The Don Tore Up Our Divorce (Gemma and Cassian) novel Chapter 458

Chapter 458
Linda's POV 

His eyes shift away from the door, from the space where Gemma disappeared. He moves slightly, a wince of pain crossing his features as he settles. “I’m very tired,” he murmurs, his voice a low rasp of exhaustion. It’s not just a statement; it’s a dismissal. A wall.

Seeing him evade the question—the only question that matters—feels like a door slamming in my face. I sniffle, swiping at my cheeks with the back of my hand. “Alright,” I whisper, my voice thick with unshed tears. “We won’t talk about it now. You rest. I’ll stay here with you.” I need to be here. I need him to know I’m not leaving.

But the universe, it seems, is determined to humiliate me. Barely a moment after I speak, my phone vibrates in my pocket, a harsh, jarring buzz. Not now. I silence it with a quick, irritated tap. The quiet returns for a precious, fleeting minute. Then it starts again. A persistent, angry hum against my thigh. I’m ready to throw the damn thing against the wall.

“Answer it.” Mikhail’s voice cuts through the tension, lazy, eyes still closed. He doesn’t even look at me.

I hesitate. I don’t want to. I don’t want to leave this bubble, even for a second. “I’ll take it right here,” I say, standing up reluctantly. “I’ll keep my voice low.” I won’t leave the room. I can’t.

He says nothing. Just lies there, a silent statue of indifference.

I move to the window, putting a few feet of false privacy between us, and answer. “What do you want?” My voice is a tight, irritated whisper.

“Linda.” It’s Jones. The sound of his voice, once familiar, now just fills me with a weary exasperation. “Even though we’re divorced, you can’t have forgotten all the years we spent together.”

“What more do you want?” I hiss, keeping my back to Mikhail. “I’ve already told you, we have no connection anymore!”

“Linda, my feelings for you were real.” His tone turns wheedling. “I’m in a bit of a bind with a project. Could you lend me some money? I promise I’ll pay you back.”

The request is so brazen it steals my breath. My savings are my lifeline, my chance to start over here, to be near Mikhail. “I don’t have any money!”

“That’s not fair, Linda.” His voice hardens. “I didn’t hold it against you when you tricked me into getting your permanent residence certificate. And now you won’t even lend me a little?”

Rage and shame heat my face. “If this is all you have to say, I’m hanging up.” I can’t have this conversation here. Not with Mikhail listening, even if he’s pretending not to.

“You wouldn’t want your first love to find out about all those times you had abortions abroad, would you?” The words are a poison dart, delivered with cold precision. “If you don’t help me, I’ll have no choice but to tell him everything. And that includes the videos we have together.”

My heart plummets, a cold stone in my chest. My hand trembles so violently I almost drop the phone. “You told me you deleted all of them!” The shout is out before I can stop it, too loud for the quiet room.

“I kept backups.”

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify