Chapter 23

"You've not signed it," I said as I reached the end of the consent order.

"Didn't see the point until I knew you would."

I handed it back to him along with the pen, not sure I wanted to be the first signature. It was maybe a little petty of me, but it felt vindicating to make him sign it. After all, it was his actions that were ending us.

For a moment, he looked as if he might object. Instead, he picked up the pen and held it over the signature box.

"And you're definitely sure this is what you want?" he asked.

"Yes," I replied. "There's no going back from what happened. Don't get me wrong. I'm grateful you're handling this and not causing any more conflict than necessary, but there's no second chance on this one."

With a resigned sigh, he signed in the box and then pushed it my way.

A moment later, my phone rang again. I frowned as I checked it to find it was my agent again. Greg sighed and sat back before crossing his arms.

"Go on, you might as well answer it. You always used to."

I glared at Greg as I picked up and stood.

"Oh, my dear. Have you seen the papers?" he asked.

"No. What's in the papers?" I asked, aware I didn't want to be doing this now but knowing there could be only one thing. Trying not to panic, I walked out of the cafe.

"Only your little tryst last night. I knew you met up with him yesterday and had some kind of afternoon tea or something, but I didn't know you went back to his hotel room."

I groaned, wishing no one had seen that. It wasn't something I wanted the public to know about, and I had a feeling Jack wouldn't be particularly happy, either.

"Well, do what you can to downplay it, okay? I asked. "I'm not interested in a fuss. It's too soon."

I heard him sigh, but before he could respond, I hung up. Would there ever be an easier time?

As I walked back inside, I saw Greg on his phone, the frown on his face getting deeper until he looked up and glared at me.

"Didn't take you long, did it? Is this what you always wanted? Let me pay for the roof over your head while you were a starving artist, and then the second you became successful, you ditch me and go for someone really famous?"

I took a deep breath, feeling fear grip at my insides. We were in a public setting, and heads were beginning to turn our way. I was safe. Or at least, I was pretty sure I was.

Bending down lower, I reached for the divorce papers.

"My reasons are the same as they have always been. I don't think you need me to repeat them. We've been over since then. What I do now is none of your business." As I spoke the last word, I signed. I then took the phone out of my pocket and snapped a quick photo in case he decided to act like I hadn't signed it.

"Goodbye, Greg," I said and walked out of the cafe, leaving him with the papers and the bill. It was perhaps a little petty of me, but I wasn't walking back to pay it after his accusation.

Shaking and wondering if it was too soon to call Jack or message him, I strode home, stopping at a convenience store I passed on the way to grab a chocolate bar.

It took me several more minutes to completely calm down, and then I felt more than a little stupid. Jack was used to the media. He hadn't tried to hide our relationship, and he was likely beyond caring what they thought of him, anyway.

And everything with Greg was over now. All we had to do was wait for the rest of the legal process to happen. I could do that.

Trying not to worry, I walked the last few streets to my apartment block and climbed the few steps to the main building entrance. For a moment, I fumbled for my keys, the damn things having buried themselves in my handbag somewhere.

Eventually, I had the door open and walked into the large hallway. It stretched back to admit entrance to the four ground-floor apartments, and off to the side was the staircase. I turned to head up, my apartment on the top floor, the one with the best view. Partway up, I heard the sound of footsteps on the stairs somewhere below me and wondered which of the neighbors had also just returned.

Most of them were friendly, but a few liked to play music a little louder than most. If it was one of them, I could be heading out again swiftly.

I reached the top, feeling a little out of breath, and paused for a moment. Wondering what Jack would think of the place when he came the next day, I turned to head to my apartment at the back on the right. I'd only taken a single step when I heard someone come up the steps right behind me, their pace increasing.

As I looked back, intending to be friendly, I noticed Greg.

"What the hell are you doing in here?" I asked as my brain tried to process that he must have followed me and somehow got into the building. He still had the divorce documents in his hands, and he shook them at me.

"You would live on the top bloody floor, wouldn't you?" he said, panting worse than I had been. I frowned and stood my ground at the top of the steps, almost hoping one of the neighbors would open their doors to see what the fuss was.

My hands began to shake, and my heart pounded, but I didn't intend to let Greg see how much he was scaring me. I folded my arms and took a deep breath.

"I have nothing else to say to you, and you're not welcome here," I said. "Please leave."

"I'm not leaving until I've spoken to him. I want to know?—"

"He's not here. He's in London, and you don't need to speak to my work colleague about anything."

Greg faltered for a moment before he shook his head.

"No, Juno, you can't fool me. He's got in your knickers. Men like him do. And I'm not having it. You're my wife." Greg came forward and tried to grab my arm, but I backed off and tried to push him away.

He wobbled at the top of the stairs before lunging at me.

I yelped as he knocked me back into the wall.

"I'm not your wife anymore!" I yelled as I recovered and shoved him again. Fear tore through me, making me quake, but there was enough anger that he thought he could act like this that somehow, I stood my ground.

"I'm not letting a man like that have what's mine. You're coming back to the house with me, and we're going to make a new start of things." Greg grabbed my arm again, this time getting a good grip. I struggled and tried to stop him, but he was far stronger than I was. Slowly, he dragged me toward the stairs and then took a step down himself.

I reached for the wall at the top of the stairs and grabbed on with my free hand. It helped stall him for a moment as I yelled and tried to defend myself.

Inside, I wanted to sob and curl up in a ball, but I fought the urge.

Suddenly, the pressure eased, and I fell backward onto the top of the steps.

"What the—" Greg said before he was cut off, Jack grabbing him by the shirt and lifting him physically off the ground.

"She clearly doesn't want to go anywhere with you. I suggest you take the hint and leave without her," Jack said, his voice deep and firm but controlled.

Greg's eyes were wide and full of fear, but he had enough sense to nod.

Jack let go of him and waited for him to walk away, standing on the stairs like some powerful guardian. I had no idea where his bodyguards were. I could only stare at him, stunned.