The Rejected Luna (Avery and Kaden) novel Chapter 201

**Between the Wings of Twilight Lies the Memory of You**

Antonia Lopez’s complexion shifted dramatically, her once pale face now a ghastly shade of ashen gray. Tears brimmed in her eyes, glistening like dew on fragile petals as Steven Lancaster unleashed his relentless verbal onslaught.

“Are you still here? Or do you want me to keep going?” he taunted, his voice dripping with disdain.

That was the moment that broke the dam. Antonia, her heart clearly shattered, shot me a venomous glare before she dissolved into tears and fled, desperate to find her mother’s comforting embrace.

Steven’s icy stare pivoted sharply in my direction. “How much did Horace Spencer pay for you? Why did you go to him instead of me?”

Again with this?

I had anticipated this reaction. His fury was not truly aimed at Antonia but was a reflection of his own jealousy over Horace.

Men and their infuriatingly complex, possessive egos.

I couldn’t help but let out a derisive scoff. “He just happened to be there, so he paid. Besides, why would I call you? You’re my soon-to-be ex-husband.”

“You want to divorce me when you’re this broke? How do you expect to survive without me?” His voice rose, irritation creeping into every syllable. He spat the next question like a venomous snake. “How much?”

I hesitated, narrowing my eyes at him, weighing my options. Finally, I raised my hand and displayed five fingers with a sense of finality. “Five thousand.”

For a fleeting moment, I had wrestled with the idea of either telling the truth or inflating the figure. Ultimately, I opted for a tenfold exaggeration. Steven was hardly short on funds, but I certainly was. The thought of swindling my soon-to-be ex-husband didn’t faze my conscience in the slightest.

“Five thousand?” His eyes widened in disbelief before he erupted into a bitter laugh. “Zephyra Jones, you can’t even afford five thousand? What the hell does Myron Taylor pay you, three grand a month?”

I puffed out my cheeks, suppressing the retort that threatened to escape. He looked dangerously close to offering to pay it for me, so I decided to tread carefully.

To my utter astonishment, Steven initiated a transfer of twenty thousand directly into my account. I accepted it without a second thought, though a wave of regret crashed over me like a rogue wave.

Damn it, I should have asked for more.

I should have claimed Horace paid a million. With Steven’s temper, he would have insisted on repaying Horace that million, and I could have left the marriage with a nice little nest egg.

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