enjoyebooks Chapter 3
Chapter 3
KAEL’S POV
"Kael Veridan, I need a word with you immediately."
The governor's voice boomed through my speakerphone with an authority that made my jaw clench. I'd been reviewing contracts all morning, still fuming over Zorina's ultimatum from yesterday. She hadn't returned to our bedroom last night, and I hadn't bothered to check where she'd gone. Let her sulk. She'd come to her senses eventually.
"What could possibly be so urgent?" I responded, unable to keep the edge from my voice. The governor rarely called me directly, our communications typically filtered through layers of assistants and advisors.
"It's about your upcoming marriage to Liora. Come to my office at once."
The line went dead before I could protest. My stomach tightened with a sudden, inexplicable dread. I grabbed my jacket and stormed out, barking orders at my assistant to reschedule my meetings.
During the drive to the governor's residence, I tried to rationalize the summons. Perhaps it was about the venue, or some unexpected protocol issue with the ceremony. Nothing that couldn't be resolved quickly. The marriage to Liora was too important to me, to my family's business interests, to our social standing, for anything to derail it now.
Minutes later, I strode into the governor's grand living room, offering a perfunctory bow despite my irritation. "Governor, what's going on?"
Governor Hestrel sat in his leather armchair, his expression unnervingly severe. He gestured for me to sit, but I remained standing, too tense to relax.
"Your marriage to my daughter is being delayed," he announced without preamble.
The words hit me like a physical blow. "Delayed? For how long?"
"A year, maybe more."
I felt heat rush to my face. "Why? I've already waited long enough to be with Liora. I can't delay this again." The business deals, the contracts, the strategic alliances I'd been cultivating, all hinged on this marriage happening on schedule.
The governor leaned forward, his eyes cold. "You will delay it because Celestina-no—no, Zorina—came to me seeking a divorce. And I have granted it."
My blood ran cold at the mention of Zorina's name. So she had made good on her threat after all. "She came here?" The words came out quieter than I intended, betraying my shock.
"Yes," he confirmed, his tone leaving no room for debate. "She requested that I give her permission to finalize the divorce before you marry my daughter. And I agreed."
My hands curled into fists at my sides. "This is ridiculous! I love Liora. Zorina means nothing to me." The admission slipped out before I could stop it. "I can't believe we're putting everything on hold for a woman I didn't even want to marry in the first place."
The governor's gaze hardened. "Then why did you marry her?"
I opened my mouth to respond, but found myself at a loss for words. Why had I married Zorina? Because my father had arranged it. Because it had seemed expedient at the time. Because she was pretty enough and grateful enough, and I hadn't cared enough to object.
"Exactly," the governor said, reading my silence perfectly. "You married her because it suited you. Perhaps it was convenient. But now, you owe her dignity, if nothing else. And if you have even a shred of decency left, you will make amends for how you've treated her."
Anger flared in my chest. Who was he to lecture me on decency? "Make amends? Governor, I—"
"You will sign those divorce papers, Kael," he cut me off sharply. "And you will do it now. That's not a request, it's an order."
The weight of his command settled over me like a shroud. I wanted to argue, to rail against this indignity, but I knew better. This man held my future in his hands. Without his blessing, there would be no marriage to Liora, no elevation of the Veridan name, no access to the corridors of power I'd spent years maneuvering toward.
I drew a sharp breath, swallowing my pride. "Fine. If signing those papers means I can eventually marry Liora, then so be it."
Just then, the sound of heels clicking against marble echoed through the room. I turned to see Zorina, my soon-to-be-ex-wife, standing in the doorway. She looked different somehow. Taller, more confident, her chin raised in quiet defiance. The divorce papers were clutched in her hand.
She approached without hesitation and dropped the documents onto the coffee table in front of me. "Here. I assume you already know what to do."
I stared at the papers, then back at her face. The meek, eager-to-please woman I'd married was nowhere to be found. "So, this is how you want it to end?"
Zorina crossed her arms, her voice steady and devoid of emotion. "This is how it should have ended a long time ago. Sign the papers, Kael. Let's stop pretending there's anything left to save."
I picked up the pen reluctantly, turning it over in my fingers. A last, petty desire to hurt her rose in me. "You know what this means, right? Delaying my marriage to Liora because of you."
She didn't flinch. Instead, she raised an eyebrow, her voice ice cold. "You're delaying it because of your own actions, not mine. Don't try to make me the villain in your story."
The governor cleared his throat pointedly. "Kael, this is not a debate. Sign the papers."
Anger and humiliation burned in my throat as I leaned forward and began to sign each page. Every stroke of my pen felt like an admission of defeat. I had underestimated Zorina, catastrophically so. Somehow, this woman I'd dismissed as inconsequential had outmaneuvered me completely.
"Done," I spat, tossing the pen aside when I finished. I leaned back, unable to keep the bitterness from my voice. "Happy now?"
Zorina gathered the papers carefully, checking each signature with methodical precision. Then, remarkably, she smiled, a genuine expression of relief that I couldn't remember seeing on her face in years.
"Yes, Kael. I am happy. For the first time in a long time, I feel free."
Her contentment only stoked my resentment. "Good for you," I muttered, the words dripping with sarcasm.
She ignored me completely, turning to the governor instead. "Thank you, Governor. I appreciate your understanding in this matter."
The governor nodded solemnly. "I hope this decision brings you the peace you deserve."
Something about their interaction seemed off, too familiar, too cordial. But before I could dwell on it, I heard myself speaking again, desperate to regain some semblance of control. "Now what? Are we heading straight to the courthouse, or do you have more dramatic entrances planned?"
Zorina didn't miss a beat. "Yes, we're going to the courthouse. The sooner this is finalized, the sooner we can all move on with our lives."
I glared at her, but she simply turned and walked out, her posture straight and dignified in a way I'd never noticed before. The door closed softly behind her, leaving me alone with the governor.
He leaned back in his chair, studying me with an expression I couldn't quite read. "You might not realize it now, Kael, but you've just lost something far more valuable than you ever understood.”