Chapter 4

There was open delight in his eyes, and he didn't bother to hide it.

Desiree stepped in at once and hooked her arm through his.

"See? You came in to the office, and I was so bored home alone, so I came to find you."

"Well? Are you surprised to see me?"

For a flicker, something like being caught crossed Bruce's face.

"Surprised. Of course I'm surprised."

I had no interest in figuring out who that delight in his voice and eyes had been for when he walked in.

None of it had anything to do with me anymore.

I stood, walked over to Bruce, and handed him a document.

It was the ten percent stake in Butler Group held in my name.

He'd transferred it to me back when it was a clean exchange, each of us getting what we needed.

Now that we were parting, I didn't want a single thread left between us.

His face went dark in an instant, and he ground the words out one at a time.

"What is this supposed to mean?"

I pushed the document toward him again.

"You know me. I'm not the type who likes to drag things out."

"You gave this to me back then. Now I'm returning it to its rightful owner. After this, there's nothing tying us together."

Bruce and I had never married. Our assets had never been tangled up in each other.

The only thing linking us was that ten percent.

He stared at me, hard enough to burn a hole through my face.

It was a long moment before I heard his voice, grinding through clenched teeth.

"Fine. Very well."

Once he agreed, I took out another document from the folder.

A share transfer agreement.

"Then sign. I'm selling the ten percent back to you at market value."

"Butler Group is riding high these days. This stake is worth a lot of money."

"You know my account number. Just have finance wire it to me."

This time, before Bruce could get a word out, Desiree's shriek cut in first.

"Rosamund! What is wrong with you? Bruce gave you that stake as a gift, and now you're turning it into cash? How dare you?"

"Summers Group makes plenty of money too, doesn't it? Do you really need this little bit? How can you be so greedy?"

"Bruce, look at this kind of woman. You've done so much for her, and she actually—"

She never finished. My hand had already landed hard across her face, cutting her off.

"This was the entry fee he promised to pay me. It already belongs to me."

"He wants it back, so paying for it is only natural, isn't it? Or would you rather I sold this ten percent to another shareholder? I imagine they'd be very glad to buy it."

"And this is my stake. What I do with it isn't for you to stand here screeching about."

Bruce yanked Desiree behind him.

"Even if Desiree spoke out of turn, you had no right to hit her."

"Money, money, always money. In your mind, can everything really be measured in cash?"

Watching him move like that on instinct, something in my chest still pulled tight for no reason I could name.

"Bruce, you know how I am. For me there's only zero and one hundred."

"Love is zero now. So my career is one hundred percent."

The veins stood out on his neck.

"You're on my turf. You hit my woman."

I tilted my head slightly and leaned my face closer.

"Then hit me back."

His hands clenched into tight fists. He held there for a moment, then turned to look at Desiree.

"Desiree, go wait for me outside."

Once she was gone, he turned his gaze back to me.

"Are you really going to be this heartless?"

I pushed the transfer agreement toward him again.

"Sign it."

Bruce clenched his teeth, and in the end he signed his name on both documents.

I gathered up the copy that was mine.

"Since you're not hitting me back, I'll go."

At the door, my steps paused.

"I've already notified my guests. You handle yours yourself."

"So it doesn't cause any trouble."

When I finished, I added one line silently, to myself.

Bruce.

Goodbye.