orney stated, "This is the final document." Legal bin

d her eye on

le. A marriage reduc

fingers encir

her presence grounding. Lillian was sta

mes in her mind. She had fantasised ab

though, painf

just once, then

not jump r

had not loved her at a

pen drop t

ort, L

ugh. NOT Blackwo

a stone, the finality

the pe

to cover Lillian's hand w

, but the term

r accurate

that mean

her life waiting for a man

ned the paperwork in front of her, h

e. There is

ad been absol

he pages and nodded. "The end of the week will see everything finishe

oked on he

marke

d one more, her hold ki

down to the document. Her signature

prisoned her to Damon

ger belong

r Mrs. B

he headlines w

Lillian ASHFORD D

OUPLE: INSIDE THE

KUP: WHAT LED TO LIL

ew of the billionaire at the centre of it all, paparazzi packed the stree

ft him

id he bec

reason V

in hand. The TV ran headlines in the background, flickering between news announc

the screen ha

leather chair under his form bending to fit him. His face

bar behind him sippin

as she turned over her phone. She finally mumbled, a smil

ave no

s moved slow and deliberately along the border of his sleeve. "I'm not sure wh

he kept

ble next to him. "There is no more pretending to care or bor

fire cutting against his neck. His finger

r head in a s

the tumble

ient to sh

to sense o

n's name flickering across

eth cl

ange in the air. " Honestly, I'm

and set his cup down w

glance at

o glance

started for

lank as his fingers h

knuckles whitening against the leather. The c

ndated by the r

that ther

re near this location. But fate had a nasty sense of humour, guiding her dir

t always had: strong,

ed agonisingly

t covered her loneliness. Always the ideal wife, always the afterthought, she h

for him to see he

he neve

city. Was he right now in there? Slightly neglecting the woman who had

rience anyt

ile at her mouth. It

exing around the wheel. Clung to her, the memo

e woul

ng from red to gre

her foot to

e had been too long clinging to and

d not once

't think

r look back," when Blackwood Enterprises'

et rustling from the bedroom, no aroma o

eth cl

red state of affa

ilence seem to be

maculate furniture, the shiny flooring, the costly art

at she wa

n bedroom door. He paused, just

. As if no one had ever slept in

ayed to the

ds he no

m of s

little and simple, the thing laying on the polished

ge ring of

d to loo

ination of the bedroom lamp, unmoved, d

g onto, a memento of her failing,

ite, t

one entir

round his sides. He ought to have felt le

e ring on his nightstand seem

d hung on the metal. He

ng at it, a terrible weight

never been home,

tly, t

like a hollow

ng a book and gently giggling at something he had hardly been listening to. He recalled th

ppea

vani

is mouth and turn

railed him out

, for the first t

is mouth so the whisky m

as diff

gue. The bite of well-aged whisky, the silky warmth, the sharp kic

it was

ly than required. In the empty penthouse, the faint cli

tin

his place today. What i

to have h

ian gone from his life. There is no more subdued grudging. No m

quiet seem to be

The sleek black bookcases, the leather armchairs, the floor to-celling wi

eemed to be so

im towards his desk. His fingertips slid over the p

tarted to

mpty

brows w

ver frame had rested th

cture, had never liked it, but he had kept it regardless. O

no long

ow, disturbing se

rried that

is jaw tightened as something strange slid u

ce Not

tion?

hing

sed to

taste was even more sour than be

it down an

at had no bearing on anything. That Lillian

ood there, staring at the empty s

hy did it seem as thou