Amelia didn’t want to argue with him. She turned to Violet and said, “You saw it for yourself—it’s not that I refuse to sign.”
Violet pressed her lips together, her expression all wide-eyed innocence, like she wanted to ask but didn’t want to make things harder for him. In the end, she couldn’t hold back: “Daniel, do you not want to get divorced?”
Daniel’s face was stone-cold, anger radiating from every inch of him as he struggled to keep it in. “Who said I wanted a divorce?”
The moment those words left his mouth, Violet’s composure cracked, tears welling up like pearls on a porcelain doll. “But you said… you’d take care of me for the rest of your life.”
Daniel ran a hand through his hair, exasperated beyond belief. “Taking care of you has nothing to do with whether I get divorced or not.”
What a shameless thing to say.
Amelia’s view of Daniel hit a new low. So, he meant he’d look after his first love forever, but keep his wife at home too? He wasn’t a king, but he sure acted like one.
Amelia was done with this. She didn’t want to hear another word. “Violet, I’ve brought the papers. Once you’ve signed, let me know.”
As soon as Amelia left, the lounge fell into a heavy silence.
Violet didn’t say anything. Her shoulders trembled ever so slightly, as if she was crying, but no sound escaped her—she just covered her face, silently letting the tears fall.
Mogan couldn’t stand it any longer. His voice was low, almost stern: “Daniel, you can’t treat Violet like this. Are you really going to keep her hanging on with nothing to her name, forever?”
Daniel, barely containing his temper, tore the divorce papers in two. “Mr. White, this is none of your business. Stay out of it.”
Mogan watched as Daniel tossed the shredded papers into the trash, his hand balling into a fist. “If you can’t take care of Violet, I’ll bring her back to Elm City myself. You won’t need to worry about her ever again.”
The words seemed to hit a nerve. Daniel’s anger vanished as quickly as it had flared up. He forced his voice to soften as he turned to Violet. “Could you step outside for a bit? I need to speak to Mr. White alone.”
Amelia didn’t feel like fighting. Maybe once she’d have tried to win, but now she was ready to let go. None of it mattered anymore.
“Sure, you’re the best. In fact, you’re so amazing, Daniel should’ve signed those papers for you already. Where are they? Hand them over.”
No way was Violet about to admit Daniel had torn up the agreement. She straightened her shoulders and put on a front. “What’s the rush? You’ll get them once they’re signed.”
She stared at the sparkling pool, then a wicked idea flashed across her face. “Amelia, what do you think—if I fell in, would Daniel blame you?”
Amelia hadn’t read that many romance novels, but even she recognized this classic damsel-in-distress move. She glanced up at the security camera overhead, then got to her feet. “If you’re going to stage a dive, go ahead. I’m leaving.”
“Ah—!”
Violet didn’t hesitate for a second—she threw herself into the pool so suddenly, even Amelia had to admire her commitment.
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