Chapter 15
15
“ Damn straight , ” Liam snapped . “ She’s not fit to carry the Cole name . ”
Fury churned in his veins as he stormed upstairs to the master bedroom . “ Everything Aria’s touched – toss it . The bed too . Get a new one , pronto . ”
“ On it , sir ! ” the staff replied , scrambling to comply .
Downstairs in the living room , Mary’s phone pinged with a notification . 65 grand , deposited . Her pulse jumped .
She slipped into the garden , glancing around to ensure no one was watching , then dialed a number with trembling fingers .
70 %
20 )
Up in the bedroom , the purge was in full swing . Lucy , one of the maids , yanked open a drawer and froze as a gleam of silver caught her eye . “ Uh , sir ? This drawer’s packed with jewelry . What’s the plan ? ”
“ Dump it , ” Liam said , his tone cold as steel .
“ Gotcha , ” Lucy replied , shooting a quick , greedy look at another maid .
Their eyes sparkled with temptation as they gathered the dazzling pieces , but they barely made it to the door before Liam’s voice cut through .
“ Hold up . ” He glanced at the haul – designer brands , top – dollar stuff . “ Leave it . You two , out . ”
The maids ‘ faces fell , but they set the jewelry down and scurried off . “ Yes , sir . ”
Liam tugged the drawer open wider , a bitter smirk curling his lips . “ She sure knew how to blow my money . ”
The Cole family’s money . No way was he letting it go that easily .
His gaze drifted to the window , where Mary was pruning the flowerbeds .
A chill crept up his spine . He pulled out his phone and made a call .
Across town , Aria was mid – stride on her treadmill when her phone lit up . Without checking the caller ID , she tapped accept .
“ Aria , I misjudged you , ” Liam’s voice roared through the line . “ Going after my uncle is one thing , but beating up Mary ? A sixty – year – old woman ? ”
Aria slowed to a stop , her brow furrowing . “ You on something , or what ? ” Her voice was rough from the workout , a sultry rasp that slipped through the phone like a spark .
Liam’s grip on the phone tightened , his heart stuttering . “ What the hell are you doing ? ”
She stepped off the treadmill , grabbing a towel to wipe the sweat from her neck . “ If you’re not calling to make peace , don’t bother . I don’t need your crap ruining my vibe . ”
Her tone was steadier now , but still carried a breathy edge .
To Liam , it sounded like something else entirely — like she’d just tumbled out of bed after a very different kind of cardio .
Liam stiffened , his eyes blazing with fury . “ Aria , we’re not even divorced yet , and you’re already shacking up with some other dude ? ”
Aria froze mid – wipe , her gaze sliding to the phone glowing on the table . She let out a low , mocking laugh . “ Who I’m with ain’t your business , Liam . ”
She was nothing like the woman he’d pictured two years back . Since she’d slapped him with divorce papers , the real Aria had come into focus . That soft , sweet girl he thought be married ? A total mirage .
15:08 Mon , 26 May MT .
15
Liam dragged in a sharp breath . “ Never thought you’d sink this low . Guess I dodged a-
Click .
70 %
20
She hung up without a second thought .
Liam’s face flushed hot with shame as he stared at his phone , his jaw tight and his expression stormy . “ Aria Saxon , ” he hissed under his breath .
Scrambling to save face , he snapped a quick photo of her scattered jewelry and fired off a text : [ You think I’m begging to talk ? Come get your damn junk . ]
The message sank like a stone , no response .
Eventually , Liam cooled off . They were practically done anyway . ‘ Why waste my energy on her ? If she wants to wreck her life , that is her call . ‘
Fresh from a hot shower , Aria felt like she’d washed the whole mess away . She grabbed her phone and tapped open an app with a slick black maple leaf logo .
A quick swipe , and the screen jumped to a chat window . Unread messages flooded in , a jumbled frenzy , followed by a video call lighting up her screen .
2/2
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