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. I’m

reliable, but now, seeing her keep her troubles close

“If you don’t want to forgive Charlotte, then

Rita could

As their mother, are

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,

that Zoe had been married into the brown family, this

emerged, everyone

looked 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 heart

Thoroughly enraged, she drew her hand back

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

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

to her by blood or not, Zoe

Amelia’s brow darkened. “What, I can’t even discipline my daughter-in-law

“I have the right to protect

stink of gunpowder.

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

the girl again. “You have to

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

it’s impossible for you to forgive Charlotte, Rita. I’m not asking for much. So long as Charlotte can get out of prison, I’ll have

Rita refused bluntly, “No!”

negotiation at all, the last vestiges of Amelia’s patience

now, Rita, if you don’t promise to let Charlotte go, I’ll… I’ll die right here in front

drew the blade an inch across her skin.

that, Zoe and Noah both

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

If Rita doesn’t agree, I’ll die right here.” Amelia capitalized on Noah’s love for her and deliberately stuck the knife in

nerve with Amelia putting on

his blind love, was

first instead. “That slick show of yours might work on my Dad,

that approach. Instead of agreeing, Rita had put her on the

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

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 you, but I can tell you this much

a case for Charlotte to be

have been broken 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

of this on

of prison, maybe you should just tell

but every

to never back down, Amelia gave up entirely.