You Hit My Heart by Kylie Stanford

Chapter 1726: No Return

After finishing her words, Joyce stood up, "Miss Ballard, if your purpose for meetingtoday is to forceto sign the divorce

papers, then your plan has gone astray."

She provocatively looked at Athena, "I absolutely won't sign. Even if this divorce agreement was personally brought toby

Luther, it would be the same. Not to mention if it's you who brought it. | am very skilled at dragging things out. You can give it a

try, see how long | can drag this on. And whether or not you can afford it. As long as | don't sign, you will remain the mistress. You

can drag it out until your looks fade and you have no capital left. You will forever be unable to shake off the identity of a mistress.

Why wouldn't | be happy about that?"

After finishing her words, a smile blossomed on Joyce's lips, instantly overshadowing everything around her.

Athena was completely stunned, unable to find a reason to retort. From childhood to adulthood, besides Luther, no one could make

her back down. Joyce was the second person.

What a formidable tongue she had.

When Athena regained her composure, she realized she was seething with anger.

She couldn't tolerate being in a disadvantageous position.

She thought and thought, finally finding her counterattack, "I didn't expect you to have such thick skin. You insist on clinging to the

Warner family. Brother Luther doesn't love you anymore, what's the point of forcing yourself on him? Lettell you, even if you

don't sign, | have other ways, and | can resort to legal procedures. You won't eat the wedding feast but you'll get the wedding

punishment. When the divorce comes, you'll leave with nothing, no assets, no dignity. Don't blme for not giving you a chance.

If you're sensible, you'll sign now. | will talk to him and make sure he gives you more alimony."

Joyce leisurely picked up the black coffee in front of her. She calmly added sugar and cream, adjusting it to her taste. Only then did

she take a gentle sip.

Athena suddenly stood up, unable to bear it any longer, "Are you trying to delay the matter, meaninglessly? You're just a

abandoned woman, accept your fate. | am the one who will spend my life with Brother Luther!"

Joyce drank her coffee and suddenly looked up.

Their gazes met in Athena's eyes.

"You seem to have forgotten something," Joyce said.

"What?" Athena was puzzled.

"You forgot that | am the young marshal of a warlord," Joyce reminded her.

"So what?" Athena's expression was disdainful, even if she mentioned her own background, she had a noble lineage. She didn't

necessarily regard warlords highly.

"It seems you don't understand Pascaylia's laws," Joyce tutted, shaking her head. "l am in a military marriage with Luther. If a

military spouse requests a divorce, they must obtain the consent of the military personnel. Otherwise, the military personnel has

the right to veto. You didn't even know about this? Don't be foolish, only | can propose the agreement. Sue? He doesn't even have

the qualification to sue. Since this marriage began, only | can decide when it will end. Unless | have committed a major fault, but

obviously, the fault doesn't lie with me. What a pity."

"What did you say?"

Athena felt a surge of anger in her chest, almost suffocating her. She never expected this twist. After Joyce's words, it becclear

that military marriages were protected by the law and couldn't go through the regular legal procedures.

So, as long as this wretched woman refused to divorce, Brother Luther couldn't regain his freedom? This was something she never

anticipated.

Today, she had intended to force Joyce to divorce and humiliate her in the process.

Unexpectedly, not only did she fail to achieve her wish, but she was also played by Joyce. Now, she was utterly humiliated!

Unable to hold back her emotions any longer, Athena slammed the table and stood up, "Joyce, do you not want to leave here alive

today? How dare you provokelike this!"

As Athena slammed the table, several black-clad individuals emerged from behind the cafe screen, each holding a weapon. The

two waiters had long disappeared.

Joyce's eyes turned cold. Indeed, Athena was not simple; she cprepared. Being born into the Ballard Group, Athena had been

exposed to extraordinary things from a young age. Unlike Charlotte, she didn't need external forces; she could control them

herself. Athena was the ultimate boss.

However, all of this was trivial to Joyce; she had seen grander scenes. It was nothing surprising.

Joyce stood up and calmly walked past Athena. She suddenly patted Athena's shoulder.

"This is a matter between the two of us, calling somany people might not be a good idea," Joyce said.

Athena sneered, "Whether it's good or not doesn't matter. What matters is that you must sign today."

Currently, Joyce was pressing on Athena's injured shoulder, causing her intense pain. It was a gnawing, piercing pain that she

would likely carry for the rest of her life. This severe gunshot wound couldn't fully heal, and Joyce was the one who inflicted it upon

her. How could she swallow this?

Athena's reaction made Joyce suspicious.

She noticed that Athena seemed to be in great pain, with cold sweat on her face. It was unusual because nothing seemed

outwardly wrong with Athena's clothes. Why was she in so much pain?

Joyce moved closer and caught a faint whiff of antiseptic.

Her suspicion grew. Could it be a gunshot wound? Only a gunshot wound would cause such severe aftereffects. And not just an

ordinary caliber gun; it must have been a high-caliber firearm or a sniper rifle.

In her mind, a flash of Otis's death appeared.

She had shot the black-clad woman in the shoulder with a sniper rifle. Thinking back, it seemed to be on this side. To further test

Athena, she pressed down forcefully, applying pressure near the wound without mercy.

Sure enough, Athena cried out in pain and couldn't hold it in any longer.

Joyce narrowed her eyes.

Could it be that Athena was the mysterious black-clad woman? The cruel woman who conspired with Otis to kidnap Anderson? Was

it possible?

If it were true, then Athena's appearance from beginning to end was all aimed at her.

This was a long-standing conspiracy! It wasn't simply about a first love or a mistress trying to rise in status. No wonder she always

felt that something was off. It turned out the situation wasn't so simple.

This explained why Luther never contacted her.

Athena forcefully pushed Joyce away. After enduring the pain, she took a few deep breaths to regain a semblance of composure.

"Joyce, you reap what you sow. Today, there's no turning back for you," Athena said, about to snap her fingers and have her people

act.

Unexpectedly, Joyce suddenly smiled enchantingly.

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