. They'll take the Wilburn name. They don't need a father!" My reply was adamant and final.

His expression froze for a moment, his clenched fists whitening at the knuckles.

"Aaliyah, the only way you're getting out of this marriage is if you give me your shares in VitalAxis Pharmaceuticals," he spat out before turning to storm up the stairs.

"Jaylan, you'd better just sign the divorce papers! It's the only way you're walking away with any freedom. Otherwise... don't blame me for what happens next!" I was unwavering, typing a number into my phone and flashing it at him with a mischievous smirk. "You know what this is. Think about the consequences."

He glanced at the three digits on my phone and froze on the spot. His expression grew darker and more menacing by the second, but I pressed on, seizing my advantage, "This is your one chance at freedom. Sign the papers, or I press this button and turn you in. Your choice."

We stood there, locked in a standoff, sparks of hatred flying between our eyes.

"Aaliyah, you're pushing me too far! If you want a war, you've got one..." With a roar, he lunged at me, his hands reaching out with furious intent.

I rolled off the couch with cool agility, dodging to the other side.

From behind the couch, Larkin leaped into action, pressing his hand against the back of the sofa and vaulting over it. His foot connected squarely with Jaylan's chest, sending him stumbling backward until he landed on the floor with a heavy thud.

Fuming, he glared at Larkin but yelled my name instead. "Aaliyah... you've been hiding a man in our house!"

I rose steadily from behind the sofa, phone still in hand, and said with icy clarity, "Did you honestly think you were pulling off the perfect crime without me having a clue?"

Sitting on the floor, his eyes burned with rage at the sight of me - the hatred was clear.

"Hannah!" I called out, "Show him! Let's see if it jogs his memory!" She emerged, stepping toward Jaylan with a tablet in her hand.

She held a tablet in her hand, flipping through the content meticulously. As he watched, his face incrementally drained of color and his body began to tremble with unstoppable intensity...

I regained my composure and asked calmly, "Is this enough for you?"

"Do you think the hitmen who died in that car crash left no trace? Their recovered phones - do you think your tracks are truly covered? And your hidden illness, spreading the virus at will - do you think the police won't pursue you for that?"

He sat up, staring at me in disbelief.

"How could you know all this? Aaliyah, what have you done?" Jaylan was thoroughly unsettled now.

"That's my question to you!" I put away my phone, tired of this battle, and took the two divorce agreements that Hannah presented again, flinging them in front of him. "Sign them!"

Jaylan looked up at me, his face slowly crumpling into defeat. Then, suddenly, he scrambled to his feet, fell to his knees before me, and clutched at my legs, crying and pleading, "Honey, please... don't be so heartless. I was wrong... I truly was!"

I looked down at him with disdain, attempting to shake off his grasp. But he clung to me with the tenacity of an octopus, "Think of our children. Don't abandon me; I've got nowhere to go. I've lost everything - my mother, Medsafe Liyah Inc. Without you, I... I've got nothing but a dead end. Allie... I love you. I've always loved you; I swear it's true..."

"Sign the papers. Maybe then I'll consider you a man of some decency," I stood firm, looking down at Jaylan as he groveled at my feet.

He looked up, his eyes red as if bleeding, "Are you really so heartless?"

"Jaylan, can you feel mercy for someone who has tried to kill you over and over again? Every time you planned my death, yet I've given you a chance to live. Isn't that mercy enough?" My voice was soft but carried an unmistakable power.

"Better to sign these papers and leave with some dignity than to beg like a dog. You better think about how you're going to pay your debts once you leave here."

I smirked inwardly. The moment he walked out that door, his life would be a living hell.