Edwardo' s breath hitched, a sharp, choked sound. His heart, which had been a frantic drumbeat in his chest, plummeted to his stomach. Divorce. It was real. She had done it.
A bitter, humorless laugh escaped his lips. "Playing games, Blair?" he muttered, his voice hoarse. He crushed the divorce decree in his hand, the crisp paper crinkling under his furious grip. She thinks I'll be upset? She thinks I'll care? He tried to convince himself that this was a victory. This was what he wanted, wasn't it? Freedom from the burden, the constant reminder of his supposed failure.
But the triumph he expected never came. Instead, a wave of incandescent rage, hotter and more terrifying than any he had ever known, washed over him. He wasn't happy. He was furious. Furious that she had made this decision without him. Furious that she had actually left.
He slammed his fist onto his desk, the sound echoing through the opulent office. "She thinks she can just leave?" he snarled, his eyes blazing. "She thinks she can just divorce me and walk away?"
He snatched up his phone, his fingers trembling. He called his lawyer, Mr. Henderson, his voice tight with suppressed fury. "Henderson, what is the penalty for forging legal documents?"
Henderson, sounding groggy, mumbled, "Mr. Steele? Forging what exactly?"
"A divorce decree! My divorce decree!" Edwardo roared. "Blair sent me one! She thinks she's divorced me!"
A pause on the other end of the line. Then, Henderson's calm, professional voice. "Mr. Steele, as per your instructions, the divorce was finalized several days ago. You yourself gave the orders. The papers were signed by both parties and duly filed with the court."
Edwardo felt as if the air had been punched out of him. His mind reeled. "No! I never signed anything! Not the final decree!"
"Sir, you did," Henderson insisted, his voice firm. "You signed a comprehensive agreement, transferring your shares in Moreno Corp. and agreeing to the divorce terms, in exchange for Ms. Shields' charges being dropped. Your signature, your official seal, it was all there. I personally witnessed it."
"My… my seal?" Edwardo stammered, his mind racing. He hadn't used his personal seal in years. He was too meticulous, too paranoid about contamination. He never let anyone touch it.
"Yes, Mr. Steele. I'll send you a copy of the signature page with the official seal, for your records."
A moment later, his phone buzzed. A picture. His signature. His seal. It was undeniably his. But he remembered nothing of signing the final decree. He had signed the initial agreement, yes, the one about the shares and Ben. But the divorce decree? He racked his brain, but the memory was a blank.
A cold, sickening suspicion began to crawl into his mind. Cassie. She had been with him during that chaotic period. She had access. She was manipulative. She had wanted him free. Truly free.
Just then, the door to his office swung open again. Cassie, her face radiant, adorned with a new, sparkling necklace, sauntered in. She saw the crushed divorce decree on his desk. Her eyes lit up with a triumphant, almost giddy glee.
"Edwardo! Darling! What's this?" She picked up the crumpled paper, smoothing it out. "Oh! It's the divorce papers! Finally! We're officially free!" She clapped her hands, her excitement palpable. "This calls for a celebration! Now we can finally announce our engagement! Get married! Be a real family!" She flung her arms around him, pressing a passionate kiss to his lips.
Edwardo recoiled as if burned. He pushed her away, his eyes fixed on her face, searching for something, anything. "Cassie," he said, his voice dangerously low. "Did you… did you use my seal? Did you forge my signature on these papers?"
Her cheerful demeanor instantly evaporated. Her eyes widened, a flicker of panic in their depths. "What? Of course not, Edwardo! Why would I do that? I love you! I want to marry you!" Her voice was shrill, laced with feigned innocence. "Blair is just trying to cause trouble again! She probably forged it herself!"
He stared at her, his gaze cold and calculating. The genuine surprise, the quick denial, the immediate deflection to Blair. It was too practiced. Too perfect. He saw the lies now, clear as day. He finally saw her.
"Let's get married, Edwardo!" she chirped, oblivious to the storm brewing in his eyes. "We can have the most fabulous wedding! And then, we can have a baby! A little Edwardo junior!" She pressed against him, her body soft and yielding.
He took a step back, his face a mask of revulsion. He saw the greed in her eyes, the calculating ambition behind her smile. He saw the manipulative puppet master he had so foolishly adored. He saw the contaminant. And this time, it was her.
