Chapter 46: Chapter 46: Delivering divorce papers
Lucas’ POV
I was still staring at Jessica when the words tumbled out of my lips. "What? You want me to sign the divorce papers?"
A frown immediately found its way between her brows, and her bottom lip was jutted out to settle into a pout. "Do you...not want to?" She asked, her voice soft as she averted her gaze, looking away from me.
"I..."
The words barely left the tip of my tongue when a sigh rushed out through her parted lips. She fully turned away from me this time, her arms crossed over her chest. "I knew it, you are still in love with her, aren’t you? You don’t love me and our baby anymore."
I immediately grabbed her shoulders and turned her back around. I reached for her hands, interlocking my fingers with hers as I looked at her eyes intently. "No, of course not," I said immediately. "You are the only one I love. Evelyn schemed her way into my bed and ruined our engagement. I told you that I would make it up to you."
She lifted her gaze, and we finally locked eyes. "You promise?"
"I promise. You know there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you. If you want me to sign the papers, I will do it. As long as it makes you happy."
I watched as her eyes lit up in an instant, the corners of her lips curling up into a smile. "Really? You would do it?"
I squeezed her hands in mine, a smile slowly spreading across my cheeks. I reached up with one hand, gently caressing her face as she leaned into my palm. Her face fit into the palm of my hand perfectly like it was always meant to be there. After all, she was the one for me.
"Of course," I said as I placed a kiss on her forehead before leaning back. This time, my features twisted into a snarl, and my fists balled tightly beside me, which seemed to delight Jessica. "And I will personally deliver divorce papers to her."
***
Evelyn’s POV
Rhys and I had settled into a routine over the past week or so. He would drive us to and from the office every day without fail. Our nights mostly involve takeouts or dinners at fancy restaurants of my choice.
It was calm and peaceful. It was almost as if I had leaped into an alternate universe where whatever happened seven years ago didn’t exist in this timeline, where we were happily married with our own children.
Today was just like any other day. Rhys had his hand interlocked with him as we walked out of the office building, claiming that we might run into reporters along the way. We both knew that the reporters had stopped showing up by now, but I didn’t rush to correct him. Instead, a smile touched my lips, and my chest blossomed with warmth.
"Is there anything you would like to report about your boss’s bad behaviour?" He asked, and a teasing smile graced his lips.
A soft giggle left my lips as I shook my head. "Nope," I said, popping the ’p’. I leaned in, murmuring into his ear. "My boss did so well today. No complaints. Wait, actually..."
He narrowed his eyes at me playfully as if he were daring me to say it. "Actually what?"
A laugh escaped me as he tightened his hold on my hand and slowed his pace, forcing me to stop walking with him on the sidewalk. I looked up at him, beaming with a gleeful look in my eyes. "Nothing."
The look in his eyes was so intense that I forced myself to look away.
"Anyway," I said, clearing my throat. "I was going to say that my boss still owes me dinner."
His brow rose. "Is that so?"
"Mm-hmm."
"I took you to that French restaurant yesterday."
"Well, that was yesterday. Today’s different."
A low chuckle emitted from him. "Oh yeah? Wasn’t aware that I owe my girlfriend yet another meal."
"See? This is exactly why you’re a terrible boss."
A scoff left him, but I could still hear the teasing note in his voice when he spoke. "A terrible boss who personally drives you to work every day."
"Still terrible."
"A terrible boss who bought you coffee this morning."
"That was because you drank mine."
His lips twitched. "A terrible boss who—"
His words abruptly stopped. The teasing vanished from his face within the next second.
My smile slowly faded as I looked at him with a puzzled expression. "What?"
His gaze wasn’t on me anymore. It was fixed on something in front of us, but I was too busy looking at him to notice anyone else around us.
A familiar chill crept down my spine, almost as if my body recognized his presence before my mind did. The warmth that had settled in my chest moments ago vanished instantly, and my smile faltered.
My eyes swept across the busy street, searching for the source of the unease gnawing at me. It didn’t take long before I found him.
Standing several feet away from us. Watching us.
Lucas.
My heart immediately sank.
The shock that flashed across my face appeared as quickly as it disappeared. It was replaced by something colder. Something harder. A frown naturally made its way onto my face as I looked at the man standing before my eyes.
Gone was the expensive suit he usually wore to maintain the image of the perfect CEO. Today, he was dressed casually in a dark shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his forearms and a pair of jeans. But despite the casual clothes, there was nothing relaxed about him.
Every muscle in his body looked rigid. His shoulders were tense, and even his jaw was clenched. An unreadable expression was etched onto his face as I watched his eyes bounce from our joined hands to my face, then back to our hands again.
My gaze flitted to his hand, only then did I notice the stack of papers clutched tightly in his hand. The edges were crumpled from how hard he was holding them. My gaze snapped back up to meet his eyes.
"What are you doing here?" I questioned, my tone sharp around the edge as I pinned him with a deadly glare.
He let out a slow breath through his nose before taking a deliberate step toward us. Then another, and another, quickly closing the distance between us.
"You should know why," he sneered. The bitterness in his voice was impossible to miss.
Rhys’ arm immediately reached for him, pulling me slightly behind him until his body stood partially in front of mine.
And Lucas noticed the gesture, the muscle in his jaw ticked violently. "Move."
Rhys let out a short laugh. The sound was calm, almost amused even. "No."
The single word hung heavily in the air. People walking past us began to slow down, sensing the tension brewing between the three of us.
Lucas’s eyes darkened. "I’m not here to talk to you."
"That’s unfortunate," Rhys replied smoothly, his voice perfectly calm, just like how he looked. "Because she’s not interested in talking to you either."
Lucas’ nostrils flare, his cheeks slowly turning red with anger. His grip around the papers tightened until they visibly bent beneath his fingers. "Stay out of this," he demanded through gritted teeth, but Rhys wouldn’t budge. "This is none of your business."
"She’s my girlfriend. Her business is my business."
Lucas let out a loud scoff before narrowing his eyes into thin slits. "If she wants me to sign the divorce papers, she’d better come with me," he stated, a threat laced beneath his words as he slowly lifted the papers in his hand. "Alone," he added, a smirk tugging at the corners of his lips.
Beside me, Rhys frowned as he clenched his jaw, and even his grip on me was tighter than before, like he was afraid to let go of me. "She’s not going with you."
The firmness in his voice left no room for argument. For a brief moment, neither man looked away. The air between them practically crackled until my voice broke the tense silence.
"Rhys," I muttered under my breath, my voice soft but sure as he turned to face me. "I will be fine, don’t worry about me. I will just get the signed papers, and then we will leave, okay?"
Hesitance swirled in his eyes as he stared back at me, contemplating while silence descended upon us. He clearly hated the idea of me following Lucas. "I don’t trust him, Evelyn."
I squeezed his hand once. "If he tried anything, I’d just kick him in the balls."
A surprise snort escaped him, but the worry in his eyes was still there as his expression softened before my eyes. "Fine, but be careful, okay? I will wait for you," he said before leaning in to kiss me on my forehead like it was the most natural thing to do, almost as if we weren’t just pretending anymore.
I didn’t miss the scowl on Lucas’ face when I turned back to face him. I lifted my chin and let the words tumble out of my lips.
"I’ll go."
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