Chapter 12

That had been a pipe dream the moment I saw her kiss Edmund in front of everyone. It had burst the moment I penned that letter.

Hera studied the calmness in my face, feeling her rage begin to fade. Panic suddenly surged within her.

She had seen me like this before. I was never the hysterical type. When I remained calm, it was always genuine, and that made this all the more dangerous for her.

Her panic resembled someone who just realized she might have lost something.

"You… You're serious?" she finally said.

"I am. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have other places to be. I'm on holiday," I replied, moving to go around her.

She suddenly grabbed my shoulder. "Not so fast."

I turned and caught a smirk on her face. "Oh, so it's real, huh? Suits me fine. See you at the courthouse next Monday. Let's see if you're ready to follow through."

She locked eyes with me, daring me. She truly believed I was bluffing.

How long before I broke and apologized? How dare I threaten her with divorce?

I nodded quietly, relief flooding me. "That's what I've been hoping to hear. See you next Monday."

I pulled free from her grip and walked away. The future looked bright.

…

Hera stayed where she was, unsure how much time had passed.

"This is impossible! There's no way this is real. You think I haven't figured you out? You're faking it! This is all just an act! You think you can break me like this? Never! I don't break for anyone!"

She climbed into her car, her mind blank, and stared at the fire station ahead.

A familiar feeling settled over her, quickly followed by a deep sense of loss. She remembered the exact moment her guard dropped. Her fist slammed against the steering wheel as her eyes burned with unshed tears.

"I gave you a way back to me, Sebastian," she growled through clenched teeth. "And you spat on it because of your pride! I swear, you'll regret this."

She took a few moments to gather herself, then called Edmund. He answered almost immediately.

"Hey, Ira! You don't call me often. What's going on?" he asked, cheerful as always.

"Nothing much. I just… miss you."

"Huh?" He paused, stunned. Then a grin crept into his voice. "I miss you too!"

"You free tonight?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"Let's leave Bobby at home. He can watch his favorite cartoon while we're out," she purred with a faint smile. "You and I could use a couple of drinks, don't you think?"

"That sounds amazing!" Edmund replied, clearly thrilled.

"Good. See you there."

After ending the call, Hera immediately dialed Morgan. "I'm heading out with Edmund later tonight. Make sure Sebastian hears about it. Just don't make it obvious. Understand?"

Morgan froze. A beat passed before he agreed, but Hera had already hung up. He stared at her contact name on the screen, confusion settling in.

"Ms. Bishop is starting to feel like a whole different person…" he muttered. "Is it really a good idea to provoke Mr. Grimwald like this?"

…

The gears in my head were grinding as I walked down the street. What was I supposed to do now that I was finally free?

My salary as a firefighter was decent. It was nowhere near the absurd amount Hera raked in as CEO of Edge Inc., but still enough to live on. Even so, I had paid for half of the villa we'd shared for five years. That house belonged to both of us.

The car and our joint savings were hers. I wasn't planning to fight her for those in the divorce, but still, I wanted half of my money back.

Scraping together that sum had drained everything I'd saved since my first day on the job, and I'd needed a bank loan to cover the rest—one I had gotten by putting up my parents' house as collateral. Even if I couldn't recover what I'd spent, I at least wanted to free their house from the mortgage.

"Now that I think about it... is this divorce going to leave me bankrupt?" I muttered.

Then again, compared to the emotional and romantic vacuum of our marriage, this was still a step up.

"I need to find a place to stay. I'm not sleeping on the street."

At first, I'd considered staying in a hotel for a couple of nights. But the way Hera had leapt at the divorce, smiling like I'd handed her a promotion, left me uneasy. It felt too easy. I had a gut feeling she'd try to stall or block it somehow.

In other words, this divorce was going to drag on. A hotel stay would bleed me dry.

I wasn't planning to return to my hometown. I worked here, and I'd be here for the long haul. Renting made more sense.

Why not get started?

I spotted a rental agency and walked right in. The agent listened to my budget and checklist, then began showing me around.

We toured five different properties before landing on one that felt right. It was a modest apartment with two bedrooms and two shared spaces. The decor was simple, but the location and price hit all the marks. The place was fully furnished, with water and electricity already set up. I could move in that day.

The agent phoned the landlady. I signed the contract and paid the deposit and fees.

The agent left. The landlady stayed behind, explaining where to pay the utility bills and pointing out nearby stores and services.

"Thank you, Mrs. McKay, but I know my way around. I've been working here for a while."

"Oh, is that so? And what do you do, Mr. Grimwald?" She gave me a slow once-over.

"I'm a firefighter."

"Oh? A firefighter? You must have a hot body underneath that," she remarked excitedly as she ogled me even more. "Er… Is it serviceable?"

The way this older woman's grin stretched all the way to her eyes and the overwhelming glee she was showing was starting to make me feel a little creeped out.