Mason seemed to already know what she wanted to say; before she could finish, he cut her off.

"Don't even think about divorce. I don't agree!"

Aurelia, too, seemed to have expected this answer, and replied coolly, "Since we can't come to an agreement, I'll have to take legal action."

From the corner of her eye, seeing his face instantly darken, she spoke first: "Even if you threaten every lawyer in Q City, I can still find someone to represent me. There's no shortage of people who owe the Shaw Family favors—finding a lawyer to help me isn't as hard as you think."

Mason was choked by her words.

Indeed, with her status, finding someone in Q City willing to take her case wouldn't be impossible. Who knows how many powerful families in the shadows were watching her like hungry wolves, hoping she'd get divorced to climb their way into the Shaw Family's circle.

And that was exactly why he refused divorce—he wouldn't even bother to humor her with excuses.

"A military marriage can't be dissolved!" Mason said in a deep voice.

Aurelia gave Grayson Quinn a questioning look.

Grayson was enjoying the drama, trying hard to make himself invisible. Suddenly feeling her gaze from the back, he hesitated before answering, "It's true—you can't divorce."

"But…"

Just when Aurelia felt frustrated, Grayson's voice sounded again. Ignoring the warning look Mason shot him, he curled his lips upward and said, "If Mason agrees, then it's a different story."

"He has to agree?"

The two of them seemed to forget there was another party in the car, talking over the matter amongst themselves.

"Not necessarily," Grayson continued.

Mason's face was already starting to darken further.

Grayson ignored the arctic-cold pressure from behind him, eyes on the road, gripping the wheel steadily—though his palms had broken out in a sweat. His tone feigned calm, with a hint of teasing: "Unless you can find evidence that Mason has cheated."

Seeing Aurelia's expression turn thoughtful, Grayson was only too happy to stir the pot and kept going: "The military forbids divorce, but if the husband cheats, it's a whole different scenario. Then, sis-in-law, you'd be the victim, and could deal with him however you want—leave a few scars on Mason, let him sample the top ten ancient tortures, nobody would care. Never mind a small matter like divorce."

"Grayson! Shut your mouth!" Mason's tone was already icy, and he turned, his voice grave as he addressed Aurelia: "That possibility does not exist! I would never cheat!"

Aurelia looked at Mason's stern and serious face, a cold sneer flashed across her mind; her doe eyes darkened, and she murmured, "That's not necessarily true."

Mason stared at her, catching the fleeting cold apathy deep in her eyes. His jaw tensed, gazing at her unblinking. After a quiet moment, he asked seriously, "Aurelia, tell me—what happened? Why are you suddenly so distant with me?"

Aurelia lifted her pretty eyes, shifting her gaze from the stock chart on her phone to meet Mason's deep stare. After a moment's silence, her crimson lips curled in a frosty smile. "You really want to know?"

Mason's features tensed unconsciously, his black, fathomless eyes fixed on her, gone was his usual insolence. "Tell me."

Aurelia straightened up, turning to face him. Her stunning eyes flashed with mocking chill. "You shouldn't be asking me that—you should ask Isabel Bennett."

Eleanor Spencer?

Hearing that name, Mason was shocked.

What does this have to do with Eleanor Spencer?

Suddenly, a flash of realization hit Mason—