The words rose up her throat before she could stop them. Before she could think them through or plan what came next. They just...came. Whispered into the space between them like a confession she hadn’t known she needed to make.
“I want a divorce.”
Leonidas
“Why didn’t you justwake me up with sex, darling? I missed you so much. It’s been months.”
The sultry brunette who entered the living room had the kind of confidence that came from years of knowing exactly what men wanted to see. Her silk robe was loosely tied, revealing strategic glimpses of smooth skin. Her hair fell in artfully tousled waves, as if she’d just rolled out of bed, though Leonidas knew she’d spent at least twenty minutes arranging it that way.
Lydia moved to wrap her arms around him, but he stepped back just as she was about to reach him. The evasion caught her off guard, nearly causing her smile to falter. But she caught herself in time and sat on the couch instead, crossing her legs as she did, in hopes of reminding him of all the wonderfully hot times that they had as lovers.
“I apologize for coming unannounced.” The billionaire remained standing, making no move to sit, making no move toward comfort or familiarity. “I should have called ahead.”
“Don’t be silly.” Lydia’s tone was bright, warm...and completely hollow. “You’re always welcome here. This is your apartment, after all.”
Technically true. He’d purchased the Milan property six years ago, placed it in her name two years later as part of their arrangement. She paid no rent, no utilities, nothing. Her lifestyle was funded entirely by the investments he’d made on her behalf, investments that had grown substantially under his management.
She’d done well out of their arrangement.
Better than she probably deserved.
“Would you like something to drink, darling? Scotch? Or that Greek wine you like? I can ask one of the maids—”
“That won’t be necessary.”
Lydia remained smiling even though she was panicking inside.
She’d heard that tone twice before in her life. The first time from her college sweetheart, Derrick, when he’d left her for an older, wealthier divorcée who could fund his medical school. The second time from her own lips, when she’d left her elderly husband for someone richer and evenmoreelderly.
The tone of goodbye dressed up as courtesy.
“I’d like you to take a look at this.”
“Of course.” Her tone was steady, but her hands were what betrayed the real state of her emotions, shaking as they did as she accepted the legal envelope the billionaire handed her. She already knew what the documents inside of it were about, but seeing it written in black and white still had her seeing red.
“May I ask what brought this about all of a sudden?”
