The Ex-Wife's Redemption: A Love Reborn Chapter 269

The hotel was actually a Harding family property.

The Harding family preferred to operate behind the scenes, installing an unrelated person as the official manager while maintaining quiet control.

Oliver had maintained a long-term suite here for years without incident.

He frequently brought women to this room, and the management had always ensured absolute discretion.

This had left Oliver complacent, his guard completely down.

Since his confrontation with the Harding family at the police station, Oliver hadn't seen Catherine at all. His people eventually discovered she was being kept under house arrest by Richard.

Though he'd considered storming the Harding estate to rescue her, the sheer number of security personnel and the family's political connections made such an attempt foolish.

Instead, he'd waited patiently for Catherine to contact him.

When she finally reached out, he didn't hesitate for a second before rushing to pick her up.

He anticipated their reunion, never suspecting that he was walking into a carefully laid trap.

As reporters swarmed into the hotel room, Oliver clutched the sheets to his chest, frantically scanning the doorway for his bodyguards.

He called their names repeatedly, but received no response. Deep down, he already knew what had happened—they had been neutralized by Harding security.

Faced with this predicament, his only option was to negotiate with Richard.

"Mr. Harding," Oliver said through clenched teeth, "this is completely outrageous! Using such underhanded tactics against me is beneath a man of your position."

The scar on his face twisted grotesquely as he scowled. If he hadn't been completely naked under the sheets, he would have leapt up and attacked the old bastard standing before him.

Richard smiled thinly. "I may not have touched Catherine much myself, but she still carries the title of Mrs. Harding. She's my wife. You've been sleeping with her for years—is that what you consider gentlemanly behavior?"

Oliver's mouth opened and closed wordlessly.

For all his talk of honor and morality, he was nothing but a hypocrite.

What truly honorable man would carry on an affair with another man's wife for years?

The reporters continued taking photos, their camera flashes illuminating the scene like lightning. Facing Richard's accusations, Oliver's face darkened. He tugged desperately at the sheets to cover himself better.

But as he pulled more of the sheet toward himself, Catherine was left increasingly uncovered. Half her body was now exposed to the ravenous eyes and cameras of the reporters. Terrified, she trembled violently.

Instinctively, she moved closer to Oliver, seeking his protection. To her shock, he completely ignored her, focused entirely on wrapping himself more securely in the sheets.

One particularly bold reporter shoved his camera directly in Oliver's face. "Get that thing away from me!" Oliver roared. "Do you want to survive in this city? I'm warning you—keep filming and I'll ruin you. I'll destroy your career and take down your entire news outlet with it."

Intimidated by his threats, the reporters backed away slightly, giving Oliver a moment to breathe.

He turned his venomous gaze toward Catherine. "You were in on this with Richard, weren't you? You set me up, didn't you?" His voice dripped with accusation. "You scheming bitch!"

Forgetting the roomful of reporters, he raised his hand and slapped Catherine hard across the face.

The blow left her seeing stars. She glared at Oliver with pure hatred.

"That's bullshit! Why would I help Richard? You know exactly how I feel about him and how I feel about you! If I were working with him to set you up, would I have put myself in this position too?"

After berating Oliver, she turned toward Richard, pointing an accusing finger at him. "Richard, you miserable old man! I've been married to you for years—did you ever love me? I raised your children, bore your family name, and what did I get in return? Did you ever love me for even a single day?"

Her voice rose with each question. "Why is it acceptable for you to keep another woman in your heart, but I'm not allowed to love Oliver? You hypocrite! If you didn't love me, why did you marry me? Nobody held a gun to your head!"

The weight of years of mistreatment came crashing down, and Catherine broke into tears.

She was the true victim here, yet somehow she'd ended up suffering the most.

Richard's face remained completely unmoved by her accusations.

"If you hadn't been planning to escape with Oliver, how could I have caught you? If you hadn't chosen to run, I might have given you a way out."

Throughout this ordeal, he had been carefully communicating with Catherine's parents.

After all, they were his late wife's parents, and he felt obligated to consider their feelings.

Both elderly people had health issues and couldn't handle shocking news.

Richard had even developed a reasonable plan: if Catherine would sign divorce papers and promise to keep her affair with Oliver private, he would provide her with a generous settlement—enough to leave the city and start a new life abroad. This could have been a dignified end to their marriage.

But Catherine had pushed things too far.

Oliver assessed the situation carefully before speaking. "Mr. Harding, since we're in this position, let's be direct. What exactly do you want?"

Richard smiled. "Straightforward indeed, Mr. Smith! I like that."

"Here's my proposal," Richard continued. "I don't want your money. I don't want you arrested. All I ask is that you slap Catherine thirty times across the face, and I'll let you walk away."

Oliver's eyes lit up at the simplicity of the condition. "That's it? That's all?"

Richard raised an eyebrow. "Yes, that's all."

Frankly, Richard's proposal was tempting to Oliver.

Catherine had already received one slap; after hearing Richard's condition, she looked at Oliver with murder in her eyes.

"Richard, you cruel bastard!" she shrieked. "I'll kill you!"

Without warning, she lunged from beneath the sheets, not caring about her nakedness, and charged toward Richard. Before she could get anywhere near him, security guards grabbed her and forced her to the ground.

Catherine had never experienced such humiliation in her life. Even pinned to the floor, she continued screaming and struggling.

"Richard Harding, you piece of garbage! I curse you—may you never see the woman you love again, not even in death!"

Richard dismissed the media personnel and had his security team bring clothes for Oliver. Once dressed, Oliver approached Catherine, who was now being forced to kneel on the ground by the guards.

Oliver lifted her face and, without hesitation, slapped her hard six times in rapid succession—left cheek, right cheek, back and forth.

"Catherine," he said coldly, "don't blame me for this. I have no choice."

"Your reputation is tied to the Harding name—Richard won't let this video get out. But I'm different. I can't afford any scandals, so I'm afraid you have to take the fall."

Catherine received slap after slap, seeing nothing but flashes of light before her eyes. She couldn't even cry properly anymore, reduced to pitiful whimpering sounds.

Oliver showed no mercy. After delivering over thirty resounding slaps, his hand had gone completely numb. Looking at Catherine sprawled on the floor like a beaten dog, he felt no sympathy whatsoever.

He turned to Richard. "Mr. Harding, am I free to go now?"

Richard waved his hand, and the security guards opened the door.

As the guards filed out, Richard looked down at Catherine's motionless form one last time, his heart completely unmoved.

He smiled coldly at her. "So this is the man you chose! Pathetic."

With those final words, he turned and left, abandoning Catherine alone on the floor.