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.

phone, smiling. “Relax.

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

are you trying to turn these sisters against each other?” Amelia

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 you understand, Mom? Ever since Charlotte broke Rita’s leg,

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

moment the words emerged,

that second, she had never seen her mother so tall and secure. Her

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

old woman by the wrist, and stopped

said it. She wouldn’t allow the Brown

related to her by blood or not, Zoe had

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

frowned herself. “I have the right

of gunpowder. The

Rita, your grandma just doesn’t want to see the Brown family

the

how Amelia was playing up 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 out of the country. She’ll never set foot in the city again in this life. Will

Rita refused bluntly, “No!”

that Rita wasn’t open to negotiation at all, the

telling you now, Rita,

inch across her skin.

that, Zoe and Noah

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

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

his nerve with Amelia

her father, with his blind love, was going to

instant Noah turned to look 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,

she had her appearance to consider. She wasn’t about to show weakness in front of Rita. “You –

rot in prison.” Rita paused, then looked sideways at Amelia and sneered. “So whether you want to live or die

a case for Charlotte

Charlotte

of

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 behavior

but every word she spoke was saturated with

down, Amelia gave up entirely. She shuddered twice, and with a thunk, dropped the