Lilian clutched the straps of her handbag, trying hard not to break eye contact.
She wouldn't look weak.
She would show them all she wasn't that scared and helpless girl anymore. Now she had something worth fighting for.
"Good to see you came," she managed to say.
"Why wouldn't I?" An evil glint flashed in his eyes.
She shuddered.
She wanted to step away, even if it meant enduring the cold, chilling rain, but he acted before she could.
He handed her the umbrella, and with furrowed brows, she watched him step into the rain, unbothered about the heavy downpour , drenching him.
He simply walked, with hands in his pockets. His whole demeanor, the charisma in every stride, gave her the feeling that he had never failed in anything he set his mind to do. The rumors about him weren't just myth.
He was indeed shrewd, calculative, and there was something about him that made cold brush down her spine whenever he looked at her with those icy gray orbs.
Now she began to doubt if she would succeed in this.
No, she shook those thoughts away. Everything would go as planned.
But whose plan? Hers or his?
She stepped into the courthouse. Xavier was already seated, his face unreadable as always.
His eyes landed on her, never tearing his gaze away.
And for a moment, she couldn't tear her eyes away from him either.
There he was, sitting like a god. He looked the part also, and every part of him screamed perfection.
She clutched the divorce paper in her hands and then tore her gaze away from him.
She handed the paper to her lawyer and then carefully took a seat next to him.
She noticed that he didn't even bring a lawyer. Why?
The family court judge arrived, and her eyes widened when he bowed to Xavier with utmost respect.
She gulped. With his affluence, this man could get whatever he wanted without moving a finger.
The proceedings began. Her heart raced, and then the final question came.
"Are you certain you want this divorce, Mrs. Rune?" the judge asked her.
Lilian nodded instantly. "Yes," came her definite response.
He turned to Xavier. "Do you want this divorce, Mr. Rune?"
The silence thickened with every second.
She couldn't breathe, and then his curt response came:
"Yes."
Her eyes flew wide. She stared at him in shock. He… agreed? The more she tried to decipher his thoughts, the more unreadable he became.
Why would he agree just like that? Did he have an alternate plan?
She had expected relief when this moment came, but instead, worry bathed her.
Did it matter? She was moving far away anyway. Whatever he planned would not work.
This is the last time he would ever lay his eyes on her. After this, she would disappear for good.
"Alright then, that wraps up this case," the judge finalized.
She stood up immediately, staring at Xavier briefly, but he wasn't even looking at her. Instead, he walked over to the judge to discuss matters she knew nothing about.
There was no use staying. She turned, leaving.
She took a cab back to the hotel, and then she packed her things immediately.
Thankfully, she had booked a flight back to Russia, to her home country, just in case everything went according to the way she planned.
All these felt surreal to her. Finally, she would be going home, and then she would be reunited with her mother.
Tears welled in her eyes, remembering the picture her father had sent her, the condition her mother had been in for twenty-two years now, for as long as she lived.
She sniffed in her tears, and then she sent a text to her father, telling him she had divorced Xavier and now she was going home.
Meanwhile, back in the courthouse…
Xavier stood outside, a grin expression on his face, and then his right-hand man, Marco, hurried to him, bowing deeply.
"We must return right away, boss. They are planning an attack. Your grandfather demands your presence this instant."
Xavier pulled a stick of weed from his coat pocket, and then he flicked the golden lighter in his hand, lighting the tip , and then took a long drag, his cheeks turning hollow as he did.
And then he puffed it out. He remained calm, as if unaffected by the words Marco had just spoken.
There were other important things in his mind.
He checked his watch. Her flight was scheduled a few minutes from now.
"Boss," Marco carefully called him, trying to get his attention to the pressing matters.
"There's somewhere we have to go first. If my grandfather dies in my absence, then that's good news for me."
His words had Marco's eyes widening, even if he doubted that he meant that.
He loved his grandfather; he was sure of that. But what could be more important than him? What could be more important than his people right now?
Without questioning, he opened the car door for him, and once he got in, he got into the driver's seat and drove them out of the court.
When they arrived back at Xavier's mansion, it was past midnight. Marco retired to bed, but Xavier remained wide awake.
He stood at the balcony, a glass of vodka in his hand, which he leisurely drank from.
The cold breeze brushed against him occasionally, but he didn't flinch.
He held on to the railing, his mind working fast.
And then he felt a presence behind him. He didn't turn, knowing who it was.
Marco poured himself a glass of vodka, and then he stood beside him, maintaining a careful distance. He knew very well how much he hated anyone getting into his personal space.
Moments of silence passed between them.
"Boss," Marco called, breaking the silence.
He said nothing, but he knew he was listening, and so he proceeded to ask, "I know how dedicated you are to the empire, yet you came all the way here and stayed for nearly a week the moment you got her text. So then… why did you let her go?"
Marco watched him place the rim of the glass on his lips, and then he pulled it back, savoring the bitter taste of the alcohol on his lips.
His lips tilted up into a smirk.
Marco became wary instantly, knowing he never smiled for a good reason.
His next words ran low, frighteningly calm:
"I enjoy the chase."