He stepped closer, jaw taut. “Did you tell your father something? Why was the merger postponed? You know how critical that deal is!”
I tilted my head, a faint, quiet smile on my lips. “Perhaps because of Elias,” I said softly. “Maybe your family doesn’t want stress while your son is sick.”
His eyes darkened. “Don’t play games with me, Vivienne.”
I shrugged. “Maybe I’m not. Maybe I just don’t care anymore.”
Disbelief flickered across his face. “You don’t care?” he repeated, slower now. “Is that why you were smiling at that man earlier? The one from the board? People noticed, you know.”
I smirked lightly. “Ah, that one?” I leaned closer, voice dropping. “I suppose so.”
His hand twitched. Anger flared in his gaze. “You’ve really lost it,” he muttered. “After everything, you think you can just ruin what we’ve built?”
“What you’ve built?” I corrected sharply. “Adrian, you built lies. All I ever did was believe them.”
He opened his mouth, but I cut him off.
I looked him straight in the eyes, my smile steady and cold. “Maybe we should just divorce.”
The first thing I felt was pain—a sharp sting across my cheek, followed by the internal crack of something breaking. Adrian had slapped me.
He had never done that before. Not once in all our years together. He had been gentle, patient—the man who held my hand during long drives, brought me coffee every morning, kissed my forehead before work.
We had laughed over trivial things, dreamed about the future, debated names for our children. I had believed his touch meant safety, his voice meant love. And now, the same hand that once wiped my tears was the one that drew them.
“What did you just say?” he shouted, voice laced with fury. “Divorce me? You think you can just walk away like that? My family would never approve!”
My cheek burned as I blinked. “Adrian—”
He stepped closer, jaw tight, breath hot with anger. “Is this about wanting freedom? So you can flirt behind my back? Did you really think I wouldn’t find out?”
I frowned. “Flirt? Me?”
He scoffed bitterly. “Yes! You’re cheating on me, Vivienne!”
Disbelief washed over me. “Where on earth did you get that idea?”
“Seraphine told me,” he said flatly.
I let out a bitter, short laugh. “Of course she did.”
He glared. “Don’t laugh! You think this is funny?”