When Family Became a Place I Couldn’t Return To novel Chapter 408

Brody paused for a second, giving Nelly a look so soft and sweet it almost didn’t seem real.

“All Nelly and I need to do is come forward together, clear things up, and then, for a while, show everyone how happy we are as a couple. That’ll put the rumors to rest.”

Nelly stared at him, completely thrown off. This was even more outrageous than she’d imagined.

She tried to pull her arm free again, but Michael cut in. “Clear things up? But aren’t you two getting divorced?”

Brody’s voice was calm and gentle, but somehow it had a weight that made people listen. “After thinking it over, I’ve decided I’m not divorcing Nelly.”

Nelly snapped. “Brody, are you serious right now? What are you even trying to get out of this?”

She was at her limit. She knew Jonah had brought Brody here to help her get out of this mess, but lies like this couldn’t last forever. They just kept her trapped.

Michael was watching Nelly closely. He could tell that, even if she and Brody weren’t as bad as the rumors said, things were definitely far from good.

Brody hadn’t come just to help the Watson family out of kindness, that much was obvious.

“Mr. Garland, you can’t force a relationship if it’s broken. I doubt you and Nelly came to this point on a whim. Even if you use a publicity stunt to handle this, it’s not a long-term fix.”

Michael’s tone was careful, but Brody picked up on what he was really asking.

“Don’t worry, sir. I’m not here with some hidden agenda, and I’m not just trying to fix this crisis.”

She half wanted to grab his head and check if it was really him, or if someone else had taken his place.

She was so shocked, she forgot to push him away.

Brody turned to Michael. “And, to show I mean it—and because I’m not getting a divorce—I’m willing to give half of Garland Inc.’s shares to Never as an investment.”

That got everyone’s attention. The board members traded looks, and all their nerves from before seemed to disappear. They started whispering, a buzz running through the room.

Honestly, this was a pretty solid plan. The Watson Corporation didn’t lose anything, and from the way Brody and Nelly looked, they didn’t seem totally distant either.

Britney suddenly looked like she might lose her balance. Her eyes flashed, and she jumped in. “Mr. Garland, isn’t there more to this than meets the eye? I know Nelly. She’s loyal, she cares deeply. If you were really that good to her, I don’t think you two would be heading for divorce. I’m not trying to be difficult, but you only found out about who Nelly really is recently, and now you suddenly don’t want a divorce? It’s just… hard not to wonder what’s really going on.”