MARK'S POV

I groaned as I turned in bed. My head throbbed dully, and I held it as I slowly rose. I looked around, wondering why I was at home when I should have been at work.

I dropped my head into my hands and tried to remember. It didn't even take a second before the memories rushed back.

My assistant had been able to locate where Sydney was, and I had left every task to speak some sense into her. I remembered ordering her to follow me then...

I frowned. Everything had gone black.

"That witch! How dare she hit me?" I gritted my teeth as I got off the bed. I glimpsed some medication on the drawers as I staggered out of my room.

What was wrong with her? Why was she taking this this far? I wondered.

The sound of wood banging against walls reverberated through the house as I threw every door open.

"Where the heck is she?!"

The staff of my household just stood there speechless. Some flinched each time a door banged.

I asked where she was about a dozen times, and they all answered a dozen times that they didn't know. They repeated what they had told me that morning: the last time they saw her was with a suitcase when she waltzed out of my house. I remembered that day, too. I had been slightly surprised. I wondered what gave her the guts and thought she would get over whatever was happening and come whimpering back.

My stomach growled as I continued slamming doors closed. I even checked the garage. It honestly felt like I was going mad. My growling stomach, throbbing head, and mounting frustration all fed into it.

I stormed back to my room and took a calming shower that did nothing to calm me but only washed off the dirt on my skin.

When I finished getting dressed, I took a painkiller from the medicines on my drawers to stop the ache in my head.

I picked up my car keys, shrugged into my suit jacket, and left the house.

As I drove to work, my grip on the steering wheel was tight and I pressed hard on the pedal. I was past the speed limit, but it was the only way I could avoid turning back to that house she was in and strangling her.

She wanted my attention. Now she had it fully.

"Where is she?" I bellowed to my assistant the moment he closed the door behind him.

"I don't know, sir," his voice quivered as he spoke. "I left her at the villa and rushed you to a nearby clinic before I took you home. I left the medications they prescribed on your drawers."

He cleared his throat before continuing, "But she did tell me not to call her Mrs. Torres but Miss Turner. She said a new lady will soon inherit the title."

I just stared at him as he spoke, my rage building with each word he dropped, ready to explode.

He took a step forward, a file dangling in his hands. "She also said she'd re-send the divorce agreement. Here it is," he placed the file in front of me. "I received it just before you came in. She wants you to sign it as soon as possible so you don't waste each other's time."

And that was it. That damn word. In blind rage, I gripped the sheets of paper and flung them across the room.

"If I hear the word 'divorce' one more time, you're out!" I told him sternly. If she wanted me to sign the papers, she'd better bring them herself.

My hands clenched and unclenched as I struggled to hold in my anger. What exactly was she playing at? Had she gone crazy? Wasn't it enough that I let her stay in my house and feed her? I wondered on what grounds she was filing for that damn divorce.

"I do not want to hear that word again, ever! Am I understood?"

"Yes, sir!" His stance straightened, and I suspected he almost saluted.

Just then, the door creaked open and Bella stepped in. The instant I set my eyes on her, my anger evaporated to an extent, but I could still feel it—the itch to shred those papers into pieces, the urge to punch something or... someone.

Either Bella didn't notice the tension in the room or she decided to ignore it as she sashayed her hips toward me and perched on my lap, her elegant arms shooting out to wrap around my neck.

She placed a quick kiss on my lips. She pulled back, pouting when I didn't return the gesture. "You've been working all month. We haven't seen each other for a long time," her pout deepened, her brows furrowed feebly, and her eyes slightly glistened.

In my peripheral vision, I could see my assistant picking up the papers and shuffling them together. Then he silently left the room.

For a moment, I thought of asking him to hand over the papers so I could shred them like I had the previous ones, but then Bella's presence stopped me.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I focused on the feeling of her soft ass cheeks pressed on my thighs, her fingers intermittently fiddling with my collar and grazing the skin at the back of my neck. I breathed in and out, trying to relax.

My arms circled her waist, and I pulled her closer. I decided to forget about Sydney's stunts and her desperation for attention and focus on the woman in my arms right now—the one I actually wanted and would readily give my attention to anytime.

I opened my eyes, and her lips jutted out as she looked at me. My heart momentarily skipped a beat, and my lips stretched into a reflexive smile. God, she was so beautiful.

"I'm sorry, honey. You know it's work."

She rolled her eyes. "You should always find time for me."

"I'll work on that," I shifted my head closer to hers, and my lips grazed hers in a brief kiss. "So what shall I gift my queen so she'll forgive me?"

I could see the twitch on the corners of her lips as she struggled to keep her pout in place. Her pupils rolled up as she thought about what she wanted. "I want jewelry," her eyes were on me now, "one designed by Atelier Studios."

"Atelier?" I raised a brow.

Her head bobbed up and down. "Atelier designs the best jewelry. All the girls in the upper levels own one. I want one too."

My arms tightened further around her waist. "Done. I will make sure it's specially made for you."

Her face broke into a smile, and my heart swelled. "Thank you!" She squealed and pulled me into a hug.

I made a mental note, as I hugged her back, to get one for Sydney too. It would shut her up and make her feel like she had the attention she desperately begged for.

Bella suddenly pulled back, her eyes peering into mine. "This Sunday is my dad's birthday, you remember, right?"

I did not remember. My head was too occupied to accommodate the date of someone's birthday. I nodded, "Yep! I do remember."

She smiled. The last thing I wanted right now was for her to get mad. "It's actually why I'm here. He's throwing a party, and I want you there. I'm sure Dad does too," she looked away and ransacked her tiny bag that was sitting primly on my table. Her hand emerged with a white card. She slapped it on my desk.

"That's his invitation card. You're coming," she turned to me, "right?"

I hesitated. There was a lot to do. My last business trip had gotten me more investors, which meant more money, and more money meant more work. I couldn't afford to slack or spend time attending events that didn't aid the growth of the firm.

I opened my mouth to explain why I wouldn't be present but stopped. If I could make time to attend this party, I could accomplish two things: speak with Sydney's father and please Bella.

Even if only for a few minutes, I'd be able to speak with him and let him know how urgent it was to knock some sense into Sydney's head and remind her that our unfortunate alliance was a win-win, so she had to stop yapping about divorce.

I decided. Perfect — it would be a few hours away from work, but it would be worth it.

I smiled at Bella. "I'll make time and attend." I placed a kiss on her cheek, and she blushed.

"I can't wait!" She chirped.