My Ex Regrets Dumping Me For His Ex

The next morning, Audrey arrived at the attorney's office on the hour, dressed like she was going to war. Reid held the umbrella and carried her bag, and made a production of both.

"Ms. Griffin. Your ID and the signed agreement." He handed the folder over. Audrey glanced at Diego. "Mr. Ramos. Shall we?"

He fell into step beside her. "Audrey. Are you seriously bidding on the Bell project?"

"Why? You think it's impossible?" She stopped and looked at him, cool.

"I'm serious. This isn't a small job. Do you have any idea what a project that size takes in capital alone, or how complicated the build-out is? A security firm can't carry that. Is taking a swing at me worth putting your company at risk?"

Audrey almost laughed in his face. "Mr. Ramos. Are we finalizing this or not? Because if we're not, I have a day. And what I do with my company is not your concern." She walked in ahead of him, chin up.

Diego adjusted his tie, suffocating, and followed.

It was uncontested and both sides had already signed. The lawyers had the filing ready; the whole thing took less than an hour. Audrey looked down at the executed agreement in her hand and a bitter smile tugged at her mouth. Three years, closed out in the time it took to drink a coffee.

She shoved the ache down, flicked the edge of the pages, and handed them to Reid. "Get this framed. Today. Double-sided, and I want diamonds on the frame."

Reid blinked. "I have genuinely never framed a divorce before."

He couldn't help admiring her for it. "Consider it done, Ms. Griffin."

Across the lobby, Marcus Vance stood with his mouth slightly open. "She's framing it. Double-sided. Of course she is."

He drifted a few steps away from Diego, out of the blast radius.

Diego's face was unreadable, and he had nothing to say.

Eager to change the subject, Marcus tried, "Did you talk her out of the bid? That could end very badly for her."

"She refused. I'll find another way."

He intended to win that land.

"She refused?" Marcus was surprised, and a little impressed. "I think she's making a mistake, but I like her nerve."

Then, lower, "Honestly though, don't hold it against her. You were lining up a hospital for Lila before the ink was dry. In her position I'd come after you too."

They kept their voices down. Audrey and Reid heard every word anyway.

Audrey's hand went to her chest. So it was for Lila. Of course it was. The man's devotion really did run deep.

"Are you all right, Ms. Griffin?" Reid asked, noticing how pale she'd gone.

"I'm fine. Just get the frame done."

"On your desk by this afternoon."

---

That afternoon, Audrey found a quiet half hour to call her brother, Michael Griffin, a well-regarded surgeon overseas. The time difference meant they planned these carefully.

"How's my little sister holding up?" Michael asked, in a T-shirt in his own kitchen. "I hear it was finalized today. Want me to have a word with him?"

Nobody touched his sister.

"No need. I clean up my own messes. And if anyone's making him pay, it's going to be me. Much more satisfying." She grinned.

Then she propped her chin on her hand. "Michael. Can I ask you for a favor?"

He caught the look on her face and laughed. "All right. What are we doing this time?"

"Nothing dramatic. I want to partner with the Bell Group on a hospital. That's it. Am I the villain here?" She rolled her eyes.

"Got it. My sister's on a mission. I'll make some calls." He was smiling, but his eyes went serious. Whatever had happened back then still had hold of her.

"Thank you. Go to bed." She blew him a kiss and hung up.

The second the call ended, she pulled up the proposal for tomorrow and started tightening it. Every line had to hold.

Later, Reid came in carrying the frame. He found her buried in work and knocked softly. "Ms. Griffin. See if this works."

She looked up at it—heavy glass, clean lines, DISSOLUTION OF MARRIAGE running across the top of the page. "Nicely done."

She carried it around the office, testing spots: somewhere visible, but not somewhere she'd have to look at it all day. Reid let out a breath.

"By the way. Mr. Ramos requested a meeting this afternoon. Security. Will you take it?"

"Why not? Trouble doesn't knock this politely very often. It'd be foolish to send it away." She tapped her fingers on the desk, smiling faintly.

"Wouldn't want that." Reid laughed, relieved to see the name not land on her, and went to set it up.

---

At three exactly, Diego walked into her office. He came in like a man with an agenda and found her tipped back in her chair, idly spinning the framed decree on her desk.

The words caught his eye and something in his expression flickered.

He didn't bother with pleasantries. His gaze went back to the frame as it rotated toward him again.

His composure slipped another notch. He pulled out a chair and sat down hard. "Ms. Griffin. I'm here about a security partnership. This is a preliminary contract."

He slid it across.

Audrey didn't touch it. "Mr. Ramos. What makes you so sure I'll agree?"