Mission: From Divorcee to Millionaire

Selena grabbed her phone, plugged it back in to charge, and suddenly a thought hit her. She glanced up at him. "Are you really coming back with me this year?"

Every year, around this same time, she'd try everything-sweet-talking, begging, even throwing a fit but he never budged. And now, out of the blue, he was volunteering? Something didn't add up. Was he just stringing her along, planning to bail at the last minute and leave her and her grandma hanging?

Everett frowned, shooting back. "Isn't that what you've been wanting me to do?"

"I did, yeah," Selena admitted, straightforward as ever. "But not this year. We're headed for a divorce anyway. No point in Grandma seeing you again."

Everett felt a sharp pang in his chest. He pressed his lips together before blurting out, "It wasn't that I didn't want to go before. I was just busy."

Selena couldn't help but chuckle, even though she didn't want to. His excuse was paper-thin. Spinning such a weak story was worse than saying nothing at all.

Her voice was calm and steady, "That's quite the coincidence, isn't it?"

As he took in her skeptical eyes, that familiar wave of frustration welled up inside him. Talking any further would only end in more tension.

Everett turned his gaze away. "I promised, so this year, I'm definitely going with you."

him a once-over. His handsome face was as unreadable as always, his dark eyes as intense as ever. She could never quite figure him

to Derick.

he

...

with her grandma, whose

always wanted

didn't want to be a burden or give Selena's in-laws any gossip fodder. Plus, she was rooted

memories, surrounded by familiar neighbors and friends. Grace

to keep an eye on

packing her suitcase,

a few times. She walked over to the nightstand and picked it up. One

a message

back home. He asked me to let you know he'll pick

with a simple

she was about to put her phone down, she paused, opened her email, and started typing a new