Chapter 89
Mrs. Xander Sr. sat on the sofa beside the hospital bed. She watched the orthopedic doctor reapply the cast on Chris’s leg, her face tight with anger.
She didn’t say a word until the doctor and nurses left, leaving the two of them alone.
“You got hurt saving Winter,” she said at last. “I’m not going to lecture you about that. That’s what a husband is supposed to do p>
Chris rolled an unlit cigarette between his fingers. “It’s just a minor injury. How did this end up reaching you p>
The way he acted like it was nothing made her temper flare.
“If I didn’t come, was I supposed to sit back and watch you and Winter get divorced p>
Chris paused with the cigarette between his fingers. His lowered gaze turned dark and unreadable. Then he gave a short laugh.
“I’m not divorcing her p>
“She has already moved out of Blackwood Manor,” Mrs. Xander Sr. snapped, pointing at him. “How long were you planning to keep that from me? Do you have any idea how much Winter loves you? If she moved out, that means she’s giving up on you. She wouldn’t do that unless she had been hurt badly. What did you do to her p>
Mrs. Xander Sr. went on and on, but Chris stayed unmoved. Then, at some point, something she said
finally set him off. His expression dropped.
“I told you to stay out of my business with her,” he said coldly. “What good does it do for you to know so
much p>
Some things were better left in the shadows.
Mrs. Xander Sr. shot to her feet, furious. “Why can’t I get involved? I’m going to get involved. It’s your fault for not treating her right. Your parents left this world far too early. I raised you myself. Do you think I don’t know your temperament?
“Three years ago, when you agreed to marry her, everyone thought it was a move to secure your footing in the Xander Empire. But I know you. No one can force you to do something you don’t want to do. You clearly have feelings for Winter too p>
“I don’t love her.” Chris cut her off.
His dark eyes were heavy with a frightening depth of shadow.
Mrs. Xander Sr. had never seen that look on him before. It was like being swallowed by pure darkness.
She froze. A chill slid straight into her bones.
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Chris tugged the corner of his mouth as if it was almost a smile, but his tone was cold. “It’s impossible for me to ever love her p>
A few minutes later, Mrs. Xander Sr. went to see Winter.
When she came out of the hospital room, Skyla waited for her in a motorized wheelchair.
“Grandma,” Skyla said.
She was the kind of young woman who never missed a courtesy.
Mrs. Xander Sr. gave a small nod. “Will you come downstairs with me p>
Skyla smiled. “Of course p>
The elevator started down.
“Grandma, did you want to talk to me about something?” Skyla asked from behind her.
Without turning around, Mrs. Xander Sr. asked, “You were doing fine overseas. Why did you come back p>
Skyla kept smiling. “Chris sent someone to bring me back p>
That answer caught Mrs. Xander Sr. off guard.
What was Chris trying to do?
Mrs. Xander Sr. kept her tone calm. “You helped him before. It makes sense that he would look after you. But people need to know when to stop. If you use a favor to demand more, you cross a line. You understand what I mean, right p>
A faint ripple passed through the calm in Skyla’s eyes.
Late that night, Gavin walked into the hospital room and handed Chris a sealed evidence bag.
Chris was propped against the headboard. He opened it and found a divorce agreement that had been torn into pieces.
His study was off–limits to the house staff. The passcode was known only to him, Gavin, and Winter. Winter had torn the papers up, and since no one was allowed in to clean, the scraps were still exactly where they had fallen.
Chris sifted through the pieces until his fingers found one with Winter’s signature.
She really had signed it.
And what she said earlier was true. She hadn’t read the contents.
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Otherwise, if she had seen what was written inside, she would have known whose divorce agreement it actually was.
Chris lit a cigarette and handed the sealed bag back to Gavin.
“Burn it p>
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Florence
A passionate storyteller who brings emotions to life through her words. When she’s not writing, she finds peace nurturing her garden.