A Vengeful Ex-Wife

"Huh? Okay!" Ethan raised his hands to cover his eyes again. If he didn't do that, James would not pay for the antique he made a bid. He had to listen to James. "Turn around!" James gave him another order.

"Sure!" Ethan turned around obediently, showing his back to Maria.

Maria glared at the complacent man. The jerk was taking advantage of her!

If he thought he could control her like this, he was totally wrong. Maria didn't beg him like James was hoping.

She hugged the ripped dress closer to herself to keep it from falling off. She took a step forward, head held high.

She always wore a bikini when vacationing on the beach. This was a piece of cake.

Noticing the defiant look in the woman's eyes, James couldn't help getting angry. His face darkened. 'Damn you, Maria Song! Why do you have to play the tough girl all the time?'

But she wasn't going to give in. Maria stared at him in a challenging manner and walked towards him, graceful and totally confident. Although her dress was torn, she walked as if she wore royal robe. When she was three meters away from him, they heard footsteps not far away from them.

He took off his suit jacket as fast as he could, strode forward, and draped it over her shoulders to cover her.

Maria chuckled. Grabbing the hemline of his jacket, she said, "Mr. Xi, if you want me to wear your jacket, beg me!" She looked as if she would shrug it off at any minute.

The man cast her a cold glance and whispered in her ear, "Behave, unless you want me to report you!"

His threat threw her off for a second. A guilty look flashed through Maria's eyes, but she pretended to be confused. "Report me for what?"

'James Xi, you son of a bitch! Why do you seem to know everything?' Maria said inwardly.

James didn't want to continue playing along. As everyone watched curiously, he walked away from her and went to the men's room. He didn't forget to grab Ethan. When Ethan opened his eyes and saw the suit jacket around Maria's shoulders, he figured out what was going on.

Watching the two figures leave, Maria sneered at their backs.

He could easily afford to buy the bracelet from Maria, so James had no reason to refuse Alina's request.

He had once taken back the evidence of Alina's criminal activity from Maria. This time, he would also buy the bracelet from Maria.

After coming out of the bathroom, James left the venue.

Knowing that he was leaving instead of staying to the end, Alina left as well, waiting for him at the entrance.

When she saw him come out with Ethan, she walked up to him with a smile. "James, can we go now?" But she was confused when she took a better look. 'Where's his suit jacket?' Ignoring her quizzical look, he asked her again, "You sure you want that bracelet?"

Alina was taken aback and forced a smile. "Of course. I like it a lot."

"Okay." James didn't say anything else. He turned to Ethan and said, "You should go first."

"What?" Ethan was flummoxed. He didn't drive here. He wondered where James was off to. James didn't want to take him along, but why?

The CEO paused for a moment, then turned his gaze toward the entrance. He saw the woman wearing his suit jacket emerge.

He called out to her. "Maria!"

Hearing his voice, Maria, who was doing all she could to hold her dress up, looked in his direction.

Gritting her teeth, Alina looked at her, wondering why James had lent Maria his suit jacket. Had they met without her knowing?

"Get in the car!" James said. He wasn't talking to Alina at that point.

Alina was a little embarrassed. She didn't know what he was doing, so she turned to James and asked, "James, are we giving Maria a ride home?"

After settling himself in the back seat, James addressed Lorenzo instead of answering her. "Lorenzo, call another driver and tell him to get Alina home."

"Yes, Mr. Xi." Lorenzo took out his phone and began dialing a number. Alina was completely baffled now. What was James doing, anyway? James asked someone else to get her home in front of everyone. Worse, he invited his ex-wife to ride in the same car.

Even Maria was confused. She walked to the Harkim, glanced at James and Alina, and finally fixed her gaze on Ethan, questions in her lovely eyes.

Ethan shrugged and threw up his hands, indicating he had no clue what was going on.

Alina was right next to them. Maria couldn't care too much. As long as there would be an opportunity to piss her off, Maria wouldn't hesitate to do it. She lifted her foot and stepped on the running board of the black Harkim. Then she reached out her hand and said, "I'm wearing high heels." Obviously, she wanted him to take her hand and help her in.

"James!" Alina complained in her best pouty voice.

But the man ignored her. After giving Maria a cold glare, he reached out his hand and pulled the woman in high heels into the car.

Maria pulled the car door closed after she was settled in, which blocked Alina from seeing any more.

Then the car drove away.

Alina was completely dumbfounded by this development. Wasn't she his girlfriend?

She wondered what she did wrong. James seemed pretty taken with Maria. Had she driven him into Maria's arms?

Before long, another car showed up to pick up Ethan and Alina. Before getting in, he gave Alina a compliment. "You are so generous!" She didn't know whether Ethan was being sarcastic or not. How could any woman watch the man she loved leave with another woman? 'If Maria were in Alina's shoes, she would have stabbed the Harkim's tires with her dagger,' Ethan thought to himself. Alina was angry beyond words. After a while, she couldn't help but retort, "James did this to help me get the bracelet back from her!"

However, Ethan had closed the door of the car, and he didn't hear her weak retort. Not like he cared.

James had demonstrated quite clearly that Alina had to pay for what she wanted. 'Alina Tang, you brought this on yourself,'

Ethan said to himself.

In the Harkim, Maria opened her handbag and fumbled for a cigarette.

She took one of them and lit it. Exhaling a mouthful of smoke, she asked, "Let's hear it. What's going on, Mr. Xi?"

He left Alina behind and gave her a ride instead. She was not so naive as to think that James was dumping Alina and choosing her.

Most likely, he did it for Alina.

She guessed right. James didn't beat around the bush. "The tanzanite bracelet."

Maria smiled mysteriously and flicked the ash into his ashtray. "Mr. Xi, you're a sly fox. You pay for my bid in public and ask for it back in private."

James didn't say anything, but frowned slightly when he smelled the smoke. The only ones he let smoke in his car were him and Lawrence. Maria was the lone exception.

"No way." The woman wasn't going to mince words with him, either.

She asked him to invest in her business but he turned her down. She asked him to help acquire Qin Group and he refused again. Why should she give him anything? Even if he did pay for it, it was hers. "I'll grant you two promises," James offered. "Tell me what you want."

There was a moment of silence in the car. The woman stubbed out the cigarette and rolled down the window. When the smoke had almost dissipated, she rolled it up again.

Maria leaned toward him and embraced him. James frowned, but she just giggled. "Be careful what you tell me. I might ask more than you can give."

James felt helpless. Maria's tone was whimsical, but her words were as menacing as if she'd threatened his life.

Ophelia