Page 18 of The Sexy Billionaire

“And she’s royalty,” Smith adds.

“Wait, what?” Callie asks.

“Like Downton Abbey?” Savannah questions.

“Kind of, sort of; I don’t know how it works or where I am in the scheme of royalty,” I answer with a smile on my face.

“Shit, we didn’t curtsy when we arrived.” Callie chuckles.

“It doesn’t mean anything. I don’t think?”

“Um, yeah, it does, you're royal,” Callie says.

“I’m already the Party Princess, you need to find me a prince to make it legal,” Savannah jokes.

“Does that mean you can introduce us to all the hot, single royal men of Europe? It has to be better than the dating pool in Manhattan.” Callie grins.

“Maybe stop dating lawyers, that might be a start.” Smith grunts before throwing back the rest of his beer. “Never met a lawyer I liked.”

Callie places a hand on her chest and pouts at my brother. “Smith, you wound me, and here I thought I was helping you get over your lawyer allergy,” she teases him.

“I tolerate you, for Paige,” Smith grumbles over his bottle of beer.

“Oh, I thought it was because you loved my sparkling personality and witty banter,” she throws back at him.

He rolls his eyes at her. These two have always bickered; I joke it’s because they secretly love each other, but Callie says she just likes sparring with him.

My stomach sinks at the realization that I’m rich and I’m about to ask my husband for a divorce. Does that mean I’m going to have to give half of everything I now own to that good-for-nothing asswipe? Fuck no, how is that fair?

“Are you okay?” Callie asks, seeing my sudden mood change.

“You’re the lawyer, can I ask you a question?”

Callie nods in agreement.

“Do I have to share my inheritance with Michael?”

Callie is quiet for a moment. “I’m not a divorce attorney, Paige, but I can put you in touch with some great ones who could answer the question better, but no, the inheritance remains yours, from my memory.”

Oh, thank fuck. If Michael found out exactly how much I’m worth, he would be changing his tune and I would have a fight on my hands.

“The sooner you file, the quicker you can start freeing yourself of that man,” Callie explains.

She’s right. That man is never going to change. He doesn’t love me, that’s if he ever did. I think I was the chump that came along, fell for his French charms, and listened to his bullshit.

“Can you set something up? I want to make sure I have everything I need. I don’t think Michael thought I was serious when I told him we’re done. He thinks because of the restaurant and our apartment, I can’t go anywhere, but now it doesn’t matter. I don’t have to worry about a thing, Lucia has set me up for life. A life that I should have been living instead of a life Michael demanded we live. Let’s get the ball rolling while I’m still so angry, and Michael hasn’t had a chance to try and sway me with his lies.”

“I’ll organize it right now,” Callie states as she stands up, pulls out her phone from her pocket, and starts dialing someone.

“You sure this is what you want?” Savannah asks.

I nod. “How can I stay with him after all this, Sav?”

She gives me a small smile. “I don’t know, but it doesn’t mean you don’t still love him.”

Tears well in my eyes as I furiously brush them away. “I love me more, I have to love me more,” I tell her.

She reaches out and hugs me tightly. “Whatever your decision, I am here for you,” she says, reassuring me.

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