Alexander laughed. It was a dark one; humor starkly absent.
"Divorce papers? Really Raine?" The paper crumpled under the force of his fingers, "What is this? Is this another game you're playing now? Do you take me as some kind of joke?"
Laia tilted her head. It was hard not to answer his last question with a resolute maybe.
She held up her hands in surrender, "No jokes, no games. You can read everything on there. Everything abides by the terms of our marriage contract with a few adjustments here and there. It's all good to go, I just need you to sign that dotted line."
He shook his head, "It took you how many years to get me to marry you?" A shadowed look appeared in his eyes. "How long have you harassed me and how long have you had your family pressure me into this relationship?"
"Now what?" Alexander asked. "Is this a ploy to get me to pay more attention to you? Oh, maybe you're bored now– so you're throwing me away. You've got someone new to parasite on to?"
Laia thought over his words. She had to give it to him. He had decent monologuing skills– confrontational, concise, and angsty. 6/10.
"I mean," she shrugged her shoulders, "What do you want me to say? It isn't as if you don't want this too. As you said, I'm a shitty person. Why wouldn't you want to divorce me? We'll both get what we want. We'll get our freedom and never have to interact with each other again. It isn't a very bad deal."
Alexander shook his head, "What did you change?" His baby blue eyes quickly scanned through the fine print. There were lines and lines and lines until he saw the amendment, "You want your dowry back?"
"Yup," she nodded in confirmation.
"So let me get this straight," the corner of his lips crumpled, "You want me to sign these documents that would entail me giving up the right to millions in dollars of assets, the backing of the Hastings name, and as a byproduct– my position of head of the family."
Laia paused; going over everything he said.
"Yup," she simply said.
In response, he tore the paper in his hands.
"So I'm guessing that's a no then," she snapped her fingers, "Ah, shucks."
His reaction was one she expected. If anything, she would have been concerned if he reacted in any other way.
But hey, she said she would give him the chance to cut things off cleanly between them, and she did. It was his choice not to take it– his loss, not one for her.
With Plan A dead on arrival, Plan B began.
"What will it take to get you to sign it?" she asked.
A furrow deepened in between Alexander's brows, his eyes looking fierce and dark. Perhaps he was going for a menacing expression, but instead, Laia thought that he looked like he was constipated.
"I'll sign it on my terms. I'll sign those divorce papers when I see you pitiful, kneeling and begging on the ground. If I could put up with you for three years– more than that, even– then I can put up with you for however long it takes to see that happen," his glare didn't let up, "And it will happen."
Sheesh. Kid really held a grudge, huh. With his history with Raine, it was a little funny to think that asking him for divorce would make him want to stay.
The ego was a very powerful thing.
"That day will never come," Laia said, "You'll be stuck with me until the day you die then."
As she was saying those words, she was already planning the scene of her downfall. Would a year from today be too soon? How about two years? She would need to consult with the rest of her family members to begin preparations.
"Don't be too confident," he sneered. It was a bad look.
"Alrighty," Laia smiled, "It's a bet then."
She held her hand out, "May the best woman win."
Losing a battle didn't mean losing the war. Many forgot that differentiation, but it was a tactic she understood well. Manipulating prey masquerading as a predator into falling into their own trap– now that was something she needed a little more practice with. She was sure she could get the hang of it.
Seeing as he refused to take her hand, a mirror to what happened when she had met Alissa, Laia put her kind offering away. How unfortunate. She had wasted a good line and confrontation scene on someone who didn't appreciate it. "Just remember," her expression flickered to a roguish one, "My terms were very generous."
He would come to find that argument to be frighteningly true. But of course, not now. Hindsight is 20/20.
"You shouldn't be too full of yourself. One day, It'll come to bite you in the ass," Alexander turned to walk away and disappear with a slammed door. The threat amused her.
Too bad. She was already very full of herself. And she was used to having it biting her in the ass. But there was no reversing any of it at this point, and her success rate wasn't anything to scoff at. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
Laia shook her head; a smile on her lips.
But hey, no one can blame her now, right? She had given the basics of decency and gave him a chance. But it seemed like he wanted to play.
If he wanted to play, then they would play.
A hint of excitement bubbled in her chest at the thought of setting up something elaborate.
On paper, she toppled entire cities and kingdoms to their bones and ash. But this time, she would have to make it true to life– toppling a budding modern empire.
She couldn't wait to watch as Alexander toppled to the ground.
"Come on," she looked at the feline that had been spectating on the ground, "Let's go."
If she wanted to see that man on his knees begging for her mercy, then they had work to do.