Chapter 14
Has Mom ever treated you badly? And you’re talking about divorce while she’s seriously ill? Nadia, can you at least act like a decent human being for once?” Jason barked.
Who’s the real monster here? Nadia scoffed inwardly. ‘Dragging out the divorce while shamelessly entertaining another woman in the open?”
Her patience was long gone, and Nadia was done playing the dutiful wife.
Disappointment carved through her like ice, and her voice carried the edge of it. “You made it easy, I just had to press where it
hurts”
Jason’s veins pulsed with anger at her sharp tone. He had convinced himself her antics were just a ploy for attention, a way to spite him. But this time, her determination to end the marriage felt real.
“Nadia, I hate repeating myself, so listen carefully. Whether we divorce or not isn’t your call. It’s mine,” Jason said coldly. “And don’t be so naïve. If people knew you were my wife, they wouldn’t touch you, even if you begged them to.”
His arrogance made her blood boil.
“What happens after the divorce is none of your business. Just sign the papers,” Nadia snapped.
Jason’s gaze darkened, his lips flattening into a harsh line. “I don’t have time for your little tantrums.”
Seeing that he hadn’t rejected, Nadia knew it would be enough for her to press forward. “Then we’ll talk after your business trip.
The divorce was inevitable. But for now, she’d stay for Madge.
She barely finished the sentence before Jason seized her shoulders and shoved her into the dim, empty stairwell.
Then, without warning, his mouth crashed onto hers.
The bitter tang of tobacco invaded her senses. His kiss felt as forceful, entitled, and unrelenting as the man himself.
Nadia froze.
He had barely touched her in the three years they’d been married. Even on rare nights he lost control after a drinking session, he’d stop cold the moment he registered her face.
But this time, he didn’t stop.
Her mind went blank. A cold shiver ran through her as she realized Jason’s hand had slipped beneath her clothes. His fingers moved slowly and deliberately, like silk being peeled away, tracing the curve of her spine in a quiet, calculated ascent.
Dazed, Nadia realized that if she didn’t stop Jason’s madness now, he might take it all the way right there in the stairwell.
Nadia clenched her jaw and bit down hard.
Jason let out a muffled grunt and jerked back, his forehead pressing against hers, breathing hard into her face like he might lunge forward for a kiss again.
“You bit me?” He licked the corner of his mouth where blood had welled, stark against his skin, turning his gaze cold and cutting.
“Didn’t Abby do enough for you last night?” Nadia spat, turning her face away in disgust. “Or are you always this desperate?”
Jason let out a cold, humorless laugh and grabbed her chin, forcing her to look at him. “I’m your husband,” he said, voice low and threatening. “I don’t need permission, and no one gets to judge me.”
My husband? Nadia scoffed inwardly. What a joke. Our marriage certificate’s as good as ash
“If Abby knew what a pathetic excuse of a man you really are, she’d count her blessings for walking away,” she snapped.
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Jason’s expression turned cruel. “And if Hubert catches wind of this divorce, the first thing he’ll do is cut off Pat’s treatment.”
Nadia froze. Silence clawed at her throat.
He leaned in, his breath hot against her ear. “Hubert’s the legal guardian. You don’t get a vote. Still rushing to end this marriage? Or are you just tired of waiting for Pat to die?”
“Jason Black, you sick bastard!” Nadia hissed, shoving at him. But then her eyes caught the fresh scratch marks on his arm, and her stomach turned violently.
Nadia gagged, unable to stifle the wave of nausea.
Taking advantage of his stunned silence, she shoved him away with all her strength and bolted down the stairs. Her footsteps rang out like gunshots in the empty stairwell.
Jason stood motionless, simmering with frustration. Then, with a flick of his lighter, he lit a cigarette, the smoke curling around him in open defiance of the hospital’s no–smoking signs.
Nadia had hoped Jason’s business trip would buy her a few days of peace. Instead, trouble showed up right on cue.
The moment she walked into the studio, Ash waved her over. “Heads up. We’ve got a diva in the building.”
“Who is it this time?” Nadia asked, barely interested.
“Abby Pauley. The one who claims she doesn’t need a body double but still demands one,” Ash scoffed. “She’s got one expression for every role, blank and uninspired. Still won a Goldspire somehow. Then again, it helps when your ex still bankrolls your career.”
“I suppose it does,” Nadia said dryly, brushing past and heading to her desk.
A few minutes later, Ash returned with a cup of tea. “Mr. Palmer wants to see you. Bring this in with you.”
“Alright,” Nadia replied, taking the cup without missing a beat.
“Perfect timing,” Clive said politely as Nadia stepped in. “This is Ms. Pauley, the lead in Director Rex Males’s new film. We were just finalizing the details for her stand–in double.”
Abby had just been discharged from the hospital. She wore a simple loose white dress and a white baseball cap with a diamond–studded “S” on it.
She reached casually for the tea, then froze when she saw Nadia before her.
“Mr. Palmer,” Abby drawled, eyes flicking to Nadia, “if Nadpat refuses to quietly step in as my embroidery double, the least you could do is find someone competent. Don’t insult me with a tea–fetching intern.”
Clive’s smile faltered as he darted a glance at Nadia, but she remained composed, unruffled by the jab.
“Although Director Males’s film is fictional, the costumes are modeled after authentic Qing Dynasty designs,” Abby said, her tone almost professorial. “I had the privilege of seeing the ceremonial robe Nadpat restored. The phoenix embroidery was breathtaking–vivid, regal, and unmistakably the work of a true artisan. Yet, she maintains such a low profile. I went to great lengths to secure a meeting, but to no avail.
With a little huff and a smirk, Abby added, “It may be a slight to have her as my body double, but I can offer her better resources. I have a very influential friend, after all.”
‘No need to dance around it. Just say Jason’s name and be done, Nadia thought dryly.
Clive knew exactly what Abby was implying because he had struggled to believe that this unassuming woman was the legendary Nadpat when he first found out.
“Ms. Pauley, Clive began, placing the teacup before her, “actually…”
“Clive, Nadia interrupted smoothly, her voice calm but cutting, “As a body double for the leading role, the role should go to someone with skill, polish, and a certain level of vanity.”
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Chapter 14
Clive hadn’t expected Nadia’s reply, and the air in the room seemed tense.
Caught off guard by the challenge in Nadia’s words, Abby forced a smile, laced with faux politeness.
“Do put in a good word for me with Nadpat,” she said sweetly. “Even if she doesn’t care for fame or status, everyone hits rough patches. More friends mean more options, don’t they? I’m willing to pay whatever she wants.”
A bracelet slipped off her wrist as she stood, and she bent down to pick it up, deliberately waving it before Nadia.
“Maybe because I like diamonds, Jason assumes every woman does,” Abby said with a sly smile, as she fastened it back on, brushing her hair aside to reveal a matching necklace.
The design was identical to the diamond earrings Nadia had returned to Jason.
The design was identical to the diamond earrings Nadia had returned to Jason. Abby was practically glowing with smugness. “He still doesn’t know what you like. Some husband.”
“Ms. Pauley, you see,” Nadia’s smile remained easy, her composure flawless. “Gifts can always be reclaimed. But an unlimited black card for spending? Now that’s something truly secure.”
Abby’s smile wavered, a flicker of jealousy flashing in her eyes. The thought of Nadia holding access to a limitless black card hit harder than she expected.
If Nadia chose, she could easily claim the accessories as marital property. However, the money Jason had given her was limitless, with no boundaries or restrictions.
Abby’s fury simmered just beneath the surface, but with Clive still present, she dared not respond.
Overseas on a business trip, Austin stepped into Jason’s hotel suite.
“Mr. Black, I looked into it. The man your wife was having dinner with at the food truck works at CP Stitch Studio. She’s employed there now.”
Jason didn’t bother looking up. He knew exactly what kind of work the studio did. If Nadia were involved in embroidery, she would probably have been sewing plush cartoon toys for herself, at best.
He twirled his pen between his fingers, lips curling into a sneer. “Her? Doing clothing repair?”
“No, sir,” Austin said evenly. “Mrs. Black is just an assistant. Mostly serves tea.”
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