The Secret Parrish Heiress Strikes Back

was loud in the sile

had waited for him. She always waited. It was past midnight, and the cold leather

ight with him. And something else. A cloying, sweet scent of jasmine and musk that clung t

ked past, tossing his keys on the

chest and smoothed her expression into the mask she had worn for three years. "You're late," sh

to

e just raised a hand, a casual flick of the wrist that halted her in her tracks. There was no

ver her. He looked at her the way he looked at a piece of

o casual it was insulting, he pulled out a thick stack

a dull thud in

over stared back. DIVORCE AGREEMENT. The air vanished from her

ity lights outside the window. "Darcy is back," he said. His tone

f her life. Three years of waiting up. Three years of smiling t

her skin. She flipped to the first page. The terms were brutal. A complete wipeout. She would leave with

from his pocket, then seemed to think better of it and put it away. "More than e

tears fall. She looked for a single line that acknowledged their marriage.

signature line at th

sharp, stabbing pain s

nd white, was her name. Or rathe

or P

. Not

simple, stupid typo. But it was a typo that screa

ears of sharing a bed, a home, a last name. A

ears, a roaring sound that drowned out the hum of the city outside. All the patience, the

t was a hollow, broken sound, scrapi

his face deepened. "What are you laughing at?" he dema

eady despite the earthquake happening inside her. She stopped right in front of him, close enough

he said. Her voice was terrifyingly calm. It was the calm of a hurrica

her. The surprise was quickly swallowed by anger. He straightened his tie, a d

all the di

ped. The years of silence, the years of being looked through instead of at, th

swung her arm, putting every ounce of her th

ac

f the slap snapped Dempsey's head to the side. The sting shot up El

y blooming across his cheek. His eyes were wide, pupils dilated in shock. The mask of the u

omed the pain. "That was for the three years I spent

The pages scattered, fluttering to the floor

tunned gray eyes. "I'll divorce you. But not like th

for his reaction. She walked away from him, away from the cold

ped inside, and shut the door

e hit the floor. The tears she had held back came now, a violent, gasping flood that shook her ent

ears dried up and the sobs turned to hiccups. Then, she wiped

photo gallery. Photos of Dempsey. Photos of them at galas, on vacation

een wen

. Past the household staff. To a number she hadn't dialed in

resse

g once

ice, sharp and alert

er voice was hoarse, but

en hardened with anger. "Finally. God, I thought you'd fall

r voice gaining strength. "I'm okay now

lier question hanging in the air, u

the world knows I'm not