Alicia glanced down at her emerald ring before looking at the final photo.
A friendly kiss? Or something more?
Alicia’s heart roared in her chest. Or was that blood filling her ears? Anger? Rage? Pregnancy hormones making her want to kill a fucking bitch?
Paper fluttered to the desk.
“Ms. Colbert,”Russell’s handwriting was unmistakable,“I hope this evidence is satisfactory. If you truly love my daughter as you claim, then you have no reason to stay with her. She does not love you. This is only one of many women she hasbeen seen with since marrying you. Do you know what Danica told me? She said that she was going to remain married to you until the child was born. She intends to divorce you and marry Ms. Matsuda instead. As you can see, she has no intention of staying true to you until then. Why would she?
“Here is what I propose. Leave her now. You may stay married until your child is born, but I do not want you or the child near her. You will be taken care of. I hear there are many wonderful properties on the West Coast looking for single mothers and their ilk. Pick one, and it will be yours, as well as plenty of money to set you and the child up for life. In return, you will have no further contact with my daughter. I don’t think that’s unfair to ask.”
Alicia crumpled the paper in her hand and threw it into her trash can. A cry of disbelief escaped her.
Of course, Dee had heard. The office door opened, and there was the bodyguard, staring Alicia down as if she half expected to see her charge bloody on the floor.That’s my heart, dumbass. My heart is the only thing bleeding right now.
“I’m fine!” Alicia insisted. No. No, she wasn’t. Every bit of reason inside her said that this was a trick. Danica would never. She would never cheat on Alicia. She said she wasn’t interested in Natsuko! This, though…
This was damning. Not one meeting, but multiple meetings? Over many days?Every time she went out for business without me… was she meeting her?Alicia did her best not to cry, let alone in front of Dee, but how could she not? Her hormones were in another galaxy, and her wife… her fucking wife…
Alicia composed herself. She quietly shoved the photos back into her bottom drawer and straightened out her black Dior jacket.
Dee watched as Alicia picked up her phone and stared at Danica’s number. Instead of calling her, however, she texted Ms. Sarah Clayborn and asked her to come at her convenience.
That was within ten minutes.
“Yes?” Ms. Clayborn stood next to Dee, emotionless.
“Where is my wife, Ms. Clayborn?”
She tilted her head. “In her office, having a meeting.”
“With whom?”
Finally, a reaction. Ms. Clayborn cleared her throat, blush overcoming her complexion. “Ms. Matsuda.”
Don’t. React.“Please ask my wife to meet me for dinner tonight. She can call me about it when she’s finished with her meeting.”It better not be a fuck date, I swear to…The thought of Danica Moreau nailing that heiress on her couch like she often fucked her wife… Alicia was going to throw up again.
“I will, Mrs. Moreau.”
“Oh, and Ms. Clayborn?” Alicia said as the assistant turned to leave. “I want to make it clear that you no longer work for Russell Moreau. You’ll work for me before you work for him.”
That was a helluva lump going down Ms. Clayborn’s throat. “Yes, ma’am.” She stopped halfway across the room. “Thank you.”
At least someone got some good news that day.
“Where the hell is my wife?”
Abby shook where she stood. “Ms. Moreau had an emergency meeting at five. She didn’t tell you?”
“No!” Alicia leaped up from her seat. The emerald paperweight rolled off her desk and onto the floor. “I told her to contact me as soon as she could so we could arrange dinner.”
“She left with Ms. Matsuda.”
“Where the hell did they go?”
Alicia’s intensity shook the walls. Dee let out a low whistle. Abby looked like she wanted to be anywhere but there. “I don’t know, ma’am. I saw them leave shortly after five. That’s it.”
“Ms. Clayborn!”
