MAVEN.
The tension was high the moment I stepped into the house with Deline.
Lush didn't even speak. She didn't raise her voice, didn't throw a tantrum. But the way she looked at me with those blank eyes and regal posture made me feel like she didn't even recognize me...? I almost lost it right there.
When did she become so cold?
She used to be soft and warm and predictable. And now? One look from her had my heart stuttering in panic. She didn't even need to say a word. Her silence stripped me raw.
Truth is, I used to love her. I really did. But things changed. I suddenly needed space. I needed a change of... I don't know... Maybe air? I mean... She was everywhere, doing everything and anything I wanted her to do.
God, she almost had no will of her own, and it turned me off. A lot of men might appreciate such women, but not me. I mean... Give me some drama. Get me upset. Make me uneasy.
I wanted to fight for her. To earn her forgiveness after I messed up. To feel like I could lose her if I didn't step up.
She shouldn't take all of that from me.
I wanted to argue about her staying out too late. I wanted to be furious at her for wearing a dress so tight I'd have to rethink letting her walk out the door. I wanted to see her laugh at some man's joke and feel the ugly fire of possessiveness burn in my chest. I wanted to need to stake my claim.
God, it wasn't difficult! But no! She didn't do all of that!
She lived inside the box I built for her.
She never made me feel like I could lose her, so I stopped trying to hold on.
The peace and quiet she gave me was way too much, and I got to the point where I began to resent it and crave something different.
Tell me why a woman would remain comfortable being childless simply because her husband says he wasn't ready to be a father?
Why didn't she push back?
Why didn't she argue? Cry? Throw the damn idea in my face every other day until I cracked and gave her what she wanted?
Why didn't she scream, "I want a baby, Maven!?"
Instead, she just agreed to it and focused on building the company with her sweat and blood, like her womb didn't ache whenever she saw a stroller on the sidewalk!
Why the hell would a woman consistently roll her hair in a bun simply because I said I liked it that way? Couldn't she have lost her mind with it once in a while? Let it down? Dyed it some crazy color just to shock me? Throw it into wild curls or something.
Why would a woman hardly ever wear makeup simply because I said too much of it wasn't my thing?
And the clothes… Jesus.
Big skirts. Loose gowns. High collars. Everything soft and elegant and respectful.
But a man needs to see some ass sometimes. He needs to feel like he's seconds away from begging her not to leave the bedroom.
Because if I saw a woman out there who was exactly the way I really liked, I wouldn't hesitate to look twice. Hell, sometimes I wouldn't even try to hide it.
I had crafted her into a version of womanhood that no longer excited me.
And the worst part? She let me without a fight.
Deline made me feel alive. She was beautiful to a fault. She was every man's dream, yet she belonged to me, while every other man just sat back and wished she was theirs.
There's a particular pride that comes from being the man others envy. I bathed in it. Deline was my fire and my thrill.
And when Deline finally got pregnant for me, the tiny love I thought I had left for Lush dissipated really fast. There was no way in hell I was letting her get rid of my child.
Besides, I love her so much and would love to be with her instead.
I wasn't ungrateful. I recognize Lush's input in the success of my company, even when my parents thought I would come back begging for a spot in the family business after I walked out on them to start The Paragon.
The business was circling the drain before she walked in and revived it with that terrifying brilliance of hers. Otherwise, I would've been a goddamn corporate corpse.
She brought in the best endorsement deals and all our top clients. I respect that. That's why I didn't reject her proposal to stay married for one more year. Whatever preparations she needed to make to be ready to leave was fine by me as long as she didn't interfere with my personal life.
She had also requested that I make sure the building of her own company was finalized and ready within this one year.
Now, that's where the problem lies.
And that's the only reason I was standing in her new room in the middle of the night, tensed as hell, eager to hear what else she had to say about that. Because I was worried as hell.
Whatever I was building for her was meant to be a subsidiary of The Paragon, and not some independent empire she could walk away with. That wasn't the plan. That was never the damn plan.
So now that we were heading for a divorce, I had to wonder… was she still planning to work for me? Under me?
"You should've figured out what you wanted to say before walking in here, Maven," she said coolly, not even looking at me, her fingers tapping away on her laptop like I wasn't even in the room. "Standing there like you're lost doesn't suit you."
I let out a slow breath and leaned back against the edge of her vanity table. Her calm was pissing me off.
"What's your plan, Lush?" I asked in a low voice, trying to keep it from sounding like a full-blown accusation. "Why did you really ask for one more year? Is it all just because of the company?" I hit the nail on the head. I planned on spending as little time here as possible. Deline must be worried by now, and I didn't want to give her a bad impression.
Lush finally stopped typing.
She slowly raised her eyes like she'd been expecting this moment.
"What exactly are you driving at, Maven?" Her voice was cool, betraying not a single emotion.
I folded my arms. "The Aura was supposed to be a subsidiary of The Paragon, not a standalone company. So now that we're getting divorced…" I paused, watching her closely, "You're seriously okay working for your ex-husband?"
She held my gaze for a moment and didn't even flinch. That blank, unreadable face I used to praise for being so poised and dignified… it pissed me off now.
She folded her laptop slowly like she was about to school me in the middle of the night.
"If I had a problem working under you," she said calmly, "I would've stated it clearly already. I don't mix personal bitterness with profit. As long as we're both playing fair and no one's trying to cheat the other, I don't see why we can't continue as planned."
I didn't believe her.
Because the woman sitting before me like a damn statue wasn't the woman I married. And that scared me more than I'd admit.
It wasn't my desire to want to keep her close, even after handing her a divorce. But I couldn't afford to let her go, either.
She was the engine oil of The Paragon. She was essential. Without her, things would eventually grind and smoke. I knew it. My board knew it. Hell, even Deline had hinted at it once.
"I'm not sure I trust you," I admitted more to myself than her.
Her mouth curved slightly. "Then put it in writing."
I blinked.
"If you're worried I'll run off with your precious Aura, then protect your interests. Draft a contract. Define the terms. I'll sign." She added, and I was both surprised and impressed. She really needed this just like I needed her.
I stood up from the vanity table. "Alright, then," I said, slowly pacing the room, digesting her words. "You'll still be working under The Paragon. So we'll keep it clear: I get sixty percent of every dime that comes from The Aura. You get forty."
She didn't react or argue. She just nodded once, like she was mentally calculating it already.
"What about staff salaries?" she asked after a beat. "And the daily operations? Yearly running costs? Whose pocket is that coming out of?"
I stopped pacing and looked at her. "That's on you."
A flicker of something crossed her face. She stared past me for a moment. Then she gave a slow nod.
"Fine," she said simply. "Tell your lawyer to draft the contract. I'll have my legal team review it."
I exhaled. That was relieving.