Nathan swirled the amber liquid in his glass before taking a slow sip. "Unbelievable," he muttered, shaking his head. "That woman actually had the audacity to demand a billion dollars from Alexander. Who does she think she is?"

The dim lighting of the VIP lounge obscured Dominic's expression as he listened, his fingers tapping idly against the armrest.

Nathan, never one to hold back, continued with a scoff. "There's a mandatory cooling-off period, right? Trust me, she won't go through with it. It's just a power play."

The door swung open, and Alexander strode in, his presence commanding the room.

This gathering had been Nathan's idea. After weeks of recovery from an injury that nearly ruined his perfect face, he'd been desperate for a night out. With Dominic just returning from overseas, it was the perfect excuse to drag everyone together.

"You're back," Alexander said smoothly as he took a seat, his tone measured.

Dominic studied him carefully. "Nathan mentioned you and Amy are divorcing?"

A flicker of irritation crossed Alexander's face.

"The papers haven't been finalized yet."

Dominic caught the hesitation in his voice.

"Alexander, do you actually want this divorce?"

Before Alexander could respond, Nathan cut in with a laugh.

"Why would he? Amy's just a housewife with no real education. What's there to miss? He's been wanting to cut ties for years!"

Nathan smirked. "Don't give her a single cent, Alexander. Let her see how hard life gets without you."

Dominic frowned. "You have Liam to think about. No one can raise a child like their own mother."

Alexander's jaw tightened. He grabbed a glass from the table and downed it in one swift motion, the burn of the liquor doing nothing to ease the tension in his shoulders.

"She filed for divorce."

Nathan choked on his drink. "She filed? No way! She's bluffing. Once the cooling-off period ends, she'll back down."

Alexander's voice was low, dangerous. "And if she doesn't?"

Nathan shrugged. "Then good riddance. She'll be nothing without you."

Alexander's gaze darkened. "I never wanted to divorce Amy."

Nathan froze. "What? Then what about Victoria?"

Alexander's tone turned icy. "Victoria is dying—partly because of me. I just want her to leave this world without regrets. Divorcing Amy was never part of the plan."

Nathan gaped. "But Amy doesn’t deserve you!"

"She's Liam's mother," Alexander said quietly.

Nathan fell silent, stunned.

He'd always assumed it was Amy clinging to the marriage, that Alexander was the one desperate to be free.

Just then, Alexander's phone rang.

He answered, his expression hardening with each passing second.

"Mr. Blackwood, this is the court notifying you that Ms. Sinclair has officially filed for divorce. We’d like to discuss mediation options."

...

Across town, Amy was carefully measuring medication for Victoria's second treatment when her phone buzzed unexpectedly.

She answered—only to be met with Alexander's voice, sharp with fury.

"Amy, we had an agreement. What the hell is this about you filing for divorce?"