I immediately noticed the somber mood the moment I arrived back at the castle.

Barnaby greeted me as usual in front of my wing, but I could see instantly that he was distracted, his usually razor sharp gaze darting around. I had only been away two days because I cut my trip short, but it already felt like far too many days.

“Is everything alright?” I asked.

He swallowed hard. “I’m sorry to say, Sir, that Madam sent Miss Conrad packing three days ago for … stealing her jewelry.”

What the fuck? I couldn’t go away for two fucking days without Jillian fucking up my life and ruining even that little bit of happiness I had carved for myself. She was a selfish bitch. She didn’t want me and didn’t want anyone else to have me. Anger ripped through me.

“I'm very certain that Miss Conrad had absolutely nothing to do with the thef—” he was saying, but I was already striding towards Jillian's wing.

As I passed Zackary’s wing, I could hear the sound of him crying. I changed direction and went to his room. The door was slightly ajar and I knocked softly before I went in. He was alone on his bed. When he saw me his crying subsided as though he was afraid of how I would react to his tears. I went forward and took a seat on his bed. He quickly scooted over, sniffing heavily as he gazed up at me.

"What's the matter?” I asked.

I could see exactly what the problem was in his eyes, but he appeared too afraid to speak.

I lifted my hand, and when he didn't withdraw, cautiously wiped the tears from his face. "You miss Charlotte, don't you?"

He bobbed his head in response as more tears leaked out of his eyes.

“Then why didn't you stop her from leaving? I left you in charge.”

He gazed innocently up at me. “I didn’t know she had gone.” He dropped his voice to a whisper. “Mummy says she is a thief.”

“She isn’t,” I said firmly. “It was all a misunderstanding. Mummy made a mistake.”

He looked at me hopefully. “So can she come back?”

“I don’t see why not,” I said and smiled.

The door was suddenly pushed open then, and I turned to see Jillian, her face scrubbed of makeup and her arms folded across her chest. She was ready for a fight. It was one where she needed to be stripped bare and the only one that she knew she had even the ghost of a chance in winning with me.

“You shouldn't have consoled him,” she said. “I was going to let him tire himself out.”

“Zackary, can you please go downstairs to Mrs. Blackmore,” I instructed, “I need to speak to your mother.”

Sniffing, he looked between me and his mother and climbed out of the bed. With his fire truck in hand, he made his way out of the room leaving Jillian and I alone.

"I thought I made myself clear when I told you I didn't want you here any longer,” I began.

Folding her arms across her chest, she leaned against the door frame to watch me, and for an instant I saw once again the selfish but still endearing girl that I had grown up with. That I once convinced myself I loved in my own little way.

"I'm not divorcing you, Brett," she stated. "Maybe I would have a few days ago, but not anymore. Not now that I've realized whom you're replacing me with.”

Her voice broke dramatically. She hugged herself as if she was cold. But I was not buying any of it. I knew her too long. It was all an act.

“How could you?” she accused. “I hired Charlotte, I brought her into this home, and then the both of you go behind my back and do this?"

"What exactly have we done, Jillian?" I asked wearily. Fighting with her seemed so pointless. I just wanted to never see her again. "Please tell me."

“I saw the way you looked at her,” she cried, tears rolling down her face. She swiped at them angrily. “I don't need to see any more to understand what is going on ... cause … because you used to look at me that way. She's changed everything in the house. I was only gone for a few days and she turned it all upside down. This is my house and my family.”

I didn't want to squabble with her but still it was the closure she needed and I would give it to her. “Upside down? You were the one who turned everything upside down.”

She couldn't disagree with me, so instead she stared straight into my eyes as she allowed herself to tremble in an Oscar worthy performance. "I messed up," she admitted. "I took you ... all of this for granted ... but still it's mine, Brett. It's always been. Don't take it away."

“What is the name of Charlotte's agency?"

She looked at me as though she couldn't believe what I had just asked her. "You expect me to tell you? You can torture me and I’ll never reveal it. You'll never find her," she swore. "I'll make sure of it.”

With a sigh, I started to walk out of the room but she grabbed me. I could smell the alcohol on her breath then. It was all so pointless.

"Let me go, Jillian," I said between clenched teeth.

"She doesn't truly care about you. How could you be so blind? Don’t you know what you look like?”

I jerked my hand away.

She realized she had said the wrong thing. “You're a billionaire, Brett. What woman in the world wouldn't want you? That was why even I gave my heart to you in the first place, but then I changed. I saw you as a beautiful person. Let's start over ...” she pleaded.

She grabbed my hand again. This time I yanked it away so hard, the force of my annoyance sent her to the ground.

Looking down at her groveling on the floor, I gave out my last warning. “I don't want to see you here when I get back, otherwise there will be no money for you, Jillian. Nothing.”

“I’ll take Zackary with me,” she screamed.

“Before you do that you should get your lawyer to explain to you what our pre-nup entitles you to, and what you could reasonably expect to leech off me. I think you will find out very quickly that I apparently own no assets at all, but play nice and I’ll make sure you’re very well taken care of for the rest of your life. You’ll have full visiting rights, which considering how much time you actually spend with Zackary, should be perfectly adequate for your needs.”

She was sobbing and shouting obscenities when I walked out of there.