Rise of the Formidable Ex-wife (Lucia and Alex) novel Chapter 11

14:20 Sat, May 30

Chapter 11

“That’s irrelevant,” he said, more sharply than intended.

“There you go again, defending her!” Margaret’s voice rose. “This is exactly why we need to make it official, Marco. So I don’t have to compete with a ghost.”

He stood, moving to take her in his arms. “There’s no competition. You won.”

The words softened her, as he knew they would. Margaret melted against him, her anger dissolving as quickly as it had appeared.

“I just want to be Mrs. Hart,” she murmured against his chest. “I want the world to know I’m yours.”

“And you will be.” He kissed the top of her head. “If the Grandview is what you want, then the Grandviews what you’ll have.”

The restaurant Margaret had chosen for lunch was trendy and expensive. The wedding planner, Anna, was already waiting with a portfolio of options.

“Charlotte has filled me in on your vision. Very grand, very elegant. A statement wedding.”

Marco shifted uncomfortably. “I’m not sure we need to make a statement..”

“Of course we do,” Margaret interrupted. “Marco’s company is a major player, and our wedding needs to reflect that. Isn’t that right, darling?”

“Right,” he agreed weakly.

As lunch progressed, Marco found himself agreeing to things he barely understood. A twelve–piece orchestra. Custom–made favors for each guest. A six–tier cake decorated with edible gold leaf. With each item, the invisible price tag climbed higher.

His phone buzzed for the third time, David, the CFO. Margaret’s smile became strained.

“Darling, perhaps you should take that.”

Marco excused himself, stepping outside.

“This better be important, David.”

“It is.” David’s voice was tight with worry. “Marco, I’ve been over the quarterly numbers four times. There’s definitely something wrong. The manufacturing division is showing serious discrepancies. Eight million dollars.”

“Eight million?”

“Someone’s been moving money out of company accounts. Transfers started about four years ago. Small at first. Got bigger.”

Marco’s blood ran cold. “Who?”

“I don’t know yet. But if these numbers are accurate, we need to inform the board immediately. There could be legal implications…”

“Email me the details. I’ll look tonight.”

“Tonight might be too late. We need…”

“Tonight. David.” Marco glanced through the window at Margaret watching him. “I’m in the middle of something.”

When he returned. Margaret’s smile was back in place, but her eyes remained cool. “Everything okay?”

Fune. Just some numbers that need reviewing.”

14:20 Sat, May 30

Chapter 11

“More important than our wedding plans?”

“Of course not. Nothing’s more important than our future.”

After Anna left. Margaret sipped her champagne, watching Marco over the rim of her glass. “You’re distracted.”

It wasn’t a question Marco sighed. “The company numbers aren’t great this quarter. David’s found discrepancies that need attention.”

Something flickered across Margaret’s face. “Discrepancies?”

“Nothing serious,” he lied. “Just accounting issues.”

Margaret set down her glass. “Richard, if there are problems at the company, I need to know. We’re partners now.”

Partners. The word struck Marco as odd. In their two years together, they’d never discussed business strategy.

“It’s boring financial stuff,” he deflected. “Nothing for you to worry about.”

Her eyes narrowed. Then, as quickly as it appeared, the look vanished, replaced by her brilliant smile. “You’re right. I should focus on making our wedding perfect.” She leaned forward, her hand finding his. “In fact, I was thinking… what if we moved the date up? Two weeks instead of three?”

“Two weeks? Margaret, that’s impossible. The divorce paperwork alone…”

“But that’s just it!” She squeezed his hand. “My lawyer says if Lucia doesn’t contest, we can fast–track everything. Since she’s basically disappeared, we could argue abandonment.”

Marco frowned. “Abandonment? I’m the one who ended things.”

Margaret waved away this detail. “Technicalities. The point is, we could be married sooner.”

As she gazed at him expectantly, Marco felt strangely hollow. Two weeks. A rushed divorce. A lavish wedding he couldn’t really afford, not with eight million dollars missing from company accounts.

But Margaret’s eyes were pleading, her hand warm in his. And wasn’t this what he wanted? A fresh start. A beautiful young wife. A chance to feel alive again.

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