The two ate in silence at the table, the only sound the occasional crisp clink of cutlery against plates.
Xiao Cheng finished his breakfast hastily, wiped his mouth with a napkin, and said to Antina, "I'll wait for you upstairs. I have something to tell you."
Antina, midway through her sandwich, let out a scoff, likely guessing he wanted to talk about Meng Jingwei.
She didn't reply, continuing with her breakfast and milk.
Having passed the morning sickness phase, her appetite had surged, and she ate heartily.
Antina slowly finished her breakfast, lingered for a moment, and then leisurely went upstairs to Xiao Cheng's room.
At some point, they had begun sleeping in separate rooms.
Thinking back, it must have been before the New Year, after she discovered Xiao Cheng had secretly gone to Lan City to find Meng Jingwei.
The castle was equipped with underfloor heating, so even in winter, Antina wore only a thin nightgown and slippers.
In the room, Xiao Cheng stood on the balcony, smoking a cigarette with his back to the bedroom door. Even his back conveyed a sense of decay and loneliness.
Antina's gaze flickered to a "Divorce Agreement" lying on the table.
Although she had been trying to move on from Xiao Cheng, seeing the document still pierced her heart like a knife.
She was carrying his child, yet he chose to divorce her during her pregnancy!
"Let's get a divorce," the man on the balcony said.
Antina pursed her lips, her teeth clenched, and in her anger, she snatched the document and tore it to shreds. "Xiao Cheng, I'm still carrying your child. Divorce me now? Impossible!"
Country C's laws permitted divorce during pregnancy, but Antina had no intention of giving Xiao Cheng the opportunity for 'freedom.'
"Hmph, you want a divorce to be with Meng Jingwei, do you? That depends on whether I'll grant it!" Antina, pregnant and exceptionally irritable, pointed at Xiao Cheng. "When I met you, you were like a beggar. If it weren't for me, would you have this good life today? Xiao Cheng, if you had any gratitude, you wouldn't be bringing up divorce with me."
"True, your father brought me into the Black Hand organization, but my presence also created value for him."
If he hadn't possessed certain personal abilities, why would Flake have agreed to let him marry Antina?
"You certainly know how to flatter yourself, but so what? As long as I don't agree to the divorce, you'll never set foot outside this castle!" Antina threatened.
Xiao Cheng remained on the balcony, his elbows resting on the railing, his body slightly bowed as he gazed at the distant scenery, completely unbothered by Antina's threat.
"There are some things in the bedside drawer. You can take a look," he said unhurriedly.
Antina frowned, turned to the bedside cabinet, and pulled open the drawer. Inside lay thick photo albums.
The albums felt somewhat unfamiliar.
She took a photo album and placed it on the table. As she flipped open a page, she was met with a series of embarrassing scenes.
The twelve-inch albums contained high-definition photos on every page.
In the photos, she was either provocatively dressed or in the midst of revelry with several robust male models, displaying a licentious demeanor.
During their encounters, Antina had never considered her own appearance. But seeing her unrestrained self in the photos, she felt an inexplicable sense of shame.
More than shame, however, was her anger…
"Bastard, you took photos of me?" Antina never expected Xiao Cheng to know everything. Recalling how Meng Jingwei had found her when she was with two male models, she figured Meng Jingwei must have leaked the information to Xiao Cheng at that time.
Clutching the photo album, she walked behind Xiao Cheng and questioned him, "It was Meng Jingwei, wasn't it? That bitch told you, didn't she?"