The atmosphere in the Riverson mansion was tense. William paced furiously in his study, documents spread across his mahogany desk. His brows were furrowed, eyes bloodshot not from lack of sleep, but from relentless anger.
Kim stood in the doorway, arms folded, watching him. "You're spiraling, William."
"I'm doing what I should've done months ago," he snapped. "He's not going to keep hurting my daughter, then show up like he owns her. Enough is enough."
Kim stepped inside. "So your grand plan is to erase him? Tear him out of her life like he never existed? "Yes," William said firmly. "I've already spoken to the legal team. She's still vulnerable, still under our care. And I'm not watching him manipulate her into taking him back. She's just too emotional to see it."
Kim slammed her palm against the desk. "You're not doing this. Not without her consent." William held her gaze. "Then I'll get her consent." Aurora sat outside in the rose garden, a hand over her swollen belly. She had just returned from her last antenatal check-up, Gianna tailing her like a hawk while three security men guarded the perimeter.
Everything was perfect on the outside. Her body was healthy, the baby growing strong. But her heart was shattered cracked in a way she feared could never be restored.
Kim approached quietly, kneeling beside her daughter. "Your dad… he's getting out of hand. "I know," Aurora whispered.
"He's drawing up divorce papers." Aurora's eyes widened. "What?" Kim nodded solemnly. "He's convinced it's the only way to protect you. He thinks Mark is dangerous. That if he doesn't cut him out legally, you'll go back to him."
Aurora's voice trembled. "But… he's the father of my child. "I told him the same thing."
Aurora exhaled shakily. "I'm not signing. I don't care what he says."
*****JFK Airport, New York*****
Mark stepped off the private jet, shoulders squared, eyes hidden behind dark sunglasses. His secretary handed him a packet of documents the moment his shoes touched the tarmac.
"What's this?" he asked.
"Delivered to the penthouse this morning. From the Riverson legal team." Mark tore the envelope open, his hands tightening as he scanned the first page. Petition for Divorce — Aurora Riverson vs. Mark Wilson
His jaw clenched. A muscle twitched in his cheek. "Over my dead body," he spat.
He marched straight to the waiting car. "Call my lawyers. Now."
Mark stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows of his penthouse, the city stretching endlessly before him. His mind replayed every moment Aurora's face when he last saw her, the way she stepped back when he tried to touch her, her silence, her pain… and now this?
Divorce?
No. Not like this. Tiwa entered quietly. "I heard." He didn't turn. "He thinks a bunch of papers will erase me?" Mr.William is overprotective," she said carefully. "He thinks he's doing the right thing."
"I'm her husband," Mark growled. "And I'll fight tooth and nail to stay that. "Even if she hates you?" Tiwa whispered. He turned to face his sister, something wild and broken flashing in his eyes. "Even then."
****Back at the Riverson Mansion****
William barged into Aurora's room, a file in hand. "I need your signature." She looked up from her book, eyes tired. "I'm not signing."
"Aurora—"
No, Daddy. You don't get to choose this for me. I'm not stupid. I know Mark did things I'll never fully understand. But this? Divorce? That's not your decision."
William looked stunned. "You still love him."
"I hate him," she said, her voice cracking. "But I also love him. And whether I like it or not, he's my child's father." Kim entered behind them, arms crossed. "Told you she'd say no."
William's face turned red with frustration. "Then don't come crying to me when he destroys you again." Aurora stared him down. "Then don't come crying to me when I choose him again."