Jezebel |h.s|

Forty Seven

When Adriana came back claiming she was hiding out at a rehab for three years, I could just smell the bullshit. If she was gone for a year, maybe I would understand. But three years without one attempt to make a connection with at least Ottilie?

I hired a private investigator pretty quickly. Someone to look into her and what her deal was. Especially since I needed proof that she wasn't in rehab like she claimed so that I could reinstate the prenup.

Finding out she was sleeping with Derek Taylor wasn't too surprising. She always would disappear with him at events and I always had a feeling they were together these last few years. In the beginning she may have left me for him, but she got way too deep into our relationship once Ottilie was born and she knew it. Now I'm a billionaire and his generational wealth and status in society isn't enough anymore.

It seems like she left him once she got wind that I was recently declared a billionaire. He chased her back to New York soon after. For what I'm not quite sure. Maybe I'll never see the side of Adriana that he does.

They've been sleeping together again since he got to New York. Meeting up at the same hotel room while I'm being made to feel guilty that I fell in love with Isabella. Talk about fucked up.

That's probably where she was today. Sneaking around the city with Derek. It's why she looks so guilty. It's why she can't even come up with an excuse. She actually thought I was oblivious enough to not figure it out eventually. Maybe she was hoping that because I was so hung up on Isabella that she could get away with being with Derek still. She probably was right, but I'm glad that I know.

I'm honestly not even that upset that she cheated. Our relationship was flawed from the start and even though we thought we could make it work, clearly the universe had other plans for us. Through me, she met Derek and because she left, I met Isabella. There's no part of me that is even disappointed by this outcome, because now I get to be truly loved and have a family with Isabella.

"Now why don't you finish reading that contract. I'm more than willing to discuss what properties you would want, if any, and a possible visitation schedule for Ottilie. As I mentioned before she will be living with me but of course, as she is your daughter as well I'd be more than accommodating if you want to spend a weekend with her or if you want to take her on vacation."

Adriana shakes her head with an unreadable look on her face, but I think it's a mix of fear and anger. "We had a contract. A prenup. It expired, why won't you just uphold your end of the deal?"

"Because you voided the agreement. There were rules set in place that explicitly mentioned cheating. The prenup was put in place to protect my assets, and for this exact reason. That prenup has been invalid for years. You're lucky you're even getting anything from me."

"You know how this is gonna make you look right? The public will hate you."

"I think they'd be pretty understanding once they find out you made up a story about having postpartum depression. That you really just abandoned your husband and newborn. That you cheated, you stole money. That you got me drunk and didn't have my consent to have sex, just so you could ruin my relationship with a kind woman."

Her eyes narrow, clearly pissed that I've backed her into a corner. She knows that if I go public about the lies she's told, she's not only become the bad guy in this saga, she'd lose all her deals. Ever since she came back into the public eye, she's been embraced and shown so much attention. Not that she deserves it.

"So what? I sign the contract and the divorce papers and you'll get rid of all of this blackmail?"

"Honestly? If you agree to all the terms and we come to a reasonable agreement when it comes to other assets, I'd even be willing to put on a front that we tried to make things work but we grew apart in the years we spent away from each other and we want to focus on amicably coparenting Ottilie. I'd even sign divorce papers so we can file simultaneously to avoid further speculation."