“This is ridiculous—”
“Then stop trying to destroy your own marriage—”
“I am respecting my wife’s wishes—”
“You are being an idiot—”
And what were they all staring at that had them so captivated it was as if they were hypnotized? It was like they were rehearsing a scene fromWelcome to Derry—
Oh!
Shayla couldn’t believe her eyes. What were these two doing? Why were they playing tug of war over aMont Blancpen? Was this some kind of dare? A boy thing that girls could never understand? Or had their office simply run out of pens and common sense?
Oh, whatever.
Shayla rushed past everyone and quickly apologized to Lexy who was already waiting for her in her office. “I’m so sorry. I tried to get here as early as I could—”
“It’s fine. You warned me yesterday you had a meeting before this.”
Shayla noticed the way Lexy was restlessly clasping and unclasping her hands. “Is everything okay? Did you and Leonidas talk again before coming here?”
“We came here separately.”
“Oh.”
“I thought it would be better that way.”
Shayla’s heart ached at the strain underscoring the younger woman’s voice. “May I ask you something, Lexy?”
“Yes, of course.”
“Do you truly want this divorce?”
“I...yes.”
Shayla didn’t miss the way Lexy’s eyes avoided meeting her gaze as she answered. “I know we haven’t known each other for long, but I have a feeling there’s something more to this. Something you’re holding back, and I just—”
“I justneedto do this,” Lexy said jerkily. “It’s just...fairer this way.”
****
The tug-of-war onlyended when Adriano received a call, and Leonidas came to his senses as he found himself holding the Mont Blanc pen that he just spent the ten minutes of his life actuallyfightingto retain possession of like it was the title to his most expensive property.
His whole life, he had always been mature and sensible. But now, because of this...this marriage that had gone from convenient to complicated in a blink—he had ended up acting like a toddler who didn’t want to share his toy.
“Is that so?”
The tone that Adrian used had Leonidas’ lips tightening. He knew his friend well enough to understand what that measured tone meant. And so, as soon as the call ended, he did not waste time in asking—
“How bad is it?”
Adriano looked at him soberly. “It’s not what you think.”
“So not about the divorce then?”
“It is,” Adriano allowed, “but not in the way you imagined.” A pause followed before Adrian went on with faint reluctance, “Shayla and I do not speak of this often, but we welcomed an investor in our firm shortly after our marriage. A silent partner who owns a controlling share in the firm.”
Leonidas’ brows shot up at the revelation. Whoever this individual was, he must be someone Adriano significantly respectedandtrusted, to yield such control over his firm.
