Chapter 13 – The Hidden Heiress

I smiled at her, not threatened in the slightest. It pissed her off “I am not signing these until a lawyer has looked over them” I repeated as though she was moronic “I learned that trick from my ex-husband” I added meaningfully as his face flushed.

Charlotte whirled around. “Johnathon, do something,” she said, her voice high and shrill “My grandfather is going to be angry if those papers aren’t filed soon. Make her sign them,” she said insistently.

Johnathon cleared his throat. “Flair, I would never try to wrong you” he began and I put a hand up, interrupting him.

“Never do me wrong?” I hissed “what do you call an affair that was going on for six months behind my back? I would call that wrong Johnathon. You broke your vows to me, to be loyal, to be true, so don’t preach about being truthful and honest, because it’s a complete lie” I snapped.

He reared back from the venom in my voice. Charlotte stomped her foot like a petulant child which was rather unbecoming of an adult. “You bitch, you’re doing this on purpose just to be vindictive” she shouted, her voice loud and echoing throughout the yoga studio, which thankfully was empty of students.

“I’m being intelligent, something that escapes you,” I told her calmly “you should try it sometime.”

She gaped. Rachel smirked. Johnathon towered over me “Flair, you’re being overly sensitive. Just sign the papers so that we can all move on with our lives” he said between gritted teeth.

I raised an eyebrow at him. Did he think that because he was taller and more heavily built, I would cower in fear? I snorted. It made him turn red with anger. “Johnathon, I’m well aware that I’m entitled to half our assets, which means half the money in your bank account, half the law firm, and half the family home,” I said sweetly as his eyes grew hooded “so I think if anyone is being cheated it’s me.”

Silence. Charlotte gave a screech “You greedy bitch. Johnathon built that law firm up from the ground, and he paid for the house with his hard-earned money. How dare you threaten him. I’m going to destroy you” she vowed.

I wanted to laugh. I waved the divorce papers at her mockingly. “I will get the divorce papers back to you in due time,” I said haughtily “now if you don’t mind, I have some important work to do.”

Charlotte sneered at me and reached for Johnathon’s hand “Come on darling, let the little peasant clean her stupid studio. She’ll realize she’s out of her depth and sign those papers soo enough” she said, flipping her hair and sashaying towards the door “because if you don’t Flair, I might just see how easy it is to get you fired from your job, which as I recall, is your only method of making any income” she shot over her shoulder, before the two of them left, making their way further downtown as I watched amused.

Rachel let out a burst of laughter. “She’s going to get you fired from the studio you own. Goodluck with that one” she said with a shake of her head.

I glanced down at the papers, feeling my chest tighten. Rachel sighed and then began to turn off the lights. “I still have to clean,” I said numbly.

She took the papers gently out of my hands “not tonight. Tonight we go out for dinner and drinks. Worry about the papers tomorrow” she told me and led me out of the studio, like a parent guiding a child, while I leaned against her, words of gratitude stuck in my throat.

Flair POV

We made it to the restaurant in good time, one of my favorites, and settled down at the table. Rachel sighed and leaned back in the chair as the waiter came up to take our orders. “I’ll have the Vegan version of the eggplant Parmigiana please,” I said as Rachel ordered a steak and chips.

I raised a brow at her. “I’m hungry,” she said pouting “and I need some greasy food. I don’t have your willpower Flair, or your morals.”

I just laughed and then glanced around at the busy restaurant, enjoying the ambiance as soft music played in the background. It wasn’t often we made it out to La Daniella’s but when we did, we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves at the elite restaurant. I smoothed down my dress, while Rachel nodded at my handbag, where the divorce papers sat neatly folded away.

“So what are you going to do? You really put Johnathon’s nose out of joint by not signing them on the spot, not to mention that little bitch Charlotte’s” she said with a giggle “The look on their faces. I can’t believe she threatened to have you fired from your own workplace. Oh I hope she tries it” she said with a hoot and her hand on her stomach as tears of laughter came to her eyes “I’d love to see somebody put that cow in her place.”

I just smiled “I meant everything I said. I’m going to have a lawyer look it over first. I don’t need his money” I said calmly, our dinner’s put in front of us by the lovely waiter “but I also don’t trust him not to try something sneaky or underhanded.”

“Will you get your family lawyers to do the honors?” Rachel asked, digging into her steak as she inhaled its aroma with satisfaction.

I shook my head “No, I don’t want to give away accidentally who I am. I want to get another lawyer instead, one that I haven’t used before and that Johnathon hasn’t hired or is friends with” I said concentrating on my eggplant parmigiana and taking a delicate bite of the delicious meal.

Rachel frowned “That’s a bit difficult, with the way his law firm is going lately, he’s employed several top lawyers and he’s friends with quite a few now, thanks to Charlotte Deluca. How are you going to find one that isn’t going to break confidentiality and tell Johnathon what you’ve done?”

I took another bite of parmigiana and looked up to see Rachel’s eyes glittering with mirth. She pointed at a table, discreetly, causing me to turn my head. I glanced at a man who was openly staring at me, unable to disguise his curiosity. He had shaggy brown hair that reached his shoulders, green eyes, and a chiseled jaw. He had stubble on his chin and he looked as though he was studying me. I blinked. Rachel smirked. “That guy is clearly into you” she whispered excitedly “You should get up and talk to him.”

I rolled my eyes and turned away, but could still feel his eyes boring into me. It made me nervous. “The last thing I need in my life right now is another man,” I told Rachel shaking my head “I haven’t even gotten divorced yet.”

“So what Flair? You’re entitled to some fun” she said with a smile of encouragement “hell it’s not as though Johanthon has waited.”

“I’m not Johnathon and I still have some class,” I told her disapprovingly, as she sighed and put a chip into her mouth, munching away.

The waiter came to our table with two glasses of champagne. I frowned. “We didn’t order any champagne,” I told him as he went to put them down.

“Ah, this is courtesy of that gentleman over there,” he said, pointing to the man who had been looking at us.

We looked but the table was now empty. The man had gone. I felt a flutter in my stomach and a little bit of disappointment at the same time. I had lost my chance to speak to him, but wasn’t that a good thing?

We accepted the champagne. But to my surprise, the waiter also handed me a card. “The gentleman very explicitly asked me to hand this to you, Miss Flair,” he said courteously.

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