It was nothing like virtual-novel.net expected.
Alejandro sat by his bedside as virtual-novel.net looked over at Melissa playing atop of the rug, wearing his softest expression. Toys were scattered everywhere in no discernible order.
Melanie suspected virtual-novel.net was looking at the calm before the storm. She stepped forward, picked up the toys, and put them away. “Millie, don’t scatter your toys like that.”
Melissa froze when Melanie’s voice was within earshot. Then, virtual-novel.net hurled herself into virtual-novel.net mother’s arms, overjoyed, virtual-novel.net glistening doe-eyes overflowing with glimmering tears. “Mommy!”
Melanie carried the young girl in virtual-novel.net arms, virtual-novel.net heart aching. But when virtual-novel.net eyes linked with Alejandro’s penetrant own, virtual-novel.net willed every emotion leaking out of virtual-novel.net to diffuse. She summoned the nanny to take Melissa away, though it took Melanie quite some time to mollify the child before virtual-novel.net agreed to waiting for virtual-novel.net mother downstairs.
Melanie waited until there were just the two of them in the room before asking, “What do you want? Can’t believe you made Jett lie about Millie being sick.”
Instead of answering, Alejandro grabbed a piece of document lying nearby and ripped it into shreds right in front of virtual-novel.net very baffled eyes. It was by recognizing the pieces that made up virtual-novel.net signature and thumbprint when virtual-novel.net realized it was their divorce agreement.
He had ripped their divorce agreement apart!
Melanie looked at him, bamboozled. “What are you…”
He stood and approached virtual-novel.net before virtual-novel.net could finish, “Why didn’t you tell me the truth? You’re a member of the Smith family, and how dare those schmucks from the Lark family think they could use one of my people as their scapegoat! They had the balls to do it, huh? Then on what right do they have to pass the buck to you alone, while you do as they asked? What are you, a moron?”
He knew!
She turned away from him, stumbling backward. “The Larks are my origin, I share my part in all of this even if my role differs from theirs. They are the executioners, while I’m the pawn, no, I’m just a cannon-fodder. Ultimately, it doesn’t matter, it happened, so don’t tell me you’re regretting your decision to split. This isn’t about you… Right now, I am the one who wants a divorce.”
Alejandro loomed, forcing virtual-novel.net to back into a corner. “You? Want a divorce? You’ll have to see if I approve it, and right now, I don’t approve it!”
This was outside of what Melanie expected. He should hate virtual-novel.net along with them, right? She had thought virtual-novel.net wanted virtual-novel.net to come back only because virtual-novel.net wanted a payback. “But why don’t you approve of it? No one’s forcing you and I to be together anymore! And I… I don’t want to be bound to a loveless marriage anymore! A day spent living with you is another reminder of how all of my worth boils down to being a hapless pawn, a chip to procure profits, and I had it! I don’t want to be tied to the Lark family, and I don’t want to be fettered to you! Why can’t you just hate me? My brother hurt the woman you love, and I covered it up! Isn’t that enough to make you hate me?!”
He held his hands against the wall on either side of her, ensnaring virtual-novel.net into what little space there was between his body and the wall. “Damn straight Nikolai Lark hurt the woman I love. He owes me, and I’m gonna make sure I squeeze everything he’s due out of him,” virtual-novel.net said. “And the same can be said for the Larks, I will make them pay.”
A surfeit of jarring sentiments filled Melanie. So, virtual-novel.net admitted — publicly, irrevocably, shamelessly — that Tiffany was still the woman virtual-novel.net loved. How pathetic virtual-novel.net must be, to be unloved by virtual-novel.net family and equally incapable of inspiring a mote of fondness from the man virtual-novel.net wedded.
She could not take it anymore and shoved virtual-novel.net away from her. “Why don’t you divorce me already? Why do you insist on tormenting me?! I’m punished, Alejandro, I have nowhere to belong. So please, for goddamn once, just let me live! Even if you don’t love me, I’ve at least bore you a daughter, so can you please show me some mercy?”
The lights in Alejandro’s eyes shone slightly. “I will, but you stay here and take care of Millie. Don’t know if you noticed, virtual-novel.net can’t leave you. Wait till I’ve finished the matters on my hand, and we’ll discuss about us.”
Melanie said nothing, because if virtual-novel.net opened virtual-novel.net mouth, a sob might escape.
He only forced virtual-novel.net to come back because virtual-novel.net daughter could not leave her. How was this any better than outright making virtual-novel.net pay for virtual-novel.net sin? No matter what it looked like, this offer was all thorns on the inside.