Theodore's brows immediately furrowed in irritation at being interrupted from work.

Then he seemed to remember something and said, "I'll head over now."

Another twenty minutes passed before Brinley finally saw the familiar black Porsche Cayenne pull up nearby.

The rear door opened, and Theodore stepped out of the car. He had broad shoulders and a tall, commanding figure.

His face carried the same cold, distant expression as always. Every feature was sharp and striking.

He wore a custom-made suit. Every piece he had on, from the shirt and tie down to the cufflinks, had been chosen and matched by Brinley before being sent to his office.

Back then, taking care of those things for him used to make her happy. Now it only felt painfully ironic.

"Let's go inside." Brinley looked away and turned toward the courthouse.

Wearing only a plain white shirt and jeans, she appeared thin and exhausted.

At that moment, Theodore reached out and caught her wrist.

His gaze lowered to her face, and his brows slowly tightened when he noticed how pale her lips were. "Are you sick?"

Brinley laughed bitterly inside. She turned her head and answered coldly, "Whether I'm sick or not has nothing to do with you."

Theodore froze at her cold response. He seemed to want to say something. He stayed put and didn't follow her.

Brinley's chest tightened as confusion flickered across her face. He was the one insisting on a divorce for another woman, so why was he acting concerned now?

She was about to speak when movement behind her caught her attention.

The rear door of the Porsche opened once more, and Elianna stepped out. She wore a lavender dress that made her already slender frame appear even more fragile. Anxiety and unease covered her delicate face.

"Theo, please don't argue!"

Elianna naturally slipped her arm around Theodore's.

Her eyes quickly turned red while her shoulders trembled faintly as she leaned against him with complete familiarity. "Theo..."

This time, Theodore didn't pull away.

That intimate gesture pierced straight through Brinley's heart.

When Elianna noticed the color drain from Brinley's face, triumph flashed briefly through her eyes. Looking up at Brinley, she said softly, "I-I'm really sorry. My health is the reason things turned out this way. I truly don't want you both getting divorced because of me..."

As she spoke, her eyes grew even redder, and her body swayed weakly, looking as fragile and pitiful as possible.

Theodore frowned immediately. His hand, still wearing his wedding ring, moved straight to Elianna's waist to steady her. "None of this is your fault. This divorce is between Brinley and me."

Brinley let out a cold laugh inside. He really was protective of Elianna.

The pain in her chest deepened as she watched Elianna's performance with cold eyes.

This wasn't the first time Elianna had done this. Whether through messages or face to face, she always used those innocent looking tricks to create distance between Brinley and Theodore.

In the past, Brinley had tolerated it. But not anymore.

She suddenly lifted a brow. "Really? Miss Watson, since you are being so understanding, why don't I just follow your suggestion and forget about the divorce?"

Elianna stiffened at once. She clearly hadn't expected Brinley to turn her words against her instead of breaking down in pain. Her expression froze briefly before tears immediately streamed down her face. Soon, soft sobs escaped her lips.

"It's all my fault. I know I shouldn't have acted this way. I'm already such a burden to everyone. You really don't need to care about me..."

While speaking, her face turned even paler as her body weakened, looking as though she might faint at any moment.

Theodore instantly pulled her into his arms. Then he turned toward Brinley with anger and panic flashing across his face. "Do you really have to be this cruel?"

After that, he instructed his assistant to help Elianna rest nearby before grabbing Brinley's wrist and dragging her toward the courthouse entrance.

"What? Do you think these little tricks will change my decision? Don't forget, you're the one who rushed me to come here. You're getting this divorce today whether you like it or not."

A sharp pain twisted through Brinley's chest. Pulled along by him, she stumbled forward a few steps before finally giving up on struggling.

The divorce process moved quickly. Before their wedding, Brinley had already signed a prenuptial agreement in front of his family, so there were no disputes over property between them.

Now all they had to do was wait for the divorce to become official before receiving the final decree.

After signing the papers, Brinley pressed her lips together. She felt there was nothing left to say to Theodore anymore, so she turned and silently walked out.

Theodore watched her slender figure disappear farther away. Even though he was the one who had asked for the divorce, a strange irritation still rose inside him.

He quickly convinced himself that it was only a temporary divorce, nothing serious at all.

With that thought, he hurried after her and walked beside her once again.

"We're having dinner with my parents tonight. Have you already prepared the health supplements for my mother?" His tone sounded as calm and commanding as always, as though they hadn't just signed divorce papers moments earlier.

Only by acting this way could he suppress the faint uneasiness stirring inside him.