Chapter 19
“Well p>
Maeve pressed her nails hard into her palms, dropping her gaze as a flush of total humiliation crept up her neck.
She knew that Frederick had proudly shown that exact prenup to all of his wealthy friends before their wedding, parading it around as his ultimate declaration of eternal loyalty.
But that ‘promise’ had turned into the sickest joke of all.
It was nothing short of a brutal, open-handed slap to her face.
The document was legally binding proof of how deeply he had once loved her.
And now, sitting here in a divorce attorney’s office, it was proof of how easily his love had completely evaporated.
It was equal parts tragic and pathetic.
She just hadn’t realized that Jonathan Giles was one of the men who had seen it.
Feeling like she was being stripped bare in front of a live audience, Maeve’s cheeks burned scarlet. She lowered her head even further.
“First off, I don’t have any concrete proof of him sleeping with anyone else. And honestly, it might not even hold up in court as a physical affair. I don’t care about his money anymore. I just want to cut all ties, sign the papers, and get out of here as fast as humanly possible p>
A nearly imperceptible frown touched Jonathan’s sharp features.
“You’re leaving the city p>
Maeve’s voice was barely a whisper. “Yes. I’m going back home p>
Jonathan traced his index finger along the edge of the printed divorce papers. Sensing her severe discomfort, he offered a rare explanation.
“I only asked to make sure I was adequately representing your best interests. That’s all p>
Maeve immediately stood her ground. “My only interest right now is ripping up my marriage certificate to Frederick Fairchild p>
Jonathan nodded. “Filing for a clean-break divorce is undeniably much simpler than trying to bankrupt a man like Frederick. Because let me be blunt—contract or not, stripping an heir of the Fairchild dynasty of all his assets is practically a suicide mission p>
A bitter smile touched Maeve’s lips.
“I understand that perfectly p>
She knew it better than anyone. If Frederick didn’t want to honor that contract, he had an army of lawyers who would ensure the paper it was printed on wasn’t worth a dime.
Back when she was stupid and blindly in love, she had never questioned it. Only now did the brutal truth hit her: his dramatic, grand romantic gesture was intentionally built with a million legal loopholes.
Her so-called ultimate protection was completely worthless. When push came to shove, it wouldn’t shield her from a damn thing.
Jonathan slid the finalized settlement agreement across the desk and tapped the signature line.
“Read it over. Let me know if you want to make any changes p>
Maeve skimmed the clauses with hawkish focus. Finding no errors, she plucked his silver fountain pen from the desk and scrawled her name across the bottom line. Grabbing the folder, she stood up and offered him a deeply grateful bow.
“It’s perfect. Jonathan, I really can’t thank you enough for doing this p>
A flash of genuine surprise crossed Jonathan’s eyes; he clearly hadn’t expected her to be so ruthlessly decisive. But he didn’t question her.
“Don’t mention it p>
As she turned for the door, he added one final thought.
“Let me know when your flight leaves. Delilah and I will come to the airport to see you off p>
Delilah was his four-year-old daughter. Maeve adored the little girl, and they shared a very sweet bond. Hearing this, she couldn’t bring herself to refuse.
“I’ll do that p>
“Goodbye, Jonathan p>
Nodding one last time, Maeve clutched the divorce papers tightly against her chest and walked out of the office a free woman.
Taking a cab straight back to Wisteria Cove, she was startled to find Frederick—who had completely ghosted her the night before—sprawled out on the living room sofa.
He was passed out, his head thrown back against the cushions. His impossibly long legs stretched out past the edge of the coffee table, and his dark hair was a tousled mess across his forehead. With his sharp jawline relaxed and his long eyelashes resting gently against his skin, he looked heartbreakingly serene.
There was something so distinctly boyish about the way he slept. It instantly hurled Maeve backward in time to their college days, back when Frederick would spend hours agonizing over textbooks in the library just to keep her company while she studied.
He used to nap on those hard wooden tables, and all she had to do was turn her head to stare at his handsome face. He used to hold her hand beneath the desk, his strong fingers constantly interlaced with hers as if ten ilied she might vanish into thin air. He would never let her go until he had walked her all the way up to her dorm room door.
Maybe the memory was just too beautiful. She found herself staring, completely paralyzed by the ghost of the man he used to be. Then, suddenly, his dark, predatory eyes snapped open and locked directly onto hers.
“Mae,” Frederick gasped. Seeing her standing there, he shot up from the sofa like a loaded spring, closing the distance between them to grip her by the shoulders. His voice was laced with raw panic.
“Where the hell have you been? Why haven’t you been answering my calls p>
Maeve stared up into the face of a man wrapped in a bespoke black shirt, a man radiating the terrifying, dominant aura of a ruthless corporate tycoon. The illusion shattered instantly. lt had been five years. The boy she had fallen in love with was dead and buried.
Shaking his heavy hands off her shoulders, Maeve walked past him and took a seat on the adjacent couch. Her voice was terrifyingly calm.
“We need to talk p>
Frederick sat back down across from her. Staring into the dead, empty calmness of her eyes, a sudden spike of primal terror clawed at his throat.
He quickly noticed the manila envelope she was clutching in her lap. Driven by pure instinct, he asked the question out loud.
“Mae, what is that? Is that a medical report? Did you get sick p>
He had specifically ordered Samuel to pull her hospital files recently. He had poured over every single page of bloodwork, and every metric had been perfectly healthy. There was absolutely nothing wrong with her.
Had the initial tests been wrong? Did she just go back for a follow-up?
Maeve stared him dead in the face and told the absolute truth. “It’s our divorce papers p>
Frederick froze, turning completely to stone. It took over ten agonizing seconds before he finally managed to force a single, raspy syllable past his lips.
“What p>
Maeve tossed the thick packet of documents right into the center of the coffee table. Looking him right in the eye, she spoke without an ounce of inflection.
“I want a divorce, Frederick p>