Chapter 6
Ronan instinctively assumed she’d come here to apologize, and for a moment, some of the heaviness in his chest eased.
He didn’t get out of the car. He just sat behind the wheel, watching her coolly.
“You should learn there’s a limit to these tantrums. I won’t always be so patient.”
Sylvia listened to his patronizing calm and felt an almost absurd urge to laugh.
Even now, he still believed this divorce was just another ploy to get his attention.
“Ronan, I never realized you were capable of being this shameless.”
Her voice was edged with weary disdain.
His brows knit again.”I’m not even holding it against you, and you’re still stirring things up?”
He lifted a hand to rub the bridge of his nose, his tone turning exasperated.”Lacey is perfectly qualified to be in the engineering department. She’s talented. Besides, you wouldn’t even be working together. Why are you so prejudiced against her?”
At the mention of Lacey, something twisted painfully in Sylvia’s chest.
It was pathetic that he still insisted on lying, treating her like some gullible fool.
“It doesn’t matter anymore. I didn’t come here tonight to argue with you about whether Lacey should be at Gordon Airlines.”
All these years hadn’t earned her a single honest look. Now she was done.
Whoever wanted to be with him could go ahead. She had had enough.
The finality in her tone made Ronan’s frown deepen. He opened his mouth to answer.
Then headlights washed over them as a sleek black car approached.
Ronan recognized the license plate instantly. He got out of the car without hesitation and slid an arm around Sylvia’s waist.
His broad palm pressed firmly against her back, drawing her against his side, her senses filling with his familiar cool scent.
She trembled all over, instinctively trying to pull away.
His lips brushed her ear.”Caleb is here. Do you want him to see us fighting?”
The car rolled to a stop.
His grandfather stepped out, hair silvered with age but eyes still warm and gentle.
“Grandpa.”
“There, there.”
Caleb beamed at the two of them, clearly delighted.
He thought they were the perfect couple.
“Ronan, I just came by to drop off some medicine for Syl.”
He gestured for the driver to bring over an insulated bag.
Sylvia took it in both hands, but Caleb frowned, eyes flicking reproachfully to Ronan.
“Why did you let Syl come out dressed like this? You should take better care of her. She’s your wife. If you don’t cherish her, who will?”
“I know, Grandpa. I do take care of her.”
As if worried that wouldn’t sound convincing enough, Ronan pulled her closer and brushed a kiss across her cheek.
Under the porch light, his pale eyes were startlingly tender.
Sylvia felt a surge of bitter irony.
But she could only go along with the act, her smile growing more rigid by the second.
‘Grandpa, would you like to come inside for a while?”
He waved. “No, no. I just wanted to see how you were doing. Oh, and don’t forget next week’s family dinner. Make sure you both come home
for it.’
Family dinner?
Sylvia pressed her lips together.
Time had slipped by, and she’d almost forgotten.
Normally, she wouldn’t have cared. But given everything that had happened lately, showing up at the house together felt impossible.
“Grandpa, actually, I just remembered I might-
Before she could finish, Ronan cut her off smoothly. “Don’t worry, Grandpa. I’ll bring Syl home that day.”
Satisfied, Caleb didn’t linger, instructing the driver to head back.
As the taillights disappeared into the darkness, Sylvia felt something sink heavily inside her.
The second they were alone, she wrenched free of Ronan’s hold.
She took the opportunity to ram her elbow hard into his side.
The blow was so sharp that even Ronan, who never flinched at anything, sucked in a startled breath.
The sight made her feel perversely triumphant.
Clutching the medicine, she said coolly, “I’m not going to that dinner. You can come up with any excuse you want.”
“And one more thing. Sign the divorce papers when you have time. I’ll have someone pick them up. If you’re too high and mighty to remember, I’ll file in court myself.”
If he wanted a spectacle, she’d give him one.
Ronan pressed a hand to his side, his voice low and clipped.
“Sylvia!”
After so many years, she knew exactly what that tone meant.
Any other time, the moment he spoke to her like that, she would’ve caved.
But not now. She wasn’t going to wait around for a man who would never love her.
“Ronan, this marriage is over. For good.”
She turned on her heel and walked toward the car she’d hidden in the shadows.
As her slender figure slipped out of sight, an unfamiliar restlessness crawled under Ronan’s skin.
This time, her resolve felt real. Almost terrifyingly so. Ronan was suspicious that she was determined to divorce him.
But how could that be?
She’d gone to such lengths to win Caleb’s favor, to corner him into marriage.
She’d tried to leave before, but in the end, she’d always relented. He’d tolerated it for Caleb’s sake.
But this time, it was too much.
He ground his teeth, the promise of a coming storm burning in his eyes. Pulling out his phone, he called his secretary and barked into the receiver, “Put the Apricot Manor up for sale.”
He was waiting for her apology!
