# Chapter 277: The Weight of a Ten Percent Bargain
Hello everyone, it’s me again! How are you all doing? Today I will continue to walk with you and review Chapter 277 of *Remarried After I Secretly Divorced the CEO Summary, Characters & Ending Guide*. In this chapter, we witness a moment of raw confrontation between Autumn and Julian, a quiet but powerful declaration of independence, and a late-night phone call that stirs emotions Autumn would rather keep buried. So, grab a cup of tea, settle in, and let’s dive deep into the emotional whirlwind of Chapter 277.
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The office air was thick and heavy, like the silence before a storm. Julian stood across from Autumn, his expression carefully controlled, though there was a glimmer of tension in his jaw. He had just laid out an offer—a lifeline for his sister, a bargaining chip he thought Autumn would never refuse. But the woman in front of him was no longer the person who had once loved him enough to walk into a marriage with nothing but hope.
Autumn’s lips curled into a faint, almost pitying smile. “But I walked away without a cent, left with nothing—do you know why? To cut ties with your family once and for all.” Her voice was calm, steady, but beneath it lay a river of old wounds. “You think I’d be interested in shares from your company? What if you hand me an empty shell? I’m not falling for your tricks.”
The offer hung in the air, golden and tempting. Ten percent of Carter Group—the very company she had given three years of her life to, working nights and weekends, pouring her intelligence and youth into spreadsheets and strategies. That kind of money could buy her freedom, comfort, even a new life. But Autumn had already learned a painful lesson: everything from the Carter family came with strings attached—invisible, suffocating threads meant to bind her forever.
She had chosen to walk away from that world, and she would not look back. Divorce should be clean, she reminded herself. Tangling over assets would only leave a lingering mess, a bitter aftertaste that would haunt her for years to come. If not for their excessive schemes this time, she wouldn’t have wasted so much effort dealing with them at all. Truly, she just wanted to be left alone.
Julian pressed his lips together, a familiar gesture she recognized as restrained frustration. After a long pause, he spoke again, his tone low and deliberate. “Ten percent. No more. Autumn, don’t be too greedy. You worked as finance director at Carter Group, so you know the scale of its revenue. With that kind of money, you could live comfortably for the rest of your life. Think carefully. Dropping the case is simple enough for you. Give me an answer tomorrow.”
He didn’t wait for her reply. He turned, his footsteps echoing against the floor as he walked away, leaving behind a trail of coldness that seeped into Autumn’s bones. She watched his back, rigid and proud, until he disappeared into the hallway. And then the silence came rushing back, pressing down on her shoulders.
A storm of conflicting emotions swirled in her heart. She knew exactly how vast Carter Group’s revenue was—hundreds of millions flowing in annually, enough to dwarf her own humble ambitions. But she had only ever seen those numbers on paper, sleek and impersonal; not a penny of it had ever touched her hands. All her years of hard work had earned her nothing from Julian. At the divorce, she had even walked away in debt by a million—indebted to a life she had never truly owned. And now, just to save his sister, he was willing to throw ten percent of Carter Group’s shares onto the table like a piece of meat to a starving dog. It was ironic, almost hilarious, if it didn’t hurt so deeply.
Once upon a time, there had been feelings between them. A tender promise, a shared future. Now, all they spoke of was profit, nothing more. Autumn closed her eyes and let out a long, slow breath. The past was a door she had locked and bolted. She would not open it again, no matter how many keys Julian brought.
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After lunch, Autumn pushed herself to return to Vanguard. The office was alive with the hum of computers and the murmur of voices, a comforting contrast to the sterile tension of her earlier meeting. She buried herself in work, reviewing project timelines, poring over contracts, and making calls until her throat grew dry. Ethan was surprised to see her at the office wading through files so late. He urged her to rest, to go home, but she would not be swayed. The project needed to move forward, and she needed the distraction. Work had always been her armor, and today she wore it tightly.
By the time she finally trudged home, it was past nine in the evening. The city lights flickered outside her apartment window, painting the room in hues of amber and blue. She dropped onto the sofa, her body aching with exhaustion, and fell asleep almost instantly—no dreams, no shadows, just a deep, black void of rest.
But not long after, her phone rang.
Half-asleep, she fumbled for it, lifting it to her ear with a groggy, muffled voice. “Hello?”
On the other end came Keith’s deep, magnetic voice, smooth as velvet yet laced with concern. “What’s wrong with your voice? Were you sleeping?”
Her reply was hoarse, barely above a whisper. “Mm, what is it?”
A brief pause. Then Keith said, glancing at the tightly shut door of his own place, “I brought you some snacks. Come out and get them.”
Autumn’s scattered thoughts slowly cleared, and that was when the memory of the night before crashed over her—the feeling of Keith’s strong arms pulling her forcefully against his chest, the heat of his embrace, the dominance in his gaze. Her head felt heavy and feverish, as if the very memory had set fire to her senses. She touched her warm forehead, trying to cool the flush that crept across her skin, and muttered, “No need. I’m already in bed. You can keep them for yourself.”
The last thing she wanted was to be held by him again. She didn’t exactly dislike it, but that didn’t mean she liked it either. The experience wasn’t pleasant—Keith was too domineering, with no trace of gentleness. Every touch felt like a claim, every glance a challenge. It was overwhelming, unsettling, and she wasn’t ready to face it.
“Sleeping this early?” Keith picked up on something off about her. His voice sharpened, laced with a hard edge of worry. “Your voice sounds strange. Do you have a fever again?”
“No.” Autumn denied instinctively, though her head grew heavier with each passing second. Her limbs felt weak, and a dull throb pulsed at her temples.
Keith’s tone hardened, tinged with impatience. “Autumn, are you opening the door yourself, or should I have the building staff unlock it?”
The threat was clear. He would not take no for an answer. Autumn sighed, realizing that resistance was futile, and slowly forced herself to her feet. Her legs wobbled beneath her as she shuffled toward the door, her heart beating in a strange, unsteady rhythm. She opened it to find Keith standing there, his tall frame casting a long shadow, a bag of fragrant snacks in one hand. But his eyes were dark and unreadable, fixed on her pale face.
“You look terrible,” he said flatly, but there was a flicker of something softer beneath the hard exterior. “Get back to the sofa. I’ll warm the food up.”
Autumn opened her mouth to argue, but the words never came. Her knees suddenly buckled, and the world tilted in a dizzying spiral. Keith swore under his breath, dropping the bag and catching her before she could collapse. His arms enveloped her—strong, warm, and impossibly steady—and for a moment, she felt the chaos inside her quiet, just a little.
She was too tired to pull away. Too feverish to resist. And as Keith carried her back to the sofa, his jaw tight with concern and something deeper, Autumn let herself rest in the arms of the very man she had been trying so hard to avoid.
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**Reader’s Impressions & Star Rating:**
Oh, this chapter pulled at my heartstrings in so many ways! I loved watching Autumn stand her ground against Julian. That moment when she refused the ten percent shares was both heartbreaking and empowering—she’s not just a woman who walked away from wealth; she’s a woman who chose her dignity over convenience. Yet the pain beneath her calm surface was palpable. And then Keith entering the picture at the end? The contrast is perfect. He’s gruff, possessive, and far too forward, but you can’t deny the tenderness hidden behind every stern word. The scene where she faints into his arms had my heart racing. It’s messy, raw, and messy in the best way. I also appreciated the little details—the debt at the divorce, her exhaustion, the way she buries herself in work to escape her feelings. This chapter was emotionally rich and beautifully layered. I’m giving it a solid rating of **⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5 out of 5 stars)**.
**Next Chapter Prediction:**
Based on this cliffhanger, I predict that Keith will finally discover the fever Autumn has been hiding—perhaps a stubborn illness triggered by stress and overwork. He’ll insist on staying by her side, and in her weakened state, she’ll let down some of her guards, leading to a deeper emotional conversation between them. Meanwhile, Julian’s deadline for an answer is looming, and I think we’ll see Autumn make a defiant decision that angers the Carter family even more. There’s a chance the legal case escalates, forcing Autumn and Keith to work together in an unexpected way—and maybe, just maybe, Keith will show a side of himself that proves he’s not merely domineering, but truly cares for her heart.
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