The Don Tore Up Our Divorce (Gemma and Cassian) novel Chapter 361

Chapter 361(revised)

Gemma’s POV

Jace is wiping down the main work table, his movements methodical, when he glances over. “So, how did the house hunt go today?” His tone is carefully neutral, the question hanging in the newly quiet space after Molly’s departure.

Zina, who has been vibrating with the need to share the news, practically leaps at the opening. “You have no idea! It was insane! It’s not even a house, it’s a—” She launches into a breathless description of the villa, her hands waving to illustrate the four floors, the chandelier, the silent, opulent perfection.

I shake my head, a wry smile touching my lips, and let her narrate the surreal experience. I’m still processing it myself.

“Gemma, your phone!” Zina interrupts her own story, pointing to where it’s buzzing on the coffee table.

I pick it up. “Hello?”

A smooth, unfamiliar male voice answers. “Ms. Marino, good afternoon. This is Tate Hartley.”

MAбeyes instinctively dart to Zina, who’s watching m

curiously. Hartley. Jeremy’s family. “Mr. Hartley.” I reply. mvguard instantly up. “What can I do for you?”

“My sister, Amanda, caused you significant distress recently. I’ve brought her with me today to offer a proper apology. I was hoping we might meet.”

The memory of a hysterical Amanda brandishing a knife in my living room is not one I cherish, but the immediate danger passed. “That’s really not necessary,” I say politely. “As long as the situation is resolved, I consider the matter closed.”

There’s a pause. “I would consider it a personal favor if you would allow us this courtesy,” Tate insists, his voice layering quiet pressure beneath the polite request.

I really can’t refuse. The Hartley family’s web is one I’d rather not tangle with unnecessarily. “Alright. Where and when?”

After hanging up, I look at Zina. “Tate Hartley. He wants to meet, says he’s bringing Amanda to apologize.”

Zina’s face darkens immediately. “No. Don’t go. None of those Hartley siblings are straightforward. Tate is the worst–quiet, calculating. He wants something, I’m serious, Gemma.”

Her protectiveness is touching. “And Jeremy? Is he not ‘one of those Hartley siblings“?” I tease gently, trying to lighten her obvious worry.

She flushes. “That’s different. Jeremy and his half–brothers are nothing alike.” The fierce loyalty in her voice confirms what I already suspect… she’s in deep with Jeremy, complications and all.

“I’ll be fine,” I assure her. “It’s a public place. I’ll hear the apology and leave.” I refuse Jace’s silent offer to accompany me with a small shake of my head. This feels like a solo mission.

Tate has chosen his venue with conspicuous discretion: a restaurant that serves only ten guests a day, and today, he has booked the entire place. A waiter leads me through an entrance that feels more like a secret garden path, all lush greenery and hushed, humid air. It’s beautiful and utterly isolating.

At a solitary table, Tate rises. Beside him, Amanda looks like she’d rather be anywhere else, her arms crossed, a sulky pout on her face.

“Ms. Marino, thank you for coming. Please, sit.”

I take the offered chair. Under Tate’s firm gaze, Amanda clears her throat, her hands fidgeting on her lap. “Gemma,” she begins, the name dragged out reluctantly, “I was… out of line when I came to your apartment. I apologize.” It sounds rote, forced.

“Jeremy is the legitimate eldest son of the Hartley family. His choices reflect on the dynasty. Zina was originally intended as a companion for my father, Peter. Now, she is suddenly my brother’s girlfriend. You must see how… problematic this looks from the outside. It’s becoming a familial embarrassment.”

“If the Hartley family is embarrassed, they should see that they themselves are responsible for it. A patriarch wants to marry a woman who is younger than him by at least three decades, and she then chooses his own son. However you frame it, the source of the ‘problem‘ sits at your family’s table, not with Zina.”

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