Chapter 13 - The Stalled Papers
The revelation hung in the sunlit boardroom, rendering both Julian and Valeria utterly speechless. Valeria turned her head sharply toward Julian, her dark eyes wide with disbelief, searching his face for any sign that he had known about the stalled court filing all along. Julian raised his hands defensively, his light brown hair slightly messy as he shook his head in genuine astonishment.
“Don't look at me,” Julian said quickly, his voice laced with surprise. “I swear I had no idea. My lawyer told me the final decree was processed last Tuesday.”
Arthur offered a faint, knowing smirk that reached his weary eyes for the first time in years. “ Lawyers work for whoever pays the retainer, Julian. And your retainer was managed through a blind trust that my firm happened to oversee. I knew you both rushed into a hasty divorce out of hurt and wounded pride. I simply gave you time to realize what you were throwing away.”
Valeria crossed her arms over her maroon dress, a mixture of exasperation and profound relief washing over her. “You manipulated our divorce proceedings, Dad? Really? Is there any aspect of my life that hasn't been micro-managed by your corporate legal team?”
“Only the parts you built entirely on stubbornness,” Arthur replied smoothly, though his tone was entirely devoid of its former harshness. He leaned back in his chair, wincing slightly as his chest protested the movement. “I didn't force you back together, Valeria. I just stopped you from making a permanent mistake based on temporary anger. What you do with that second chance is entirely up to both of you.”
Clara closed her laptop quietly, standing up from her chair and gathering her files. “If you’ll excuse me, I have to coordinate with the legal team regarding the transition of Richard’s assets. I’ll leave you three to sort out your personal restructuring.”
With a polite nod, Clara turned and walked out of the boardroom, leaving Valeria, Julian, and Arthur alone in the vast, sunlit space. The heavy mahogany doors clicked shut behind her, sealing off the corporate world and leaving only the messy, complicated reality of family.
Julian took a slow step forward, bridging the physical distance between himself and Valeria. He looked down at her, his expression softening into an open, vulnerable warmth that had been buried beneath months of corporate stress and emotional distance.
“So,” Julian said softly, a faint, hopeful smile touching his lips. “It turns out we’re still legally married. What do you want to do about that, Valeria?”
Valeria looked from Julian to her father, watching as Arthur quietly stood up with the help of his walker, turning toward the private executive exit without saying another word, granting them the privacy they had avoided for years.
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Valeria took a deep, grounding breath, feeling the heavy armor she had worn since the restaurant door slide off her shoulders entirely. She looked directly into Julian’s eyes, the defensive walls finally crumbling into dust.
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