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Tied By Treachery

Page 10

by Wren Shaw

Harrison was across from us with his lawyer at his side. When Dana learned he’d hired Graham Evans, she warned me we were in for a bumpy ride. He had a reputation for being ruthless when handling contentious divorces, one that I’d unfortunately gotten to experience firsthand.

After six months of unproductive meetings, none of us bothered with a greeting.

“Are you finally willing to see reason?” Dana asked. “We’re here for a settlement that matches the facts. Not another delay.”

Graham rested his hand on a closed folder. “Your client signed a prenup. She should be held to the agreement she made.”

Dana didn’t look intimidated at all. “She’s been willing to sign off on that number since day one, against my advice because it’s more generous than she should be.”

“For the divorce only,” Graham pointed out. “We need the wage claim settled as well.”

“Only because you insist on handling them together.”

Graham quirked a brow. “I wouldn’t be doing my job if I let your client keep her leverage along with a hefty settlement.”

“Mr. Cromwell and his family set the terms of the prenuptial agreement. If they didn’t like them, they never should have presented it to my client.” Dana leaned forward. “If you continue to stall, I’m filing to challenge the prenup. I’ll go for half of everything, four and a half years of spousal support, and my not-insignificant fees. Once that’s all done, I’m going to file the wage claim. And I’ll win. Everything.”

“Enough.” Harrison shifted in his chair. “I want this finished. My parents are angry about what it’s costing, and they don’t want the vineyard in the papers.”

“Then you already know what it will take.” Dana folded her hands. “You’ve had the terms for months.”

Harrison stood. “Get it done.”

Graham turned toward him. “Harrison⁠—”

“You heard me.”

Dana didn’t smile. “The six-month waiting period has passed. We can get a judge pro tem to preside over the settlement by the end of the week.”

“That fast?” Harrison finally looked at me. “You’re sure this is what you want?”

“Yes.”

I could have said so much more, including asking him why he cared about what I wanted when his pregnant fiancée was in the waiting room. But it didn’t matter because we weren’t a part of each other’s lives anymore. These meetings were the only time we were in a room together now. And once the divorce was finalized, I would never have to see his lying face again.

“Send the paperwork over,” Graham told Dana. “We’ll review it.”

“No need.” Dana pulled a stack from the folder in front of her and slid it across the table. “Here you go.”

Graham shook his head. “Really?”

She shrugged. “I like to be prepared.”

He took the pages and read. The room stayed quiet except for the turning of the paper every few minutes. Harrison paced back and forth with his phone in his hand, sending several text messages while his lawyer reviewed everything.

Graham finally looked up and gestured at Harrison to come close. “It’s what we expected. The prenup amount, including the infidelity penalty. Another quarter million on the wage claim, plus one hundred thousand for the firing. No hidden traps.”

“Would I try to pull a fast one on you?” Dana murmured.

Graham shot her an exasperated look. “Absolutely.”

Harrison leaned over, took the pen, and signed. Then he shoved the stack toward me. “Your turn.”

I signed, equally surprised and relieved that my hand didn’t shake.

“There. All done.” Dana collected the pages with a smile. “I have a retired LA Superior Court family law judge I’ve used as a judge pro tem. I can get these to her today if you’d like.”

Graham nodded. “Go ahead.”