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

At that moment, upon hearing what Abigail just said, James narrowed his eyes slightly and leaned back in his seat. He let out a slow breath and then spoke in a calm but cautious tone.

"Well," James said, folding his arms. "That depends on what you want. If it's something I can give, and if it's worth the risk, then maybe… just maybe. So what exactly do you want?"

His tone was measured, but anyone paying close attention would hear the slight unease behind his words. James wasn't naïve. He had already suspected that Abigail didn't come here out of goodwill. And now, the real reason was about to unfold.

The Abigail's lips curled slowly into a tight, vindictive smile. She stood straighter, her fingers tapping lightly on the arm of her chair as if she was enjoying this moment far too much. "Good," she said, her voice cold and steady. "Since both you and Cora have been married before and you claim that you know something about her you know so many things about her…"

Again she leaned forward, voice lowering, but her eyes never left James's.

"I want to know those things that you know about her. Like… is there something that's going to be beneficial to me? Something I can use?"

Hearing Abigail words James furrowed his brows, confused. "Beneficial?"

Abigail didn't blink. "Yes. Because I'm not going to lie to you. Me and Cora? We're not on the same page. We're not friends. We're not neutral. We're enemies. And I really want to hurt her."

At that moment her words became slower, darker, like venom dripping from her mouth.

"Like, really bad. I want to hurt her extremely bad to the point that she won't even want to stand up anymore. To the point that she'll see herself as completely useless. That's what I want."

James stared at her in silence then

Abigail continued, her voice rising slightly as her hatred became more visible.

"The universe brought the two of us together today… don't you think it means something? I feel like this is something that is meant to happen. It's bound to happen. So let's not waste it."

She rested her elbow on the table, tilting her head as she made her final offer.

"You help me… and I help you. Both of us get what we want. We both smile. And we go our separate ways like nothing happened."

Silence followed her words. Thick, uncomfortable silence.

James didn't respond right away. He just stared at her, blinking slowly. Inside, he felt like the air had been sucked out of the room. It was one thing to come to Abigail for help getting Cora back. But it was another thing entirely to hear someone so casually talk about destroying Cora's life his Cora.

Even if things were complicated between them… even if she hated him now… Cora was still the woman he once loved. And now someone was sitting in front of him, asking him to become a weapon against her.

James wasn't kind of interested in it.

He was doing everything possible to make sure that he gets Cora back. And now somebody's proposing a deal for him to actually find a way to destroy Cora for her.

At that moment, James slowly shook his head, his eyes fixed on Abigail and Victoria with a calm but firm gaze. There was a moment of silence between them.

He sighed and said, "I'm sorry. I can't help you. Not now. Not ever."

He stepped forward slightly, voice steady but cold, "I'm not the man I used to be. I've changed, and I'm working hard to prove that not just to myself, but to Cora. I'm done with the lies, the betrayals, and the schemes. I want her to see that I'm different now… that I'm someone she can trust again. And helping either of you would only destroy everything I've been trying to fix."

Hearing what James had just said, Abigail's smile faltered slightly, but she didn't speak yet. James kept going.

"This is a warning," James continued, his tone now sharper. "Whatever it is you're planning—whatever twisted game you have in mind leave Cora out of it. Don't hurt her. Don't even think about it. Because if either of you lays a finger on her, if she sheds even one tear because of you, I swear I will not take it lightly."

His fists clenched slightly, his jaw tightening. "I don't care who you are. Your name, your influence, your threats they mean nothing to me. Right now, all that matters is Cora. So take that message clearly, with both hands, and understand it well. Don't try me."

He turned around to walk away, his body language making it clear the conversation was over. His footsteps echoed softly, deliberate and steady. But just as he reached the first step, Abigail's voice sliced through the air behind him.

"Well," she said with a cool chuckle, "it seems you're really trying to be a good man now. Admirable… but naive."

Abigail words made James to stop walking. He didn't turn back, not yet. Abigail continued, her voice now sweet like honey, but laced with poison.

"I know you," she said. "You say no now, but deep down… deep, deep down… you want this deal. You crave it. Because no matter how much you pretend to be a new man, the old you is still in there, hungry for power, for status, for respect."

She took a step forward, speaking slower now, more deliberately. "So how about, you pay Cora back for betraying you, and for forgetting about everything you have gone for her, let's set the limits?"

Then James finally turned his head just slightly, not enough to face her fully, but enough to hear her every word.

"How about I give you a contract worth over a hundred million," Abigail said, her eyes gleaming. "Any of your businesses pick one. I'll pour money into it, I'll make sure it flourishes in no time, and make you becomes the envy of the industry. You'll be swimming in success. Untouchable. Admired."

She paused, letting the bait sink in.

"And all I ask," she whispered with a sly grin, "is that you do what is needful of you. How about that?"