Beyond the Divorce

Lauren furrowed her brow. "Melvern, the second son of the Sunny family? Didn't the Sunny family move overseas? Why are you suddenly asking about them?"

I realized that Lauren did know him. I quickly explained, "Yes, they moved, but Melvern's been active in Foswood recently. Do you know about his past relationship with Liora?"

I looked at Lauren, holding onto a glimmer of hope that she might have some insider information.

Lauren frowned. "I don't really know much about Melvern. When I came to Foswood, the Sunny family was already showing signs of decline. I hadn't met Oliver at the time, so I didn't have any contact with the Sunny family. But everyone knew that they had to move. The Sunny family were still important in Foswood."

Her words left me somewhat disappointed. It seemed that this matter with the Sunny family was a well-guarded secret.

"As far as I know, Melvern was Liora's first love, and she married Atticus later. I think something must have happened there."

"Oh, is that so? I had no idea," Lauren said with a hint of surprise.

I continued, "I suspect that Atticus's rejection of the Thompson family must have some hidden secrets. Apparently, after Liora married Atticus, she would still contact Melvern in private. Atticus definitely wouldn't tolerate that."

Lauren nodded. "Atticus is a proud man; he wouldn't tolerate being cuckolded.

"So, I think that Melvern's return is related to the substantial sum of money he secretly invested in Liora's plan. I'm convinced he has an ulterior motive."

I analyzed the details with Lauren, who frowned while she pondered the situation. Finally, she turned to me and suggested, "I think you should ask Atticus about the Sunny family, Chlo. You might be able to find out something from him."

Lauren's words enlightened me.

She was right. I could use this opportunity to get some information and delve deeper into Atticus.

But...

I hesitated and looked at Lauren, "Lauren, do you think it might be too sudden to ask Atticus about this directly? He's quite..."

Lauren chuckled weakly, "No."

She interrupted before I could finish, clearly understanding my thoughts.

"There's nothing sudden about this. If Atticus has already spoken to you about his divorce, that means he doesn't have reservations about this topic with you. He may be cunning, but he's discerning about the people he keeps around him. I think he has a good impression of you. At the very least, he trusts you."

"To be honest, I never expected to have such a rapport with Atticus admitted sincerely. "But when I first met him, things were quite tense because of the situation his

subordinates caused."

I mentioned the complications of my initial acquaintance with Atticus, which had left a lingering feeling of discomfort.

Lauren looked at me with a weak smile and said, "Actually, it's the opposite, Chlo. Do you know why you've captivated him?"

"Hmm?" I looked at Lauren.

"Men respect women like you who are ambitious in their careers."NôvelD(ram)a.ôrg owns this content.

I smiled calmly. "I was pushed to the wall, to be honest."

She shook her head and continued, "Your beauty gives you a favorable first impression. You might appear to be proud, but you're

down-to-earth and honest in conversations, which creates a second positive impression. You're not forceful, you don't forget doyalty for personal gain, you're genuine, and people feel comfortable with you. That's the third positive impression. You have a lot of

self-respect as well. That's why men don't act rashly with you out of

respect."

I was a little stunned by Lauren's analysis. Her understanding of men was something I could never achieve, and her insights left me in awe.

"That's why you've won the favor of a man like Atticus. He definitely has a favorable impression of you, and he can't resist you. That's what's most tempting to him."

"Enough, stop it. You're giving me chills." I shot a glance at Lauren. "I never intended to tempt him."