Cold Husband Burning Regret: The Divorce He Couldn't Handle novel Chapter 589

"Go ahead and laugh if you want. I'm used to it anyway," Lilith muttered. Her good mood had been utterly ruined by the night's events and the people involved. What could possibly make her angrier?

Judd let out an imperceptible sigh, his tone softening. "No one is laughing at you. I just wanted to tell you that you can't judge friendships by what's on the surface."

Lilith looked at him, surprised.

The glow of the streetlight fell on Judd's well-defined profile. His expression was calm, yet held a seriousness she couldn't quite decipher.

Could it be that he was trying to comfort her?

The thought made her heart skip a beat. She looked away, feeling a little awkward as she unconsciously picked at the strap of her bag. "I... I know that. I was just... playing along."

Her voice was a bit strained, as if she were trying to hide something.

She had dressed up so carefully tonight, excitedly coming to a party only to be subjected to passive-aggressive remarks by colleagues she thought she could get along with. And to top it all off, Judd had seen everything.

It was as if the word "pathetic" was stamped on her forehead.

The more she thought about it, the more wronged she felt, and the tip of her nose began to sting.

Judd seemed to notice the subtle shift in her emotions. He was silent for a few seconds before he started walking. "Let's go back."

"Oh? No, it's okay, I can get back by myself..." Lilith quickly waved her hands.

"I didn't say I was walking you home."

"..."

Great. So much for feeling touched.

Judd might have said he wasn't walking her home, but since they lived in adjacent complexes, their routes were nearly identical. He just walked a bit faster, and she a bit slower.

But she couldn't shake the feeling that he wasn't actually walking that fast. It was as if he were waiting for her, yet still maintaining a certain distance.

Lilith bit her lip and quickened her pace to catch up. "Judd, were you at the lounge tonight too? I didn't think you'd go to a place like that."

Judd turned and walked into his complex.

...

At Midvale Estates.

Sean was having breakfast with Wesley early the next morning. "What's going on with the company lately? Why are tax authorities secretly investigating the Rayburn Group? There's no official notice yet, but word has already reached the Rayburn patriarch."

Wesley's hand, holding his coffee cup, paused. A complex emotion flickered in his eyes as he looked at his father, but it was quickly masked. "One of our subsidiaries had a minor discrepancy in the tax filing process for an investment project last year. It caused a mismatch in the data. I've already had the legal and finance departments handle it. It won't affect the group's main operations."

Sean frowned. "Why didn't I know about this?"

"I only found out recently myself. But don't worry, I have it under control," Wesley said, then added, "And I suspect someone is fanning the flames behind the scenes, deliberately trying to throw us off our game."

Seeing his son's calm demeanor, Sean felt a little more at ease. He had a good idea who was behind it. "I'm afraid Charlotte's engagement party won't be very peaceful either."

Charlotte happened to be standing on the stairs and heard their entire conversation.