[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":10},["ShallowReactive",2],{"viewer-data-2603134E5B19-33":3},{"id":4,"number":5,"name":6,"content":7,"isLocked":8,"price":9,"hasRead":8},33,15,"Chapter 15: The Paparazzi's Revelation","\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The paparazzi had somehow tracked them down that evening, setting up camp and snapping pics of all four of them.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Especially Celine Evans and Archer Reynolds.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Archer Reynolds had his arm slung around Celine's shoulders, them standing shoulder-to-shoulder. Celine was pictured exiting a restaurant, linked arm-in-arm with Archer. Archer was seen affectionately buckling Celine’s seatbelt, and then there were shots of Celine and Archer locking eyes, lost in their own world.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Seeing these photos, a sudden surge of fury ignited within him, a wildfire raging uncontrollably.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Then, he saw it – a photo of Archer Reynolds embracing Celine, a gentle smile on his face.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">That fireball seemed to instantly shatter all his defenses, exploding straight to the top of his head. His face turned crimson with heat.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Dante's grandfather watched his grandson’s expression shift, a sliver of relief washing over him.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">His grandson still had a spark of hope, it seemed.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">After Dante finished scrolling through the photos, his grandfather spoke with grim finality, \"You tossed aside the one who genuinely cared for you, messing around even after you were married. Now Celine's run off with the Reynolds family's second son. Are you happy now?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"I...\" Dante was momentarily speechless, unable to retort. The photos only fanned the flames of his anger.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">How could they be so chummy?!\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The woman who swore she'd loved him for a decade was now practically making out with another man on the street.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Celine Evans, you really don't think anyone could actually like a woman as repulsive as you, do you?\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">From this moment on, he’d make sure she saw Archer Reynolds for the snake he was, piece by piece.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The next day, back in the office.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Dig up everything on Celine Evans and Archer Reynolds. Every single detail, from birth to now. I want all that dirt on my desk. And keep my grandpa out of the loop on this.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">After his assistant finished outlining the day’s schedule, Dante dropped the bombshell order.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Got it.\" The assistant gathered the signed documents and headed out to make the arrangements.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Dante sauntered over to the floor-to-ceiling window of his office, his gaze drifting across to the Reynolds Group building.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">As two of the city's titans of industry, the Williams Corporation tower and the Reynolds Group edifice stood facing each other across a narrow river, a distant but direct confrontation.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Archer Reynolds.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Dante's memory of him was still stuck in their high school days.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Back then, Archer was the quintessential golden boy, always glued to his books, consistently topping the class.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">But what truly etched Archer into Dante’s mind wasn't his academic genius; it was his infatuation with Isabella Lopez.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">He and Isabella had been inseparable since childhood, their bond exceptionally tight. Isabella was also his first love.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">They were the golden couple, the epitome of perfection in everyone's eyes – both top students, from wealthy families, and, crucially, both ridiculously good-looking.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Knowing their history, nobody dared to even think about stepping in.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Until their senior year, when Archer suddenly confessed his feelings to Isabella.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Even though Isabella didn't reciprocate, the whole incident caused a massive uproar.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Amidst the whispers and speculation, Archer jetted off overseas.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">There was radio silence from him after that. But no matter what, Archer Reynolds was definitely not just some pushover.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The kicker? He and Isabella, the picture-perfect couple, didn't make it either. Because right after college graduation, Isabella, despite his pleas, flat-out left him to pursue her studies abroad.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">...\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Three days later, back in his office, Dante held Celine's entire life story in his hands, growing more and more gobsmacked with every page he turned.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Are you absolutely sure this information is legit?\" Dante asked his assistant, who stood hovering behind him.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"It's all verified, Mr. Williams. Celine Evans’s parents and the sponsorship certificates from your late father and mother can all back this up.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The assistant leaned in, flipping to the final page. It showed a photo of Celine with her parents, alongside bank transfer records of Dante's parents sponsoring Celine.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Dante froze for a beat, confusion clouding his eyes. Then, after a long pause, it was like a lightbulb went off. His expression shifted, morphing into one of sheer astonishment and crushing regret.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"So, everything Celine said about loving me for ten years was a complete fabrication? She was just using that as a way to pay back a debt she felt she owed my parents, to look after me in their stead, is that it?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Dante’s gaze locked onto his assistant as he posed the question.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Recalling everything that had gone down during their three years of marriage – the cruel things he’d done to Celine, his self-righteous humiliations – in Celine's eyes, they must have amounted to absolutely nothing.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Hah...\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Dante suddenly felt like a complete idiot.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">No wonder she’d been so hell-bent on the divorce, even willing to walk away with absolutely nothing.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">She was just desperate to ditch him and start her own fresh chapter.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">How cold-blooded, Celine Evans.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">To settle a debt of gratitude, she married him without a second thought, enduring his abuse and torment without flinching. She lived with a man she had zero feelings for for three whole years, yet still took meticulous care of him.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Suddenly, remembering Celine's last words and gentle reminders to him before she left, a sharp, needle-like pain pierced his heart.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Fine. Just dandy. She took such incredible care of him for so long, made him so reliant on her, only to bail without hesitation once he'd gotten used to her presence, leaving his life in utter chaos.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"What about the other person's file?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Dante took a deep breath, trying to rein in the storm of emotions raging inside him, not forgetting he'd asked his assistant to investigate two people.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The assistant produced another manila folder, hesitating for a moment before handing it over.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Noticing his assistant’s unease, Dante frowned. \"What’s up?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The assistant opened the folder, waiting for Dante to take it before speaking. \"Mr. Williams, getting information on Mr. Archer Reynolds was incredibly difficult. That’s why it took until today...\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Seeing Dante nod, the assistant continued, \"What we managed to dig up is the absolute best we could do.\"\u003C/p>",false,0,1774272932286]