Page 114 of Dr. Stone
“You really want to test that?” I let the corner of my mouth lift. “Because I wish you fucking would.”
My attorney—still silent—opened his briefcase and slid the paperwork across the counter. A Montblanc pen appeared in front of Jonathan like the barrel of a gun.
“This is bullshit,” he muttered.
“This,” I said, nodding to the pages, “is mercy. Sign them, and you leave with what’s left of your life. Refuse…” I let the pause stretch until he shifted. “And I’ll have eyes on you until you’re erased from this world.”
His hand trembled as he signed, page after page. When he was done, I folded the papers neatly and slid them into my attorney’s case.
Jonathan Gilbert’s glare followed me, but I saw it—the flicker of unease behind his bravado. He’d signed, but he knew exactly what I’d just done. And what I could still do.
I paused in the doorway, looking back just long enough to lock eyes with him. “You like threatening people, Gilbert? Here’s mine—if you so much as breathe in Andie’s direction again, I’ll make sure the only thing you own is regret.”
The sun hit my face as I stepped outside, the weight of the signed custody papers heavy and satisfying in my hand. Andie had no idea what was coming—but soon, she’d have the one thing no one could ever take from her again.
I’d never been the guy who flaunted my family’s name, status, or the fortune that came with it. I’d built my life on my own terms, far from their shadow. But taking down Jonathan Gilbert? That was different. This wasn’t business. This was personal. And for once, I didn’t give a damn about playing fair.
If it meant protecting Andie, I’d weaponize every ounce of power, every connection, and every last dollar in my reach until Gilbert was nothing but a cautionary tale whispered in rooms he’d never step foot in again. And damn, it felt good to be the ruthless son of privilege—because this time, I wasn’t doing it for me. I was doing it for her.
FIFTY
Jace
Unfortunately,I had to wait until tonight after work to see Andie, as her spa weekend with the girls had kept her tied up until this morning. And yeah, it sucked knowing she was just a short jog down the beach from me, but I had to be patient, even though I was crawling out of my damn skin with the need to just get this over with.
I’d never been in a real relationship before, which meant I’d never gone through a real breakup either. So, how exactly does someone go about getting another person back? Flowers? That felt like a slap in the face. A text or phone call? Even worse, in my opinion. None of that shit felt sincere to me. It just felt like avoiding the risk of getting kicked in the balls for fucking things up.
So, after overthinking every possible angle, I knew there was only one way to handle this, and that was to show up, in person, and hope like hell that there was still a chance.
Still, the nerves were brutal. I didn’t know what she was feeling or if she just needed more time to heal. Maybe that asshole had completely wrecked her trust in me after revealing my obnoxious past, and she decided I wasn’t worth the risk. I had no idea, but whatever doubts or insecurities were bubbling up in my head, I wasn’t going to let them stop me. I was going to see her face-to-face tonight and hope there was still a chance at reconciliation.
A knock on my door alerted me to Jake. “Are you up for drinks tonight?”
I closed the chart of the patient I was reading stats on before I left the office for the day to do my final rounds. “Nah, man. I’m going to see Andie after I finish my patient rounds,” I said, standing and stretching my back.
“You didn’t text her?” Jake questioned with a concerned expression.
“That’s a cheap way to re-enter her life, dude, so, no,” I said. “I’m just going to swing by her place after I’m done here. Drinks can wait for another time.” I smiled, still nervous but confident.
“You dumbass,” he glanced at his Rolex, then shook his head at me. “Why wouldn’t you text or call her?”
“I told you, I think it’s too impersonal. I need to see her. After everything she’s been through alone because of the mess from my past being used to manipulate her? I owe her more than a text or some bullshit phone call.”
“Well, can you move patients around to clear your schedule for next week?”
“Huh?” I stared at him as if he’d grown two heads. “Probably, but why would I do that?” I stared at his expectant expression, “And, no. I’m not going to the wedding. Seb and I already talked about it. He knows I’m happy for him and Darcy, and he also knows that I don’t do events like that unless I’m forced to.”
“What if Andie is wheels up on the Asters’ private jet as of thirty minutes ago to celebrate the upcoming nuptials of Mr. and Mrs. Sebastian Aster V?”
“You’re fucking with me, right?” I said, shocked that she would be heading to Croatia. “What are the fucking odds?”
“The odds are forever in your fucking favor if you reschedule patients and show up on that damn yacht next week with me and the guys to join our women—andyourwoman.”
I sighed, then gave Jake a tired smile. “So,thisis my future now, having a woman I apparently can’t live without?”
Jake smirked. “Worse,” he said with a chuckle. “Wait until you come home from one of those long days at the hospital, and she’s standing in the kitchen wearing nothing but chocolate sauce in some swirly edible design, telling you that if you missed dinner, at least dessert is waiting for you.” He grinned wider, eyes drifting off like he was reliving a memory.
“Let me guess,” I said. “That was Ash’s thank-you present to you for bankrolling their lavish spa day, after which my lady was kidnapped and whisked off to Croatia?”
