Ex Wife's Collapse After Divorce novel Chapter 33

Chapter 33

+15 Bonus

The restaurant Damian chose was all dark wood, white linen, and hushed conversations. A corner booth. Two glasses of Bordeaux. Steak tartare for him, salmon for her.

Vivian barely touched her food.

Damian noticed. He noticed everything

that was his gift. But he didn’t push. He talked about his flight,

about the weather back home, about a terrible movie he’d watched on the plane. Light. Easy. Giving her space to breathe.

Then, between the main course and dessert, he set down his fork.

“So.” His tone shifted. Still warm, but with an undercurrent of purpose. “I mentioned I had good news.”

Vivian looked up.

“My uncle – Vincent. He’s in real estate, but he’s been looking to diversify. Branch into other industries.” Damian leaned forward, elbows on the table. “I pitched him on Lockwood Industries.”

Vivian’s brow furrowed. “Lockwood doesn’t need investors, Damian. We need contracts. Partners.

Revenue streams. Our capital reserves are -”

“Still thinking like you haven’t slept?” He grinned. “Vivian. Think about it. My uncle has connections across the entire eastern seaboard. But you can’t just walk up to a man like Vincent Hale and say ‘hey, do me a favor.’ He needs skin in the game. A reason to care.”

He paused, letting it land.

“I’m proposing you transfer a portion of Lockwood’s shares to him at market price. He becomes a stakeholder. And once he’s in – his entire network opens up. Pharmaceutical contacts, supply chain. partners, distribution channels. For him, it’s a phone call.”

“No.”

The word came out fast. Reflexive.

Vivian shook her head. “My father would never agree. Lockwood Industries has always been a single- voice operation. One decision-maker. One direction. He’d sooner burn the company down than let an outsider into the boardroom.”

And that was also a major reason why Lockwood Industries was doing so well. Vivian left that unsaid. But to be honest, her father was a savvy businessman.

“I know.” Damian didn’t look surprised. He didn’t even look disappointed. “That’s why I thought this through very carefully.”

He reached across the table. His fingers brushed the back of her hand feather-light, there and gone.

“At first, I was going to tell my uncle you were my girlfriend. That would’ve been the easiest way to get

1/3

+15 Bonus

him on board – family helps family, you know?” His eyes held hers. Steady. Sincere. “But then I thought about it. You and Ethan the divorce isn’t finalized. If my uncle found out I was involved with a married woman…” He let out a self-deprecating laugh. “He’s old-fashioned. He’d lose respect for you before you even walked through the door. And I’d rather take a beating than let anyone look down on you.”

Vivian’s lips parted. No sound came out.

“So I found another angle.” Damian straightened. All business now. “Vincent buys in as a silent partner. Shares in his name, but he doesn’t set foot in Crestwood. Doesn’t attend board meetings. Doesn’t interfere with your father’s decisions. I handle everything on this end – liaison, communication, whatever’s needed. Your father keeps full operational control.”

“Damian -”

“And here’s the real prize.” He held up a finger. “Vincent’s network isn’t just in Crestwood. It’s in Havenport. The Havenport market is twice the size of Crestwood’s pharmaceutical sector, and your father knows it. If this works – and it will work – Lockwood Industries could open a branch office there within the year.”

Silence.

Vivian stared at him. The gears behind her eyes were turning – she could feel them clicking into place despite the exhaustion, despite the fog of last night’s fury.

Havenport. A branch office. Vincent Hale’s connections.

It was exactly what Lockwood needed. Not just a lifeline – a

– a launchpad.

“I can’t give you an answer right now,” she said slowly. “I need to talk to my father first. This is his call.”

“Of course.” Damian leaned back, palms up. Not a trace of pressure. “I’m not asking you to decide anything today. I just wanted you to know – I went home, and the entire time I was there, I was thinking about how to help you. That’s it. Whether it works out or not…” He shrugged. “That’s not up to me.”

–

Vivian looked at him really looked.

The earnest expression. The careful distance he maintained even while offering everything. The way he’d thought about her reputation, her father’s pride, the optics of their relationship, all before she’d even

had to ask.

And then, unbidden, another image surfaced.

Ethan. Last night. Sophie Whitfield’s apartment.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify