Chapter 13
Emily stood in the entryway, her hand resting on the suitcase handle. She watched as Noah walked back to the dining table, sat down, and picked up his phone to start replying to messages, as if the matter was already settled.
She didn't argue. She grabbed her suitcase and went back upstairs.
Back in her room, she pulled out the black phone and dialed Ryan's number.
"He kept me from it all day," she said, her voice steady.
Ryan replied, "Not surprised. He's drowning right now and doesn't want anything else to go wrong. Want to turn up the heat?"
"No need. Let him sweat for another day. I'll go to the courthouse myself tomorrow. I don't need him there. Both our signatures are already on the papers."
"Got it. I'll start the formal process for the one billion-dollar withdrawal today. According to the agreement, the money will start being transferred out in seven business days."
"Okay."
Emily hung up and put the phone away.
Then she opened her suitcase and slowly took her things out, hanging them back up in the closet one by one.
One more day. Emily thought it didn't really matter.
That afternoon, something happened that caught everyone off guard.
Upstairs, Emily heard a knock at the door. The housekeeper opened it downstairs. Then came a man's voice, calm and polite. "Is Ms. Emily Mitchell here? I'm her lawyer."
Then came Noah's voice, cold and hard. "Who sent you?"
The lawyer said, "Hello, Mr. Oliver. I'm here as Ms. Mitchell's attorney to handle her divorce paperwork. According to the law, since both parties have signed the agreement, one side can authorize a lawyer to submit it on their behalf."
Emily walked to the top of the stairs and glanced down. In the living room stood a young man in a deep blue suit, briefcase in hand. Noah faced him, his expression stormy.
"Emily," Noah called out, looking up at her from below. "You brought a lawyer into my home?"
"You canceled my appointment. So I had to do it another way," Emily said, walking down the stairs.
"You're dead set on leaving, aren't you?" There was something in Noah's voice Emily had never heard before. It wasn't anger but almost bewilderment.
"I haven't changed my mind since the day I asked for a divorce," Emily replied.
Noah watched as she went over to her lawyer. She took out the agreement from her bag and handed it to him. The lawyer opened it, checked it, and nodded.
"All right then," Noah said suddenly, his voice back to its usual coldness. "Go on. Take your stuff with you."
He glanced at the suitcase by the stairs behind her.
"But don't regret it," he said.
Emily took the receipt her lawyer handed back to her.
"I won't," she replied.
She went upstairs to get her suitcase. When she came back down, Noah was gone from the living room, and the study door was closed.
Her lawyer helped her carry the suitcase to the door and called a car.
Emily paused at the gate of the Oliver family villa, taking one last look at the house she'd called home for seven years.
It was a three-story place with white walls, and in the yard, the roses she'd planted three years ago were blooming at their peak.
She got into the car and didn't look back.
The lawyer sat up front, opened his briefcase, and started sorting through the paperwork. "Ms. Mitchell, everything will be processed this afternoon. Your divorce certificate will be ready in three business days."
"Okay. Thanks for your help," Emily said.
The lawyer said, pulling out a sheet of paper, "Also, Mr. Gill asked me to let you know that the formal notice of Celeste Fund's withdrawal has been delivered to the Oliver Group's legal department today."
Emily stared out the window, watching the street scenes blur past.
"Tell him to stick to the plan," she said.
"Understood," the lawyer replied.
The car merged onto the city ring road. Three weeks ago, this was where she crashed her car. Now the road was fixed, with not a trace left behind.
She closed her eyes and leaned back in her seat.
After seven years, it was finally over.