The End Of a Marriage
Chapter 305
CHAPTER 59
“Why are you here?‘ Graham’s voice cut through the air like a blade. The question was cold and sharp, his displeasure so obvious it was almost palpable. If
anyone in the room had been in doubt about his feelings toward Marco’s presence, that doubt was now gone.
Marco, of course, being Marco, only smirked, unfazed by the hostility. “Och. And hello to you too, cousin,” he said with a mock charm that only stoked
Graham’s anger further. The wink Marco threw in didn’t help.
Without another word, Graham turned on his heel and stalked away, his strides long and rigid. He didn’t stop until he reached the sanctuary of his study,
slamming the heavy wooden door shut and locking it behind him. The silence of the room was the only thing that kept his temper in check.
Breakfast that morning was–unsurprisingly–another grand affair. The dining table was laden with an impressive spread of dishes, a feast clearly made to
impress. Isla’s eyes widened at the sight of it.
“It seems Maggie went all out for dinner tonight, she said, smiling warmly.
Marco grinned, his eyes twinkling with that same mischievous charm he always carried. “At least someone likes me in this house.”
Maggie, their housekeeper, clicked her tongue disapprovingly at his teasing, but Isla laughed.
“That’s not true,” she said with a fondness that made Graham’s stomach twist. “I like you, Marco.
It was an innocent enough statement–at least to Isla. But the effect it had on Graham was anything but mild. Because just as those words left her lips,
Graham walked into the room.
He froze for half a heartbeat, his eyes immediately locking on the sight of his wife sitting far too comfortably next to Marco. She was smiling–smiling in a
way she hadn’t smiled at him in days. A smile he had been craving, and here she was offering it so easily to someone else.
Marco stood, ever the charming guest, and approached Graham with that same infuriating ease. “Hello, cousin,” he said, extending his hand.
This time, Graham didn’t brush him off. But his posture remained stiff, his jaw tight.
‘I’m very sorry for your loss, Graham, Marco said, his voice taking on a rare note of sincerity. “I wish I could have been there for your father’s funeral.”
Graham gave a curt nod. “My father always had a special place in his heart for you. The words dripped with sarcasm. The “special place” was clearly reserved for the kind of garbage you threw out and never thought of again.
Marco’s grin didn’t falter. “And congratulations on your marriage as well. I’m sorry I missed the wedding.”
Graham’s smile was more a baring of teeth than anything warm. “You weren’t invited.”
The words exploded like a shot across the room, and both Isla and Maggie jumped at the sheer force behind them. But Marco only chuckled.
‘Fair enough,” he said easily, as if Graham hadn’t just verbally tried to rip his head off. “Then again, Marco added, his eyes flickering toward Isla before landing back on Graham, perhaps you didn’t invite me because you were afraid. After all, Isla’s liked me much more than she’s ever liked you. Since we were kids, wasn’t it?”
He winked at Isla then, and–God help her–she giggled. That soft, pretty sound she hadn’t made once in the days since their wedding. It grated against
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Chapter 305
Graham’s nerves like nails on glass.
The second her eyes met his, though, her laughter died. Graham’s glare was ice–cold and cutting, his jaw visibly clenching.
But the damage had already been done.
640
The worst part was Isla had no idea why he was so angry. She didn’t understand the tension simmering beneath his skin, the storm raging inside him. Marco had always been like this–charming, teasing, always toeing the line of what was appropriate. To her, it was harmless. But to Graham, every smile she gave his cousin felt like a slap to the face.
And the moment Marco mentioned their childhood closeness, Graham’s control began to fray.
“Maybe she would have liked that better, Graham bit out, his voice low and shaking–not with rage, but something far worse.
Emotion.
Raw, searing emotion that threatened to spill over. And for the first time, Isla flinched–not out of fear, but because she suddenly realized just how deep this wound went.
Because in her mind, all of this–all his anger, his coldness, his distance–was still about that night.
Sex.
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
