Chapter 5: Chapter 5: Still His Wife
It had been a long, restless night, and I could barely keep my eyes open as I stood in the sleek, modern lobby of Nixus' office building the next morning. The cold marble floor beneath my heels felt distant, almost unreal, as if I were standing outside myself. My stomach was tied in knots, that uneasy feeling lingering from the night before. I had spent hours tossing and turning, replaying every second of our encounter at the gala. But the one thing that kept pushing its way to the front of my mind—demanding my attention, despite how hard I tried to ignore it—was the unsigned divorce papers.
How had I not noticed? How had I gone this long thinking I was free, thinking I had closed that chapter of my life only to realize that my past—Nixus—was still very much alive and looming over me?
I had left him. I had walked away from that life, from that marriage, and I had worked tirelessly to rebuild myself, to become someone who could stand on her own. But now, standing here, in the shadow of his empire, I felt that old, familiar pressure creeping up my spine. His hold on me—his power over me—hadn't faded. It was just buried beneath layers of hurt and betrayal, but it was still there.
I couldn't believe it.
Still my wife.
That's what he had said last night, his words dripping with smug satisfaction.
It was too much to process. Too much to understand. I had been living my life as though I were free, but I wasn't. I wasn't free at all.
I lifted my chin, pushing the thought away. This had to end. I couldn't let him have this control over me anymore. I had come this far. I had rebuilt my life, found my footing, and I would be damned if I let him pull me back into his orbit.
The elevator doors slid open with a soft chime, and I stepped inside, feeling the weight of the moment settle around me. I pressed the button for the top floor, where Nixus' office was, and tried to steady my breath. I wasn't going to back down. This time, it was going to be different.
The elevator ascended, each floor passing by in a blur, and I felt the tension building. The higher we went, the more I felt the pull—the pressure of the past, the gravity of everything I had been running from. I wasn't sure what I would say when I walked through those office doors, but I knew one thing for certain: I wasn't going to leave without answers. I wasn't going to leave without reclaiming what was mine—my freedom.
When the elevator finally reached the top floor, the doors slid open with a soft whoosh, revealing a sleek, minimalistic space bathed in muted tones and polished surfaces. Nixus' office was exactly as I remembered it—imposing, cold, and meticulously curated to match his personality. Every detail of the room screamed power, control, and ambition. It was a space designed for a man who wanted the world to know that he owned it.
I took a deep breath and stepped out, my heels clicking sharply on the floor as I walked toward the set of double doors at the end of the hallway. I could hear the low hum of conversation from inside. I didn't need to knock. He would be expecting me.
I swung the doors open without hesitation, and there he was—Nixus, as commanding and ruthless as ever. He stood at the head of the polished conference table, reviewing some papers. His sharp features were set in that unreadable expression that always made me feel like I was standing in the eye of a storm, not knowing whether I would be swept away or left standing.
His eyes flicked up to meet mine, and a small smirk played at the corners of his lips. That smirk. The one that had always made me feel like I was the one playing catch-up, the one who was always just one step behind.
"Malia," he greeted me, his voice as smooth as ever, though there was a hint of something darker in it today. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"
I didn't even flinch. "You know why I'm here," I said, my voice steady, but it was hard to ignore the sharpness that cut through it.
He leaned back against the table, folding his arms, and I noticed the slight tension in his jaw. As much as he tried to hide it, he couldn't quite conceal the irritation brewing beneath the surface. It was a reminder that despite all his control, there were still parts of him—parts of our history—that he couldn't just sweep away.
"Ah, yes," he said, a glint of amusement in his eyes. "The papers. I should have known you'd come for them eventually."
I took a step closer, the anger that had been simmering inside me now threatening to boil over. "Why didn't you sign them, Nixus? Why didn't you let me go?"
His smirk never wavered as he looked at me, and I could feel his gaze boring into me, stripping me bare.
"You know why," he replied, his voice low. "I never wanted this divorce. You, on the other hand, made the decision for both of us. You decided you were done. But you didn't understand, did you? You didn't understand what it would mean for me. For us."
I felt my blood run cold at his words, but I didn't back down. "This was never us, Nixus. This was always just a business arrangement—a contract. I wasn't some little toy for you to keep around when it suited you. I was your wife—a title you never bothered to respect."
His lips pressed together in a thin line, and for a moment, the façade slipped. The coldness in his eyes deepened, and I could see the flash of something behind his expression—regret? Anger? It was hard to tell, but it didn't matter. Not anymore.
"You were more than that," he said, his tone hardening. "But you wouldn't see it. You never understood that I didn't want to lose you. That I didn't want to let go of what we had. But you were always so focused on the past—on what I had done to you—that you couldn't see what was right in front of you."
I shook my head, the hurt from all those years flooding back, threatening to choke me. "No, Nixus. You never wanted me. You wanted control. You wanted someone who would fit into your perfect, little world. And when I couldn't be that woman for you anymore, you cast me aside. You didn't care about me. Not like you said you did."
There was a moment of silence between us, and for a brief second, I wondered if he might actually say something that would change everything—if he might finally apologize for everything he had done, for every cut and every wound he had inflicted on me.
But then he spoke again, and the coldness in his voice sliced through me like a razor.
"You're still my wife, Malia," he said, his words slow, deliberate. "And you always will be. That contract we signed? It's still in effect. Legally, nothing has changed. I never signed the divorce papers, and I never will."
I stared at him, my heart pounding in my chest. The weight of his words hung in the air, suffocating me. "What do you mean, 'nothing has changed'? You've moved on. You've got Selene. You've always had her. Why are you doing this? Why won't you let me go?"
He took a step toward me, his eyes never leaving mine. "Because you're mine, Malia. You always were. And no matter how hard you try to run, no matter how far you think you've gone, you'll never be free of me."
I recoiled at his words, a sick feeling curling in my stomach. "You can't control me anymore, Nixus. You can't have me."
He smiled then, a slow, self-assured smile. "We'll see about that."
I stood frozen, my mind reeling. How had we gotten here? How had he managed to twist everything so thoroughly that I was still standing here, having this conversation with him? I thought I had escaped him—escaped that life—but now, in his office, in his presence, I felt like I was back at square one.
"You'll regret this," I said, my voice shaking with a mixture of anger and fear.
He simply watched me, his gaze dark and impenetrable. "We'll see."
As I turned and walked out of his office, my heart thudded painfully in my chest. I wasn't sure if I could win this fight. But I knew one thing for sure: I wasn't giving up. Not this time.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone