Chapter 4

The next morning, I walked straight into Michael's corporate office.

Emily, his assistant, acting like she owned the place, stopped me. "Ms. York, Mr. Grant isn't available."

I kept heading toward his corner office without missing a beat.

Clicking after me in her stilettos, she practically threw herself in front of the door. "He really isn't in—"

When she reached to grab my arm, I sidestepped cleanly.

"Ms. York." Her voice went up an octave, tears welling in her eyes. "About last night, I really feel the need to clear the air. I know you resent me, but Michael and I are strictly professional."

Dropping to a fragile whimper, she added, "And that night at the hotel, I was running a 102-degree fever."

"Nice performance," I remarked, pulling out my phone and aiming the camera at her face. "Keep going. I'll make sure it trends on TikTok."

Emily's expression dropped. She lunged to snatch my phone, but I took a step back. Catching her own heel, she tumbled to the carpet with maximum theatrical flair.

She managed to yank down her neckline on the way down to flash some bare shoulder. Honestly, she deserved an Oscar.

"Charlotte!" Michael's roar cut through the hallway. He bolted over, hauled Emily to her feet, and turned on me with pure venom. "What did you do to her?"

Before I could get a syllable out, he slammed me into the wall. The metal frame of the fire cabinet dug straight into my spine, his grip clamping down hard enough to crush my wrist.

He shouted, "You dragged our personal drama into the company chat last night, and now you come here to hit her?"

Clutching his sleeve, Emily sobbed, "Michael, please, don't do this. She didn't mean it."

Michael glared at me. "Apologize to her right now."

I slapped him hard.

Michael froze in disbelief, and Emily stared, stunned.

I tilted my head toward the dome camera overhead. "Are you sure you want an apology?"

Panic flashed across Emily's eyes. "Mr. Grant, it's fine, really. It was an accident. Don't cause a scene over someone like me."

His jaw tightened, and he looked dark and brooding.

It hit me then: reviewing the footage wouldn't change a thing. He would twist reality regardless to put the blame on me.

I didn't waste my breath on hallway theatrics. I was here to finish this.

The moment the office door shut, Michael cut in, his voice laced with anger. "Before we talk business, you owe me an explanation for blowing up the chat."

"Sure." Unlocking my phone, I dropped a fresh set of receipts into the group thread. Timestamped hotel photos showed him with his arm around Emily, matching the exact dates he claimed to be away on business trips.

Michael went pale. "You hired someone to tail me?"

"Why bother?" I threw a cool glance at Emily and chuckled. "Your assistant emails me your flight and hotel schedule every single month."

He shot out of his chair. "What Emily and I have isn't what you think."

"Oh, really?" I held his gaze without flinching. "What is it, then? A wholesome father-daughter bond?"

The room went dead quiet.

My lawyer cleared his throat, reminding Michael they weren't alone.

Michael loosened his tie, dropping his harsh edge for a conciliatory tone. "Charlotte, let's talk this out in private." The reality of a divorce had never crossed his mind.

"Talk about what?" I sank back into the armchair. "Your obsession with twenty-year-old girls?"

I pointed at Emily's blunt bangs and the little mole by her eye. "So you went with her 'cause she's got that whole younger-me thing going on, but she's still her own person, right?"

Michael's eyes widened, while Emily stood frozen.

A short laugh slipped out of me. "Quite the move, Michael. I'm standing right in front of you, yet you're already grooming a replacement to chase nostalgia."

Michael scrambled. "No, Charlotte, let me explain—"

Standing up, I cut him off, staring down at him. "You don't love me. You're obsessed with the twenty-year-old Charlotte. But the thirty-year-old Michael isn't fit to lace her boots. And you can't handle the woman I am today. Sign the papers and let go."

He craved the wild, untamed rebel who answered to no one. But he forgot that woman was never his to conquer. He never deserved her.

"Review the settlement agreement." I slid the folder across the desk before he could protest. "If you don't object to the terms, sign it."

Emily looked stunned, though a flicker of anticipation crossed her face.

Michael, however, began to unravel. He had written off my threats as leverage, never imagining I would follow through.