CHAPTER 25 – A PERFECT FAMILY
Chase walked into his office, to see Selene perched against his desk, with her legs crossed provocatively in her scandalously short dress.
He paused, pinning her down with a flat look. He was definitely not amused by her presence here. She had ignored the pristine couches decked out in one side of the large office, and the visitor chairs in front of his desk as well.
Making herself comfortable right on his desk, with her ass pressing on some important documents.
“What are you doing in my office, Selene? You are not allowed in here.” Chase said.
“Your staff, especially that assistant of yours, know better than to try to stop me from coming in here, Chase.” Selene responded haughtily, flinging a couple of papers at his feet.
He did not give her the satisfaction of looking down at the papers. He already knew they were her copy of the divorce papers.
She leisurely moved her eyes to meet his, then she uncurled her legs and got off his desk. Her skyscraper heels clicked as she took a few steps forward.
A large designer scarf was wrapped around her head and neck, with dark sunglasses obscuring the top part of her face.
She was trying to hide from the paparazzi as well, by disguising herself in her signature designer brands. Not much of a disguise. Just her body shape, and her expensive, yet seductive clothes were enough clue to who she was.
“Then what the fuck are you doing here?” Chase arched an eyebrow. “Have your attention-seeking tendencies gone out of hand that you have come here to scramble for my attention?”
She gave a scoff at his biting words, then took off her sunglasses. “I do want your attention, because you have to listen to every word I have come here to say. I do not need your money, your inheritance, or anything else from you.”
“Listen to me, dear gorgeous husband…” She trailed a finger up his abs through his jacket, which he brushed off. “Since I have had no effect on you all this time, I don’t care anymore. But I am not going to divorce you. I will not sign these divorce papers.”
She looked back up at him, her siren green eyes flashing with malice. “Do you think you can just throw me away, Chase? It won’t be that easy. You think you can just get rid of me whenever you want just like the way the men in your family discard their wives?!”
“The way your brother threw his wife away like a piece of used tissues? I am not Mackenzie, Chase. I am not that dense, ignorant and naive country girl who foolishly accepted the divorce papers from Jeffrey and signed it, leaving herself with nothing!”
Selene let out a laugh that sounded incredulous and angry at the same time.
“After slaving away for your family for years, she was rewarded with a divorce paper. That fool. And now, you want to do the same to me?” She touched her chest. “Me? I’m Selene, Chase, in case you don’t remember who I am. I am Selene Hamilton, the most wanted and beloved supermodel on the continent! The face of Greensville!”
Chase humored her with silence, watching her continue her ravings with a bored look in his eyes.
“Yes, my family was on the verge of bankruptcy when we got married, but I still have an important role to play in your life as a wife! You don’t have to fucking love me, I don’t care. You don’t have to even touch me, or look at me. After all, you haven’t all these years.” She glared heatedly at him.
“I just want to continue playing my role as your wife.” Her voice sounded loud and confident. “And I’m going to continue being your wife. I came here to hand the divorce papers back to you.”
She kicked at the papers littering the floor, then gave Chase a challenging look. “I’ll be at home, waiting for you, baby.”
All her words were meaningless to Chase, and when she finally shut her mouth, he said in his detached tone. “You won’t have access to my home, anymore, Selene. Try me, and see.”
Selene gave him a look, silent for a moment, before she huffed loudly. It was like she could not believe Chase just brushed everything she had just said aside like it didn’t even matter.
It infuriated her so much.
“Well…”
She took another step forward, crossing her arms under her bulbous breasts. “You can’t keep me out of my home, Chase. Remember I moved out on my own? I just wanted this issue to die down peacefully while your father talked some sense back into your head. Apparently, he couldn’t even talk you out of this madness!”
“So, you have given me no other choice, but to resort to my last option. I will say no to this divorce, and maintain my stance! You want a messy divorce? Fine!” She narrowed her eyes. “Have you seen your stocks lately? It’s dropping by 1% every day because of this uproar you caused! And things are not even at the worst point, yet!
“What about the family suites Axford has invested so much in? They have had so much reception because of our image as you the great husband and I, the beautiful wife! A perfect family. You want to shatter that image by what? Divorcing me? What kind of CEO are you, anyway? Placing your own selfish interests over the business!”
Selene’s voice grew even nastier, like she was trying to strike Chase in the spot that hurt the most. “I’m sure your brother could do a better job at being CEO than you-”
“Do you really want me to destroy you, Selene?” Chase cut in with a voice so dark, so dangerous, that Selene’s voice fled.
He had had enough.
Especially when she had mentioned Jeffrey. Something in him snapped and his mind was suddenly filled with thick, black intent.
He took a menacing step forward, towering over her so greatly despite her heels that she was literally in his shadow. The dark storm in his blue eyes bore down at her.
“I can destroy all your reputation stands for in the entire continent. All I have to do is make a call, and this career you have built all these years by sleeping your way to the top… will be crushed in one moment.” He was ruthless. “And you, Selene Hamilton, will be nothing.”
“Now, leave.”
***************
Mackenzie walked into the apartment, still uneasy and severely disappointed from the events of the day. The cool and calm atmosphere of her home cooled her nerves just a little, but she would never be the same until she held her babies.
Charlotte was curled into a sofa, almost swallowed by the pillows. All of her attention was transfixed on the Attack on Titan anime playing out on the screen. She did not notice Mackenzie walking behind her, across the living room and towards her bedroom.
As she opened the door, she saw Cameron and Calista sprawled on their play mat, with white paper placed in front of each, stained with random colors.All content © N/.ôvel/Dr/ama.Org.
Cameron had a tight hold on one of the colors, which Calista wanted too. She was already on the verge of crying, her big soulful hazel eyes moist with tears.
Something tugged hard at Mackenzie’s heart, combined with crushing relief the moment she saw that they were right here, okay and safe.
She rushed to kneel with them on the mat and pulled both of their tender, small bodies into a tight hug. She held them close for a moment, before softly placing a kiss on Calista’s curly hair.
“Don’t cry, Cali. Mommy’s here.” She said softly.
She placed another kiss on Cameron’s head, heart skipping when he looked up at her with those beautiful blue eyes that reminded her of what happened earlier today.
She smiled, stroking his hair. “Be a good boy and share with your sister, okay?”
He nodded, handing the color over to Calista, who shyly took it. “Yes, mommy.”
A moment later, Mackenzie stepped out of her bedroom, heading for the kitchen to serve some lunch for her kids when Charlotte spotted her. She gasped, eyebrows furrowed.
“Oh? When did you get back?”
“Not too long ago. When did you get the twins back from school?”
“Not too long ago, either. I have time on my hands today.” She shifted on the couch, fixing Mackenzie with an excited stare. “Alright, spill the tea already. How did it go?”
Mackenzie was quiet for a moment, before she let out a sigh. “Well… I won’t be taking the job. I’ll start putting in double efforts to get a part-time job for now.”
Charlotte’s face fell, and her smile faded off fast.
An expression of confusion washed over her face, as she stared at Mackenzie in silence.