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,

hoped that Rita could be a bit more mature and reliable, but now, seeing her keep

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

Rita could reply,

house isn’t in enough shambles, Zoe? As their mother, 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, they’d long since

brown family, this was the first time

the words emerged, everyone

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

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

quick. She reached out, grabbed the old

it. She wouldn’t allow the Brown

not, Zoe had brought her up. Her love was real,

her arm trapped, Amelia’s brow darkened. “What,

“I have the right to

air itself seemed to stink of gunpowder. The keg was about to

it was Amelia who backed down first. “Look, Rita, your grandma just doesn’t want to see the Brown

sharp, experienced eyes landing on the girl again. “You have to

gut punch factor again. Her own gut was unmoved. “Then who’s there to understand how hard it

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 some people escort her out of the country. She’ll never set foot in the city again in this

Rita refused bluntly, “No!”

to negotiation at all, the last

laid it against her wrist. “I’m telling you now, Rita, if you don’t promise to

blade an inch across her skin.

Zoe and

you doing, Mom?

know what Mom is like, Noah. If Rita doesn’t agree, I’ll die right here.” Amelia capitalized on

expected, Noah lost his nerve with

her father, with his blind love, was

at her, she spoke first instead. “That slick show of yours might work

approach. Instead of agreeing, Rita

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

really go 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

make a case for Charlotte to be let out

My dad couldn’t have gone through hell for nothing. Charlotte has to pay her dues to the law, and spend not

all of this

prison, maybe you should just tell Charlotte to behave herself in there. Maybe she’ll get points for

girl’s tones were even, but every word she spoke

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