“What are you doing here?” I asked, my voice cutting straight through the space between us. I wanted him out of this house right now.
He finally looked up and his gaze locked on mine, steady and unblinking. He took a bite of his toast, chewed slowly then swallowed, and let the silence stretch until it pissed me off more than I already was.
“As far as I know, I still own this house,” he said, unhurried. “I come when the fuck I feel like coming.”
He made my blood boil, but I forced my breathing to settle.
“Interesting! I could have sworn you forgot the Korven estate existed. Yet lately, you’ve been showing up more often. Should I assume there’s a reason for that, or are we pretending you came here for breakfast, Konflict.”
He held my gaze without blinking, the corner of his mouth lifting with a confidence that pushed heat into my chest. “The bread hits better here.”
I gave him a humorless smile. “Don’t insult my intelligence. If bread was your priority, you wouldn’t live half a world away. Just tell me what you want so I can go about my day. I’m not here to play house with you.”
He stared at me with his face locked in that flat, merciless expression that promised nothing good. “As I said, I do what the fuck I want. And I figured it was a good day to have breakfast with my future ex-wife before I put a bullet in that pretty head. We can at least enjoy this little moment, right?”
Hatred and frustration spilled out of me. “If that’s what youwant, fine. I can give you that. But believe me, I can’t wait for this to end.”
His eyes narrowed, amused in a way that made me more pissed than I already was. “Never seen someone so damn eager to meet their end. You’re really in a hurry to die, huh?”
I didn’t blink. “If living means putting up with you, I’d rather die with a smile. At least I’ll have enjoyed myself before you finally pull that trigger.”
He leaned in slightly, his gaze dragging over my face with a quiet but calculating interest. “If you’re still that committed to dying on the day we dissolve this joke of a marriage, it means you followed through with whatever the hell you planned for last night?”
I cut my eyes at him, refusing to give him the satisfaction of a reaction. “You’ve been a little too invested in my life lately, Konflict. Maybe find a hobby. What I did last night is none of your business.”
He smirked again, slow and infuriating. “Simple curiosity. Don’t read too much into it.”
“So that’s what brings you here? You’re curious about whether I actually fucked a man last night?” I straightened my shoulders, lifted my chin, and let my voice turn to ice. “Since you’re so desperate to know, let me make things clear for you. Last night was magic. The man I had knewexactlywhat he was doing. He flipped me every damn way he wanted, fucked me in every position, made me feel things I didn’t even know my body could feel. And honestly, I doubt my incompetent, idiotic husband could have managed half of what he did.”
I locked my gaze onto his and watched the way the muscle jumped at the edge of his cheek.
“Now that I know what it feels like to be fucked right, I’m eager to do it again.”
His lips pressed into a thin line and his voice couldn’t hide theirritation he was feeling “So you’re planning to see him again?”
I let a sweet and venomous smile kiss my lips. “Maybe. But even if I enjoyed what he did to me, I have no intention of booking the same man twice. There are plenty of dicks in this city, and I intend to explore every single one.”
Tension rolled through his shoulders, sharp enough to shift the air between us. “What the fuck does that mean?”
I leaned forward. “I already knew you struggled with reading, but I had no idea memory was an issue too. Or is it basic comprehension you’re missing? That letter spelled everything out. I said I planned to get dicked down bydifferentmen. I tasted one last night, and that was enough for him. Tonight, I’ll choose someone new.”
His nostrils flared, anger bleeding straight through them. “So you’re really going to do this every night? Different men? You hear yourself?”
I shrugged. “Save your judgment. I don’t give a damn if you think I’m a whore, Konflict. I’ll use my pussy however I want. I won’t settle for one dick when I’ve got a month left to live. I’m going to fuck whoever I want, however I want, until you kill me or I lose interest. Now enjoy your breakfast alone. Seeing your face ruined my appetite.”
Grabbing my bag, I walked out without giving him a chance to speak. I didn’t slam the door, but the moment I stepped outside, the tension in my chest didn’t loosen.
All day, his voice scraped at the back of my mind. It made no sense. After everything we had done to each other, I should have been unreachable. But that morning sank under my skin like poison.
I walked into the casino later that morning for inspection. We were still in training mode, so my dealers were practicing hands they’d need to master before nightfall. I moved from table to table, watching how they handled the chips and how well theyfollowed instructions. When I reached one of the high-stakes tables, irritation spiked instantly. A young trainee was mixing chip denominations as if he was stacking candy. He was careless and oblivious, completely unprepared for the reality of live play.
“Is this how you plan to run my house?” I asked.
He jerked, his hands trembling so violently the entire stack toppled over. When the chips hit the table, he lost whatever composure he had left. He dropped to his knees in front of me, eyes wide and shining with panic, sweat rolling down his temple even though the room was cool.
“Please, Madame Korven,” he stammered. “Forgive me. I’ll fix it, I swear. Please, have mercy. I need this job. I need my life.”
I stared at him, thrown off-balance. Fear poured out of him as if he expected someone to drag him outside and shoot him.
