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.

for phone, smiling.

be a bit more mature and reliable, but now, seeing her keep her troubles close to her chest and take on the

Zoe tugged at Rita’s hand. “If you don’t want to forgive Charlotte, then don’t! You’ll have Mom’s

Rita could

are you trying to turn these sisters

more or less quite scared of Amelia’s wrath, but she took a deep breath, gathered her courage and stepped in front of Rita. “Don’t

into the brown family, this was the first time she’d

moment the words emerged,

second, she had never

had turned the color of beetroot. Thoroughly enraged, she drew her hand back to slap Zoe across the cheek. “Shut up! Shut

old woman

wouldn’t allow the Brown family to keep her mother down

or not, Zoe had brought

brow darkened. “What,

herself. “I have the right to

stink of gunpowder. The keg was

it was Amelia who backed down first. “Look, Rita, your

sharp, experienced eyes landing on the girl again.

Her own gut was unmoved. “Then who’s there

for much. So long as Charlotte can get out of prison, I’ll have some people escort her out

Rita refused bluntly, “No!”

at all, the

now, Rita, if you

that, Amelia drew the blade an inch across her skin.

that, Zoe and

his knees. “What are you

Mom is like, Noah. If Rita doesn’t agree, I’ll die right here.” Amelia capitalized on Noah’s love for her and deliberately

Noah lost his nerve with

her father, with his blind love, was going

at her, she spoke first instead. “That slick show of yours might work on my Dad, but not me!

expected that approach. Instead of agreeing, Rita had put her

in front of Rita. “You –

sole bloodline of the Brown family, is going to rot in prison.” Rita paused, then looked sideways at Amelia and sneered. “So whether you

for Charlotte to be

gone through hell for nothing. Charlotte has to pay her dues to the law, and spend not one less day she deserves in

of

everything you can to get her out of prison, maybe you should just tell Charlotte to behave herself in there. Maybe she’ll get points for exemplary

girl’s tones were even, but every word she

up entirely. She shuddered