Imperfect Match (Elixir Bachelor Billionaires #1)

“These are date cookies I made a few days back. If you have a craving for sweets, these are healthy.” She hands me a paper bag.

“Thank you so much.” My voice cracks, and she cups my cheek with her hand.

“Everything is going to be all right, dear. He loves you too much to let you go.”

I nod, knowing Charles does love me, but there’s something else that is much stronger pulling him away from me.

When I arrive at Willow’s place, she’s perched on the floor in the middle of her living room, surrounded by her laptop and a stack of papers.

“How did it go with Charles?” she asks, setting aside her work.

I shrug, hanging my coat on the rack and avoiding eye contact. “He was passed out most of the time.”

“And what about you? How are you?” She studies me closely as I turn around.

“I’ll be okay.”

“Do you want to talk?”

I shake my head. “No, I think I want to be alone for a while.”

“Gotcha. But if you need anything, like a pair of ears to hear you out, just holler, okay?”

“Thanks, Wills.” I smile, then motion to the stack before her. “Um, and I wish you the best of luck with whatever you have planned for tonight.”

“Thanks. The perfect plan would have been to murder Raymond Teager, but since I heard the jails are fully booked these days, I’ll settle for doing serious damage to his reputation and a body part he’s so proud of.”

“Be careful, Wills. Ray has a reputation for being ruthless.”

She waves a carefree hand at my concern. “We’ll see who’s more ruthless between the two of us. And, Daze, this came for you a few days back.” She grabs an envelope from her stack of unopened letters. “Sorry. In all the stress, I missed checking the mailbox.”

My hands shake as I grab the white cover that has a Hawthorne seal on the back.

Did Charles finally send me the divorce papers?

Looking at the metal box and the unopened envelope placed on the bed, I know I can’t ignore them any longer. I’ve already changed out of the dress and into my pajamas and done more skincare tonight than I did the whole week.

My hands shake and my eyes betray me as I repeatedly blink, but the wetness never disappears.

Fuck it.

This is what you asked for, Daisy. Now face it.

I grab the envelope and tear it open without pause. Brushing a hand over my cheeks and wiping away the tears, I read the text.

What the heck?

I reread it as my lungs start to burn. The words make no freaking sense.

Charles Hawthorne transfers 100% of his current and future wealth to Daisy Price-Hawthorne.

Oh, Charles! What have you done?

But why are you surprised, Daisy?

Charles has always been fair in business, but when it comes to relationships and family, he’s unprecedented. He’s the same man who cooked with my dad, threatened reporters for me, and destroyed Jax’s business.

So, of course, when it comes to his own child, how would he make any exception?