“Sweetheart, the jet I arranged takes off tomorrow at noon. Make sure you’re at the airport on time.”
“Got it, Mom.”
She hung up and glanced back at the hospital room door, lips twisting into a bitter smile.
Maybe this was how it was always meant to end.
She didn’t owe Jared a thing. Not after this.
Nothing between them but a useless piece of paper.
There never had been.
And there never would be.
***
Lucia had stuff to wrap up before she bounced.
First stop? Her lawyer—divorce papers signed, sealed, done.
Next, she hit a downtown club to meet Cole Carter, an old classmate. Italvian guy, but he’d been killing it in Khelmark’s asset game for years.
Back when Lucia first moved there, Giovanni and Francesca had low-key freaked out she’d get screwed over. So they stashed a bunch of assets under her name—like that massive hunting estate. And yeah, turns out the biggest clients of Lynch Corp and Dawson Corp were actually hers. She just never said anything.
Now that she was peacing out, someone had to take the wheel. Cole was it.
Catching up with old friends meant drinks, obviously.
Cole got a little buzzed before he finally leaned in. “You seriously cutting off Lynch Corp and Dawson Corp? They’re still big names, but let’s be real—they’ve been sinking. If you pull out, they’ll bleed.”
Lucia didn’t hesitate. “I’m sure.”
He let out a low whistle. “Then let ’em bleed. Should’ve known what they had.”
She had a flight to catch, so they wrapped things up early. But on their way down the stairs, Lucia suddenly stumbled. Cole caught her.
“Sorry,” she muttered.
They were standing close—like, really close—when she looked up and froze. Jared and his crew were walking out of a nearby private room.
His friends spotted her and immediately started mouthing off.
“Yo, what’s this? Jared, your girl’s got a new guy?”
“No way! And a guy like him? Lucia, really? Didn’t know you were into that.”
