A Divorce He Regrets

Chapter 304:

“Sweetie, you need to take something, at least.” Faith’s voice was velvet against rough skin. Normally, just hearing her would have been enough to extinguish the raging fire in me, but it could barely quench even a flicker of it.

“I would. Later.” I managed to grind out and rushed out of the dining room before she could drill it out of me and we ended up having a fight.

I rushed to the bedroom. It didn’t remind me of work, nor Raina, nor Cale. It usually was my peaceful spot.

I tossed and turned in bed, a frustrated groan bubbling from within my chest.

I grabbed a cigar from the box I kept safely tucked in the second drawer of our nightstand. If you had asked me a few weeks ago if I smoked, I would have easily told you, “Only every now and then.” But I had taken at least five packs in three weeks. I was slowly spiraling down a slippery slope, and it only made me even more stressed.

The door to the balcony slid open, and my head snapped in that direction. Faith didn’t like it when I smoked. Never had, and probably never would, which was why I always smoked outside.

I sighed when Alex’s face broke through the crack in the door.

He plucked a cigar from the shut box on the center table and made himself comfortable in the opposite chair.

“Marriage would have worked,” he said through a puff of smoke. “Just a pain that he’s always two steps ahead.” He grunted, but there was no reaction on his face, just the satisfaction from enjoying a good cigar. “What’s his deal anyway?” He gazed up at the star-filled sky, like he was appreciating its beauty, but his gaze was off, far away.

“Feels like my parents cheated him out of their shared business. Apparently, they were business partners or some shit like that.” I made a smoke cloud. “Makes no sense though, because why still come to the house if he felt so wronged? There’s a missing piece somewhere. There just has to be more.” I wiggled the cigar in my grasp. There had to be more to that story. Maybe he invested more, and they robbed him of everything? Maybe Grandpa promised to reinstate him or something?

“Not necessarily,” Alex leaned deeper into the chair, his shoulders drooping with lazy ease. “A grudge is a slow poison. It consumes, and it has a preference for the ‘wronged’ ones.” He made air quotes to emphasize his point, smiling for no reason. “There might be hope though.”

“How?” I was tired of hoping. They gave conditions, I met them, and still… still, things turned south so fast.noveldrama

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“He had a ring on his finger.” At the mention of the ring, I was a horse licking salt off of Alex’s hands. “The partner could be collateral, but I swear it looks familiar—too familiar.” I leaned forward, my elbows planted on my knees. “I just can’t remember where I’ve seen it before.” He sighed, and I almost shot him out of the damn chair. I grabbed him by the collar.

“Think!” I hissed, urgency leaking into my voice, but I couldn’t find it in me to care. I needed answers.

“How do you expect me to? I can’t think while I’m being choked!” The fact that he didn’t flinch at the thought of being choked was a discussion for another day.

Desperation clawed at my insides, urging me to shake Alex until he remembered, but what was the assurance that it would even be useful information?

“Don’t worry, we’ll find out what he’s up to,” Alex tried to ease the tension that held my shoulders in a defensive position. It should have helped, but all I could think about was how Cale had always been two steps ahead. We would find out eventually, but when we would was the problem.

It had been only a week, and the company had become almost unrecognizable. Projects had been suspended, most sold off like months hadn’t gone into them.

It felt as though finances had been burnt through to keep the projects going, all down the drain along with the resources. It was clear to anyone what his goal was, and he wasn’t exactly subtle whenever he spoke about it. He was out to destroy the company, and he didn’t care if anyone lost their livelihood in his hunt for blood and revenge.

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