Page 126 of Masters of Control

“You do that. You know, it’s nice to see you being more yourself.”

“It’s nice feeling more like myself.”

“How’s the job hunt going?”

“I’ve gotten a few phone interviews scheduled, so we’ll see how those go.” Camille shrugged. “I’m hopeful, and I’m sure as hell not giving up. If I don’t find a new firm… maybe I’ll strike out on my own.”

That was an absolutely terrifying thought and not what she actually wanted to do, but she was starting to feel as though there was no way she could stay at Donaldson, not for any amount of money. Even if it meant having to move her mom to a different home. Her mom would want her to be happy.

She wasn’t sure how she’d deal with the guilt if it came to that, but she knew her mom would be mad at her for sacrificing her own needs. She might not be able to say so right now or be able to participate in the decision-making process, but Camille knew if her mom was capable, she would have already told Camille to get out of Donaldson and to move her. That it wasn’t worth it.

“I bet you’d do great. Have you asked Freddy about openings at his firm?”

“No, and I’m not going to.”

Julie gave her a look as if she thought Camille was cutting off her nose to spite her face, but Camille ignored her. Beginning a romantic relationship and starting to work at the same firm sounded like a recipe for disaster. Workplace romances were hard enough to navigate when it was between long-time workers.

She didn’t want to get a new job only to find herself at the center of relationship drama and possibly out of both at the same time. Maybe she was playing it safe, but there was nothing wrong with that.

“So, I think I’m going to propose to Luke on Valentine’s Day,” Olivia said, successfully dropping a conversational bomb and diverting all attention to her.

Camille wasn’t sure if she’d done it to help Camille out or just because she’d been dying to share the news, but either way, she was grateful.

Chapter Sixteen

Camille

“Mr. Alexander.” Camille glared at the man from across her desk. “You are not listening to me. No, I cannot force your wife to show up for meetings. She has handed all control over to her lawyer. The fact that he is willing to meet with us at all is a major concession.”

“But I don’t want to meet with him. I need to see her.” Nicholas Alexander III was looking more like a sulky boy, pouting at her from his chair. “You’re my lawyer. You’re supposed to get me what I want.”

“I’m your lawyer. I’m supposed to help you through your contention of the divorce and to clarify the sections in the prenup that are unclear,” she snapped back. “That does not mean you’ll get everything you want.”

She was down to her last nerve with him. Blinking at her as if shocked she would dare speak to him in such a manner, he stared like he was seeing something different than before.

“So, you can’t get her in for a meeting?”

“No.”

“Well, then, I don’t want to give her anything. If she wants me to agree to splitting the assets I earned after we got married, then she’s going to have to come here and say that to my face.” His face was getting very red, and Camille doubted seeing it would do anything but convince his ex that she was making the right move.

“I don’t think she’s going to agree with that. We can move things along much faster⁠—”

“I don’t want to move things along faster. If she’s going to leave me, she’s going to have to fight for it.” He slammed his fist down on the chair, and Camille throttled the urge to reach across the desk and slap some sense into him. “She doesn’t get to be free of me that easily!”

“Then we will end up in court, where you will lose everything she’s currently willing to concede. She will still leave you, and she might even do so with some of your company’s shares. I’m not going to be a party to dragging this out just to massage your ego or whatever it is that’s causing you such distress. Either we meet with Mr. Johan again and figure out an agreement that benefits you, or I’m going to tell him we’re prepared to go to court, where you can potentially lose everything.”

Mr. Alexander gaped like a fish, which would have been funny if she wasn’t so damn frustrated with him. She couldn’t enjoy his comical expression when all she wanted to do was throw him out the window.

“We’ll see about that,” he huffed, getting to his feet, glaring at her. “I am paying you to get me what I want.”

“What you want isn’t possible,” she replied coldly.

“We’ll see about that,” he repeated, as if saying so would make it true. Turning on his heel, he stormed out of her office and slammed the door behind him. Camille sighed and rubbed her temples.

She had no doubt he was heading straight to the partners to complain, but she’d told him the truth. If he wasn’t going to be cooperative, there was nothing she could do for him, and complaining to the partners wasn’t going to change that.

However, she did send off an email to Freddy requesting another meeting and noting Mrs. Alexander’s presence was requested as well. That way, she’d done her due diligence, and when he told her fuck no, she could pass that along. Which she was very glad for an hour later when Donaldson Junior appeared in her doorway, glaring at her.