Clive showed up out of the blue, totally catching Paisley off guard. She'd stirred up trouble on purpose, having confirmed with Patrick that Clive was stuck in a super important meeting.
The whole call had just been her trying to push his buttons - get on his nerves, make him hate her.
But what happened?
Now Paisley was sitting cross-legged on the sofa, locking eyes with Clive. Her mind blanked hard - she couldn't even find the words. In the end, he spoke up first.
"You seemed desperate to talk. What's the urgency?" Clive stood there with that same frosty expression, like the world owed him something.
"I want a divorce." Paisley took a second to gather herself, then went all in with her drama mode.
"Care to explain why?" Clive raised an eyebrow, completely unshaken, like none of this was surprising.
What Paisley didn't know was Patrick had already spilled everything to Clive. Her wild act? Totally pointless.
"You went to that couple's restaurant with your precious ex, right? The one you have to book a week in advance? That's cheating while married. I think I've got every right to walk." Her accusations came out sharp and clear - but the guy barely reacted.
"Who are you talking about?" Clive frowned slightly. "Which ex?"
"You've gotta be kidding me. The one who cried like she was auditioning for a soap at our wedding! Don't act clueless now. What, you think I'm that naive?" Paisley shot back, clearly hoping he'd finally drop it and just admit he's still into someone else. That maybe he'd say, "You're too much, we're done." But nope. Nothing.
"It was just dinner, not a death sentence." Clive said it like this was no biggie - like dinner with another woman while married was as casual as ordering takeout.
Paisley couldn't believe how calm he was - talk about infuriating. She jumped off the sofa, slid into her slippers and declared, "I'm not asking for your opinion. I'm telling you - we're getting divorced."
Then she stormed off to the master bedroom to pack like she was leaving for good.
She'd almost finished when Clive, still maddeningly calm, leaned against the doorframe and said, "Grandpa wants us home for dinner tonight. Get changed. It's almost time to head out."
What?!
Paisley blinked. She spoke English, right? Did Clive suddenly forget how to process words?
Based on everything Patrick ever said about Clive - and what she'd known about him before - she was sure this kind of crazy would at least spark some anger.
But nope. Not even annoyance. The guy was just... shameless now?
Without even glancing his way, Paisley grabbed her suitcase and headed for the door. Except, it was heavy as hell, got stuck by the bed, and before she could move it again, Clive had already stepped in and wrapped an arm around her waist.
Then, just like that, she was hoisted up and dumped back on the massive bed.
"What the hell are you doing?" Paisley's eyes flared as she glared at him - this man had seriously lost it.
"Think about your dad's company - Hughes Group. Your mom begging us to stay together. Our marriage isn't just about us. The whole Harrington dowry went into patching up the holes in your family's business. You really think you get to decide alone?"
After hearing all that, Paisley finally got it. Divorce? Not her call. Clive was the one holding the cards here. Furious, she mumbled under her breath, "You manipulative jerk. Always playing me like a damn chess piece."
