“I have something up my sleeve,” Demi said, “something I just discovered. A game changer.”
Paige didn’t care anymore. She just wanted to be divorced. “Can I see the agreement again?”
Frowning, Demi pulled out the agreement and held it out to her. But she didn’t let it go when Paige tried to take it. “I don’t like that look in your eyes.”
“I don’t like how I feel right now,” Paige admitted. After a few tense seconds, Demi finally let the document go. “Don’t give up on me yet, Paige.”
“I’m not giving up on you,” she assured the attorney. “You’ve been wonderful. And I appreciate all of your hard work, your diligence, and your patience.” Paige turned to the last page of the document. “But it’s just a house.” Except it wasn’tjusta house to her. The one thing she’d wanted to fight for felt like a cage now, a reminder of everything he’d taken from her and still wanted to steal.
“Paige, don’t sign that.”
Paige asked for a pen. This time, she asked for the blue pen. A few minutes later, she signed the settlement agreement. “Here. I’m done.”
“No, we’re not done,” Demi argued.
A tear spilled from Paige’s eye and she wiped it away. What she was about to do was breaking her heart. But she would do it because then it would be over. And she needed it to be over more than she needed this house.
“There are other houses, different beaches,” Paige said. “Right now, I just want this connection severed permanently. I need my life back. And I need my peace.”
* * *
Andrew Weathers had been bogged down with contracts, long meetings, and blueprints for the past several months. The new audio division for Pure Talent was officially up and running, but it required more time than he’d considered when he had agreed to spearhead the endeavor.
It had also taken him away from his clients, from the day-to-day work that he’d once loved. Andrew had been a loyal employee of Pure Talent Agency since he graduated from college. He’d learned from one of the best men in the business—Jax Starks. And he’d mentored several talented agents himself.
The actresses and actors he’d worked with had fueled his passion for agenting. Helping them succeed, pushing them higher in their careers, had made his job worth the hard hours, the time at the negotiation table, the stress of travel, and the many PR nightmares.
After many years in the business, though, he’d felt the pull to do something else, to step away from direct client work. Which was why he’d jumped at the opportunity to create something fresh within the agency. Now he could see the fruits of his labor, now he knew that he’d made the right decision to step back from his clients. He just had to get his heart on board with his mind.
A soft knock on his door pulled him from his thoughts. A moment later, his mentee poked her head in. “Got a minute?”
He smiled. “Sure, Vonda. Come on in.”
The petite woman grinned and stepped into the office. She took a seat across from him and set a folder on his desk. “Can you review this contract?”
He opened the folder and skimmed the first page, pausing at the name on the document:Paige Mills. “Is this the new Christmas movie?”
“Yes, I’ve combed through everything, triple-checked the clauses, and highlighted several changes I’d like to negotiate.”
Andrew had no doubt that Vonda had handled everything exactly the way he would have. That was the reason he’d transitioned the bulk of his daily client work to her. But there was one client he couldn’t completely let go. Although he’d let Vonda handle the direct communication, he still made sure he had the final say on everything that crossed his desk with her name on it.Paige.
“I also emailed it to you,” Vonda added.
“Thanks.” Closing the folder, he met Vonda’s gaze. “I’m happy with the work you’re doing. You’ve really stepped up to the plate.”
Vonda grinned. “I just appreciate the opportunity to prove myself.”
“You have nothing to prove. How is she?” He didn’t need to say who the “she” was, because Vonda already knew.
“Actually, I haven’t heard much from her. I’ve sent several emails, but Chastity has responded to all of them.”
“That’s strange,” he murmured, almost to himself. “Have you talked to Tanya?”
Paige had been managed by Tanya Baldwin at TB Management for the last eight years.
Vonda shook her head. “I called Tanya, and she hasn’t heard from her either.”
“Not like her,” he mumbled.
