Page 53 of Fool Me Twice

Evie spun around at Anya’s sharp intake of breath. “What is it? What’s the matter?”

“The divorce is still going ahead.”

“For God’s sake, Anya.” Evie patted her chest. “I thought something was wrong. And I told you, I don’t care.”

“No way.” Anya continued reading. “She’s divorcing Peter.”

“You see.” Evie folded her arms and nodded confidently. “She is divorcing him.”

Anya gasped, her eyes wide. “For adultery.”

“What?” Evie edged closer until she was reading over Anya’s shoulder. “Where does it say that?”

“There.” Anya ran her finger beneath the lines of text. “I thought you didn’t care.”

Evie tossed her head nonchalantly. “I don’t,” she said defiantly. “He’s probably been shagging around all over. They’re all the same, these rock stars. Just can’t keep it in their pants... I don’t mean Jaxon. He’d never do something like that,” she quickly backtracked.

“I know,” Anya said simply, a knowing smile spreading across her face. “No way.”

“What now?”

“Nothing.” Anya tried her best to look innocent.

“For goodness sake, just tell me.”

“Well, it looks like she is claiming Peter committed adultery with you.”

“Me?” Evie fumed, her face scarlet. “Let me see that.” She grabbed the papers from Anya’s hands. “The nerve of that bloody woman. They’d been separated for months when we slept together.”

“So you admit that he was actually separated and not just stringing you along?”

Evie ignored her and kept reading.

“Hang on,” Anya said, picking up another letter from the pile. “This looks like a letter from Peter’s lawyer confirming that Peter will admit adultery with an unnamed third party and increase the settlement offer in exchange for a quick divorce, but only if she drops your name and all mention of you in the filing. Wow, Peter actually has that much money?”

“I’ve no idea,” Evie admitted. “We’ve never talked about things like that.”

Waving the letter in the air, Anya grinned. “This proves it,” she said triumphantly.

“Proves what?”

“That he loves you, of course.”

“Oh, Anya, I don’t think so, honey,” said Evie, taking a deep breath. Anya was a hopeless romantic who, having been swept off her feet by her own Prince Charming, believed there was some kind of champion out there for every fair maiden.

But this was the real world, not some fairy-tale where the handsome prince whisked the beautiful princess off to live happily ever after in a castle in the clouds. This was real life, where the knight was more likely to turn up dragging a shitload of baggage behind his noble steed and speak fluent bullshit. “All this proves is he’s been playing away and mine was the only name she knew.”

“No,” Anya persisted. “This proves that Peter is willing to give up everything to prevent your name being dragged through the mud in some high-profile divorce case. And why would he do that if he didn’t love you?”

“I, er...” Evie tried to catch her breath. Her heart raced as a restlessness roused in the pit of her stomach, flooding her with the all warmth of a hot summer’s day. Her body tingled, like the flutter of a million butterflies caressing her skin after a long dormant winter, spreading their wings wide as they flirted with the tender breeze. “I...”

For the first time in her life, Evie found herself lost for words.

Chapter twenty-nine

The jet was already waiting on the tarmac when Peter arrived at the airport. He knew it was extravagant, but he didn’t care; he’d wasted enough time already. All he cared about was getting back to Waverly Bay and begging Evie to give him another chance – on his hands and knees, if he had to.

Leaving strict instructions with Leland to take care of the Shari situation, he’d ordered his lawyer to give her whatever she wanted in order for her to sign the divorce papers. He was done fighting with her, and if his money could make her happy, then she was welcome to it. All of it, if need be.

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