Chapter 3

The moment I pushed open the door and walked into the conference room, Arthur's whole expression changed.

"What are you doing back here?"

I held up the lunch bag. "I brought you lunch."

"You shouldn't have come."

He strode over and positioned himself in front of me, completely shielding me from view.

"This has nothing to do with you. Go downstairs with Owen right now."

Vera came to stand beside me too and lowered her voice. "Listen to him. They've got guns. You can't handle something like this."

Catherine was as blunt as ever, but she put herself between me and Luca. "You can't even watch a chef prep a lobster without crying. What are you doing here? You're only making things worse. Go."

My chest tightened a little as I looked at them.

For five years, they'd complained that I was too delicate and had no ambition. Behind my back, they said Arthur had spoiled me rotten and made me useless.

But when things went wrong, not one of them tried to sacrifice me to save themselves. All they wanted was to get me out of harm's way.

Victor clapped twice, slowly.

"The Hawthorne family really does dote on this trophy wife."

His eyes traveled from my pearl earrings down to the tips of my shoes, and he didn't bother hiding his contempt.

"Mrs. Hawthorne, you'll all be moving out of the Upper East Side soon. Stick with Arthur, and I doubt you'll even be able to afford afternoon tea at the Plaza."

He leaned back in his chair and smiled. "You'd be better off with me. I can't put a ring on your finger, but I can give you a black card. As long as you behave, you can have any jewelry you want."

Arthur threw another punch at him.

Luca blocked it with his forearm, then pinned Arthur to the conference table. Arthur broke free, only for Derek to press a gun to his chest.

"Arthur, don't do anything stupid!" Edward's voice cracked like a whip.

Arthur glared at Victor for a few long seconds before he finally stepped back to my side.

He pulled another document from the bottom of a folder and held it out to me.

Divorce papers. He'd already signed them.

"Sign them."

Arthur's voice was low. "The Upper East Side apartment, the house in the Hamptons, and everything in my personal trust will be yours. Once the divorce is final, you'll have no legal ties to me. These people won't have any reason to lay a finger on you."

I didn't take them. I just looked at him.

"Arthur, you don't want me anymore?"

He gripped the papers tighter and tighter until the edges crumpled.

When he spoke again, his voice was deliberately cold. "I only married you because you're pretty and you do as you're told. Now, I can't afford to keep you anymore, so there's no point in you staying."

The words were harsh enough, but he kept himself between me and the guns the whole time.

I looked up and saw that his eyes were red.

The idiot probably thought a few cruel words would make me take the money and leave like a good girl.

Victor chuckled. "How noble of you. Fine. You've got two minutes. She signs the divorce papers and leaves, and then you sign the patent transfer."

Arthur pressed the papers into my hand and turned to Owen.

"Get my wife out of here. No matter what happens in this room, don't let her come back."

But Cole reached back and locked the conference room door.

He waved his gun and grinned. "We don't have the patents yet. Who said she could leave?"

Vera quietly pulled me behind her. Catherine snatched up the folder containing the corporate seal and kept it out of reach of Victor's people.

Edward looked at Arthur, his voice heavy. "We can always redevelop the technology. But if we lose you, none of it matters anymore."

Arthur knew what he meant.

He glanced at me, then picked up the pen on the table.

Victor smiled wider, and Derek slowly moved the muzzle of his gun up to Arthur's head.

"Your two minutes are up."

Victor tapped the agreement.

"Time to choose."