Dear Ex-wife Marry Me novel (Maja) novel Chapter 1437

Beck couldn't help but feel the weight of his family's legacy as he watched the scene unfold in the grand hall. The Sanders family empire was vast, with multiple companies under their control, each a giant in its own right.

Despite the undercurrent of dissatisfaction at Maja's unexpected rise, everyone was wary of upsetting the family elders and risking their own piece of the pie.

Tonight, as they all met Maja, their grievances remained unvoiced, the fear of retribution silencing any potential outbursts.

Some were bold enough to whisper doubts to Beck.

"Beck, you really handed over your shares to her? She's a woman, and you know how emotional they can be. What if Ian sweet-talks her out of her stake, and next thing you know, the Sanders family might have to change its name?"

"Yeah, and remember, your brother got kicked out because of a woman, too. Dylan's been doing a great job, taking care of us all. That girl's nothing but bad news."

"Your grandparents had a point; maybe it's just not in her stars to be the heiress. Better to just send her off and reclaim those shares."

Beck, smiling at these so-called elders, had a sharp glint in his eye.

"No need for you all to worry. Maja's got the chops to run the company, and she'll do it even better than Dylan did."

Little did they know, the underground fighting ring was Ian's domain—a juicy piece of the pie that every family had tried and failed to snatch. Its daily turnover was beyond estimation.

Meeting resistance, the crowd dispersed quietly, casting last glances upstairs before leaving.

Alone in the hall, Beck's phone rang. It was Aurora Sanders, York's daughter.

Augus and York were not on good terms, but unbeknownst to others, York and Aurora shared a close, if secretive, friendship, united by their shared penchant for playing the field—one with men, the other with women.

To Beck, Aurora was a seemingly clueless heiress, but in truth, she was far shrewder than Judith could ever hope to be—her naivety was merely a guise.

And Aurora thought of Beck as a carefree playboy. The two of them hit it off instantly, having swept through many a bar together.

Now, Aurora was calling, probably having caught wind of the drama at the Sanders estate.

"Fine. But when you get Maja out, let's meet up, okay? And speaking of which, what about Judith?"

"She's probably with my brother, I guess."

"Dylan's really something, huh? Putting up with all that. If it were me, I'd chop Judith into mincemeat and feed her to the stray dogs."

Uncertain how much gossip Aurora had heard, Beck chuckled lightly, "Ladies shouldn't talk like that."

Aurora clapped a hand over her mouth, "I'm just standing up for Maja, even though I haven't met her. Surely, she's got to be a step up from that disaster Judith, right?"

The comparison did little to lift Beck's spirits as he ended the call.

Meanwhile, the Judith they discussed was enduring a nightmare in a basement. She had passed out twice from the pain, only to wake up to further agony as two men doused her thighs with boiling water and scraped off the blistered skin with a metal comb.

She was on the brink of madness, teetering on the edge of sanity under the brutal torment.