Chapter 5

The sharp click of the lock echoed in the cavernous office.

Gerard pushed his chair back violently and stood up. He planted both hands flat on his desk. "How the hell did you get past security?"

He slammed his finger down on the intercom button. "Security, get up here now."

Alondra walked forward. She reached into her leather tote bag, pulled out a fresh copy of the divorce agreement, and slapped it down on his desk.

"Security isn't coming," Alondra said coldly. "Leland brought me up himself."

Gerard's face turned a dangerous shade of red. His jaw muscles ticked. His own assistant had defied him.

He walked around the edge of the desk. His tall, broad frame cast a shadow over her. He stepped into her personal space, trying to use his physical size to intimidate her.

In the past, Alondra would have shrunk back. Her hands would have trembled.

Today, she stood completely still. She tilted her chin up and met his furious gaze without blinking.

Gerard looked down at the paper on the desk. He let out a harsh, mocking laugh. "This is getting pathetic, Alondra. You really think this fake tough act is going to work?"

He reached out, his large hand closing over the edge of the document, ready to rip this one to shreds too.

Alondra's hand shot out. She slammed her palm flat against the center of the paper, pinning it to the wood. Her manicured nail dug a groove into the top page.

"Don't touch it," she spat, her eyes filled with raw disgust. "You're dirty."

The word hit Gerard like a physical blow. His eyes widened slightly. His pride, massive and fragile, shattered.

He lunged forward and grabbed her wrist. His fingers dug into her skin, squeezing hard enough to bruise the bone.

"Watch your mouth," Gerard hissed, his face inches from hers. "You are nothing without me."

Alondra didn't flinch. She ignored the throbbing pain in her wrist. With her free hand, she snatched the heavy Montblanc pen from his desk set and slammed it down onto the mahogany wood right in front of him.

"If you're so far above me," Alondra sneered, her voice dripping with venom, "then sign it. Cut me loose. Go be a cheap father to Cecil's bastard."

Gerard's breathing turned ragged. His chest heaved. The mention of Cecil and the baby hit a nerve he couldn't control.

He shoved her wrist away, throwing her arm back. He felt his authority slipping, his control evaporating.

"You want to ruin your life?" Gerard snarled, his eyes burning with rage. "Fine. Die in the gutter."

He ripped the cap off the pen. He flipped the pages over violently and slashed his signature across the bottom line. He pressed so hard the metal nib tore through the paper, leaving a jagged gash in the document.

He threw the signed paper back at her chest.

"Court. Friday. Ten AM. Don't be late," he barked.

Alondra caught the paper. She looked down at his messy, angry signature. A genuine, relieved smile spread across her face.

Gerard saw that smile. A sudden, cold spike of panic hit his stomach. It felt wrong.

She folded the document carefully, treating it like a winning lottery ticket, and slid it into her bag.

She turned around and walked to the door. She unlocked it and walked out without a single backward glance.

Gerard stood alone in the silence. He stared at the empty space where she had just been. He grabbed the heavy crystal ashtray off his desk and hurled it at the wall. It shattered into a hundred pieces.