“Word is you’re getting married. Congratulations.”
Jonathan offered his congratulations, but his smile was all show–nothing genuine about it.
Before Julian could respond, Susy jumped in, her tone light and quick.
“Thank you. I’ve already given Miss Rivers an invitation to the wedding.”
“Oh?” Jonathan arched an eyebrow, glancing back at Niamh, who was half–hidden behind him, then turned to Susy again.”
“So Ms. Fraser only invited Niamh? No invitation for me?”
Susy’s face twisted into an exaggerated look of surprise.
“Whatever do you mean, Mr. Thomas? Aren’t you and Miss Rivers family?”
The moment those words left her lips, an uneasy silence fell over the group. The air grew thick, and the mood turned awkward in a way that was hard to describe.
Jonathan just shrugged and flashed a wry smile before turning to Niamh again.
“Imagine that… There are still people in this world who don’t know we’re getting divorced!”
Niamh frowned, unsure if Jonathan was blaming her for spreading the news or for keeping it quiet. As far as she remembered, she hadn’t made a habit of announcing their divorce plans to anyone. After all, divorce wasn’t exactly something people bragged about.
Still, most people in this circle had heard rumors–Susy included.
Not that Susy cared about Niamh and Jonathan’s marital status; if anything, she preferred they stayed together. Once Niamh was single, she might set her sights back on Julian, even if he was marrying Susy for the sake of the Neville family.
“Miss Rivers, you might not have noticed, but your wedding invitation was addressed to both you and Mr. Thomas!”
It took Susy drawing attention to it for Niamh to realize she’d never checked who else was named on the invitation. Susy had handed it to her in person, and Niamh had just assumed it was for her alone.
“If Mr. Thomas would like, I can always send a separate invitation, just for him,” Susy added, her tone sickly sweet.
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Chapter 243
But Jonathan just shook his head.
“That won’t be necessary.”
He turned to face Niamh, their eyes meeting.
“I’ll go to the wedding with you.”
Niamh said nothing–neither agreeing nor refusing.
Jonathan’s charming smile deepened, a sly glint in his eyes.
“After all, we’re still a married couple, sharing a single invitation.”
At first, his words sounded harmless enough, but the real meaning was clear: Jonathan was saying that, even on the day of Julian and Susy’s wedding, he and Niamh would still be husband and wife.
Niamh opened her mouth, then caught herself, taking a slow, uneasy breath. This wasn’t the place to talk about divorce–not with so many bystanders. But there was no way she’d let things drag out until after Julian and Susy’s wedding.
Not far off, Edna shot a worried glance at Marina.
Marina’s face was dark with frustration, jaw clenched tight. She understood Jonathan’s message as clearly as Niamh did. Sure, Jonathan had promised her the legitimacy of being Mrs. Thomas, and she trusted he meant it. But until he divorced Niamh, she couldn’t claim that title in public. So what did that make her?
Marina was anxious; Edna was, too. Earlier, when Jonathan had called Niamh his “ex–wife,” Edna thought he was eager for the divorce. Yet, in the blink of an eye, he was back to calling them a married couple. She couldn’t make sense of what Jonathan really wanted.
It was awkward for everyone to linger at the restaurant entrance, so Susy, still holding onto Julian’s arm, led the group inside.
Jonathan and Marina escorted her parents out. Niamh took the elevator down to the parking garage with Preston Winslow. Before she could get into her car, Preston called out with an apologetic voice:
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