The manipulation was textbook Damon—using our daughter as leverage. It might have worked five years ago. But I wasn’t the same woman anymore.
“Ava,” I said, addressing her directly for the first time. “Do you remember me?”
She shifted uncomfortably, glancing between me and her father. “You’re… you’re my biological mother.”
Biological mother. The clinical term cut deep, but I didn’t let it show.
“Yes, I am. And do you know why I left?”
“Dad said you chose work over family.”
I smiled, but there was no warmth in it. “Your father has always been good at rewriting history. The truth is, I left because he gave me no choice. He replaced me with someone else and made you call her Mommy.”
“That’s enough,” Damon said sharply.
“No, it’s not nearly enough.” I walked around my desk, moving closer to them. “You come into my office after five years of silence, asking for money, and you think you can control the conversation? Those days are over, Damon.”
He stepped forward, and for a moment, I saw a flash of the old possessiveness in his eyes. “You’re still my wife.”
“Technically,” I agreed. “You refused to finalize the divorce, remember? Something about not wanting to give me the satisfaction.”
“We can work this out, Elise. We can be a family again.”
The audacity was breathtaking. “A family? You destroyed our family. You made sure of that.”
“I made mistakes—”
“Stop saying that!” My composure finally cracked. “They weren’t mistakes! You planned it! You and Bianca systematically pushed me out of my daughter’s life and then acted like I was the villain for being hurt by it!”
Ava was staring at me with wide eyes, and I forced myself to take a breath, to regain control.
“I’m sorry you’re having financial difficulties,” I said, my voice cool again. “But that’s not my problem anymore.”
“Elise, please. I’ll do anything.”
“Anything?” I tilted my head, studying him. “Would you sign the divorce papers?”
His face went pale. “I… we don’t need to—”
“Would you give me full custody of Ava?”
“You can’t be serious.”
“Would you publicly apologize for the lies you told about me?”
“Elise—”
“That’s what I thought.” I walked back to my desk, dismissing them. “Marcus will show you out.”
“This isn’t over,” Damon said, his mask finally slipping to reveal the desperation underneath.
