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

At that moment, Cora let out a small sigh. She could see the worry written all over his face, the way his eyebrows stayed close together, the way his mouth stayed slightly open like he wanted to ask more questions but was holding back.

She shook her head gently and said, "Oliver, you worry too much. Seriously. It's nothing. If it was really something, don't you think I would've told you immediately? I'm not the kind of person to hide things from you."

Her voice was soft, but firm, as if she wanted to put his mind at ease. She folded one of her arms across her chest and leaned on the chair behind her.

"I just thought about it for a second, and then I realized... it's really not important. So please, stop worrying about it. You're making it look like I'm hiding something."

But Oliver didn't look convinced. He stood still, his eyes staring at the floor for a while before looking back at the phone. He rubbed his palms together slowly, his shoulders slightly tensed.

"Well..." Oliver said, his voice low, "I'm just trying to believe you, Cora. I'm just trying to assume that what you're saying is true... that it wasn't anything really important."

He looked away for a moment and then back at the phone again, his face still unsure.

"I'm just trying to assume that this doesn't have anything to do with your ex-husband... or that so-called celebrity of yours."

He smiled faintly, but his eyes showed no happiness. He shook his head slightly, like someone trying to convince himself of a lie.

"I just want to believe that is the case."

At that moment, Cora sighed lightly again, but this time with a straight face. She tilted her head a bit and said, "Well, that's it. There's nothing wrong, Oliver. If there was, I would've told you by now."

She unfolded her arms and pointed her finger slightly at him, like she was reminding a forgetful child.

"I've already passed the message I wanted to pass," she added. "So don't forget — tell William to stop misbehaving. I don't have the patience for his rubbish."

Her voice was sharp on that last part, her eyes narrowing just a bit. She didn't want to drag the conversation any longer.

Still Oliver stared at the phone, his lips pressed tight, but he nodded slowly. He could still feel that something wasn't right, but he didn't want to push her further.

"Alright," Oliver said with a small shrug. "No problem. I'll tell him. I'll make sure he stops all that."

When the call ended, Oliver just stood there holding his phone, staring at the screen like he was waiting for something else to pop up. But there was nothing. Just the empty screen and the quietness around him.

At that moment he let out a deep breath and shook his head. His chest felt heavy, not because of the call itself, but because of the way Cora acted. He knew it, something was wrong. He could feel it, but she didn't want to tell him. That was the part that really got to him. That was the disappointment.

"Why won't she just talk to me?" Oliver muttered to himself. His hand dropped by his side, his shoulders sagging. He paced the floor slowly, one hand rubbing his forehead.

Maybe she didn't trust him enough. Or maybe... maybe it was really about her ex-husband, or that stupid celebrity. The thought made his stomach tighten, but he shook his head again.

"No... I shouldn't be thinking like this," he whispered. "She said it's nothing. Maybe it's really nothing."

Still, the doubt stayed in his heart.

He stopped walking and stood still, trying to calm his thoughts. If Cora wasn't going to tell him, then fine. He had something more important to think about.

His mind immediately went to his father. That was the real problem sitting in his head.

He needed to find a way to convince his father, convince him to talk to William. His father was the only one William might listen to. If his father could just tell William to stay away from Cora, then maybe things would start getting better.

But he knew it wouldn't be that easy, because he's with him also, he's the one pushing for it more.

His father liked William, maybe even too much. And convincing him wouldn't just be about talking, he had to bring up a reason that made sense, something that would make his father believe it was better for William to back off.

Oliver sighed heavily, dragging his hand down his face.

"Why does everything have to be so complicated?" he muttered.

But still, he knew what he had to do.

He had to find a way. One way or another, his father must tell William to stay away from Cora.

At that moment, Oliver stood still for a while, his mind pacing even though his feet weren't moving. He had tried to believe Cora's words, but no matter how much he tried, his heart wasn't at peace. Something just didn't feel right, and he couldn't ignore it anymore.

He pulled out his phone from his pocket and stared at the screen for a moment. He already knew who to call. Without wasting time, he scrolled to the number, it didn't have a name saved, but he knew exactly who it was.

He tapped the call button, the phone barely rang once before the person on the other end picked up.

A soft voice came through the line. "Hello?"

However Oliver didn't waste time. He looked around him like someone making sure nobody was listening, then said in a low voice, "I need you to do some background check for me."

The voice on the line hummed lightly, waiting for him to continue.

"It's about James... that's Cora's my friend ex-husband. I hope you know about him?" Oliver asked.

"Yes, I know him," the person replied without hesitation.

"Good," Oliver said, nodding to himself. "I want you to look into him. Dig deep, understand what's going on with him lately. If there's anything strange... if he's planning something, I want to know immediately. Don't waste time."

"Understood," the voice said simply.

Without saying another word Oliver ended the call and held the phone tightly in his hand. His eyes stared ahead, but his mind was already calculating. Whatever it was that Cora wasn't saying, he was going to find out himself.

**

At that moment, Cora sat quietly inside her office. The room was cold, but not because of the air conditioner , it was the kind of cold that came from inside her chest. She leaned back on her chair, her eyes fixed on nothing in particular. Her lips pressed tightly together, and every now and then, she tapped her fingers lightly on the armrest.

She was sad. That was the truth. Sad and disappointed. She had wanted to use Oliver in all of this, to pull him in, but... deep down, she knew it wasn't a good idea.

Perhaps this was the best decision after all.

She sighed deeply and shook her head slowly, like she was trying to push away her own thoughts.

"I can't," she whispered to herself. "I can't involve Oliver."

Because truthfully, she wasn't convinced. Not fully. She wasn't sure if Oliver could truly hold himself together the way she needed him to. The kind of strength, the kind of composure she was looking for, she doubted he had it.

And if trouble actually came which it might, she was scared that Oliver wouldn't be able to handle the pressure. She imagined him shaking, making mistakes, or worse...

No, she thought. That risk was too much.

She rubbed her forehead gently and leaned forward, her elbows resting on the desk. For a moment, she closed her eyes.

It was better this way. She would handle it herself or she call and involve Robert on this.

At that moment, Cora slowly reached for her phone again. She sat back in her chair, staring at the screen for a second before unlocking it. She had made up her mind.

If there was anyone who could handle this, it was Robert.

Robert was different. She knew that. He was calm, collected, and most importantly, he could control himself even when things got messy. And just in case things went sideways, Cora was sure that Robert would know how to undo himself, how to pull out of any tight situation without dragging her down with him.

Plus, he seemed like a generous man, always composed, always thinking before he acted.

That was the kind of person she needed right now.

Without wasting time, she scrolled to Malisa's number and tapped the call button.

The phone barely rang once when Malisa picked up.

"Wow, I wasn't expecting your call this morning," Melissa said with a little chuckle. "What's up?"

Cora was just about to say something when Malisa suddenly burst out laughing on the phone.

"Oh my God, Cora! I heard what happened this morning!" Malisa said between her laughter. "You're something else, honestly!"