enjoyebooks Chapter 4
Chapter 4
KAEL’S POV
I leaned back in the hard courthouse chair, arms crossed tightly over my chest, watching the proceedings with feigned indifference. Beside me, Zorina sat perfectly still, her eyes fixed on the stack of divorce papers before us. Five years of marriage reduced to a pile of legal documents and signatures.
"It's over," the judge declared, bringing down his stamp with a decisive thud that echoed through the courtroom.
The finality of that sound—that single, bureaucratic gesture settled over me with unexpected weight. I had expected to feel relief, perhaps even triumph. Instead, I felt strangely hollow.
Zorina sighed beside me, turning to look at me for what might be the last time as my wife. Ex-wife, I corrected myself mentally. Something in her expression made my chest tighten, not quite sadness, but a certain weariness that I hadn't noticed before.
"Are you satisfied now?" I asked, unable to keep the edge from my voice.
She nodded, forcing a small smile that didn't reach her eyes. Then, to my surprise, she stretched her hand toward me. "Goodbye, Kael."
I stared at her outstretched hand, this unexpected gesture of civility after everything. Part of me wanted to take it, to match her dignity with my own. Instead, I felt my lips curl into a smirk, a defensive reflex I couldn't quite control.
"Where do you plan on going now?" I asked, realizing too late how condescending the question sounded.
Her smile faltered, just slightly. "I'll figure it out. Don't worry about me."
I snorted, doubling down on my arrogance rather than acknowledging the twinge of concern her answer triggered. "Worry about you? I just wanted to make sure you'll have a roof over your head now that you're no longer married to me."
It was cruel and unnecessary, I knew that. But there was something about her newfound confidence that unnerved me, made me want to remind her of her place, of how dependent she'd been on the Veridan name all these years.
Her chest rose and fell with a deep breath, but her composure remained intact. Instead of firing back, she simply smiled again, this time with more resolve. "Thanks for the five yearsl."
With that, she turned and walked out of the courtroom, her head held high. I watched her leave, following the straight line of her back until the doors swung shut behind her. An inexplicable pang of guilt gnawed at me, sharper than I would have expected.
I sighed heavily, running a hand through my hair as I remained seated in the now-empty courtroom.
"Power," I muttered under my breath, reminding myself of what was really at stake. What had always been at stake.
Few people knew the truth, that the veneer of Veridan wealth and influence was just that: a veneer. My father had saved us from bankruptcy years ago through clever maneuvering and strategic alliances, but I had grown up with the constant, gnawing fear that it could all collapse again.
That fear had shaped every decision I'd made. Marrying Zorina had been my father's idea, not mine, but I'd accepted it as necessary. And now, marrying the governor's daughter was my chance to secure genuine wealth and influence. Tradition would grant me access to half of the governor's fortune upon marriage, a safety net I desperately needed.
As I stood in the hallway, lost in these familiar justifications, a loud voice jerked me back to reality.
"Kael!"
I looked up, startled, to see Kaela running toward me down the courthouse corridor, her face pale and eyes wide with panic. The sight of her disheveled appearance sent a jolt of alarm through me.
"What's wrong?" I asked, furrowing my brows as she reached me, panting.
"Don't finalize the divorce yet!" she blurted, her voice trembling.
Confusion washed over me. "What? What do you mean? It's already done."
She must have passed Zorina on her way in.
Before Kaela could answer, another voice cut through the air. "Where is Zorina?"
I turned to see my mother rushing toward us, her face mirroring Kaela's panic. The sight was so unexpected, so out of character, especially for my usually composed mother, that I felt a cold tendril of dread creep up my spine.
"Why do you all care so much about Zorina now?" I demanded, my irritation flaring to mask my growing unease. Just days ago, they'd been nothing but dismissive of her.
My mother grabbed my arm, her grip surprisingly strong. Her eyes were wild with an emotion I couldn't quite identify. "Tell me you haven't finalized the divorce yet!"
I frowned, the dread intensifying. "We just finished. What's going on?"
My sister gasped dramatically, covering her mouth in shock. My mother's face turned ashen, and before anyone could react, she collapsed to the floor.
"Mother!" Kaela screamed, dropping to her knees beside her.
I stood frozen, unable to process what was happening until Kaela screamed. "Someone call an ambulance.”