Chapter 61

Cedric's gaze swept over the divorce agreement, and he was so stunned he actually let out a bitter laugh. The emptiness that had hollowed out his chest was instantly filled with scorn.

"Do you really think this will make me lift a finger to get Hale out of trouble? Do you Prestons not have a single brain cell among you?"

Liliana stared at him, bewildered. "This has nothing to do with Hale."

Cedric bent down, picked up the agreement, and flipped through the pages until he reached the section on asset division. The last time they'd nearly divorced, there had been no formal agreement; had they gone through with it, Liliana would have left with nothing.

This time, she was asking for five million.

He scoffed and tossed the papers aside. "So, a new tactic. This is getting tiresome. What do you want this time?"

"This isn't as complicated as you're making it out to be. It's exactly what it looks like. I don't want anything from you." Liliana hated how he always twisted her intentions, painting her as either a drama queen or a gold digger. All she wanted was a divorce.

"Liliana, the act is getting old."

Cedric pulled a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, placed one between his lips, and flicked his lighter. As the flame flared to life, it cast his sharp, chiseled features in a stark glow, revealing the fine lines at the corner of his eyes. He possessed a rugged charm unique to a man of his maturity, and a single glance sent a sharp, needle-like pain through Liliana's heart.

"I don't want to spend the rest of my life in a loveless, emotionless marriage. I want

*I want your love,* she thought.

But he would never give it. Saying it aloud would only humiliate her.

Cedric didn't care what she wanted; he only needed to confirm that she had an ulterior motive. He waved a hand to clear the smoke swirling around him and stubbed out the half-finished cigarette.

"Just tell me what you're after. Who are you trying to impress with this long-suffering act?"

He casually tossed the divorce agreement into the trash can, shot her a dismissive glance, and strode toward the door.

"I'm away on business for the next couple of days. You should use that time to reflect. By the time I get back, you'd better be back to your old self."

The sound of the door slamming shut drowned out his fading voice.

Outside, the long night was cooled by a brisk wind, which helped to clear some of the frustration from Cedric's mind. With Hale having just lost his case, Liliana was obviously in a foul mood and was probably gearing up to make some

if

ous demand he refused

she'd likely use it as an excuse to

bring up the whole mess with Chuck and harass him endlessly. It was better to just leave. He hoped she would take the hint, calm down over the next two days, and then state her terms plainly.

She needed to stop pushing his limits. He'd tolerated this twice, but there wouldn't be a third time. If he actually signed those papers, she'd be a sobbing mess, begging for his forgiveness. Why even go through the trouble?

Before getting into his car, he couldn't help but glance back at the house. The sprawling home was brightly lit but felt empty. Liliana stood motionless inside, her slender frame ramrod straight.

He sighed, slid into his Maybach, and drove away.

Liliana didn't chase after him. She just stared at the divorce agreement crumpled in the trash can, lost in thought.

it

What would it take to make Cedric believe she was serious? What about her seemed so fake, as if she were just using divorce as a threat to extort something from him?¶n two years, he had never truly looked at her, never bothered to understand who she was.

This divorce was clearly going to be a battle. Fine. She would just wait for him to come to her.

The last time she'd packed, she'd been in such a rush that she'd left most of her belongings behind.

This time, she packed everything she could fit.