Divorcing The Billionaire On Valentine's Day

14. Grayson

GRAYSON

Why did I interrupt their date? I knew why I hadn’t signed the contract, signing meant Johnny would whine me to death till I found a way to get his Addie back. Yeah, I would rather avoid that. But the date, there was no need. But most of all, why couldn’t I get the thought of her in that dress out of my head?!

“Sir, did you hear me?” Edwin called from the driver’s seat.

I snapped my attention back to him, “What was that?”

“I said we’re home sir.”

“Oh…” I need to get my act together. It wasn’t supposed to be this difficult to get her to extend the contract. Had it really been that horrible to be married to me?

“Take the car around, then you can take the night off, I should be in for the rest of the day.” I told him before heading to the house. Of course, it wasn’t horrible. If it was she would have said something sooner, but she was too busy enjoying my wealth to notice. Then why isn’t she jumping at the opportunity now? f**k! I needed to fix things and fast before I went crazy.

I kicked my shoes by the entrance, it was almost 6pm so Johnny’s new home teacher, Camila, should be gone, I really was in no mood for her doting. If I was lucky, she put him to bed before she left too.

As always the universe threw a giant “screw you” my way because not only was she still in the house and Johnny awake and by her side, but they had a visitor, or rather I did.

She wore a tired smile for Johnny but anger brewed behind those eyes as they glared at me. She had on a pair of worn out jeans,some sneakers and a simple top that did little to hide her generous…assets.

“Oh good. You’re here. We need to talk.” I directed at her, deliberately ignoring Johnny’s disapproving look and the lady still holding on to his arm, the one who kept smiling at me. The stark contrast between her smile and the death glare on Adeline’s face was laughable. I could see the argument in her eyes, the words just waited to leave her tongue, but as was her emo lately, she surprised me.

“Lead the way.” Her lips stretched in a painful looking smile. I scoffed, fighting the smile on my lips.

“Wait, I wanted to have a word with you.” Camilla’s voice stopped us in our tracks.

I c****d an unimpressed brow at her. “Privately.” She mumbled. I heard it. I pretended I didn’t. I was in no mood to deal with Lila’s new project, finding me a replacement wife.

“Miss Arson, if it regards Johnny’s lesson, do send me a mail, everything else you can discuss with Lila.”

I led Adeline to my study. Her eyes narrowed into slits when I held the door open for her. “You totally just told that kind lady to shove it, I know you’re not remotely nice, Mr Archer.” She rolled her eyes but entered the study still. I shut the door behind us.

I opened my mouth to speak but she beat me to it. “You have to do something about the blogs.” The golden hue the setting sun cast through the windows hit her skin in a flattering way.

“And why do I have to be the one to do anything about it?” I arched a brow at her.

“Because you gave them the material they needed.” She hissed, like just the thought of it was maddening. Well, that made the two of us.

I leaned against my study desk, the pile of books on it still neatly arranged. “You gave them all they needed by going on that date.” I eased, baiting her, waiting for her to tell me about how she had gone on many dates before without blogs outing her. I crossed my arms over my chest and her eyes snapped to the action. I fought back a smirk and waited.

“Well, if you hadn’t shown up like a freaking bouncer then no one would have had the slightest idea who I was to begin with!” She fired back, fuming, it was a lovely sight, it was a change from the dull, emotionless woman I had to endure for five years.

“Well, if my wife woke up and decided to go on a date with another man, no one would blame me for putting an end to it.” I shrugged.

“I am not your wife!” She forced in one harsh breath like the possibility was an abomination. It was all an act. I’m certain.

“Our marriage certificate says otherwise.” I smirked at her reddening face. This version of her had spunk, had fire. I pushed away from the table and stood before her, I lowered my eyes to make my point hard to miss, “Like it or not, you’re still stuck with me.” I planted a ghost of a kiss on her forehead, lasting barely a second before she rushed away like I had stung her.

“The di-” She cleared her throat, “The divorce papers say otherwise.” She fired back but her voice was too shaky for me to take her seriously.

I swiped the papers at the top of the pile on my desk, “Oh you mean these?” I flipped through, just to poke at the bear, “Yeah, never signing them.” I scoffed and tossed the folder back on the desk without looking.

“You don’t have t-”

“Enough of the theatrics, now how about you tell me why you really fed the blogs those stories.”

The tomato was back in less than a second, “Do you really think I would want the entire world to call me this?!” She shoved her iPhone X in my face. I thought I asked her to change that?

Ignoring yet another oddity in her behaviour, I peeled the device from her fingers. The first page had a picture of her over my shoulder and that sleazy bastard right on our tail. I swiped and the next wasn’t any better, but the headline was worse. My grip on the phone tightened. They were calling her all sorts of derogatory names and painting him as the victim, the one on the same standing as me, that low life…church rat.

She’s been telling the truth all along and I didn’t believe her. Of course she wasn’t the culprit, definitely not with the tales being written about her, she had nothing to gain from being called a slut, a plain jane looking for the next flashy man to cling onto.

I’m sorry. The words rested at the tip of my tongue, but never made it out.

“There’s nothing I can do about it Adeline.” She stepped back like she’d been whip-lashed, her eyes narrowed into slits.

“What do you mean there’s nothing you can do about it? You caused this, the least you can do is fix your mess!”

“I caused this? You’ve got to be kidding me. Maybe the next time you choose to pick you next bank, you remember that you are the married and try, just try to act like you can keep your legs together!” I snapped before thinking. She jumped back like a flame magically appeared between us. Her face went from disbelief to glaring outrage and finally one I couldn’t even read.

In a voice so cold, finally matching the impression her icy blue eyes gave, “Mr Archer, fix your mess and please while you’re at it, sign the divorce papers, let’s be done with this.” In a much quieter voice, “you’ve already taken five years of my life, you’re not getting any more.”

It was my turn to be stunned, she had hinted at it, said it even, many times, but never had it dawned on me that she wasn’t saying it out of pride until that moment. There was a hurt in her voice that pushed the question I had been avoiding to the front of my mind. Just how horrible had she felt those years.

She moved towards the door. Before I could make sense of what I was doing, I held onto her arm. Why? I had no idea. I just knew I couldn’t let her leave after that.

She stilled for a second. I pulled her to me and tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. She released a shaky breath, more than I could boost of as I took her in. From her eyes to the freckles that dotted her pointed nose, resting on her lips. The same lips that never spoke more than a statement per day in five years but all of a sudden never seemed to let me be. Same lips I had felt, just last night. She was hardly breathing, but neither was I.

Why I was doing it I could never tell you, but my head dipped, closing the distance. Instead of the soft smooth feeling I awaited, I was met by air.

I snapped my eyes open to see she had pulled back. She took my shock as opportunity and before I could stop her, raced out the door and before I could close the distance between us, she slammed the door in my face.