Chapter 10 Negotiation
1002 Words
The next morning, I opened my eyes as sunlight filtered through the cracks in the curtains and spilled onto my bed. Irene's sharp voice echoed from downstairs—she was asking about my whereabouts. It seemed like their all-night family meeting had reached its conclusion.
With a soft sigh, I got up from the bed. My reflection in the mirror was clear and sharp, showing no sign of exhaustion from the night before. I carefully brushed my hair and slipped into a sleek black dress. It was my favorite—a dress that made me feel like I was wearing armor.
"Nola! Where are you?"
Irene's voice grew more frantic, but I took my time, smoothing my curls and applying lipstick.
I was never the demure and quiet type. I only played that role to please Sean's family before.
But now? Now, I was done with that. Bold and striking—that was my true color.
I opened the door to find Sean standing at the end of the hallway and staring down at his phone, his expression uneasy. Hearing my footsteps, he snapped his head up, startled, and the phone slipped from his hand, landing with a loud thud on the floor.
I bent down and picked it up, and the screen lit up with an unread message.
"Stop looking!" Sean shouted.
But it was too late. With a quick glance, I'd already read the whole content.
The message was from Aliya: Darling, I know this is hard for you. But Nola's been through a lot these past years. If you really do divorce her, give her half of the assets. She's done so much for your family...
I looked up at Sean. His face was flushed red, lips trembling as he struggled to find the right words.
"Well, looks like you guys have already talked it through." I chuckled and handed the phone back to him. "Aliya really is a kind soul, huh? Offering me half of the assets."
"Nola, I..." Sean stammered, but I was already turning to head downstairs.
His eyes never left me.
"Don't rush your explanation, darling," I said over my shoulder, not bothering to look back. "We've got plenty of time to chat."
Step by step, I descended the staircase, each step feeling like walking on the edge of a blade. Sean followed behind me, his breathing heavy. In the living room, Irene was sitting on the couch. The moment she saw me, her gaze sharpened, and a cold smirk crept onto her face.
"Wow, Nola, finally decided to show yourself, huh?" she sneered. "We've got a lot to discuss."
I sat on the couch opposite her, crossed my hands neatly in my lap, and smiled at her. "Of course, I'm all ears."
The tension in the room was thick, almost suffocating. Only Irene's smug smile seemed to grow wider. I sat there and waited for the storm to break.
"Nola, Sean and I have discussed it," Irene began to say, her voice dripping with barely concealed satisfaction. "We've decided that you and Sean should get a divorce."
I raised my eyebrows but stayed silent. Irene, clearly unsatisfied with my response, pressed on. "As a member of this family, you should understand that after the divorce, you'll leave with nothing. Even the money in your personal account should stay behind—it was, after all, earned from our family's business."
I could feel the anger boiling inside me, but I kept my composure. Just as I was about to fire back, Sean cut in.
"Mom, that's not what we agreed on." His voice was laced with confusion. "Aliya said we should leave Nola with half of the assets. She's contributed a lot over the years."
Hearing that, I felt a wave of humiliation and disappointment wash over me. I thought I'd grown used to Sean's weakness, but this time, his pathetic attempt at generosity based on Aliya's approval was more than I could take.
"Oh?" I sneered. "So now Aliya stands out for me? How touching."
Sean's face went pale. He opened his mouth, but no words came out.
"Nola, you should be grateful to Aliya," Irene added. "If it weren't for her stepping in, you wouldn't even get half of the property."
I took a deep breath and fought to keep my anger in check. "Thank you for your generosity." My voice was icy as I said, "But I think you forgot something."
"What?" Irene asked with a frown.
"You seemed to forget that most of your wealth came from my efforts." I stood up, looked down at them, and added, "Do you really think the pitiful little fortune your family had could have supported your current lifestyle?"
Sean's face grew even more strained, while Irene's eyes widened in disbelief, as if she hadn't expected me to say that.
"Nola, you..." Sean wanted to say something, but I cut him off with a raised hand.
"Don't bother, Sean," I said coldly. "I get it now. To you guys, I've always been an outsider. No matter how much I've given, in the end, I'm only worth whatever crumbs of pity you choose to offer."
"That's not what we meant..." Sean scrambled to explain, but I wasn't interested in hearing anymore.
I looked at the smug satisfaction on both their faces and couldn't help but laugh inside.
"Fine, I'll take half," I said casually. "But first, Sean, you gotta sign the divorce paper."
I pulled out a bank card and twirled it between my fingers. Irene's eyes immediately locked onto it, a flash of greed flickering in her gaze.
"Plus, you have to earn it yourself," I said, holding the card in the air with a faint teasing smile. "I want to see if the second-in-command of the Moonshadow Tribe is as skilled as they say."
"You want to challenge me?" Sean asked in surprise.
"That's one way to put it," I replied.
"You're an omega, and you have the nerve to challenge me?" Sean scoffed.
- Writer
