James didn’t even look at her. Silently, he lifted the glass and drank.
Gabriel watched the scene unfold and felt a surge of anger. James’s indifference to everything made his blood boil. He leaned forward suddenly and grabbed James by the collar, shaking him with raw fury.
“Your ex-wife and her new fucking husband did this to me! Aren’t you going to do anything about it?!”
James’s eyes finally flicked to Gabriel, a hint of attention piercing the fog of his drunken stupor.
“My wife? What… new husband?”
Gabriel’s face twisted with rage. He punched James across the face, snapping roughly, “Wake the hell up, James! You’re not her husband anymore! She’s got a new damn husband. It’s Alexander Graves. Can you believe it?!” he scoffed. “The Empire Group’s heir! She divorced you and married him. That rich fucking bastard!”
James blinked, the weight of Gabriel’s words hitting him like a punch. His head spun, his anger and confusion mingling, as he tried to process the reality.
Kylie, who had been smug and drinking moments ago, froze. Her glass paused mid-air as she stared at Gabriel in shock.
“No… that’s not possible,” she whispered. “That day… I saw her… she was with that—what’s his name? The secretary… Allen?”
Gabriel’s fury snapped tighter. “She isn’t married to that assistant! She’s married to his boss, you dumb bitch. AlexanderfuckingGraves!”
James was so shocked he couldn’t even blink.
Then he suddenly lunged forward and shoved Gabriel hard in the chest.
“You’ve lost your fucking mind.”
The words barely left his mouth, slurred and rough, but the fury behind them was unmistakable. Even drunk, James’s disbelief burned hot.
“How can she marry someone like that?” he repeated hoarsely. “She is my wife. Even if she’s divorced, why the hell would someone like Alexander want her?”
His chest rose and fell violently.
“She has nothing to offer him,” James snarled. “Only I’m capable of making her happy.”
Before Gabriel could respond, Neil stormed forward, grabbing him by the collar and shoving him back.
“Sit the fuck down. What the hell are you doing?”
Gabriel gritted. “I’m telling you the truth. She was at the Empire Group’s party—with Alexander. They made a public appearance! There are videos of them on the news channels!”
“Fuck off.”
James violently shoved Neil away as well. He stumbled back, nearly losing his balance.
James stood there, swaying slightly, his body trembling—half from alcohol, half from shock. His eyes were wide, bloodshot, his mind refusing to process what he’d just heard.
Empire Group.
A name no one like him could even dream of touching.
How could Mia marry someone that rich? That powerful?
“No… it’s impossible,” James muttered, his voice breaking. “She’s living in that shabby apartment—I was going to bring her back home once she calmed down. She can’t… she can’t be married to someone like him! It’s impossible!”
His voice rose into a shout. “I’ll bring her back.”
***
James’s heart hammered uncontrollably as the car came to a stop in front of a towering glass building glowing against the night sky.
