Chapter 969
“Felix, I’m telling you, you can’t spoil women like this. The more you cater to them, the crazier they get.”
Claire recognized that voice instantly. It was Evan Young, one of Felix’s childhood buddies, and one of the very few people who actually knew they were legally married.
Another voice chimed in. “Evan’s right. Claire is just throwing a tantrum to get your attention. She hired a lawyer to scare you, but trust me, without you, she’s nothing.”
That was Shawn Selwyn. He had always been a vicious bastard, and clearly, behind closed doors, he was even worse. “Just ice her out. Ignore her. Once she runs out of money, she’ll come crawling back on her knees.”
“Exactly,” Evan agreed with a sneer. “She’s a literal orphan. If she leaves you, she’ll be on the streets.”
Through the crack in the door, Claire saw Felix sitting in the dim light, throwing back a glass of whiskey. He hadn’t said a single word. He was the one who had organized this gathering, yet the longer the night dragged on, the darker his mood became. Coley had been hounding him every few days about the divorce, driving him completely insane.
He honestly couldn’t understand why Claire was taking it this far. Months had passed, and she still hadn’t backed down. He had even swallowed his pride and gone looking for her once, but she had looked right through him, refusing every offer and aggressively demanding a divorce.
The only silver lining was that Wilbur the Playboy hadn’t been seen with her lately.
While Evan was still running his mouth, Felix’s phone buzzed on the table. The screen lit up, catching everyone’s attention.
Shawn saw the caller ID and smirked. “Your girl’s checking in. Better answer.”
Evan laughed. “Madeline is so clingy! We haven’t even been here an hour and she’s already keeping tabs on you.”
So his friends all knew about Madeline Lynwood. They openly accepted her as Felix’s woman. Claire wondered how he introduced Madeline to them. As his girlfriend? His mistress?
Whatever it was, it had to be better than how he had introduced Claire. He had stared blankly at them and called her ‘the daughter of an old family friend.’ He had treated her like a radioactive disease he was forced to endure. It wasn’t until his grandmother’s birthday banquet that these men finally realized she was his wife.
Felix picked up the phone. His voice, though rough from the alcohol, was sickeningly gentle.
“Why aren’t you asleep yet?”
“Just having a few drinks with Evan and Shawn.”
“I won’t drink too much, don’t worry.”
“If we wrap up early, I’ll come over. But if it gets late, just go to sleep. Don’t wait up for me.”
Shawn made a gagging noise. “God, you two are sickeningly sweet. Are you practically living together now?”
Evan snorted. “Isn’t it obvious? They’re consenting adults. Sharing a bed is totally normal.”
The men burst into crude laughter.
Disgusted to her core, Claire turned on her heel and walked away.
When she pushed back into her own private suite, her face was completely drained
of color. The rest of her team was belting out karaoke, completely oblivious to her shift in mood.
But Sandra noticed immediately.
She slid into the booth next to her.
“What happened? You were
practically five minutes ago glowing You take one phone call and look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
Claire didn’t bother hiding it. “Just ran into some trash in the hallway.”
Having worked together for years,
Sandra knew exactly who ‘trash’ referred to She frowned. “What exactly is his game plan? He refuses to sign the divorce papers, but he’s openly parading Madeline around. Does he think he’s a king with a harem?”
Claire had spent countless nights agonizing over that exact question. She had analyzed every possible angle. Ultimately, she had come to one conclusion. “He’s the golden boy of the Quigley family. His egois bigger than the atmosphere. In his mind, he’s the only one allowed to do the dumping. No one dumps him.”