bChapter /bb228 /b

    Landing this project would be enough—Paige could finally regain her leverage in negotiations with Rowan.

    So, the matriarch gritted her teeth and agreed.

    Marcia smiled, her confidence barely contained. “Don’t worry. As long as Elissa can finish the research, there’s no way she’ll slip through our fingers.”

    The thought made Marcia grin in her sleep.

    Just imagining herself as a lead researcher for a cancer drug was almost surreal; she didn’t dare picture what her life might look like after that.

    If she wanted to marry Frank, even Carm wouldn’t have much to say about it anymore.

    All she could do was hope…

    That Elissa wouldn’t let her down.

    After chatting a bit more with Carm, Marcia took Hickey upstairs to y.

    Something urred to her. She turned onto the balcony and dialed a number.

    “Matriarch Paige Murphy, I just heard something and thought you ought to know.”

    “What is it?” Paige’s voice was stern.

    Marcia’s expression was cold, but her tone was lightly amused. “Elissa and Frank are divorced/

    There was a note of surprise in Paige’s reply. “Divorced?”

    Given Elissa’s character, she wouldn’t let go of the Atwater family unless she’d truly been pushed to her limit.

    Paige hadn’t expected the girl’s tolerance to have dropped so much over

    b1/3 /b

    the years.

    Marcia nodded. “That’s right. My mother–inw told me herself. The divorce papers were signed before New Year’s. Frank must have been so fed up that he finally agreed to it.”

    “Perhaps,” Marcia suggested, her voice sugary sweet, “you could start

    arranging another match for her now. After all, her future is yours to decide!”

    Paige let out a coldugh. “I didn’t realize your grudge ran iso /ideep.”

    She hadn’t expected Marcia toe up with something so vicious. Then again, Elissa certainly knew how to make enemies.

    Marciaughed lightly. “It’s not really a grudge.”

    If she had to call it anything, it wasn’t hatred.

    It was just that Elissa’s luck had always been too good–so good that Marcia wanted to be the one to destroy it.

    She could hardly wait to see how miserable Elissa would be after

    Frank tossed her aside.

    Paige raised an eyebrow in disdain. “Enough. If Elissa is divorced, I’ll take icare /iiof /iit.”

    No sooner had she spoken than she caught te Murphy, who’d been lounging in an armchair with his phone, suddenly looking over at her.

    She hung up and red at him, exasperated. “Why are you mooning over someone another man didn’t want? Have some self–respect, will you?”

    “Grandma, she’s not like that,” te shot back.

    He hadn’t forgotten what Elissa had once confessed to him in that hotel room. The more he thought about it, the more he couldn’t wait. “Frank

    never even touched her.”

    He honestly wondered if Frank was insane.

    How could anyone turn down Elissa and go for someone like Marcia?

    212

    16.40

    Either he was out of his mind or blind.

    Paige scowled. “And how would you know? Were you hiding under their bed every night? Don’t tell me you believe every word that girl

    says–haven’t you been fooled enough?”

    She grew more convinced that Elissa needed to be married off as soon as possible.

    Otherwise, one day her own grandson would be duped by Elissa and even help her count the money for it. Sweet–faced as she iwas/i, that girl had never had good intentions.

    Spoiled by his grandmother’s favoritism, te shamelessly dug in his heels. “I don’t care. If you’re nning to find her a new husband, pick

    me.”

    “What are you talking about?”

    “I want to marry her.”