Chapter 8
I didn’t return to the house Xavier and I once shared.
Instead, I went back to my own estate–the place where my father had retired.
I visited him every few days, but this time was different.
I told him I was divorcing Xavier.
He stared at me in shock for a long while, then finally said I had to make my own decision.
After that, he quietly slipped back into his room–only to sneak off and call Mr. Ford behind my back.
Back when Xavier and I used to have small fights, our families would always step in, whispering behind the scenes, doing whatever they could to patch things up.
But not this time.
Now, seeing me come home every night after work, my dad knew things were serious.
He stopped walking his daily loops around the garden.
Stopped brewing his favorite jasmine tea.
Instead, he hovered around me constantly, going on and on about how kind Xavier had been to him over the years.
I couldn’t take it anymore.
“Yeah? Then tell me this,” I said. “You’ve called him how many times these past few days? Has he picked up even once?”
Dad opened his mouth, then closed it again, defeated.
“He’s probably heartbroken,” he mumbled, avoiding my gaze. “Maybe he’s just off hiding somewhere, trying to get his head straight.”
I couldn’t help laughing at the way he fumbled for excuses. The poor man was so anxious about the whole thing, he’d broken out in stress sores on his lip.
“Dad, please stop worrying. This marriage? I’m done. It’s not up for debate.”
“But I promise this won’t affect the friendship between our families. You and Mr. and Mrs. Ford go way back. That doesn’t have to change.”
He gave me a long look, voice thick with emotion.
“You really don’t feel even a little regret? Don’t you miss him?”
1 patted his shoulder gently.
“After we sign the papers, I’ll treat it like he died. Give it a week, and I’ll forget he ever existed.
Dad opened his mouth again, trying to say something, but the words never made it out.
П
He left with a sigh, muttering to himself, “I don’t even lasow if raising you to be this strong was a blessing or a curse…”
But to me?
Being strong–being able to take control of my own fate–was a blessing. Always had been.
As for Xavier, the reason he hadn’t answered my dad’s calls was because he’d handed his phone over to a cybersecurity team.
He was trying to trace where those photos had come from.
His people had flown out to the hotel in that other city the very same night of the family dinner.
aten three days now.
10.00%
All of this I learned from Samantha.
Every day since then, she’d gone to Ford International on my behalf, trying to get Xavier to sign the divorce agreement.
And from that same night forward, Sophie had completely vanished from the company.
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