It was obvious Russell saw me as a danger. The bastard knew I was a rising star, and I wasn’t going to stop. Russell didn’t want me taking his title. Well, he could get ready; I was coming for him. His cancelling two major contracts with Eliganz proved he felt I was a threat. The asshole was using Alicia to undermine me. That wouldn’t work. Alicia was under my control and loved me.
Confidently, I entered the house and paused. It was too quiet—too still. “Alicia?” I shouted.
She didn’t answer. That bitch. No doubt she was sulking. Amused, I headed to the kitchen, smirking. Whatever Alicia had cooked, I planned to throw away in front of her. Therefore, I was stunned when I walked in and found it disturbingly clean. Confused, I opened the fridge and frowned. There was no fresh food inside—it had been completely emptied. What the hell? Was this Alicia’s version of a fuck you?
“Alicia?” I called, a flutter of concern rising.
Where was she? Had Alicia had an accident? As I headed upstairs, Alicia’s words this afternoon in my office hit me. Had she been serious about a divorce? Alicia didn’t have the backbone to stand up to me; she couldn’t have. No, she was probably sulking in the bathroom and hiding.
The moment I entered the bedroom, I realised something was wrong. Alicia’s presence wasn’t here. A sickening feeling began building as I marched over to the walk-in closet and opened the doors. The bareness hit like a truck. Alicia’s clothes were gone. I turned disbelievingly and stared at the vanity table. There were none of her creams and perfumes.
Alicia had left me.
Shellshocked, I sank onto the bed and stared at the empty room. Where had she got the strength from?
My mind raced. How did I play this? Because if Alicia thought she’d divorce me, she was wrong. Eve had me hooked on hot, dirty sex and her even hotter body, but she was no model wife. The bitch was merely a fling, although Alicia’s treatment of her was despicable. A lot of men had mistresses. Why couldn’t Alicia and her friends just have maintained the status quo and kept their mouths shut?
Those bitches were behind Alicia’s attitude. Ever since we’d met them, they’d encouraged Alicia to buck against my ideals, and now she was gone. Alicia had actually left. I had two paths to take: I could punish Alicia severely or forgive her. Clearly,Alicia needed a stronger hand; I’d obviously been too lax lately. The first time she backchatted me, I should have used physical punishment. It was something I’d eschewed, but that was obviously a glaring mistake.
It was time to find Alicia. Then I’d work on getting her home, and once here, I’d make sure she didn’t leave for the foreseeable future. Fuck those women and their husbands. They were all irrelevant now.
Alicia
“Would you help me find somewhere to live?” I asked Zinnia over dinner. I’d cooked as a thanks for letting me stay. They refused to let me pay anything toward the household’s costs, and they obviously didn’t need money. Instead, I helped with cooking meals and whatever else I could do, as I didn’t enjoy feeling a burden.
“Of course. Any idea of what you want?” Zinnia inquired as she poured two glasses of wine.
“I guess an apartment, one to buy, I’ve got quite a fortune stashed away,” I replied.
“Are you going after alimony or a divorce settlement?” Dax asked as he entered the kitchen. He bent down and kissed Zinnia, who gazed up at him adoringly. Dax turned to me with a smile. “Dinner smells wonderful. I don’t know what we’ll do when you leave.”
“Hire a chef?” I said, and Zinnia laughed.
“That’s a good idea,” Dax agreed.
“Neither of us can cook,” Zinnia replied, and they both chuckled. “We’re God-awful. Anyway, about what Dax said. What do you want from Oliver?”
“A settlement of two million. That’s what I reckon my time was worth. Then Oliver needs to sign off claiming any assets I might hold, and I’ll do the same,” I said. “Do you think I can get that?”
“The catch is you might have to declare them. But you have those pills and the accompanying paperwork as evidence. Oliver won’t want to be arrested and have what he did made common knowledge,” Zinnia mused.
Dax straightened, and a dangerous aura came off him. “What have I missed?” he demanded.
I turned back to cooking as Zinnia updated him. By the time she finished, Dax was livid.
“You should call the police. That’s assault.”
“Dax, I just want a divorce and then repair the damage that’s been done to me. Shit, I don’t even know who I am anymore. My reflection is a stranger. As low as it sounds, I plan to blackmail Oliver into giving me the divorce by not pressing charges. I don’t need his money. Mystique is growing, and I’ve my own fortune to protect, as well as my company. I want Oliver gone. After all, he’s spiteful enough to take half of Mystique from me in another effort to control me,” I said.
“Fair do. I’ll find a lawyer. One who can get what you want, because Oliver is that nasty. Then again, Eliganz is currently trending, although not for much longer. If you took half of that, Oliver would be fucked,” Dax agreed.
Turning back to the stove, I drew in a deep breath. I was getting a divorce.
Oliver
I stared at the file on my desk, stunned. Three days since the scene in my office, and Alicia had just served divorce papers. Worse, I sensed a trap. Alicia was asking for the bare minimum,and that didn’t make sense. Trying to work out what Alicia wanted, I tapped my finger against the paperwork thoughtfully. An a-ha moment happened as I guessed why her demands were so small. Alicia expected me to court and win her back.
God bless that woman. I knew she’d cave; this was Alicia’s way of letting me know she still loved me. Alicia wouldn’t accept a mere two million and her personal belongings. But even so, she deserved a fright. I reached out and dialled my lawyer; he’d scare Alicia, and then I’d forgive her.
