After the CEO Divorced Me, He Wants Me Back (Aveline and Lucas)

"But what?" Sidney asked, still puzzled.

carefree life."

Maria sank into the couch, her slender body relaxed as she gazed at Sidney. "Miss Powell's suggestion actually gave me an idea. If you and I got married, the studio would become shared property. You wouldn't have to pay a cent to run it, and I could take off and live my Sidney stared at her, utterly bewildered. "Marriage?"Copyright Nôv/el/Dra/ma.Org.

"That's right." Maria nodded, resting her chin on her hand and giving him a playful wink. "What do you think? Interested?"

Without a word, Sidney turned and headed for the door.

This was insane.

First Fawn, now Maria-was every woman in his life losing their mind?

"I'm telling you, if you walk away now, this opportunity won't come around again. I'm being reasonable today, but who knows about tomorrow?" Maria called after him, her tone teasing but calm.

His only response was the sound of the door closing behind him.

"Tsk..." Maria muttered to herself.

He had his principle, huh?

Men with that kind of integrity were hard to come by these days.

She tilted her head back, staring at the ceiling, a deep sense of melancholy washing over her.

Was it worth it to keep chasing someone who didn't love her?

In the beginning, it seemed like a fun game.

But as time went on, it started to feel... hollow.

Why make things difficult for herself?

She was supposed to be free-spirited, living life on her own terms.

With that thought, Maria stood up, took a long shower, and went to bed.

The next day, several people came by to inquire about the studio's transfer.

Maria spent the whole day talking with potential buyers, exhausted by the end of it, but still hadn't made a deal. Most of the interested parties were fresh graduates looking to start a business. They all thought her asking price was too high and wanted to buy it for less. Maria, looking exhausted, stepped out of the building and spotted Sidney standing nearby, his eyes already fixed on her.

Was he... waiting for her?

A bit puzzled, she walked over, tossing her car keys into his hands before slipping into the passenger seat without a word. Sidney got in, started the engine, and drove off.

"Are you hungry?" he asked after a while.

Too tired to speak much, Maria mumbled, "Take me home."

"Alright," he replied, and didn't say anything further.

Maria dozed off during the drive.

When she awoke, the sky had

darkened and the car had stopped outside her building. Blinking sleepily, she turned to see Sidney, his eyes closed, resting as well.

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For a moment, she quietly watched him, then unfastened her seatbelt and leaned closer.

She tapped his nose gently.

When his eyes opened, she swiftly climbed onto his lap, straddling him.

Sidney froze but didn't move.

"What are you doing?" he asked, his voice calm despite the situation.

Maria was practically pressed up against him, her hands resting on his shoulders as she smiled mischievously. "Why'd you come looking for me again? Didn'tŷou storm off last night?"

"No manners at all," she thought, a little amused.

Sidney looked at her, his tone steady. "I wanted to ask if there were any other conditions."

Maria tilted her head in thought. "Hmm, either six hundred thousand dollars, or... marry me."

Sidney pulled out a bank card and handed it to her. "There's three hundred thousand dollars in this."

"What's this for?" Maria glanced at the card, then back at him, her eyes narrowing playfully. "I told you-it's six hundred thousand dollars."

"Three hundred thousand dollars,"

Sidney explained. "I'll invest in the studio. I'll take the majority stake, and you can do whatever you want. You won't have to deal with the business, just collect your share of the profits."

Maria looked at the card, then back at Sidney, considering his offer with a smile that hinted at a new game.