Chapter 23

Flipping through the papers, Jeremy paused, his gaze dark and unreadable."And what does that have to do with me?"

Across the desk,Dewvitt leaned in, a grin spreading as mischief twinkled inhis eyes.′′Γ guessing she had a fight with Liamn, which is why she moved out. As Liam's uncle, you ought to step up and play peacemaker."

"You must really be running out of ways to entertain yourself."

Light laughter bubbled from Dewitt. "Relax, I'm just poking fun. Even if you marry Zoe and Kayla becomes your slster-in-law, it's not like you'd have any real say in their drama."

Mention of Zoe wiped away any hint of warmth from Jeremy's face, leaving only icy distance in his posture.

Feeling the tension, Dewitt wrapped his arms around himself in mock shivers. "All jokes aside,are you really sure about Zoe? Honestly, you two don't seem like a good fit."

Without looking up, Jeremy went back to reviewing the files. "If you're just here to waste time, do it somewhere else. I've got work to finish."

Dewitt dragged himself to his feet, giving Jeremy a lazy pat on the back. "Still keeping secrets, huh? Fine,fine. I'I let it go. Whoever you wind up with, I'll always have your back. That's what good friends are for."

Right as Dewitt reached the doorway, he spun around, a sudden spark lighting his eyes. "One more thing-l bought into a fancy travel business. They're doing a soft opening. Two weeks of fun. Come with me. We both need a break."

Jeremy shot him a look that could freeze water.′′Admit it, you're just looking to pick up women. I'm not interested."

Dewitt slouched against the doorframe, sighing with theatrical disappointment. "Without you around,chasing girls isn't even fun. Someone's got to keep me in check, right? And now that you're with Zoe, I guess I have to double down on finding my own catch." A dry, amused scoff slipped out of Jeremy. "You? As if you've ever had trouble in that department.

Truth be told, Dewitt was notorious for breaking hearts and cycling through girlfriends like outfits. There wasn't a woman he couldn't win over.

"Don't say that. I was just making friends with girls. I'm still a virgin, you know."

In Tesponse, Jeremy picked up the nearest book and sent it flying at Dewitt's head.

A quick sidestep took Dewitt safely out of range, and he disappeared down the hall before Jeremy could say another word.

Stillness swept through the office again, broken only by the gentle flutter of curtains stirred by the night air.

Without meaning to, Jeremy found his eyes drawn to the paperwork scattered across his desk.Among the forms, Kayla's graceful script caught his attention.

No matter how hard he tried to focus, images of Kayla kept flickering in his mind, stubborn and relentless.

After catching her breath at the hotel, Kayla made her way over to the care facility later that evening to check on Marsha.

Instead of finding Marsha in her room, Kayla was met by the caregiver, who explained that a doctor had taken Marsha for a treatment session. It could be a while before she returned.

Trusting the explanation, Kayla decided not tolinger and headed back to her hotel room.

Tomorrow, her plans included a trip to the courthouse to apply for the divorce. Saving her energy, seemed wise. After that, a whole new life awaited her.

Night gave way to dawn in the blink of an eye, sunlight stretching across the city.

Long before the courthouse doors opened, Kayla was already there. She passed the time by sending a couple of messages to Liam, waiting for him to arrive.

A rush of hope had filled her the day she registered her marriage with Liam. Now, urgency and a desperate need for freedom replaced that old excitement.Once,marriage had brought comfort. These days, it felt more like a prison.

The first step toward reclaiming her future meant cutting these final ties.

"Kayla!"

The sound of a familiar voice pulled Kayla from her thoughts. She spun around, her body tense with surprise.

Across the marble floor, Marsha appeared, leaning on Líam's arm as they slowly approached.

An instinctive jolt sent Kayla scrambling upright. "Grandma? Why are you even here?"

Sadness etched deep lines into Marsha's face as she wasted no time launching into her lecture. "What's gotten into you, Kayla? Liam's a wonderful husband. Why on earth would you throw him away?"

A cold weight pressed down on Kayla's chest. She shot Liam a glare. "What did you say to her, Liam?Did you drag my grandmother into this on purpose?"

With wide, untroubled eyes, Liam looked the picture of innocence. "Kayla, don't make things so difficult.Let's just go home, okay? The divorce news crushed Marsha. She just wants us to make things right."

Disbelief clouded Kayla's face. "Unbelievable. So this is your new low, Liam? Hauling my grandmother here to guilt me into staying? You never cease to amaze me."

A heavy sigh passed Liam's lips, but his expression stayed gentle. "That's not fair, Kayla. Marsha is family.She deserves to know what's going on, and all she wants is for us to be happy together."

Kayla straightened her shoulders, her. tone unyielding. "This divorce is happening today. Nothing's going to change my mind."

"Absolutely not!" Marsha snapped, her voice rising with fierce determination.

Helplessness crept over Kayla, the realization settling in that Liam had shamelessly brought Marsha just to force her hand.

Doing her best to keep calm, Kayla reached for patience. "Grandma, I need you to stay out of this. Let me "What more is there to talk about? Liam's been nothing but good to you. He told me you've been upset lately, but that's no excuse for making such a reckless decision. Do you have any idea how much a divorce can damage a woman's reputation?" said Marsha, shooting down the idea with a wave of her hand.

Years of tradition shaped Marsha's thinking, and Kayla knew there was little hope of changing her mind. In Marsha's world, divorce was a scandal that doomed a woman to gossip and loneliness.

Bracing herself, Kayla held her ground. "Grandma, you don't know everything. Liam and I are done. There's nothing left to fix."

Chiming in, Liam tried again, putting on a wounded act. "Honey, if this is about my secretary, I'll let her go first thing tomorrow. Don't do this over something so small, please."