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Chapter 10: Sunlit Exit
At La Maison, crystal chandeliers still blazed.
Zane checked his Patek Philippe for the third time. His frown deepened.
“Mr. Blackthorn,” the manager murmured discreetly, “shall I contact Ms. Sterling?”
Zane waved him off. “Unnecessary.”
He checked his phone. No response from Nova.
Unprecedented. She’d always replied instantly.
Leaving the restaurant, night air cooled his face. An unfamiliar unease coiled in his chest.
The manor was tomb–silent when he entered.
His gaze locked onto the coffee table.
Two objects lay precisely centered.
The divorce decree.
His uncashed check.
Zane’s breath hitched. An invisible vise clamped around his heart.
He snatched the decree. His hands shook as he verified the date–Today.
“Nova…” The name escaped him, laced with undisguised panic.
His phone shrilled. Ivy flashed on screen.
“Zane~” Her voice dripped saccharine. “Where are you? I made coq au vin–your favorite. Come keep me company?”
“Home.” His reply was automatic, eyes still fixed on the decree.
“I’ll bring it right over!” The line died before he could refuse.
Twenty minutes later, Ivy’s stilettos clicked across marble. She froze at the coffee table.
“My God!” She pressed manicured fingers to her lips. “She’s… divorcing you?”
Zane nodded from the sofa, face impassive.
Ivy’s eyes glittered with triumph before melting into concern. She perched beside him, lashes
Chapter 10: Sunlit Exit
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damp. “This is my fault, isn’t it? Over that accidental shawl mishap? I know female jealousy runs deep… but to threaten divorce?”
Zane traced the decree’s edge. For once, he didn’t comfort her.
“Zane?” Ivy tilted her head, studying his expression–a flicker of panic rising in her chest “You’re not… regretting this? Should I beg her forgiveness? On my knees if-”
“Regret?” Zane’s laugh was sharp, deliberate. “A business arrangement served its purpose.”
“This isn’t your fault. It was an accident.”
A venomous curl of satisfaction twisted Ivy’s lips. She wrapped her arms around his waist, nestling close. “Honestly? That dull woman never deserved you.”
Zane’s muscles tensed–almost imperceptibly–before he forced relaxation. His hand rose to
stroke her hair.
“But…” Ivy pulled back, feigning innocence. “Why leave the check? Unless…” Her eyes widened.
“She found someone else?”
Zane’s expression iced over.
“Silly me!” Ivy waved dismissively. “Who’d want her? This is just a ploy. You know how obsessed she is with you.”
Zane stood abruptly. He poured three fingers of Macallan at the bar.
The whiskey burned his throat–but couldn’t scorch away the restless irritation.
“Zane…” Ivy pressed against his back, “Forget her. This is good. Now we can-”
“Ivy.” He peeled her hands away. “I need space tonight.”
She pouted. “But-”
“Tomorrow.” He manufactured a smile. “We’ll shop. That Birkin you covet.”
Only when Ivy’s reluctant footsteps faded did Zane face the floor–to–ceiling windows. The city glittered–cold, distant.
Finally, he dialed his assistant. Voice gravel–rough, “Find Nova Sterling. Discreetly.”
The gnawing void in his chest expanded. Why this hollow dread?
The decree drew his eyes again.
Chapter 10: Sunlit Exit
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This was the plan.
The agreed end.
Memories ambushed him:
Her predawn stirrings as she simmered bone broth.
The solitary lamp left burning in the foyer past midnight.
The way her gaze would linger on him–soft, luminous with unspoken devotion.
The crystal tumbler exploded against the wall. Shards rained onto marble.
“Goddamn it!”
It shouldn’t feel like this.
Her leaving was supposed to be freedom.
Chapter 10: Sunlit Exit
