Divorcing My Husband Over His Stepsister's Secret novel Chapter 56

Anna’s POV:

The reflection in the mirror satisfied me.

The beige linen dress with a navy blue belt hit the perfect note–focal yet approachable. The seatings and dheer bracele added a touch of elegance without being over the top.

My light brown leather flats rounded it all off–sophisticated and cofy, I smoothed the dress one last time, satisfied with he polished I looked. Just formal enough to respect the occasion, but rug trying too hard.

I reached for my phone and dialed Michael’s number, With Henry no longer able to help me navigate this mess, 1 sected to day updated on the Claire situation myself.

Despite Caroline’s syg confidence and the evidence only pointing to Kate as the convenient scapegoat, I still wanted answers- some kind of closure,

The phone rang several times before disconnecting. I tried again–powered off this time.

I sighed, slipping the phone into my purse. Michael was probably busy with other cases. I’d have to handle this a

The taxi pulled up to the restaurant address Emily had sent. I was about to call her for the private room location when I heard someone shout my name from the entrance.

Several men in suits were waving at me enthusiastically. From this distance, I couldn’t make out their faces clearly, which left me momentarily confused.

“Annie!” a familiar voice cut through my hesitation as a man emerged from behind the group, waving wildly.

My heart leaped with genuine joy. “Jason!” I rushed forward, embracing my old classmate tightly. The familiar faces around him came into focus–classmates I hadn’t seen in years.

I regretted missing four years of reunions. As one of the few women in our marine biology program, Emily and I had always been popular with our classmates.

But something seemed off–why was everyone dressed so formally? This didn’t look like the casual get–together I’d expected.

“Come on up,” Emily urged, linking her arm with mine. “Everyone’s waiting for you upstairs. We’ve got a private room.”

“The whole class is here,” Jason added with a broad grin. “Even Mark flew in from Alaska just for this!”

The dinner was heartwarming in ways I hadn’t anticipated. My classmates welcomed me warmly, showing no resentment for my years of silence.

I found myself blinking back tears as we reminisced over appetizers and wine. Everything felt so normal, so right–a stark contrast to the chaos of my personal life.

After dinner, we moved to a luxury loft apartment one of my classmates had rented nearby. It had transformed into a typical party scene–complete with DJ booth, self–service bar, small dance floor, and comfortable lounge areas scattered around the spacious

room.

Emily, clearly several drinks past her limit, pulled me onto a sofa in the corner. Her eyes were red–rimmed as she clung to my arm with surprising strength.

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Chapter 56

“Anna, I’m so happy we’re all together, she slurred, leaning heavily against me. “Everyone looks so professional… for that important academic confefence, right? God, I miss our days in the marine lab. Remember our coral reef research? That actually meant something…

I scanned the room, taking in the scene. Jason was dancing energetically in the center of the floor while others clustered around the bar or chatted in small groups.

The contrast was jarring–it was hard to reconcile these partying adults with the serious researchers I remembered hunched over microscopes and diving equipment.

And then it hit me–every single person from our class was here. All twenty–eight of them. Even with a major conference in town, this level of attendance was unusual, verging on suspicious.

Emily tightened her grip on my arm, her voice dropping to a harsh whisper that sent chills down my spine. “Anna, EcoMarine Group is finished. Henry and I are fired, and you’re locked out too… But I’ve still got research projects running! Those data points are too important to abandon… all that work…”

She hiccupped, her words becoming more jumbled but no less devastating. “We can’t help you anymore. Seth controls everything now. Henry’s just his employee–he has no choice but to follow Seth’s orders…”

The room seemed to spin around me as the implications sank in. I couldn’t hear anything, couldn’t feel anything. My entire body went numb with shock.

“Anna! How about a signature cocktail? On me!” Jason called from across the room, raising his glass in a cheerful toast.

I shook my head in horror, the full realization crashing down like a physical weight.

This was Blake’s counterattack. Instead of coming after me directly, he methodically took out the people around me, cutting off my

support.

It hurt more than a direct attack. My heart grew colder as I grasped just how vindictive he was.

I somehow got through the rest of the party, barely speaking and keeping up a façade of normalcy.

I didn’t want my personal drama to ruin this rare gathering.

Through casual conversation, I learned that many of my classmates were in Boston for the annual marine biology conference. This reunion was just a convenient side event that happened to bring everyone together.

After dropping a thoroughly intoxicated Emily at her apartment, I finally had a moment alone with my thoughts and the crushing shock of what I’d learned. Instead of going home, I made a decision.

The EcoMarine Group building stood silent in the night, its windows dark except for the security lights.

I paid the taxi driver and approached the entrance, using my key card on autopilot. Surprisingly, it still worked with a cheerful beep.

Inside, the once–vibrant office was lifeless. The emptiness echoed around me–desks cleared of personal items, plants gone, walls stripped of research posters and graphs. The space felt hollow, abandoned.

A shadow moved in the darkness at the far end of the room. Henry.