Divorce Countdown: The CEO Moves Right In

roses. Chloe Hayes accepted a glass of champagne from a passing server at th

into a quiet room, desperate for air, and collapsed onto a bed that wasn't hers. The last thi

n on the bed and whispered a name: Vivienne-his girlfriend of eight months. The woman he'd been photographed with, the woman Chloe

door slam

ce twisting from confusion to horror to raw fury. "What the

zens of gala guests had gathered. Phones out. C

Vivienne sobbe

"Gold digger." "Shameless." "She

gh: "The poor Carlisle family. Tra

n, her body trembling under the w

old, absolute contempt. He believed, from that moment on, that she had or

tion was e

wanted-a cold, loveless contract signed in the shadow of publ

r a clause in the legal document she was reviewing. The air was thick with the scent of roasted coffee beans and

table. The screen lit up with a name she never assoc

, her voice

he other end was clipped, devoid of warmth, a command

w York street and hailed a cab, her expression as placid as if she were heading to a routine client meeting. But inside, the countdown clock ticked relentlessly. Ten more months. Then the prenuptial agreement would expire, and she would walk away f

oe recognized her instantly: a model who had been photographed with Julian at a gallery opening the previous month. He had always been careful-never the same face twice, never anything that could be called a relationship. Bu

e concrete floor. The girl looked up, her eyes wide with a mix

loe asked, he

irl n

nd that wasn't taken. She sat down opposite the model, th

ed makeup couldn't hide the sudden shock. It

is is a list of luxury goods purchased for you over the last three months," Chloe explained, her voice calm and professional, the voice of a lawyer laying out facts. "One Hermès Birkin-twenty thousand dollars

he papers to Chloe's face, h

distribution in divorce proceedings. That means I can reclaim every single item. The car. The watch. The bag. Every dollar he spent on you is half mine." She paused, letting the words settle. "Of course, I could also

to tremble. The fear in

orney. He specializes in quiet resolutions. He can draft a simple agr

l media, everything. And you will take a long vacation. Paris is lovely this time of year. I suggest a minimum of three months. The

bing her purse and the attorney's card. Without another word

her eyes. She took a slow sip of water, the task complete

re than Miss Li's entire wardrobe. He had obviously been watching from a distance, waiting for the cleanup crew to fin

is expression was a mixture of approval and deep-seated mockery. "

replied, her voice flat. She began gathering

role. The power. The fear in their eyes. Admit it-th

x a new headline for their morning edition? 'Bill

rocks, untouched. He picked it up, swirling the amber liquid, watching the ice clink against the crystal. "You always

hat silence was the only weapon that worked against hi

ehow more threatening than his anger, "I've been thinking about that night. T

did

the bourbon. Then, with a flick of his wri

l, involuntary sound that she immediately hated herself for. A few patrons gasped. The dark stain spread rapidly, an

htening of her fingers around the edge of the table betrayed the storm inside he

ce, Chloe. Don't forget how you got all of this." He reached out and grabbed her chin, his fingers digging

id not flinch. She did not beg. But inside, her hear

me," she sa

t, then released her with a small, cruel smile. "S

re. "Be at the Upper East Side townhouse tonight. Seven o'clock. Fam

shut about this little meeting. Don't upset him. His health is fragile. If something happ

trangers. She sat there for a long moment, perfectly still, her stained dress clinging to her skin. Then, v

looked at for two years. Two years of cold silences and public humiliations. Two years of being treated as a scheming interloper in a family that had never wanted

e could endure anyt

he driver, stepped out into the cold rain, and walked inside wi