Malachi’s pov.
“I’ve filed for a divorce.”
I storm into the office and thoughts of Antonia saying she’s filed for a divorce flash through my mind. I grunt in anger as I drop my phone and settle into my chair.
Antonia… Antonia would never behave like this.
I understand she’s angry at her grandmother’s death. I'm not totally irrational, but I didn't know her grandmother would die. If she’s making decisions like this because she lost a loved one…. No, Antonia would never behave like this.
Not to me.
My door comes open and a worker walks in. A female. I watch as she goes about, oblivious to my presence. I watch to better confirm if this is being done out of nefarious intentions or not. When I see it’s not, I speak, “I have a question to ask you.”
At the sound of my voice I hear her breathing go silent.
She definitely knows who’s speaking. When she turns her face is devoid of all color and her response is less than chirpy, it’s shaky and intimidated, “Mr Finn. How may I assist you today?”
There’s nothing of that flirty tone almost every woman takes when they speak to me, but I don't much care for it right now. I ask a question that makes me have a sour taste at the back of my throat, because I already suspect what the answer will be, “What are you doing here?”
A fast minute passes without any reply from her. I’m about to get even more annoyed when she responds, a surprised tone to her voice now, “I don’t understand what you mean by that, Mr Finn.”
I restrain myself from growling in annoyance, “What are you doing in my office? Isn’t my secretary meant to work on those files?”
The look on her face tells me I might have crossed a line and it’s no surprise because I know this woman, she’s enduringly loyal to Antonia. I’m the one who pays her salary though so I don’t give a shit about her loyalties, I ask coldly, “Do I have to rephrase myself once more? Or are you going to give me the answer I need?”
She responds in a steady but still intimidated tone, “Mrs Finn delegated all her work to me yesterday. She says she won’t be handling it anymore.”
The news settles into my belly like a block of ice and I ask without thinking, “Is she seeing anyone right now?”
The look on the face of the woman standing in front of me becomes more offended though she hides it well as she responds respectfully, “I don’t understand what you mean by that, Mr Finn.”
I ask through a low growl now, “Is Antonia seeing anybody right now? Is she having an affair with a man?”
My thoughts seem to be bordered by nothing but flames and anger. I’ll admit that it wasn’t very wise of me to have that one night stand with Skye when she came back. If it wasn’t for that she wouldn’t be pregnant, the relationship we share wouldn’t have come to this, and probably Antonia wouldn’t be asking me for a divorce.
How dare she ask for a divorce!
What did she expect me to do now that Skye’s pregnant? Abandon her and the child?
That child has nothing to do with this, and no child of mine will be born into need when I'm fully able to provide for him. I stand up and straighten my posture. My confidence returns as I reassure myself.
The woman in front of me is still shaking lightly but I don't care if it's from anger at my attitude or my infuriating nature. She can’t do anything about it.
“She’s not seeing anyone Mr Finn.”
I don’t bother with a nod this time because I don't care anymore.
Antonia can’t live without me. Even if anyone is going to ask for a divorce, it’ll be me and not her. That isn’t going to change.
I walk to the door, but the minute I set my eyes on Antonia’s cleared out table in the next hall, a slight surge of soberness and anger goes through me again.
Having Antonia as my secretary has been really good. She’s smart, intelligent, and capable. She works for me, and I take care of her and buy her pretty clothes she barely wears. That’s how things are.
She can’t live without me.
I scoff and walk out.
Some tulips and a new bag should have her giving her decision a rethink.
She’s probably just messing with me.
Antonia’s pov. I spend the night in another room and I don't know if Malachi notices my absence nor do I care. I take a visit to the cemetery, just to see my grandmother’s grave for one last final time, and when I come back every bone in my body hurts. It’s the familiar hum of fatigue and tiredness and as it surges through me, it reminds me that I'm pregnant too. A light headache whips through my head, but I ignore it and head straight to the room. I’m not staying here for another minute. At the thought of Malachi, something in my heart seems to begin burning, and I can't deal with that. I don’t want to see him. I take one last look at the room that we’ve both shared for the past three years and different images flash past behind my eyes. Images of both of us, on that bed. Passion being the one thing that brought us together. Yet even then, I'd just been deluding myself into thinking he loved me. That he had sex with me because he wanted it as much as I did. I go to the walk
I walk over to my bag and continue with packing.I feel Malachi’s glare. Every bit of it in all its righteous indignation and a thrum of pain surges in my heart. He puts the flowers down, embarrassment visible on his face. I briefly entertain the hope that he’s embarrassed because he’s finally come to his senses and realized his actions as a husband these past few years have been nothing to write home about.Malachi shatters my expectations once again, “The flowers weren’t for you anyways, and where do you think you’re going?”I chuckle bitterly to myself because it’s obvious he’d rather drown than admit to himself he hasn’t been perfect.I place the jade necklace into my bag and reach under the pillow to pull out the papers I'd placed there this morning. A twinge of embarrassment courses through me because the better option would have been to drop it onto the bedside table. He’s always complained about how unprofessional it is to keep things under the pillow for him to find, and see
The first thing that goes wrong is the weather. The skies had been moody on my visit to the cemetery but now they’re dark and are hanging heavy with rain. I drag my suitcase down the road looking for a taxi but I should have known I would never get one here. The Finn mansion isn’t located in just any part of the city I seek solace under a small canopy and feel tears sliding down my cheeks in frustration. Malachi’s words, and his mom’s taunts…. No one should be treated that way. For all my years in the Finn house, I've been nothing but respectful to Sienna, I've always been silent at tables because of her. Malachi thinks I can't live without that? He thinks I can't live without him treating me like less of a human than he would others?A sudden honk snaps me out of my thoughts and water splashes on me immediately. I gasp, my yell stuttering from shock and surprise. I was clearly by the side of the road. Anyone with two eyes would have seen me. The car that had splashed me with wa
I wake up in the comfort of a soft bed, and I snuggle into it because every part of my body hurts. I groan softly, and moan as I find a better spot that accelerates the comfort I feel. The first thing that makes me know something is weird is the scent of this bed. It’s a scent that makes me want to bury my nose into the bed and breathe more of it. It’s minty. Earthy. Musky. This isn’t what my bed smells like, then I open my eyes, and fear goes through me. I’m in a strange room I look around to see it’s large. It’s sparsely but tastefully furnished. The room radiates power and restraint at the same time. More than that it’s a room I've never been in before. I jolt when I hear a rich dark voice call out my name, “Antonia.” I whip my eyes to its direction immediately, and a confusing sight meets me because standing right there at the door, is Tieran, Malahchi’s uncle, with a steaming cup of tea in a saucer in his hands and a concerned look in his eyes. Tieran crowds the entryw
The sun shining in through the window annoys me. The documents in my hands infuriate me. A light headache slams into my head each time I look at any of the letters, and yet when I stretch my hand to the side of the table, there’s no tea there like there would have been.It sets something off in me and dropping my pen is the only thing I can do not to break it. I drop the cooperation deal too.The lack of tea isn’t the problem, I've sent out about six cups in irritation and anger already because they weren’t made right.A building filled with over a thousand people and no one is competent enough to make a fucking cup of tea!It’s been two days now since Antonia’s left and she isn’t back. Not even after I'd ensured half the city never opens its doors to her. I don’t understand it.She couldn’t have dissolved into damn thin air could she! She has to be hiding somewhere.The door to my office opens again and I do not bother to look at who’s coming in. It’s probably another idiot worker w
Antonia’s pov.“So this person is your mentor?”Tieran gives me a singular look and chuckles right after before he nods his head. We’re in his kitchen right now, and I don't know what I expected. Okay, I expected luxury and a dozen fancy bowls that do nothing but just be there for some special occasion that never comes. Tieran’s kitchen IS luxurious, but oddly it’s functional too. It’s obvious there’s been little to no female interference though, or maybe she’s just not like me and likes her spoons in a drawer where her hand can’t reach them.I take a scoop of the little soup Tieran has prepared and let it melt off my tongue. He knows what I want. He just won’t tell me because he says I should eat first. I know a thing or two about being insistent though so i go on, “There must be a backstory behind that. The famous wildly successful CEO of various multi billion dollar corporations, having a mentor?”Tieran smirks and I like the way he only does so with just one sharp angle of his li
“You’re probably wondering why I keep looking at you like that.”I sit on the seat Tieran has pointed to me and there’s a strange feeling that crawls up my spine again when I feel Tieran’s mentor returns his gaze to me. He looks like an aged and solemn man yet sits like a man who knows his worth despite his condition, but has also been lonely for so long. When he looks at me; I see some of my features plainly on his face. The color of his eyes, the slight raise of his nose…My heart begins to race and I fall short of breath. I keep myself under control so I won't embarrass myself, or Tieran. His mentor’s voice is solemn when he continues speaking.“I lost something special some years ago, a very long time ago to be sincere. I have been guilty of that loss since the day I realized it. I couldn’t do what had to be done to keep it, and I thought I could handle that loss, I told myself she was just a stripper after all.” He sounds like he’s beating himself up even as he speaks and a sad l
Tieran asks me once again if we should leave, but I shake my head this time. I’m calm enough to confront this now, and he’s given me the strength I need. He opens the door and my father comes in once again, and this time we go through introductions.His name is Damien Elcroft. The Damien Elcroft, Founder and CEO of Elcroft Pharmaceuticals.As Tieran said, he’s been a social recluse for more than the past ten years, and after an accident he had while drunk driving, he had an injury that affected his spine and made him lose his ability to walk temporarily. Standing causes him serious pain. Walking, even more.I feel a strange emotion flow through my heart because I can't imagine the kind of pain he’d have been in when he stood up and made his way over to me. Only to drop on his knees too.When it comes to my turn, I take a deep breath and tell my father everything I can about my life. I tell him about the lonely childhood with Grandma and Grandpa. I tell him about my mother’s death, an