"Ernesto?" Monique called his name several times but received no response. Growing impatient, she raised her voice and began searching for him around the room. Ernesto remained seated stiffly on the sofa, his expression cold and brooding. He seemed lost in thought, completely oblivious to what Monique had been saying. "Ernesto, are you even listening to me?" she shouted, her anger flaring. He looked as though his mind were somewhere else entirely. Monique was furious. He hadn't been like this before. "What's all the yelling for? What do you even understand? Do women only know how to scream and complain?" Ernesto looked up and glared at her. Monique stood frozen, completely taken aback. He had actually snapped at her. And she had clearly seen the disgust in his eyes. Did Ernesto despise her now? Had he grown to loathe her?"Ernesto, you..." She stood there stunned, unable to form a response. Hearing the shock in her voice, Ernesto frowned. Realizing he had overreacted, he quickly softened his tone. "Monique, why can't you see? What Chloe is doing now actually works in our favor!" Monique looked at him blankly. "What are you talking about?" Ernesto met her gaze seriously. "Try looking at it from another angle." "What" "Chloe has become capable. She signed a cooperation agreement with that billionaire. Cosmos Group injected fifty billion into Lewis Group. Fifty billion! That's no small change. Even if we sold off Lewis Group entirely, we might not raise that much." "Stop beating around the bush. Get to the point!" Monique snapped, her impatience returning. Ernesto's eyes darkened. He cursed her inwardly but continued patiently, "Think about it. Once we gain control of Lewis Group, with that much capital already in place, what does that make us?" Monique was confused at first, but then understanding dawned. Her shock quickly turned to excited laughter. "Hahaha, I never expected that little witch Chloe would end up helping us! Perfect! In that case, no matter what happens to Lewis Group later, with that much capital already injected, even if Cosmos Group pulls out, they can't take the money back!" As long as they secured management control and took over Lewis Group, no one could change the fact that they would be its true owners. Maybe it was time to consider a rebrand. What should they name it? Monique was already mentally brainstorming names. She looked up at Ernesto with a smug smile. "Ernesto, we need to move faster. It's time to put certain plans into action." "Do I need you to tell me that?" Ernesto raised an eyebrow, his eyes gleaming with self-satisfaction. "Chloe can't be allowed to live. And Scott too!" Monique thought of Scott. All these years she had schemed and stayed by his side, yet gained nothing. And now, in the blink of an eye, that little brat Chloe—without even fully reconciling with him—had managed to secure so many shares. Scott might not admit it openly, but in his heart, he still favored Chloe. Well, if he dared to show favoritism, then he shouldn't blame her for being merciless. "Ernesto, once we have Lewis Group, will you marry me right away?" Monique reached out and grasped Ernesto's hand. He instinctively tried to pull away, but she held on tightly. "I want you to marry me. A grand wedding, where you carry me into your business empire. I want to be your wife—legally, properly married." Monique leaned forward and nestled into Ernesto's arms. Ernesto looked down at the woman in his arms. Monique was already in her forties—she'd be fifty in a few years. A wave of revulsion suddenly washed over him. His young lover was so much more obedient. She never raised her voice at him, and most importantly, she knew exactly how to please him. Comparing the two, Ernesto found Monique increasingly unpleasant. Just as he was about to make an excuse to push her away, a phone rang at the worst possible moment. Monique had been waiting in anticipation for Ernesto's tender declaration. She wanted to hear him say he would marry her and bring her back in triumph. She had been waiting for this day for so long. And now... the moment had come.The ringing phone shattered the mood. It was hers. Who on earth was calling at a time like this? Her mood, which had just begun to settle, was once again ruined. This couldn't have been worse timing.