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.

had always hoped that Rita could be a bit more mature and reliable, but now, seeing her keep her troubles close to her

don’t want to forgive Charlotte,

say that, before Rita could reply,

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

breath, gathered her courage and stepped in front of Rita. “Don’t you understand, Mom? Ever since Charlotte broke Rita’s leg, they’d long since been against

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

the words emerged, everyone

at a skinny Zoe standing in front of her. For that second, she had never seen her mother so tall and secure. Her iced-over

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

the old woman by

said it. She wouldn’t allow the Brown

was related to her by blood or not, Zoe had brought her up.

“What,

have the right to protect my mother

itself seemed to stink of gunpowder.

down first. “Look, Rita, your grandma

landing on the girl again. “You have to understand,

factor again. Her own gut

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 foot in

Rita refused bluntly, “No!”

wasn’t open to negotiation at all, the last vestiges of Amelia’s patience

“I’m telling you now, Rita, if you don’t promise to

inch across her skin. Crimson blood

that, Zoe and Noah

his knees. “What are you doing, Mom? Put

Rita doesn’t agree, I’ll die right here.” Amelia capitalized on

nerve with Amelia putting on that

that her father, with his blind love, was

instant Noah turned to look at her, she spoke first instead. “That slick show of yours might work

of agreeing, Rita had put her on the

to show weakness in front of Rita. “You – you

through with that slash and 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

been broken for nothing. My dad couldn’t have gone through hell for nothing. Charlotte has

all of this on

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

even, but every word she spoke was saturated with

gave up entirely. She shuddered twice,