The next morning, Cilla walked into the glass-walled lobby of Hudson Tech.
She wore a sharp, tailored black blazer and trousers. Her posture was flawless.
The receptionist stood up quickly. "Mrs. Hudson, you can't go up without an appointment..."
Cilla didn't even slow down. She shot the receptionist a look so cold and piercing that the woman immediately sat back down, her mouth snapping shut.
Cilla swiped her access card, stepped into the elevator, and rode it to the executive floor.
She pushed open the heavy glass doors of the CEO's office without knocking.
Jace was sitting behind his massive oak desk, reviewing a stack of quarterly reports.
He looked up, his brow furrowing in irritation. "What are you doing here?"
Cilla walked straight to his desk. She pulled a thick manila envelope from her bag and slammed it down onto the polished wood.
The sound made Jace flinch.
"Sign them," Cilla demanded, her voice flat.
Jace looked at the bold letters printed on the top page. Petition for Dissolution of Marriage.
His face darkened instantly. The muscles in his jaw worked furiously.
"Are you serious?" Jace sneered. "Is this your little game? Playing hard to get to make me apologize?"
"I don't want your apology," Cilla said, crossing her arms. "I want your signature. Don't waste my time."
Jace flipped open the document. His eyes scanned the first page, and then he stopped.
His head snapped up. "You want half of my company shares?"
"They are marital assets," Cilla replied smoothly.
"You greedy, bloodsucking leech!" Jace yelled, slamming his hand on the desk. "You didn't build this company! I did!"
Cilla let out a dry, mocking laugh. "Really? Do you really think this company was built by you alone? Jace, without my 'contributions' behind the scenes, Hudson Tech wouldn't have even secured its first round of funding. You'd better pray my lawyers don't start digging into the intellectual property assignments to see who actually did the heavy lifting."
Jace rolled his eyes, his lip curling in disgust. "You're a glorified technician. You sit in a lab and type code. You think you're an expert? The engineering team did the real work."
Cilla didn't bother arguing. His arrogance was a terminal disease.
"Sign the papers, Jace. Or my lawyers will see you in court."
Jace pushed his chair back violently. He stood up and walked around the desk, using his height to tower over her.
He leaned in close, his voice dropping to a menacing whisper. "If you leave me, you will have nothing. You are a nobody without my money."
Cilla didn't step back. She tilted her chin up, staring directly into his eyes with absolute contempt.
Jace saw the defiance in her eyes. His strategy shifted.
He softened his expression, raising his hand to cup her cheek. "Come on, Cilla. Stop this nonsense. Just admit you overreacted, and we can go back to normal."
Cilla felt her stomach churn. She slapped his hand away so hard the sound echoed in the room.
"Don't ever touch me again," she hissed.
Jace's face twisted in pure rage.
He grabbed the divorce papers from the desk, gripped them in both hands, and ripped the thick stack of paper straight down the middle.
He threw the torn halves into the metal trash can.
"I am never signing those," Jace said, his chest heaving. "I will drag this out until you are begging me for a dollar."
Cilla smirked. "Tear them up. My lawyer has digital copies."
The office door clicked open.
Carolyn walked in, holding two cups of artisanal coffee.
She saw Cilla and immediately stopped. Her eyes widened, and she bit her lower lip, looking like a frightened deer.
"Oh... Jace, did I interrupt something?" Carolyn asked softly.
Jace immediately walked over to Carolyn, wrapping a protective arm around her waist. "No. She was just leaving."
The smell of Carolyn's floral perfume hit Cilla's nose, making her physically nauseous.
Cilla looked at the two of them. They deserved each other.
She turned and walked toward the door.
"The court summons will be delivered to your house," Cilla said without looking back.
She walked out, leaving Jace standing in his office with a vein throbbing in his forehead.
