Chapter 208
Niamh stared down at the divorce papers in her hands.
All she had to do was accept Jonathan’s offer–ten percent of The Thomas Group’s shares–and this time, there would be nothing standing in the way of their amicable divorce.
Suddenly, the document felt impossibly heavy in her grasp.
Her fingers tightened around the crisp pages, knuckles blanching with the strain.
“Jonathan…”
She spoke his name, but Jonathan noticed she wasn’t looking at him at all.
Niamh’s gaze remained fixed on the agreement, her eyes lowered, lost in thought.
Three years of marriage.
Ten years in love.
She remembered the accident–how she’d carried Jonathan on her back, desperate to get him to the hospital in time.
After Jonathan pulled through, she’d been allowed into his room, the Thomas family’s security finally relenting for his rescuer.
Back then, Niamh’s heart had brimmed with hope and nerves.
She’d imagined that their reunion would be heartfelt–that he’d recognize her instantly, that their story would pick up where it left off. They’d fall back in love, get married, build a life together, grow old side by side…
But she’d also been afraid of overstepping. After all, it had been years since they last saw each other, and she’d changed so much. What if Jonathan didn’t recognize her?
Yet he’d once promised her: No matter when or where, he’d always know her.
But when she finally entered his hospital room, the first words Jonathan uttered
were:
“Who are you?”
In that moment, Niamh realized-
He didn’t recognize her at all.
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Later, she overheard Preston Winslow tell Jonathan, “Your girlfriend arrived in Blackspire.”
Not only did Jonathan fail to recognize her, but he already had someone else.
Eventually, by gently probing Preston, Niamh learned that Jonathan’s girlfriend was his first love.
For years, Niamh had believed that she was Jonathan’s first love.
So it wasn’t that he failed to recognize her. It was that he’d forgotten her entirely.
“Jonathan, do you remember back in junior high, when you were at the-”
Niamh’s words were cut off by the sudden ringing of Jonathan’s phone.
“Sorry, just a moment.”
He stood up to take the call.
A few minutes later, he returned to the table. “What were you saying before?”
Niamh slipped the divorce papers into her handbag.
“It’s nothing. I’ll hang on to these. I need a little more time to think about the shares.”
“Take all the time you need.”
They finished their meal in silence. The conversation about their divorce was over.
As Niamh glanced toward Peter’s booth, she noticed he was already gone.
Jonathan had reached the restaurant’s entrance, but when he saw that Niamh wasn’t following, he turned, catching her watching the now–empty booth where Peter had been. His eyes darkened.
Niamh got into her own car, absentmindedly touching the bag that now held her future.
The divorce papers were inside–a document that could change everything.
She wondered if the offer of ten percent of The Thomas Group really came from Jonathan, or if it was actually Clifford Thomas’s doing.
“I should visit the old house and ask Grandpa,” she murmured to herself.
If Clifford was the one insisting she take the shares, maybe she could convince him to change his mind.
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Chapter zuo
If she could just have that clause removed, the agreement would be perfect.
Niamh took a deep breath and, before starting the engine, made a phone call.
Chapter ZuY
