THE DISABLED HEIRESS, MY EX-HUSBAND WOULD PAY DEARLY.
Chapter 37

Chapter 37: Chapter 37

At that moment, Cora was seated in her office, legs crossed, fingers gently flipping through a file that wasn’t really holding her attention. The large windows behind her cast soft sunlight across the glossy surface of her desk, but her mind was far from the documents in front of her.

Then came a soft knock.

Before she could respond, the door opened, and Malisa stepped in—calm, composed, but with a glint of something in her eyes.

Cora looked up, her face unreadable.

"He signed it," Malisa said simply, walking closer. "Just like you said he would."

Cora raised a brow and gently closed the file. "He did?"

Malisa nodded, taking the seat across from her. "Yes. No conditions, no drama. He even agreed to the probation terms without flinching. Honestly, I thought he was going to tear the contract in half and walk out with fire behind him. But instead... he signed it. Quietly."

She leaned forward, eyes narrowing in curiosity. "How did you know, Cora? How were you so sure he’d sign it?"

For a moment, Cora didn’t answer. She simply smiled—a soft, knowing smile that made Malisa even more curious.

Then, with a calm shrug, Cora said, "I didn’t know."

Malisa blinked. "You didn’t?"

"No." Cora leaned back in her chair. "I didn’t plan anything. I didn’t set a trap. I didn’t have a speech written out or a strategy tucked in my pocket. I just..." She paused, staring past Malisa, eyes lost in thought. "I just felt like it would go the way I wanted."

Malisa tilted her head. "Just a feeling?"

Cora smiled again, this time with a hint of amusement in her eyes. "Samuel is desperate. That much is clear. Desperate to stay relevant. Desperate to be seen as the top. Desperate to be noticed... by someone like me."

She chuckled softly, folding her arms on the desk. "But that wasn’t a guarantee. I just decided to give it a try and see what would happen."

She glanced at Malisa, a spark of confidence flickering behind her calm expression.

"And it worked."

At that moment, Malisa couldn’t help but let out a soft laugh, her lips curling into a smile as she leaned back in her chair.

"You’re still the same Cora I’ve always known," she said, her voice filled with admiration. "Smart, sharp, calm—and you did it again. You pulled it off, and this time, you barely even tried."

Cora gave a small nod, her expression composed, but there was a flicker of quiet satisfaction behind her eyes. She didn’t respond with words—she didn’t have to. The confidence she carried spoke louder than anything.

But Malisa’s smile slowly faded, replaced by something more serious—hesitant, almost.

"I did miss something though," Malisa said after a pause. "And I think... it’s important. Important enough that I have to tell you now."

Cora looked up from the paper she had absentmindedly begun flipping through. She sat up straighter, sensing the shift in tone. Her posture sharpened, and she gave Malisa her full attention.

"What is it?" Cora asked, her voice low, curious. "What do you want to say, and why does it sound so serious?"

Malisa drew a breath, her fingers clasped on her lap.

"It’s about Samuel," she began slowly. "About you... and him."

Cora didn’t speak. She simply watched, waiting for Malisa to continue.

Malisa leaned forward. "I feel like we need to do something about the aftermath of what happened. I’ve been thinking about it since this morning, but now it’s urgent."

Cora’s brows slightly furrowed. "Aftermath?"

Malisa nodded firmly. "Yes. I just got a call before I came in here. There’s a new scandal. Samuel has done it again—and this time, it’s bad. Really bad. The kind of bad that makes headlines run for weeks."

Cora’s eyes narrowed as the weight of those words settled.

"This morning," Malisa continued, "a major tabloid broke the story. It hasn’t spread fully yet, but when it does, it will stain his name—and by extension, it could hurt MK too. Especially now that we just signed him again. People will ask why we gave him another chance. Sponsors will raise questions. Clients might feel unsafe. It could affect everything we’re planning."

Malisa paused, her eyes filled with concern.

"And we need to act fast—before the backlash hits."

At that moment, Cora leaned forward slowly, her curiosity deepening by the second. Her eyes sharpened, her fingers lightly tapping against the desk in a rhythm that betrayed her focus.

"What exactly did he do?" she asked, her voice steady but pointed. "And how bad is it? We need to know the full picture if we’re going to stop any backlash before it grows teeth."

Malisa let out a soft sigh, shifting in her seat as she gathered her thoughts. "It’s worse than I expected, Cora. Much worse."

Cora raised an eyebrow.

"Samuel has a wife," Malisa said flatly. "And not just a wife—he has a daughter too."

Cora’s eyes widened slightly, her breath pausing for a moment. "He what?"

"Yes." Malisa nodded grimly. "He abandoned them both. From what I’ve found, he hasn’t seen them in nearly two years. And while he’s been sending money to them regularly, it’s not enough—not nearly enough. Apparently, the daughter has health issues, and the wife is struggling to manage everything on her own. She reached out to him multiple times. He ignored all of it."

Cora leaned back slowly, processing the weight of what she was hearing. "So all this time... he’s been walking red carpets, giving speeches about family values, building this brand of perfection—while hiding an entire family?"

"Exactly," Malisa said with a bitter chuckle. "And now it’s come to light. Someone—no one knows who yet—dug into his private life. They’ve gotten hold of some pretty solid evidence."

Cora’s eyes narrowed. "What kind of evidence?"

Malisa lowered her voice slightly. "A photo. Of his wife and daughter—looking tired, drained, standing outside a cheap clinic. And worse... a recorded phone call. It’s a short conversation, but Samuel’s voice is unmistakable. He told his wife not to bother him again. That he’s ’moved on’ and that the money should be enough."

Cora’s heart sank, not out of sympathy for Samuel, but out of frustration for what this could mean for MK Entertainment. She knew how fast the public could turn on someone. And this? This wasn’t just a scandal—it was personal. Raw. It would stir outrage. Especially coming after their decision to re-sign him.

"Can the photo and recording be stopped?" Cora asked carefully.

Malisa gave a small nod. "Yes, I believe so. They haven’t been released to the public yet—just leaked in whispers to a few outlets. Nothing’s viral yet. If we move quickly, we can erase it before it spreads."

"But we’ll need help," she added. "Someone skilled. Someone who can cover our tracks and manage the damage before it spirals. It can’t be traced back to us."

She paused, her gaze steady.

"This is salvageable, Cora. But we need to act fast—and smart."

At that moment, Cora’s curiosity shifted into full attention. She leaned forward, resting both elbows on the desk, eyes locked on Malisa as her mind began to connect the weight of the situation. She wasn’t interested in Samuel personally—never had been—but what Malisa had just revealed was serious. And as much as she wanted to keep her distance, she knew MK Entertainment could not afford to be dragged into scandal, not when everything they were building depended on a pristine image.

"This is going to affect MK, isn’t it?" Cora said quietly, more as a confirmation than a question.

Malisa gave a slow nod. "Yes, it will. Even if he’s the one at fault, people will question us. We gave him a second chance. We signed him. We trusted him."

Cora took a deep breath. "Alright. Then I’ll help. But..." she narrowed her eyes. "Why am I suddenly part of his mess? Why add me into this now? I don’t have anything to do with Samuel or his poor decisions."

Malisa’s expression shifted.

"That part," she said carefully, "is a little more complicated."

Cora’s body tensed. "What do you mean?"

Malisa hesitated for a breath, then leaned forward, her voice dropping just slightly.

"It’s about James. Your ex-husband."

Cora’s expression hardened immediately. The mention of that name alone was enough to darken her mood like a stormcloud forming overhead.

"That bastard again?" she muttered under her breath.

Malisa continued, "We’ve been monitoring him quietly, and there’s something you need to know. There are rumors. Strong ones. He’s up to something."

Cora’s jaw tightened. "He’s always up to something."

"Yes," Malisa agreed, "but this time... it’s different."

She looked Cora in the eye.

"There’s talk that James has nude photos. And videos. Of you."

Cora blinked, stunned for a second, her entire posture freezing.

Malisa pressed on, her voice steady but filled with urgency. "We don’t know how he got them, or if he’s just bluffing—but there are whispers that he’s preparing to use them. If that goes public—or worse, lands in the hands of someone who hates you—it’s going to be a complete disaster. Not just for your name, Cora, but for the brand. For MK. You’re too connected now. You’re the one holding the real power, and James knows it. He’s not just trying to ruin you. He’s trying to destroy everything you’ve built."

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