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.

put away for phone, smiling. “Relax.

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

at Rita’s hand. “If you don’t want

that, before Rita could

house isn’t in enough shambles, Zoe? As their mother, are you trying to turn these sisters against each other?”

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

twenty-odd years that Zoe had been married into the brown family,

emerged, everyone

For that second, she had never seen her mother

her hand back to slap Zoe across the cheek. “Shut

reached out, grabbed the old woman by the wrist, and stopped

allow the Brown family to keep her mother

by blood or not,

darkened. “What, I can’t even

frowned herself. “I have the right to protect

seemed to stink of gunpowder. The keg

first. “Look, Rita, your grandma just doesn’t want to

landing on the girl again. “You

the gut punch factor again. Her own gut was unmoved. “Then who’s there

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

Rita refused bluntly, “No!”

wasn’t open to negotiation at all,

against her wrist. “I’m telling you now, Rita, if you

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

Zoe and Noah both

“What are you doing,

I’ll die right here.” Amelia

Noah lost his nerve with Amelia

knew that her father, with his

instant Noah turned to look at her, she spoke first instead. “That slick show of yours might work on my Dad, but not me! If

of agreeing, Rita had put

wasn’t about to show weakness in front of Rita. “You – you really think I won’t with

prison.” Rita paused, then looked sideways at Amelia and sneered. “So whether you want to live or die is up to you, but I can tell you

a case for Charlotte to be

nothing. My dad couldn’t have gone through hell for nothing. Charlotte has to pay her

all of this on

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

were even, but every word she

gave up entirely. She