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."

as always, his dark eyes as intense

details to Derick.

he walked

...

Selena returned home for a week to spend time with her grandma, whose health was declining. It was an

had always wanted to

a burden or give Selena's in-laws any gossip fodder. Plus,

with cherished memories, surrounded by familiar neighbors

go of the idea and hire a relative to keep an eye on Grace. Selena called

her

times. She walked over to the nightstand and picked it up. One message was her flight confirmation for a 10 AM flight the

a message

to let you know he'll pick

replied with a simple

to put her phone down, she paused, opened her email, and