Alex felt her father's arm tighten protectively around her shoulders. The pounding in her head intensified as tension crackled between the men facing each other down.
"I suggest you and I talk before you start telling my daughter what is and is not happening," Liam said, his tone deceptively calm. But Alex knew that voice—it was the one he used before negotiations turned ugly. "Perhaps somewhere private, away from my injured daughter."
Lucas narrowed his eyes, jaw clenched tight. "There's nothing to discuss. The marriage stands."
"I'm not going to stay married to you," Alex interjected, finding her voice as she stared directly at Nikolai. The pain medication dulled her filter, allowing raw emotion to seep through. "I don't care what papers were signed or what deals were made. I won't li
