Divorcing The Billionaire On Valentine's Day

10. Grayson

GRAYSON

I shoved the phone back in my pocket after confirming it was in fact Adeline. Lila and mother left an hour ago so I was a bit skeptical about leaving Johnny, but he would be happier to see his ‘Addie’. I shut the door behind me and went to the entrance room.

A lady in a red dress stood at the centre of the room, her hair cascaded down her exposed back in bold waves. She turned and it took a long minute before my brain registered that it was Adeline.

“Adeline.” My eyes roamed her face. She did a winged thing with her eyes that made her eyes more obvious, I hadn’t even noticed she had blue eyes until that moment. Her dress glittered underneath the bright white light in the room, drawing attention to her curves, curves I never knew existed either, curves that had me stopping in my tracks and needing a strong drink. Did she transform overnight?!

She demanded to see Johnny immediately she saw me. Still shocked to see her in anything but baggy t shirts and sweatpants, I didn’t trust my mouth to say the right things. Instead I led her to the private suite where Johnny was admitted. It was like a flip switch. Johnny was ecstatic to see her and she was just s excited. For two minutes.

I didn’t care for their catch up time, all I needed to know was what she gave my son.

She denied it all. Every fact I brought, she denied all of it. But nothing was as nerve wracking as the stunt she pulled. I thought I had the upper-hand teasing her, but the timid mice I thought was within my grasp wasn’t as timid as I thought she was.

“Mind your business.” She whispered and walked away before I realized what was going on.

She walked away. She actually walked away. I stared at her retreating figure more than a little dumbfounded. In all the years we were married, not once had she spoken out of place, much less do so and walk away.

She took her time strutting, her hip swayed from side to side in time with every move. Maybe she was doing so deliberately to steer some form of reaction from me, maybe she wasn’t, but whatever it was it was working because I couldn’t take my eyes off of her until she was out the door. I hated to admit it but she looked good, scratch that, she looked breathtaking.

It was at that moment that my resolve became unshakable. I was not going to sign those papers, but there would be a new signature. Hers, on another marriage contract. If she thought it was going to be that easy to walk her way out of the contract, out of Johnny’s life then she had another thing coming. I rushed after her, just about ready to put her in her place, remind her whose name she still had attached to hers.

My phone vibrated in my pocket. I pulled it out, still bee-lining for the doors. I stopped in my tracks when I saw who the message was from. Adrian, the PI in charge of watching Adeline. This can’t be good.

If he was suddenly texting to update, it could only mean one thing. I was right and she was up to something I wouldn’t like.

I opened up the message and anger hit me like a tsunami. He had to be kidding me! I knew she was up to something, but a part of me had began to relax when Adrian hadn’t reported anything back, began to entertain the thought that maybe she wasn’t as desperate for the next big name like I thought she was. Guess I shouldn’t have wasted anytime entertaining that. A leopard never changed its stripes, or in her case, a gold digger never tire of new gold.

Your wife has a date tonight with a redhead from college. Starts at 7pm.

What the hell?! She was going on a date? Johnny was sick because of whatever she left for him and she had the audacity to go on a date?! She barely spared two minutes with the boy she claimed to love oh so much because she wanted to cozy up to some random stranger? Was the money that irresistible or was she just heartless?

Get the address? I whipped passed the double doors, my blood boiled with each rushed step I took towards Edwin and the car. My phone vibrated in my hand and I made a mental note to add a bonus when I see Adrian’s response. If she was doing it to spite me, she would be on the receiving end of the fury he begged for and she wouldn’t be getting a cent from it!

“Roselie’s garden by the south-side park.” I told Edwin before reworking the partition. Nothing but anger welled up in my chest as I tried to settle in the back seat, ‘Tried’ being the key word. A strange emotion I knew all too well tried to well up its ugly head but I shoved it right to hell where it sprouted from. There was no way I was jealous. I was just angry she would leave a sick child behind just for some free meal ticket.

“Keep the engine running. This wouldn’t take long.” I told Edwin before exiting the car. I forced a deep breath through my teeth, wiggled my fingers to ease the tension and walked through the double doors.

It wasn’t hard to find her. Her bold waves were hard to miss and even if I did, the deep red paint that stained her lips would have been a giveaway. She laughed at something he said, tilted her head back like he was that funny. Okay, I’ve seen enough. I crossed the open area, the expensive chandelier hanging from the ceiling and casting a golden glow in the room, the chatter of people in the mood for fine dining, the waiters dressed in the restaurants colors, gold and black, they all faded into the background as I matched to their table with only one thought in my mind. Get the f**k away from that man.

“So this is what you were running off to?” I did a quick sweep of the guy she ran off to. There was nothing impressive about him, the only unique thing was his red hair and even that was over gelled, the cheap kind. My guess, he used his entire salary for the month to be able to afford a meal at a place like Roselie’s.

Adeline turned so fast that I was worried for her neck, “What are you doing here?” She hissed, glaring at me like I was the reason she was about to be conned by a man too cheap to dry clean his gray button down.

I knew she was mad, livid even, but instead of ticking me off like it should have, it only made me want to see how far into the wall I could push her, and not a metaphorical wall either. No.

I spared her a lazy glance which only seemed to infuriate her even more. Something to similar to glee spread in my chest and with a smirk, “I’m just here to stop my wife from making a mistake.” I shrugged. I didn’t need to look back at her ‘fake Rolex’ date to know he was beginning to regret his decision. Of course he knew who I was, all good con artists did their homework.

“The only mistake I made was agreeing to get married to you, Mr Archer!” She spat, her cheeks flushed in anger. The easy way it rolled off her tongue, the piercing look she gave right after. If she intended for it to scare me off or make me back off, it would be ironic because it did the exact opposite.

“We both know you got more than your time’s worth in cash.” I threw back easily. “Tell me, how much exactly do you think he can give you?” I tilted my head to the side to get a better look at her. Her cheeks heated up in embarrassment and she look at her date with a worried look in her eyes. I was just getting started. By the time I was done, he wouldn’t come withing ten miles of her.

“I mean, that’s what this…” I waved a finger between them, “…is about, isn’t it?”

She forced out a harsh breath like it took everything in her to respond to me, “Just sign the paper, Mr Archer, there’s no need for this unnecessary drama.” Her voice was calm, too calm, like she didn’t care what I thought of her, what I did, like she didn’t care about the money and status my name came with, I almost believed it. Almost. “Sign the paper.” She repeated and met my gaze.

I stilled. She crossed her arms over her chest in defiance, but all it did was further reveal her already generous eyeful of cleavage. Sucking in a breath, I leaned closer, ignoring the coward she actually agreed to go on a date with.

The same jasmine cologne from earlier assaulted my senses. Images from the hospital flooded my senses. The way she sashayed away, the look in her eyes when she leaned in to whisper, the way her lips curved when she said my name and the way she licked her lips as she looked up at me with defiance.

I tilted her chin upwards and leaned even closer, lower. She sucked in a harsh breath and I knew she didn’t hate me as much as she claimed to. Before she could react, stop me, I let my hand slip to her neck, tightened my grip and captured her lips with mine.

She was still for all of one second before she gave in, leaning into me, not at all giving my brain time to catch up with what I was doing. A straight flush of heat spread through me, my blood heated as I deepened the kiss. No. This couldn’t happen.

I forced my lips from hers, not even sure why I still rested my forehead against hers after breaking the kiss. She looked dazed, like she was still trying to figure out what just happened. I would like to know too.

“Whether you like it or not, you are still my wife. Stop embarrassing yourself for a little change.” I pulled back and away from her and whatever that was.

Whatever look had been in her eyes was gone the moment the words left my lips. The hate in her eyes was nothing compared to the harsh sting that followed as her hand made contact with my cheeks.