The Billionaire’s Pawn

STRIKER

I want a divorce. I thought it was a bad joke.

“Excuse me?” I stopped to a halt. My heart threatened to stop. The world seemed to stand still as I turned around, making me unsteady.

I knew something was wrong when I talked to Reed over the phone. And London just sat there before the sandwich I made for her and hadn’t eaten it yet.

We were happy when I left her office this morning. Something had happened between when I left and her coming over here.

“Come again?” I asked as I felt a heartbreak waiting to happen.

“I want out.” As she answered me, I wanted to see the truth right from her eyes. And to be honest, I didn’t have the strength to fight.

“What do you mean you want out?” I dragged the chair as my anger began to come out. The chair screeched against the floor, and I sat before her.

“I can’t be with you anymore.” She looked at me. Those eyes had no sparks, nothing but inconsolable pain and sadness.

“Why?” I tried holding her hand, but she pulled it back. “We were just talking about having dinner this morning and were happy, London. Did something happen at work?”

She shut her eyes closed for a brief moment, then shook her head.

“I don’t believe it, baby. Either tell me now, or I will find it out myself, and you’re not gonna like the consequences.”

“This is all part of an elaborated plan. I just wanted to give my father satisfaction for his action, temporarily. He got what he wanted. I got married to you. That was the deal. I don’t want to keep it longer and keep you on a short leash.”

“An elaborated plan, huh? Your plan.” I chuckled bitterly. My heart was ripping off my chest with her words. “Why do I find it hard to believe, London? I know what happened between us was real and not part of whatever you tried to convince me to believe. How about I say bullshit?”

She met me in the eye. “Let’s be honest. We had fun. You’re a good man, Striker. That’s the reason why my father chose you to be my husband. But that’s all. I have nothing left to offer. I want you to be free, so I’m letting you go. This all began with a mistake anyway, and I don’t wanna go further until we both can’t get away with it.”

“The answer is no.” I stood up and rubbed the back of my neck. “Our marriage is real. This is not something you decide in a second because you feel you want out. What we have for each other is real, London. You can’t just shut it off and decide we’re over because you’re upset over something. This is not you.”

“Yes, it was because you were good at giving me what I wanted that I hadn’t found in other men. I’m sorry if I used you or if my father used you, but I can’t do it anymore. I can’t play with your feelings. I know what you feel for me is real, and for good grace, I can’t pretend I care. You’re a good person, Striker, and I apologize for involving you in my family mess. I wanted to secure LH, and I did. But now, it’s time to end this.” I couldn’t believe that I was hearing this. This was not the woman I married last week.

I shook my head. “No, baby.” I bit my lip when it trembled. My eyes stung the longer I looked at her. “This is not you.”

“I played by my character, but I couldn’t do it anymore. I couldn’t play along when I knew you were falling for me. You’re falling for me. Why do you think we clicked right away? Because I played that woman you like? Please, I can’t be that woman anymore.”

“What the fuck are you talking about?” My chest tightened. My emotions were everywhere. I was confused and desperate to know the truth and was on the verge of throwing everything my sight could see. “Can we just take a breath for a moment?”

She rose from her seat and faced me. “The person you’ve been with is not me. I just made that weak and nice woman up to get what I wanted from my father. He used me for his benefit, and it was just fair that I got what I wanted in return.” She even snapped her fingers before my face. “Wake up. You are a victim here, Striker.”

I stared at her for a few moments. Then I felt the pain in my chest that went on and on and on, and it never stopped. And then I felt the loss as if someone had carved my heart out of my chest and thrown it away.

“Stop! This conversation isn’t funny anymore.” I pointed my finger at her. “Stop this nonsense, Vanderford! We’re not talking about your father, about how he used us. We’re over this! And he won’t get anything from us. Ever. I swear to God. I will end his game. This marriage is what matters to me the most. And you.” I stopped as I clenched my jaw hard because I didn’t want to hurt her with my words. I tried so hard to control my anger, not to explode.

She fucking hurt me. She deserved my outburst, but not today when I was consumed with my rage. Whether she was telling the truth or something motivated her to do this, she was hurting me so fucking bad.

“I’ll go. I leave right now, but not to give whatever the fuck you ever cooked up today. Okay?”

She didn’t meet my eyes anymore. She looked guiltier.

“I’m giving you time for yourself to fucking think. You hurt me, baby. Your words really fucking hurt me. I have so many plans for us. I want to get us away from your father’s hair because I want us to have a good life. I want to build a family with you. I thought of our future often because I couldn’t think of another woman to be with for the rest of my life, but you just broke me right now.” I took a step back as I drew a breath and a scanty amount of strength I had left because I still had so many things to say to her.

“But I’m giving you the space you need. And if I ever mean something for you, or what you told me right now was true. You know where to find me.” I turned around and made sure I wouldn’t see her because I might run back to her, pull her into my arms, apologize for what I just said, throw her over my shoulder, and take her back home with me.

God, I loved that woman so fucking much, but what she said to me was unforgivable. Either it was true, or she just cooked it up. I was only human, and I’d never fallen so fucking hard on anyone.

“Cade.” I heard Reed calling behind me. “Cade!” I still ignored him.

“For fuck sake, Cade, stop!”

I stopped and drew a deep breath to let the remaining sanity get the best of me and not punch his face because my hands were already formed into fists. “What do you want?”

“You’re leaving?”

When I faced him, he looked taken aback. “Are you okay?”

“Tell me it’s not full moon tonight because my wife is possessed by something -” I pursed my lips and sighed. I was so furious and distraught. “Just look after her.”

“Of course.”

“When is your contract gonna end?”

“Why?” He looked surprised.

“I wanna hire you.”

“What job?”

“The same, but I want you to trust you, Reed. I don’t want Linus will influence you with his shit.”

“I only do what I am hired for to keep your wife safe. That’s all. Whatever is going on between my employer and his daughter, it’s none of my business unless it can jeopardize her safety. That’s where I come in.”

“Let me know if you will consider my offer.”

“Thanks, man. And Cade, don’t lose hope. She’s just under stress.”

I nodded and walked to my car. I’d been under so much stress, but I didn’t act like a lunatic to the point of hurting people.

Later, I found myself in a bar. I didn’t usually drink my problems out because alcohol wouldn’t solve them, but I couldn’t think of anything right now. It would only drive me insane. If I chose to go home, I couldn’t fall asleep knowing London was not beside me and we had a fight, and every corner of my house would only remind me of her.

“Give him anything he needs. Strong enough could damage his liver in a single shot.”

I squeezed my eyes shut. Fuck.

“How did you find me?” I sipped my beer.

“Are you really going to ask me that?” Linden looked at me with sympathy. “You okay?”

“Are you really going to ask me that?”

“Fair enough.” He took the beer from the bartender and took a sip. “What happened?”

“Your sweetheart just asked for a divorce.”

He stared at me for a moment before he blinked. “A divorce? Are you fucking sure?”

“Why don’t you ask her yourself?” I was halfway to a bottle, but I needed a little stronger. “Whiskey, neat.”

“Fuck. I don’t believe it.”

I snorted. “You won’t believe me if I tell you she was just playing a role to be the woman I like because she wanted something from me. To be her husband so she could get something from her father.”

“No, no, no.” He shook his head repeatedly. “That’s not London. She couldn’t be this woman you’re talking about.”

“Trust me. I’m shocked myself, but maybe that’s who she is. A user just like her dad.”

“Are you hearing yourself right now?” Judging by his tone, Linden began to get pissed. I knew he cared about London, but he asked for the truth. That was all he got.

I looked down at the glass in my hand. “Well, I love that woman. Do you know what I felt when she told me she was just using me? It fucking hurt. She broke my heart, Gabe. And maybe she’s just a good actress.”

“I’m sorry, brother, but I don’t think she wants to hurt you. She must have done it for a reason. I’ll figure it out.”

“Good luck with that.”

“So you’re just going to give up? Just like that? You said you love her, and it won’t just disappear because she said something hurtful.”

“I realize something.” I chugged down my drink. “Maybe that’s why she was so eager to get married. She even seduced me. And here I thought we had this ridiculous otherworldly strong connection. We were crazy for each other. How didn’t I ever think she could be acting the whole time to get whatever she was after? And that she was too good to be true. I was too blinded by my feelings that I missed seeing the red flag. I fell so hard for her. It’s even surreal.”

“That’s true love. You don’t think bad about the person you care about.”

“True love, my ass.” I swallowed hard. It hurt even hearing it. “We signed a prenup. Sure, she wasn’t after my money because her father was richer than me.”

“I’m still confused,” Linden said.

“Well, I’m baffled, brother.”

“Maybe I should give her what she wants.”

“Which is?”

“I’m divorcing her.”