When His Perfect Mask Shattered I Awoke (Anneliese) novel Chapter 10

Chapter 10 Tricking Him Into Signing the Divorce Papers

The man wore a custom–tailored suit, his skin fair and refined, with delicate gold–rimmed glasses perched on his nose.

He had the polished appearance of a gentleman, but there was a touch of roguish charm beneath the surface–a wolf in scholar’s clothing.

Clearly a gossip lover, he immediately set down his cup and leaned shamelessly against the decorative screen to eavesdrop.

Not only was he completely unbothered by the impropriety of it, but he even squinted his eyes and signaled “shh” to the man sitting across from him, who remained still and unmoved.

In a low voice, he whispered, “Tsk. We’re about to witness the wife and the mistress go at it. The wife’s gonna throw cash in her face and send her packing. I’m betting three million- come on, pick a number. If you lose, that new Koenigsegg in your garage is mine.”

Across from him, the other man held a celadon cup, his long fingers slowly tracing the rim. His gaze remained cool and disinterested, as if he hadn’t heard a word.

Joel Callahan pressed again, “Come on, hurry! If I lose, I’ll give you a one–point cut on the contract!”

That finally earned a scoff. “I bet the wife won’t give her a single penny.”

Joel was speechless. That’s a hell of a gap.

Shaking his head, he leaned in closer and whispered, “You’re definitely gonna lose. Jonathan, you’re a genius when it comes to flying jets, but you don’t know the first thing about catfights. If this woman didn’t plan to throw money around, she wouldn’t have picked such a discreet, high–end coffeehouse for the showdown.

“Just wait and see–my experience comes from devouring every romance novel and soap opera out there. I know what I’m talking about.”

Surrounded by fragrant steam and the earthy scent of coffee, Jonathan set his cup down. His long fingers tapped once on the table, signaling Joel to refill his coffee.

As Joel leaned in to pour, he heard Jonathan drawl lazily, “And you got this stupid from watching all that?”

Joel went silent. With a mouth like that, why not skip the coffee and drink cyanide instead?

On the other side of the screen, Anneliese ignored Coral’s feigned innocence and deliberately provocative smile.

Moving at a steady, composed pace, she poured the ground coffee into the coffee pot. Then, she lifted the kettle and poured the water into the pot to brew the coffee.

As the aroma of freshly brewed coffee drifted through the air, Anneliese finally pushed a cup toward Coral and spoke.

“No one’s asking you to leave him. Go ahead, have a taste.”

Suspicion flickered across Coral’s face. Compared to Anneliese’s unruffled calm, she clearly couldn’t keep her composure.

“Really? If you’re not here to warn me off, are you seriously just offering me coffee?”

Seeing that she didn’t touch the cup, Anneliese didn’t push. Instead, she lifted her own and took a delicate sip. “Ms. Slenderidge, you say you don’t want to ruin my marriage–but that doesn’t seem to be the case.”

If she truly didn’t want to compete, why send those provocative photos?

Coral’s ambition had been obvious from the moment they first met. She wasn’t content with being a fling–she wanted the title, the upgrade.

Clutching her fingers together, Coral still couldn’t read Anneliese’s tone or intention. The longer they sat, the more she began to suspect she was being recorded. Her voice trembled, and her eyes turned red as she whispered, “I didn’t…”

Anneliese had no interest in watching Coral play the victim. She set her phone on the table and tapped the screen lightly. “Relax. I’m not recording. It’s just the two of us here. Let’s be honest with each other… and maybe work together?”

Coral frowned. From her point of view, they were on completely opposing sides. What kind of “cooperation” could there possibly be?

“Are you kidding me? Is this some kind of joke?”

Anneliese’s unusual calm was throwing her off. Feeling uneasy, Coral stood up, ready to leave. But Anneliese reached into her bag and handed her a document.

“Why not take a look before you go?”

“Divorce papers? What the hell is this sumosed to mean?” Coral’s voice turned sharp the moment she saw the title on those pages.

Behind the screen, Joel’s mouth formed a perfect O. Okay… this wife isn’t playing around.

Then, that same clear, melodic voice floated out again.

Just as you see–I’m divorcing Zacharias. And you want to take my place. So, in a way, we share the same goal. He’s refusing to sign right now, which is why I’m hoping you’ll use your position to trick him into signing these papers.

“It shouldn’t be too hard for you, should it?”

Coral’s eyes widened. “Are you insane? Even if he does sign it without reading, once he finds out, he can still contest it. And don’t you need both parties present at the courthouse? He’ll know eventually.”

This is pointless. A waste of time.

Coral was convinced Anneliese was setting her up.

If she really used her position to get Zacharias to sign this, Anneliese could easily expose her. Then she’d not only be blamed for sabotaging the marriage, but also seen as manipulative and calculating. Zacharias would lose all trust in her, maybe even fire her as his secretary.

Coral raised the papers, ready to throw them back at Anneliese. But Anneliese calmly said, “All you need to do is get him to sign. I’ll handle the rest. Ms. Slenderidge, I’m determined to get this divorce.”

with compromising photos or other threats. Zacharias‘ fury would fall squarely on Anneliese’s shoulders. But what Coral still didn’t understand was–why was Anneliese doing this?

Does she really want a divorce? Surely not…

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