Chapter 29
Clenching his jaw, Gadreel didn’t immediately sign
*Papers, in fact, he didn’t want to. But
under the prying eyes present and his reputation as a business man who stood by his words, he had no choice but to follow through.
Picking up the pen, he signed his name and the judge wasted no time in approving the documents.
Walking out of the hall, Gadreel couldn’t help but run his hand through his hair, a gesture he only did when he felt frustrated.
And right now, he was indeed frustrated, for some reason, the divorce didn’t give him the relief he had anticipated.
The same however, couldn’t be said for Ivory.
One glance in her direction and he could tell that she was relieved. It showed on her face, the way she smiled down at the divorce certificate and in the way she drew in the fresh morning air.
The sight Irked Gadreel, but then, his eyes caught sight of one of the hickey just below her jaw and he sighed.
Perhaps he has gone a bit overboard last night. He should say something about that.
Walking up to her, Gadreel began. “Ivory, about last night-” Before he could finish, she interrupted him.
“I already handled it. I’ve taken a morning after pill, so you don’t need to worry.”
Gadreel frowned a bit, but Ivory didn’t care in the slightest bit about his reaction. Without waiting for him to respond, she began walking towards the car that had come to pick her up.
Gadreel’s eyes watched as she walked towards the car, opened the door and then stopped.
Turning back to face him, she smiled, but it was anything but friendly.
“And Gadreel, in the nearest future, I hope we never see each other again.”
And just like that, she was gone. As he watched the taxi drive away, an inexplicable feeling began to grow in his chest.
One that he could not describe or understand, Thus he turned to the one thing he rarely turned to, Alcohol. Settling in one of Empire’s private rooms, he gently sipped on the glass of whiskey, all the while trying to wrap his head around how things had turned out like this.
I mean, was it that serious? They weren’t meant for each other. They were incompatible, so why did he feel this way?
A soft sigh escaped his lips.
“This isn’t like me,” he muttered and leaned back, eyes closed.
Why couldn’t he just shrug it off? It wasn’t a big deal, at least, it shouldn’t be
His thoughts were cut short when someone knocked on the door and without waiting for an answer, opened it and entered.
“Reel,” Asher waved as he walked in, but he wasn’t alone. Behind him, was the third member of their friendship group and Gadreel perked up at the familiar figure.
“Cameron,”
The young man flashed a smile and stepped into the room, closing the door behind him.
“Hey.” Spreading his arms out, he added. “Guess who’s back in town.”
A smile ghosted Gadreel’s lips. It has been a while, since high school to be precise, since they had all gotten together like this. If not for the circumstances in his life right now, Gadreel would have been overwhelmed with happiness.
So for the time being, all he could muster, was a smile.
“You down in the dump?” Cameron asked as he settled in one of the chairs, leaning against it and examining his best friend’s expression. “Didn’t expect to see you like this after years. What’s going on?”
Gadreel was silent for a few seconds before sighing and shaking his head.
“It’s nothing,” he said, picking up his glass.
“His wife just divorced him,” Asher revealed, earning a glare from Gadreel, one he brushed off.
If he didn’t want Cameron to know, then why tell him? Asher thought as he took a sip from his drink and stopped, frowning for only a few seconds, because now that he thought about it, none of them has ever predicted an outcome where Ivory would divorce Gadreel.
It was too far fetched, something they were certain would never happen, yet, here it was.
“Your wife divorced you?” Cameron, after hearing this, frowned. He didn’t know much about
this ‘wife‘ of Gadreel’s.
They never had a big wedding and he wasn’t in Paris when the entire thing happened, so he this wide of his, mystery Mrs. Ødegaar, as he calls her, was just that; a total mystery to him.
“That’s…” He trailed off. “That’s new.”
“Yeah,” Asher said, taking another sip from his glass. “And not a pleasant one,
Cameron was silent for a few seconds before he chuckled. “Your wife really must be something, Reel,” He took a sip from his drink. “Having the guts to divorce someone like
you,
he paused and then chuckled in a teasing manner. “I’m guessing she must have found someone better.”
Gadreel was quiet, but the frown on his face said volume. And said frown only deepened when something caught Gadreel attention; the wrist watch wrapped around Cameron’s wrist.
It was a green customized Philippe Patek, the only one in the world and the exact same one h had seen on the wrist of the guy who stood with Ivory in the picture Mickey had sent him.
The more he looked at it, the more obvious the fact became and to add salt to wound, he recalled the car in the picture.
he
Although unfamiliar at first glance, Gadreel’s sharp mind soon made the connection. The car was the same model of the one Cameron owned.
This could only mean one thing.
“Where were you last night?” Gadreel asked right off the bat, surprising his friends.
“Huh?” Cameron stared at him in confusion. “Yesterday?” He took a moment to think, but didn’t need much, as the incident of the previous day came to him with ease.
“Ah,” He began, a smile dancing on his lips. “I dropped by the racing club yesterday, and tell you this,” he leaned forward. “I met an interesting specimen.”
Asher was intrigued while Gadreel stiffened a bit and his hold around his glass tightened.
Cameron, unbeknownst to this, carried on. “Ivy was her name,” he smirked. “As interesting, beautiful and intriguing as her name. She caught my fancy, I dare say.”
Gadreel was silent for a few seconds. If Cameron’s words did a number on him, he did not allow it to show, or rather, he did not have a reaction.
His face remained expressionless, but his fist had clenched and a shift in his demeanor had occurred.
Asher who was sitting beside him, quickly sensed this. He frowned ever so slightly and began,
“Reel-” but the very moment he tries to speak, Gadreel stood up and fixed his attention solely on Cameron, ignoring his attempt completely.
“Get up.” He demanded, voice calm but firm, as if he expected Cameron to comply without
questions.
Cameron chuckled at this, but still stood. “What
“Right now, you and I, a boxing match.” Gadreel interrupted and Cameron frowned, but a smirk still played cautiously on his lips.
“What?”
“Yeah, what are you talking about, Reel?” Asher butted in, staring hard at Gadreel as if that
way, he would be able to tell what his friend was thinking.
Gadreel, ignoring Asher, again, carried. “A boxing match between you and I, winner gets to demand whatever it is from the loser.”
Cameron’s brows shot up and a pleasant smirk crossed his lips. “Is that so? Alright, let’s go.”
