Yves gripped the divorce agreement so tightly that his knuckles turned white. He kept tracing Zoey’s clean, decisive signature, as if he couldn’t believe this was real.
The garage lights buzzed overhead as he abruptly spun around and grabbed his bodyguard by the collar. “What else did she say that day? Did she leave a message for me?”
“Mr. Pearce…” The bodyguard staggered under his grip. “Mrs. Pearce’s wrist was still bleeding when she handed me the gift. She only instructed me to give it to you.
“Also…” He pulled out a brown envelope from his coat. “This one’s for the Silvains.”
Yves snatched the envelope and tore it open. The yellowed letter inside contained Zoey’s neat handwriting.
“Mr. and Mrs. Silvain,
Please find enclosed the letter of disownment and bankbook. Looking back, I should never have been brought back in the first place. This letter marks the end of our relationship, and the bankbook is to repay you for raising me. From now on, I’m no longer part of the Silvain family.”
Yves’s hands trembled uncontrollably. He had a feeling Zoey was leaving for good.
“Send this to the Silvain residence,” he ordered.
“Understood, Mr. Pearce.‘
Half an hour after the bodyguard left, Bryant and Daphne called.
Yves took a deep breath before answering the phone.
“Yves!” Daphne’s voice was shrill with panic. “Has Zoey contacted you? She left a letter at home saying she’s cutting ties with us!”
Yves dug his nails into his palm. “How would I know?” he sneered. “You can’t even control your own daughter, so why are you asking me?”
“W–What’s with your attitude?” Her voice quivered. “If it weren’t for you and Wendy… Zoey wouldn’t have-”
“That’s enough! Do you think you were any better? You gave your family business to Wendy. What right do you have to lecture me?” Yves snapped before hanging up on her. Then, he slammed his phone down on the hood of the car.
Chapter 15
2/2
The dull thud echoed in his garage.
Just then, a gust of cold wind swept in and cut through the heavy air.
At that moment, Yves suddenly remembered how Zoey had always been so attentive and would always take care of the little things when she was around.
He sank into his seat and reached for his cigarette pack. However, it was empty, and this only exacerbated his frustration.
“Mr. Pearce, Mrs. Pearce was seriously injured that day.” Dale’s voice broke the silence. “She told me… there are some things that have to be done now, or she’d never get the chance to again.”
For the first time, Yves realized he might’ve pushed Zoey–the woman who’d used to quietly fasten his cufflinks and stay up all night making him oatmeal when his stomach ached–too far. This time around, she had closed the door on their relationship so completely that he couldn’t undo or fix things anymore.
C
