His Last Command Came Back to Kill Him novel Chapter 96

Whitley certainly didn't mean that.

It was just that she had been away from the industry for so long, and stepping right back into such a lucrative compensation package made her deeply uncomfortable.

She pressed her lips together. "I can accept the salary, but the dividends—"

"Stop turning it down."

Zinnia walked over and draped an arm over her shoulders effortlessly. "PurePath was always partially yours. You just took a massive detour by throwing yourself into that marriage for years. Now that you're officially back and fully committed, everything returns to how it was meant to be. Chisholm and I are the majority partners, and we're both in total agreement. So stop being polite."

Whitley's grip on the contract tightened. It was a heavy weight of absolute trust, one she could not afford to let down.

Picking up a pen, she formally signed her name.

"That's more like it!" Zinnia cheered, pulling her into a tight hug. "From now on, the three of us stick together. Nobody messes with us."

Whitley managed a small smile, though a sudden, inexplicable prickle of tears burned behind her eyes.

After being trapped in the dark void of her marriage for so long, she was impossibly lucky to have friends who had never stopped waiting for her.

-

Even after Whitley left the office and headed out, Clive had still not returned her call.

When she tried dialing again, it went straight to a dead line.

A dark resolve settled in her eyes. She grabbed her bag and headed straight out the door.

At 8 PM, Whitley arrived at Clive's private villa.

She raised her hand and rang the doorbell.

The door was answered by Zita. She was visibly stunned for a moment before breaking into a relieved smile. "Mrs. Sherwood, you're back? Why didn't you just use the passcode to come in?"

A silent, cynical laugh echoed in Whitley's mind.

The passcode had been changed long ago.

They weren't even officially divorced yet, but she was already an outsider forced to ring the bell of her own home.

"It doesn't matter," she deflected, not wanting to elaborate. She cut straight to the point. "Is Clive back?"

"Mr. Sherwood hasn't returned. He mentioned he had a business dinner tonight and might not be coming home."

Whitley stood in the foyer in silence for a moment before stepping inside anyway.

She had to corner him today. She wasn't going to let Winona's room be snatched away without a fight.

Taking a seat on the living room sofa, she sat completely still and waited through the entire night.

It doesn't matter anymore.

Whatever they did together was none of her business now.

Upon spotting Whitley, Yelena didn't bother to release her hold on Clive. Instead, she flashed a relaxed, utterly brazen smile, behaving entirely like the rightful lady of the house.

"Oh, you're here? Perfect timing. Be a dear and go draw a bath for Clive. I'll get him wiped down so he can get some decent sleep."

Whitley legitimately thought she had misheard.

She was supposed to run the water so Yelena could undress and clean him?

The absolute audacity of a favored mistress was on full, unapologetic display.

The fact that she was bold enough to pull this directly in front of his wife proved precisely how much power and unbridled indulgence Clive had handed her.

Whitley didn't even want to imagine how many times scenes like this had played out behind her back.

A cynical sneer twisted her lips. "I wouldn't want to interrupt you two."

Right on cue, Yelena's phone started ringing.

She glanced at the caller ID and frowned. Ensuring Clive could lean against the wall without falling, she casually tossed an order at Whitley. "Keep an eye on him for a second."