Sweet Divorce

When Michael got Rita’s text, his pupils expanded, full of joy.

She’d agreed.

She’d agreed to marry him.

It was the result of a threat, yes, but Michael was happy as could be.

He typed up and deleted his message over and over until he simply sent out:

“Made up your mind?”

Soon, he received her reply.

“Yes. But I need half a month to settle everything I’ve got going with Liam and the Brown family. I’ll come register for marriage with you in half a month.”

Half a month?

Was Rita stalling?

That was a legitimate worry, but Michael agreed to it anyway.

Standing in front of his panel window, he swirled the wine in his hand, looking at the dark red liquid swishing about under his control, and smirked. “It’s just fifteen days. What can a little girl do in that time?”

Even if she had some kind of plan in this fortnight, he’d deal with it as they came.

This time, he was going to have her.

Not just the girl he liked, but everything the Browns, the Burkes and the Wilsons owed him, he was going to take it all back.

The age of the Wilson family’s monopoly over the city was finally over.

Michael sneered quietly, cold in his eyes as he drained his glass.

…

“Rita?”

Maybe because she hadn’t replied for a while, but Zoe had called her name again.

Only then did Rita take her eyes off the screen of her phone. “Don’t worry, Mom. I’m fine.”

“Really?” Zoe was clearly not relieved.

away for phone, smiling. “Relax.

mature and reliable, but now, seeing her keep her troubles close

you don’t want to forgive Charlotte, then don’t! You’ll

Rita could reply, Amelia panicked

isn’t in enough shambles, Zoe? As their mother, are you trying to turn these sisters

courage and stepped in front of Rita. “Don’t you understand, Mom? Ever

twenty-odd years that Zoe had been married into the brown family, this was the first time she’d

moment the words emerged,

that second, she had never seen her mother so tall and secure. Her iced-over heart

her hand back to

old woman by the wrist, and stopped the blow

allow the Brown family

related to her by blood or not, Zoe had

arm trapped, Amelia’s brow darkened. “What, I can’t

frowned herself. “I have the right to protect my

air itself seemed to stink of gunpowder. The keg was about

glares, it was Amelia who backed down first. “Look, Rita, your grandma just doesn’t want to see the Brown family split apart.

Zoe, her sharp, experienced eyes landing on the girl again. “You

up the gut punch factor again. Her own gut was

I’m not asking for much. So long as Charlotte can get out of prison, I’ll have some people escort her out of the country. She’ll never set

Rita refused bluntly, “No!”

open to negotiation at all, the last

telling you now, Rita, if you don’t promise to let Charlotte go, I’ll…

the blade an inch

that, Zoe and Noah both

“What are you doing, Mom? Put – put that knife

know what Mom is like, Noah. If Rita doesn’t agree, I’ll die right here.” Amelia capitalized on Noah’s love

Noah lost his nerve

father, with his blind

instead. “That slick show of yours might work on my Dad, but not me! If you want to die…

Instead of agreeing, Rita had

weakness in front of Rita. “You – you really think I

anything happens to you, dear Charlotte, the sole bloodline of the Brown family, is going to rot in prison.” Rita paused, then looked sideways at Amelia and sneered. “So whether you want to live or die is up to

for Charlotte to be let

for nothing. My dad couldn’t have gone through hell for nothing. Charlotte has to pay her dues to the law, and spend not one less day she

of this on

prison, maybe you should just tell Charlotte to

tones were even, but every word she spoke was saturated with

Amelia gave up