One Kiss, the Billionaire's Bride novel · Chapter 22 of 24

Chapter 22: The Last Day

"That's mine," Holbrook said from the doorway.

"It's about me."

"It's still mine. I wrote it for you to find in a year, not tonight."

She held the page up between two fingers.

"You'd give up the whole company."

"Yes."

"Without asking me."

"I wanted you to leave if you wanted to," he said. "I didn't want you to stay because I'd tied the door."

She folded the paper in thirds and tucked it in her pocket.

"I'll keep this," she said. "Ask me on the last day."

He did not move.

"I'll ask," he said.

The year ended on a Thursday in October, at four in the afternoon.

By then Lyle Draper was in a cell, and wrote to no one.

Dwight Moody's billboards had come down one by one, and nobody had put up another.

Bryony had sat in the front row for both sentencings, in a gray dress, and had not smiled once.

The trustee arrived at three, for the last visit.

She was a brisk woman with a gold pen, and she sat in Cordelia's sitting room with her folder open on her knee.

Cordelia was in the wing chair by the window, in a blanket, thinner than she had been.

She had outlived the doctors' estimate out of spite, she said.

"Mr. Draper, Mrs. Draper," the trustee said. "You have lived together under one roof for one year. You were married before the deadline, with all the formalities. Under the terms of the will, Holbrook Draper retains full control of Draper Hotels."

She signed the paper with a flourish.

"Congratulations."

Nobody cheered.

The clock on the mantel struck four.

Holbrook stood from the sofa, and crossed the carpet to Bryony, and his hands were not steady.

"It's four o'clock," he said. "The contract's finished. The building's yours, the shares are yours, and the letter's in your pocket. You can go."

"I know."

"I'm not going to ask you to stay. I said I'd ask, and I'm not going to. It would be the wrong thing to ask."

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