Before Felix could think of something to say, Jasper’s loud voice rang out.
“Thank you so much, Mr. Creed!” Jasper called while wrapping an arm around Amara’s shoulders. “You made our lives so much easier!”
Something inside Elias visibly snapped.
“This goddamn motherfucker—”
He immediately started striding toward Jasper with a dangerous expression. Felix panicked and quickly grabbed his arm with both hands.
“Mr. Creed!” Felix hissed urgently. “We are still outside the courthouse. You cannot start a fight here.”
Elias clenched his jaw so hard the muscles along it ticked.
“He’s provoking me on purpose!”
“I know,” Felix said quickly, lifting both hands in a calming gesture. “Mrs. Creed is probably just confused right now because everything happened so suddenly.”
Even he could hear how weak that excuse sounded.
On the other side, Jasper and Amara remained completely oblivious to Elias’s rage.
Jasper happily opened the passenger door for Amara. She climbed inside, still smiling brightly.
Elias stared at the vehicle with an increasingly dark expression.
Then he looked at Felix again and gritted out through his teeth,
“Didn’t everyone say she is madly in love with me?” he snapped irritably. “Then why does she look like the happiest woman alive right now?”
His eyes stayed fixed on the car.
“I thought she would refuse to go through with the divorce once we got here,” he continued bitterly.
His jaw tightened, eyes darkening as the memory replayed in his mind.
“But she looked like…” he paused, jaw flexing again. “…the happiest person in the entire goddamn courtroom just to be first in line to get it done.”
Felix rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.
“It’s just divorce, Mr. Creed,” he said carefully. “Maybe Mr. Hawk—”
Elias turned toward him. Felix immediately corrected himself.
“Maybe Mrs. Creed just hasn’t processed it emotionally yet,” Felix said carefully, choosing his words like he was walking through a minefield. “She might change her mind later.”
Elias shot Felix an incredulous look, his brows pulling together dangerously.
“Have you completely lost your fucking mind?” he snapped. “The divorce is already finalized. When exactly is she going to change her mind now?”
He looked toward the car again just in time to see Amara laughing at something Jasper said.
The sight instantly darkened his expression further.
“What is she even so happy about?” he muttered darkly, his gaze snapping back toward the car. “Getting into that car with that fucking loser like he’s some kind of savior.”
His jaw tightened.
“She’s clinging to him like he’s made of gold.”
