Encounter With an Alpha

STORM

The next morning, Storm slipped into the kitchen and found River at the island with his laptop and a cup of coffee. She poured herself a cup and held up the pot to River with her eyebrow raised. “Need a topper?”

He nodded, and she brought the pot over and poured more into his cup. After replacing the pot in the coffee maker, she hitched her hip against the counter and took a sip from her own mug.

“So, it seems that social media has picked up chatter of a certain CEO and his assistant banging on his desk during business hours at a prestigious company yesterday,” she said.

River looked up at her. “Really?” He smiled. “With pictures too?”

“Umm… I haven’t looked yet, but I’m wondering if it’s Lyle.”

“Hmm. I’d say that the likelihood of that is pretty high. I received a private message myself on social media this morning. Pictures included.

“And even better,” he continued, “the pictures came with a note. Jessica was fired and Lyle was sent home to, and I quote, ‘Deal with his shit.’” They both started chuckling.

“Good. I’m glad he’s out of there,” Storm said. “Daddy’s company doesn’t need Lyle’s mess.”

“True,” River replied. “I was sent four photos of Lyle and Jessica. I saved them for the time being. There’s a board meeting on Saturday, and we need to focus on that. We need to null the proxy votes that Lyle holds and get them reassigned.

“I scheduled a preliminary hearing before a judge for this Friday. I’d like the proxies reassigned to me, if you have no objections?”

“None. You know I wanted you to handle that for me originally.”

He nodded. “Also, I already sent the copies of the divorce settlement you approved last night to the office. Lyle should be served sometime today.”

“Okay, with the papers served and this meeting with the judge, then that should pretty much settle my divorce, right?”

“Well, yes and no. The preliminary hearing will allow the judge to reassign the proxies on a temporary basis, but everything else is on hold until the actual court date. If Lyle doesn’t contest the proxies, then everything will go smoothly. But if he tries to fight, it could get ugly and drawn out.”

At Storm’s sigh of frustration, River smiled. “But I have a plan.”

“A plan?” She looked at him curiously.

“Well, with your promotion at the publishing house, you can work almost anywhere as long as there is internet access. So I thought you should get out of town for a while. Rest, think things through, and get your life straightened out.”

River moved to the sink to rinse out his cup and put it in the dishwasher. “I plan to come at Lyle hard. He’ll try to involve you, but if he can’t get to you, it will take a lot off my mind. I don’t want him hurting you anymore than he already has.”

“Where do you want me to go?”

“Canada.” He grinned widely.

LYLE

Lyle was sitting on the sofa in the living room when there was a knock at the front door. Helen, the housekeeper, answered it. “Mr. Hughes, there is a man that says he has a delivery for you.”

Lyle assumed it was paperwork from the office that he had asked his secretary to bring by. He stood and moved to the door.

“I thought it would be delivered this afternoon, but that’s fine,” he gave the man a brief look. “Do I need to sign for them?”

The man handed him an envelope and a clipboard. Lyle quickly signed his name where the man indicated. “You enjoy your afternoon, Mr. Hughes,” he smirked, backing away. “You’ve been served.” Then the man turned and left.

Lyle tore into the envelope and pulled out the notice of intent to divorce. He bellowed loudly and threw the papers on the floor. “No! That bitch. No, not going to happen.”

He stormed across the room and picked up his phone. He quickly dialed his lawyer, Sam. “Hello, Sam. I need your help. My wife intends to divorce me… Yes, yes. I know! But I am not going to stand for this… I don’t care!” he yelled into the phone. “I planned too damn long to have her rob me now. I’ll be at your office within the hour.”

Lyle hung up and grabbed his keys. He arrived at his lawyer’s office soon after and gave him the divorce papers.

Sam was seated behind his desk and read them carefully. “Have you even gone through them?” he asked Lyle.

“Not entirely, no. Doesn’t matter. She’s not taking anything from me,” he grumbled.

“She’s not trying to,” Sam replied. “She says she wants nothing but her personal belongings, her truck, and the voting shares that she inherited from her father. The condo and bank account are yours. She’s even giving you the jewelry you bought for her. She’s making no claim to anything bought after the marriage.”

“That’s not happening. I’m keeping the shares. They are mine. If I give them back, I lose my foothold in the company. I lose a fortune. I only married her to get the leverage. I’m not giving it up,” Lyle growled.

“I hate to tell you, my friend, but you don’t stand a chance. She inherited the shares from her father before you were married. It’s not considered joint property, regardless of you working as her proxy. It was her inheritance. Her father’s company.”

“Yeah, well I’m her husband!” he yelled. “We are not getting divorced. Final! I’ll get her back.”

Sam shook his head. “They have a preliminary hearing about the proxy scheduled for this Friday. I’ll represent you, but you need to be there. Hopefully the judge will be somewhat responsive and generous.

“Don’t lose your temper! I’ll work up some kind of counter—how you are still in love with her and really would like to save this marriage.”

Sam looked at the papers again. “It says you were unfaithful. Is this true?”

“One time! One time and she decided to surprise me with a visit. Personally, I think I was set up.” Lyle rubbed the back of his neck. “I was betrayed by someone. Someone had to have set me up.”