Chapter 4

After returning to the Smiths', I cut off the funding for James's company. That project he treasured so much? I handed it over to someone else.

I knew James had been going crazy looking for me these past few days. He'd blown up my old phone with calls and even harassed my former colleagues.

That evening, I agreed to go on a blind date my dad had arranged. The guy was the youngest son of the Walker family—a good match for us.

We were halfway through dinner when a frantic figure rushed to our table.

"Sophie!"

James didn't even see who was sitting across from me. He grabbed my wrist, his grip trembling with force. His eyes were bloodshot, stubble covered his chin—he looked desperate and out of control in a way I'd never seen before.

"Where the hell have you been? You won't answer calls or texts. Do you know I've been looking for you for three whole days!"

His voice was hoarse, filled not just with anger but with the fear of almost losing something. "Come home with me. Whatever it is, we'll talk about it there. Stop throwing a tantrum out here."

He started to drag me away.

"Let go." I looked at him coldly.

James froze, finally noticing the man sitting across from me.

When he saw Lucas's distinguished bearing and the intimate candlelit dinner on our table, the desperation in his eyes instantly turned to burning jealousy.

"Who is he?"

James stared hard at Lucas, then whipped back around to face me, his expression turning ugly. "Sophie, you've been dodging me just to cheat with this guy? Do you have a clue that my company is tanking??"

His grip on my hand tightened painfully, his tone ice-cold. "Pulling this shit at a time like this—are you trying to piss me off to get my attention? I'm telling you, enough is enough! Come with me!"

Lucas frowned and wanted to stand up. I gave him a reassuring look, then yanked my hand free from James's grip.

I stood up, calmly smoothed out the sleeve he'd wrinkled, and looked at this furious man with composure.

"Cheating?" I let out a small laugh. "James, you've got something wrong here."

"Sorry to inform you, Mr. Brown, but I'm single now."

I pulled a document from my bag and slapped it against his chest.

"Take a good look."

James instinctively caught the document. When he saw his own signature at the bottom of the divorce agreement, he froze completely.

"You signed it yourself. You were in such a rush to run off with Vivian, your pen practically flew across the page, didn't it"

I looked at James, watching the color drain from his face, then shifted my gaze to Vivian hovering behind him, and a mocking smile curved my lips.

"It's legally binding now. So who I have dinner with, or even who I sleep with tonight—none of that has anything to do with you anymore."