Page 15 of Emergence and Ascendance

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" The sound of my ex-wife's voice would normally grate my nerves, but today it provided an insanely unjust amount of happiness. She was pissed and her anguish brought me joy.

"A lot, apparently, so you'll have to be more specific, Aja."

"I called the bank and they said I no longer have access to my money."

"I have no control over your access with the bank. Take that up with them."

"It's not a bank issue, Christian, it'syou. I'm not stupid."

"No, far from stupid. Manipulative, hateful and bitter, yes, but you're quite intelligent. It's one of the few qualities I used to love about you."

"I'm not here to discuss my intelligence. That's my money. I earned it. One million for each year I suffered being married to you."

"We both suffered, but my suffering was far more extensive than yours. Unlike you, I was honest about my expectations for our marriage. You were not."

Her mask slipped briefly before the rage was back. I had to give it to my ex-wife, I hadn't expected her to fold so soon. Iassumed she would exhaust all legal options before showing up here. Only twenty-four hours had passed since I removed access from the account that held the ten million I was strong armed into giving Aja as a term of our divorce and she was already here.

"Call the bank or I'm calling my lawyer. You don't want issues from me, Christian. You already know how that ends." The arrogance in her stare was amusing. I had been very strategic in dealing with my ex-wife after I learned how truly manipulative she could be. I was about to make very clear what little pull she had with me or over my life.

"If your plan is to attach my name to another bogus ass sex trafficking accusation then don't waste your time. You have neither the connections nor the funds to make anyone listen to you." I smirked at the mention of her current financial situation.

"I have my father. He has resources. Don't let your ego get in the way of logic."

"Tomorrow morning, your father will announce his retirement from the FBI. Were you aware?"

She wasn't, but I still asked to make this more entertaining at her expense. Aja's mask didn't slip this time, it completely fucking shattered, which had me leaning back comfortably in my desk chair.

"You're lying."

"No, I'm not. Unlike you, I don't lie to get what I want."

"My father wouldn't retire. The Collective needs him." she spoke with very little confidence.

"They need me more. You both fucked me over. Did you really believe I would let that shit slide?"

Her defeated expression had me smiling internally. I assumed seeing that look in her eyes would bring me some type of satisfaction or contentment, but nothing would erase the devastation I felt after finding out what she had done, what she had taken from me. Not once which was hard enough, but threetimes, she denied me the opportunity to have the unconditional love that she would never fucking give. She aborted our children. That shit still hurt. I hated her in ways I could never recover from. I hated myself even more because I failed to protect our unborn children from the bitch that helped me create them.

"The Collective would never…"

"Never what, Aja? Choose me over your father? They didn't have a fucking choice, because after you fucked me over, I did the work to ensure they would never have the opportunity to do so again. Aside from taking my life, there's not a thing they could do to me anymore and killing me isn't going to help them with future recruits. No one wants to feel expendable, sweetheart." My eyes met hers and I smiled arrogantly. "But you fully understand feeling expendable, don't you? I would assume that's how you feel at this very moment."

"The terms of our divorce are legal and binding. That money is mine."

"You're correct. The terms are legal and binding."

"Then you do realize breaking the terms of our agreement means legal ramifications for you."

"I haven't done a damn thing to break the terms, but you have."

I leaned forward and opened my top desk drawer, removed the stack of photos I had been holding onto for the past couple months, and tossed them across the desk. Aja's eyes lowered to the scattered images then lifted to mine again. There were more than enough pictures of her and the man she loved our entire marriage. The man she wanted instead of me but her father would have never approved of handing her off too.

"You're spying on me?"

"Nah, not spying. Collecting evidence of your poor judgement."

"If you think this justifies anything, you're wasting my time. The terms were that I remain single. I’m guessing you thought placing that stipulation on me would somehow work in your favor to ensure I remained as miserable and unhappy after our marriage as I was during those torturous ten years. I'm still very much single. I will never make that mistake again. Marriage is the worst possible decision anyone with half the damn sense God gave them could ever make. One I will never willingly make again."

Me either, thanks to you…

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