Chapter 20
1038 Words
"What?" Declan frowned, straightening even further in his chair.
Divorce proceedings?
His mind refused to process what he'd just heard.
"As stated in the documents, my client has already signed them and is not seeking any assets, property division, or financial settlement," Mr. Ansley said evenly.
Declan shot to his feet so abruptly that his chair scraped loudly against the floor.
He took an unsteady step back. His heartbeat thundered in his chest.
Elysia was divorcing him?
She had vanished without a trace...
And now she was reappearing through divorce papers?
"Where is Elysia?" he asked quietly.
His voice was calm.
The dangerous edge beneath it was impossible to miss.
Mr. Ansley met his gaze without looking away.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Windsor. I don't know my client's current location. Even if I did, I wouldn't be permitted to disclose it.”
Declan nodded slowly before a hysterical laugh tore from his throat.
This was ridiculous.
Elysia would never divorce him.
She loved him far too much to do something like this.
"I want to see Elysia," he said.
Mr. Ansley sighed.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Windsor. I don't know where she is."
"Fine then." Declan gave a short nod. "But I'm not signing any divorce papers until I see my wife."
The word wife lingered in his mind.
Not because he disliked saying it.
But because, somehow, it sounded unfamiliar...
As though he was only just remembering that Elysia wasn't simply the woman who had shared his home.
She was his wife.
And now she wanted to stop being one.
Mr. Ansley let out another quiet sigh before rising to his feet.
"I'll inform my client of your decision then," Mr. Ansley said.
Declan didn't respond.
He sank back into his chair, still trying to process everything, as the lawyer turned and walked out of the office.
His eyes remained fixed on the brown envelope left on the desk.
"She wants a divorce?" he muttered in disbelief.
The dream he'd had two weeks ago...
Elysia's voice.
"I'm leaving you for good."
The words echoed in his mind.
He closed his eyes.
It wasn't just about losing his inheritance anymore if he agreed to the divorce.
He would lose the right to be a father to the child she was carrying.
He would lose any chance of bringing her back.
He didn't understand why the thought unsettled him so much.
For years, he'd barely acknowledged her presence.
So why did the thought of losing her now feel unbearable?
His phone rang, pulling him out of his thoughts.
He picked it up, glanced at the screen, and frowned.
Victoria.
He sighed…
After a brief hesitation, he answered.
"When are you coming home?" Victoria demanded.
Ever since he'd been discharged from the hospital two weeks ago, he'd been staying at Asher's place.
"I have a lot of work to do," he replied. "Not yet."
Victoria let out a sharp, humourless laugh before it dissolved into sobs.
"That's a lie!"
She screamed so loudly that he instinctively pulled the phone away from his ear.
"You've been looking for Elysia, haven't you?" she accused. "You're out there chasing after her while your baby and I need you."
One thing he'd noticed about Victoria over the past two weeks was just how good she'd become at getting on his nerves.
The constant yelling irritated him.
Every conversation somehow ended with her crying.
Maybe it was the pregnancy hormones.
Or maybe it was simply Victoria being Victoria.
He let out a quiet sigh.
"I'll be back this evening," he said.
If he stayed away much longer, she'd probably come looking for him.
That was the last thing he wanted.
More than ever, he had to be careful about their relationship becoming public.
After the bounty, the whole country knew Elysia Windsor was his legal wife.
If word got out that he was living with another woman while still married, it wouldn't just stain the Windsor family's reputation.
W Holdings would suffer for it too.
He ended the call before Victoria could say another word.
Bene, who had been standing quietly to the side the entire time, cleared his throat.
Declan didn't acknowledge him.
"Sir," Bene called cautiously.
"What?" Declan replied without looking at him.
His head rested against the back of the chair, eyes closed, exhaustion written all over his face.
"I think I have something that might help you find Mrs. Windsor."
Declan's eyes flew open.
"What did you just say?" he asked, straightening in his chair.
"I said I have something that might help you find your wife," Bene repeated.
He immediately pulled out his phone, opened his gallery, and walked over to Declan's desk.
Bene tapped on the photographs and handed the phone to Declan.
Declan stared at the screen as Bene swiped through them one after another.
Every picture was of Elysia.
"When were these taken?" Declan asked, his voice noticeably tighter.
"Two weeks ago," Bene answered.
Declan's grip around the phone tightened.
"Two weeks?" he repeated.
Bene gave a small nod.
Shit.
The photographs had been sitting on Bene's phone for two weeks...
And he was only telling him now.
Declan looked closer.
Wait...
Why did the man holding the car door open for Elysia look so familiar?
"You took these two weeks ago..." Declan said, his voice low. "And you're only showing them to me now?"
His eyes drifted back to the photographs.
He zoomed in.
Those two women...
They looked an awful lot like Nicole St. Laurent and Elysia's friend, Jade.
If that really was Nicole… Then she'd lied to his parents. Then she'd known where Elysia was all along.
His jaw tightened. He needed answers.
And there was only one place to get them.
The St. Laurent residence.
Declan stood abruptly.
He handed Bene's phone back to him before picking up his own.
"Airdrop those photos to me," he said, reaching for his overcoat.
Winter had arrived almost without warning.
The air had turned bitterly cold over the past few days.
"Yes, Boss," Bene replied with a nod.
Declan was already heading for the door.
He was going to find Elysia.
He was going to bring his wife home.
But...
What was he supposed to do about Victoria?
- Writer
