Divorce To Date My Brother’s Bestfriend

Chapter 07

BLAISE’S POV

I push the door to Jack’s office open, only to nearly collide with him. He looks livid with his jaw tight, eyes blazing, and tries to brush past me without a word.

“Hold on.” I grab his arm, stopping him despite his resistance. “What the hell is going on?”

He drags a hand through his hair. “Blair just filed for divorce.”

My jaw drops. “What?”

“That bastard cheated on her,” he snaps. “With that woman, Skylar.” His voice breaks with fury. “She told me everything and I swear I’m going to kill him with my bare hands.”

He tries to leave again, but I block the doorway, even though my own head is racing with thoughts.

Blair filed for divorce. Today?

I’d just taken Hailey home, tucked her into bed, texted Blair to let her know, and then came straight here to tell Jack what I’d seen earlier. I thought Oliver’s neglect was the worst of it but he cheated on her?

“Get out of my way, Blaise.” Jack tries to shove past me again, but I plant myself in front of the door.

“And then what?” I ask. “What are you going to do? You think Blair can’t handle herself?” My voice stays level, even as my anger spikes. “If you beat or kill him, what happens next? You’d destroy everything.”

“I don’t care,” he warns. “I just need to make him suffer.”

I want the same thing. I want to break every bone in Oliver’s body. But I know Blair wouldn’t want that.

I step aside and gesture toward the door. “You can go but just remember…this isn’t what Blair would want. They have a child together, and anything you do will come back to Hailey.”

Jack glares at me, his jaw clenched, and fury burning behind his eyes. Then he exhales sharply and kicks the sofa chair behind him.

“Fuck.”

I’ve known him for years and Blair has always been his first priority. And right now, I also know holding himself back is taking everything he has.

I pat his back, guiding him toward the chair and he drops into it heavily, shaking his head.

“She’s been carrying this for years,” he says quietly. “She knew. She knew and still didn’t leave him because of Hailey.” His voice tightens. “And instead of fixing himself, he humiliated her even more. How did all of this happen without me knowing?”

“Because she didn’t want us to know,” I admit. “That’s why she pulled away, why she stopped being the Blair we used to know. Even today, I saw enough to know she’s been enduring a lot in silence.”

He slams his palm against the table. “I don’t care that he’s the father of her child. I’ll do whatever it takes to bring that bastard down.”

I nod. “And we will but not now. The divorce is still fresh and every move you make will be watched. You don’t want to hand him the chance to turn Blair into the villain.”

He rises again, unable to keep his frustration contained. His jaw ticks, mirroring the way my hands are clenched tight at my sides, both of us barely holding our rage in check.

I remember when Blair wanted to marry that bastard and how hard we tried to talk her out of it. I remember how she refused to listen to us because she loved him and that should have been enough. Enough reason for him to spend the rest of his life proving himself worthy of her loyalty.

My phone vibrates in my pocket and for a brief second, I think it’s Blair as I pull it out. Instead, it’s a message from my father’s secretary.

Patrick: He wants to see you. It’s very urgent.

I let out a slow, irritated breath. As if today wasn’t already unbearable.

I shove the phone back into my pocket and straighten.

“Don’t do anything reckless, Jack,” I say, rising to my feet. “My father wants to see me and you know he can’t stand me, so it must be important. I’ll be back.”

He doesn’t respond but only waves a hand dismissively, telling me to go.

I turn and head for the parking lot. On my way, one sentence keeps looping in my head over and over again: Blair filed for divorced.

For six years, I watched her stay with that man, and it was agony every single time. I kept telling myself that as long as she was happy, I could live with it.

But she wasn’t happy. She wasn’t.

I should have stopped the wedding years ago, I should have done whatever it took to keep him away from her, even if I had to kidnap and break his legs.

Then Blair wouldn’t have had to endure any of this. She wouldn’t have had to watch him flaunt his mistress and their little family for years, each public display breaking her heart even more.

I told Jack not to do anything reckless but unlike him, I’m not her brother. I’ll kill Oliver when I get my hands on him.

Ten minutes later, I pull into the parking lot of my father’s grand estate. I used to hate this place with everything in me before I moved out at sixteen. It was where my nightmares began, where the cruelty of my brothers nearly broke me and I barely survived this house.

“Welcome, Mr. Blaise,” the butler greets as I step into the lobby.

I give him a brief nod. “Where is he?”

“You mean your father?”

Who else? My detestable stepmother?

“He’s in his study,” the butler adds quickly when I level him with a look.

“Thank you,” I say, already moving past him.

My father lives and breathes business and it’s the reason the Sullivan Group has remained the largest business conglomerate in New York for the past decade. No family has ever come close and anyone who tries is erased long before they can become a threat.

When he isn’t locked away in his office, plotting his next move, he’s on the golf course with other men just as ruthless as he is.

I knock once on his door, then push it open without waiting. He hates that I do this and that’s precisely why I never stop. Unlike his other sons, I’ve never belonged to him.

“You’re here,” he says, lifting his head and removing his glasses, then his gaze flicks to his wristwatch. “I asked Patrick to tell you to meet me an hour ago.”

“I got the message a few minutes ago,” I reply, settling into the chair opposite him. “And besides, I’m a businessman. I’m not always available to answer your beck and call.”

He scoffs, as if my words mean nothing. “I told you to sign the merger for Sullivon Energy to be absorbed into the family group.”

“There’s a reason it’s Sullivon and not Sullivan,” I reply. “Why am I here?”

He studies me for a few seconds before opening a drawer. He pulls out a photograph and slides it across the desk, then leans back in his chair.

I glance down and it’s a woman who looks like she’s in her early twenties, if I had to guess.

I lift my head, one brow arching. “Who is she?”

“Your bride-to-be.”

A short laugh escapes me as I shake my head. “You can’t be serious.”

“Her name is Claudia,” he continues. “She’s the youngest daughter of the Crowe family. And as you know, the Crowe Group is rising rapidly in the market. A union between our families would be… advantageous especially once the merger is finalized.”

Oh. He’s serious. I actually thought this was some kind of sick joke.

I straighten in my chair. “I have no intention of marrying her and certainly not for your benefit. And the merger?” I rise to my feet. “I’ve already told you it’s not happening.”

I glance toward the door. “If we’re done here, I’ll be leaving.”

He leans back in his chair, a slow, cold smile spreading across his face. I hate that smile. He wears it when he knows he has the upper hand and when he believes he’s untouchable.

“Last month,” he says calmly, “you had issues at two of your energy plants. Issues that nearly cost you fifteen billion.”

My eye twitches. How does he know that?

“Just as easily as I helped you resolve that situation quietly, without leaving a trace,” he continues, “I can just as easily destroy your company. Single-handedly.”

“You wouldn’t dare,” I snap.

He snorts. “The only reason I haven’t pushed this merger through is because I wanted to watch you grow. To see what you’re capable of and to know if you’re better than your brothers. I’m not getting any younger and I need someone to take over the Group in a few years.”

“I don’t care about that,” I say, my jaw tight. “Let my brothers take over, if that’s what you want. After all, you have four sons. I built Sullivon myself, and I won’t let you take it from me.”

He tilts his head, that same cold, calculating look in his eyes. “Don’t you understand? I’m not taking anything from you. When I retire, you’ll inherit the Sullivan Group and I’ll name you my successor so stop being stubborn and marry this girl.”

I plant my hand on his desk, leaning closer. “I don’t want your help, I don’t want to be your successor and I have no intention of doing anything you ask of me.”

His eyes darken and slowly, he rises to his feet, meeting my gaze.

“I run this city,” he warns. “And you know it. I would hate to burn everything you’ve built to the ground before you finally learn to listen.”

Then he smiles, as if he hasn’t just threatened me. “If the young lady isn’t your type, you’re free to marry someone from the top ten families in the city. Most of them are already married, so I suggest you choose wisely.” He straightens his cuffs. “You have seven days to present a valid marriage certificate. After that, I take action.”