Chapter 363: Chapter 362: If Only Renee Jennings Were Dead

Renee Jennings couldn’t help but cough, the dark circles under her eyes impossible to conceal. For the past few days, she had been receiving daily threatening letters from various people. The sight of blood was seared into her mind, leaving her sleepless and on the verge of a mental breakdown.

After careful consideration, she decided to divorce Christina Lynch.

Christina Lynch’s reputation was in tatters. Not only could she no longer profit from him, but she might even be dragged down with him. Most importantly, Christina Lynch was volatile and would hit her whenever he lost his temper. Once, when he was drunk, he even pulled out a kitchen knife and held it to her throat. Renee Jennings had been scared out of her wits, spending the entire night trembling in fear.

Seeing Sophia Zobel beside Christina Lynch, Renee Jennings relaxed slightly. She walked over, suitcase in tow. “Christina Lynch, let’s make this a clean break. I’ve left the divorce papers on the table. Just sign them quickly so we can both move on.”

Christina Lynch looked up from Sophia Zobel’s arms. He seemed a bit more sober now, his eyes filled with hatred as he stared at Renee Jennings. “The divorce papers say you want half of my assets and six percent of the company’s shares?”

Renee Jennings nodded. “The fact is you had an affair during our marriage. It’s caused me tremendous emotional distress, so it’s only right that you provide extra compensation. If you don’t agree, my only option is to take you to court. But I know how much you care about your reputation. We were married, after all. I’d rather not things get that ugly.”

Sophia Zobel shot back first, “Are you out of your mind, Renee Jennings?! You’ve brought so much misery to my son! If you hadn’t seduced him in the first place, none of this would have happened. How do you have the nerve to demand shares?!”

A glint of greed flashed in Renee Jennings’s eyes. “It’s not like I held a knife to his throat and forced him to cheat. How is that my fault?” Her gaze shifted to Christina Lynch. “I can’t go on with you anymore. When we were married, I didn’t care about shares and all that. But now? There’s nothing about you that interests me. You’d better sign those papers fast, or don’t blame me for exposing more of your dirty secrets.”

Christina Lynch stared at her, his expression grim. “Six percent of the shares? In your dreams!”

Renee Jennings smoothed her hair. “That’s fine. I’m not in a hurry. You’ll come around.”

With that, Renee Jennings picked up her suitcase and left.

Watching her leave, Sophia Zobel nearly fainted. “Oh my God, how did the Lynch Family end up with a venomous snake for a daughter-in-law?!”

Sophia Zobel cried out to the heavens for a moment before heading upstairs, leaving Christina Lynch slumped on the carpet downstairs for a long time.

A shrill ring jolted him. Christina Lynch was about to smash his phone but froze when he saw the caller ID. It was Victor Vance.

After the scandal broke, Christina Lynch had called Victor Vance countless times. He was baffled. How had she found out about everything? How had his life fallen apart so quickly?

He answered, and Victor Vance’s voice came through the receiver. She was a woman from the south, and her tone was as gentle as ever, yet it carried an undeniable authority:

“Christina Lynch.”

Hearing his name felt like a call from another lifetime. Christina Lynch shuddered.

“Are you listening, Christina Lynch? I need you to agree to the change in Mona’s custody, and quickly. If you have a single shred of conscience left, or even an ounce of fatherly love for Mona, give him back to me. If you refuse, I’ll file a suit in court. It’ll take longer, but I have all the time in the world.”

Christina Lynch struggled up from the floor and sat on the sofa. His voice was hoarse, a remnant of his drinking. “Victor Vance… how did you find out? I thought I covered my tracks perfectly.”

Victor Vance was silent for two seconds. “If you don’t want people to know, you shouldn’t do it. Are you so sure you were the only one who knew?”

Her words sent a jolt through Christina Lynch, leaving his mind racing with possibilities.

“Are you… are you saying Renee Jennings told you?”

’He thought he had been flawless back then. The only other person who knew was Renee Jennings, with whom he’d been so passionately entangled at the time.’

Then he frowned. “No…”

’What good would exposing the past do Renee Jennings? We’re in the same boat.’

Victor Vance ignored his question. “This Saturday is your final deadline. If you don’t agree, I’m filing with the court.”

The BEEP-BEEP-BEEP of the busy signal came through the line…

Clutching the cold metal phone, Christina Lynch’s thoughts churned. Perhaps it was the alcohol, but his mind felt sluggish, not as sharp as it used to be.

’Renee Jennings wouldn’t have blabbed. But if she didn’t, who else could have?’

’He thought of the only other person who knew, but Sophia Zobel would never hurt him. Besides, she didn’t even know the details of what happened back then.’

Christina Lynch mulled it over and over. The most likely scenario was that Renee Jennings had let it slip.

’That damned, stupid woman! After ruining me like this, she still has the nerve to demand money and shares…’

His phone rang again. This time, it was his older brother.

’Christina Lynch’s eyes lit up. After all this time, my brother’s finally willing to talk to me.’

The moment the call connected, he cried out desperately, “Brother, help me!”

His brother’s voice was colder and more serious than he had ever heard it:

“That’s enough, Nathaniel. How long are you going to keep this up? Things have gotten too big. I can’t save you, don’t you get it? Do you have any idea how much trouble you’ve caused me? For months, the scandals about you and Renee Jennings have been constant, and the company’s stock has been plummeting. And this latest incident… do you realize the damage you’ve done to the company? I’m completely overwhelmed at work. I can barely manage my own affairs, so how am I supposed to save you?”

His brother’s voice was laced with disappointment. “The only reason I’m calling is because Mom asked me to. She doesn’t want you to wallow in despair. Nathaniel, you’re almost forty years old. You can’t keep living like a spoiled child. Pull yourself together. Once this storm blows over, I’ll arrange a position for you at the company. You’ll work under President Dawson and do a good job. Stop thinking about the entertainment business. I told you a long time ago it was a dead end.”

Before Nathaniel could reply, his brother hung up, not even giving him a chance to speak.

His last glimmer of hope was extinguished. He threw his head back and gasped for breath, as if all the life had been drained out of him.

A notification pinged on his phone. It was Renee Jennings, urging him to sign the divorce papers she had drawn up, or else he’d be sorry.

At the same moment, a news alert popped up on his screen:

Disgraced Artist Christina Lynch Accused of Tax Evasion by Insider, Amount Allegedly as High as 80 Million??

Christina Lynch’s breath caught in his throat. He would probably be facing a judicial investigation soon.

Just then, another text arrived from Renee Jennings:

Consider this a small lesson. Don’t forget how much dirt I have on you. The sooner you sign, the better for everyone.

Christina Lynch violently smashed his phone, roaring in fury.

A single, crazed thought began to spin in his mind:

’If Renee Jennings is the cause of all this, then wouldn’t everything be solved if she were dead…?’

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