The door opened wide, yet the person who stepped inside was not the guest they had been waiting for, but Jillian, accompanied by Leland.
As soon as Dennis noticed the man beside her, his expression tightened with clear irritation.
For a brief second, Melany froze and leaned forward to check the hallway behind Jillian, only to find it empty. Then she turned her attention back to Leland, confusion evident on her face. "Jillian, why are you here? And who exactly is he?"
Instead of answering, Jillian ignored her completely and walked over to the table before settling into the vacant seat beside Dennis as if she belonged there.
Watching this, Melany's face grew visibly more severe. "This dinner means a great deal to me. Dr. Hadley is about to arrive, and Dennis made special arrangements for this meeting. Would you mind leaving?"
Desperation crept into her tone as she glanced at Dennis. "Dennis, please ask her to go. I'm still shaken from what she did to my hair. If she says anything inappropriate in front of Dr. Hadley, it could damage my future in academia."
A sharp and humorless laugh slipped from Jillian. "You were the one who invited me, and now you expect me to leave?"
A sharp edge crept into Melany's voice as it rose. "We invited you? Are you so jealous of Dennis introducing me to Dr. Hadley that you have to lie just to stay? Do you even understand who Dr. Hadley is? Someone like you could never work your way into his circle. Leave now and spare us the embarrassment. If you behave, I might even speak on your behalf once I earn his approval."
Only then did Leland shift his focus to her, and his tone carried open disdain. "Do you even have any idea who Jillian is?"
With a mocking smile, Melany replied, "She's just a minor researcher from the Miller Group. Oh, right. I nearly forgot. You were already dismissed. That makes you nothing now."
Turning her head at a measured pace, Jillian faced her with a chilling smile. "If I'm nothing, then what does that make you? Someone who steals?"
Melany faltered. However, when she noticed the shadow forming on Dennis's face, she chose to press further. "Jillian, he's quite eager to defend you. Who is he supposed to be? Your new man?"
An oppressive silence filled the room as Dennis remained quiet, yet the tension around him grew heavier.
Just as Jillian was about to respond, he rose from his seat without warning. Before she could pull away, he grabbed her wrist and dragged her out of the room.
Leland tried to step in and stop them, but Dennis moved far too quickly, and his grasp met nothing but air.
Frustration set in as Leland clenched his jaw, and a dull ache spread through his chest.
Believing Dennis was about to confront Jillian harshly, Melany allowed a satisfied smile to appear in her eyes.
Paying no attention to Jillian's resistance, Dennis kicked open the door of a nearby empty private room, pulled her inside, and slammed the door shut before pressing her firmly against it.
A dangerous intensity filled his voice as he spoke. "The same man again? Jillian, do you really think I would tolerate this?" Standing over her, the coldness in his gaze felt sharp enough to chill her to the core.
Even though she could not escape, Jillian refused to back down and met his stare without hesitation. "So you're jealous? What's this supposed to mean? Have you actually fallen for me?"
"I might care about someone else, but it would never be you." As Dennis spoke, his hand lifted and his thumb brushed harshly across her lower lip.
In his mind, she had always been calculating and merciless. Back then, his grandfather had even threatened his own life just to force Dennis into marrying her.
A sharp pain tore through Melany's chest as his words struck deep. Air seemed to vanish from her lungs, leaving her momentarily breathless. All along, Dennis's heart had belonged to Melany, the girl from his past. By even asking that question, she had only made a fool of herself.
With a chilling edge in his voice, Dennis said, "As long as you still carry the title of my wife, you will know how to act."
Refusing to yield, Jillian forced down the ache and knocked his hand away. "I don't belong to you," she said firmly. "His name is Leland Wilson. He's my lawyer. Do you understand?"
"A lawyer? You expect him to take on your divorce?" Dennis's voice dropped further. "Are you sure he even has the nerve to accept it?"
That confidence came from the overwhelming power he held, backed by both wealth and influence.
"He's not handling the divorce. He's representing me in the patent dispute. As for everything between us, we'll deal with it piece by piece," Jillian answered without hesitation.
A deeper frown formed on his face, and anger simmered beneath his words. "You're still refusing to let this go? If you push this to court, you'll only embarrass yourself in front of everyone again."
Although another wave of pain hit her, she remained steady and unshaken. "That work belongs to me, and I'm taking it back. This time, I'm not stepping aside."
A dangerous shadow settled over Dennis's gaze as he spoke. "If you want him completely cut off from the legal field, then go ahead and test me."
Shock flickered across Jillian's face, and her eyes narrowed. "Is intimidation the only method you know?"
With a cold and detached tone, he answered, "I don't threaten. I give orders. From this moment on, you will remain at Aurora Mansion. You're not allowed to meet anyone."
Anger surged within her, burning through her chest. "What makes you think you can control me? And for your information, I've already moved out."
Closing the distance between them, he leaned in, his presence pressing down on her. "You're still my wife. Where do you think you're going?"
"That won't be true for long. I've already returned the house keys, the bank cards, and even the ring." Unfazed, she met his eyes directly.
A flicker of irritation crossed his face as he responded, "So when pleading for a divorce fails, you switch to this separation act? How many times are you going to keep up these ridiculous tricks?"
For a few seconds, Jillian held his gaze in silence before finally speaking. Her voice came out calm and steady. "Dennis, I'm not playing games."
