<h4>Chapter 33: A Wolf in Sheep Clothing</h4>


    LIAM’S POV


    Sophie’s warm body was still curled up against mine.


    For a brief moment, I allowed myself to enjoy the peace, to pretend that the day ahead wasn’t going to be a battle.


    My phone buzzed on the nightstand. 7:30 AM. A message from Holbrook:


    Dont forget our appointment today "9:00 AM. My office. Please Liam do me the favors and don’t bete."


    The bluntness of his message made my stomach tighten. I carefully remove myself from Sophie’s embrace, walking quietly to the bathroom. As I showered, I rehearsed what I would say to Holbrook when i meet him today.


    He was angry—justifiably so—but I couldn’t afford to lose him as mywyer. Not now, not when I was fighting on so many fronts.


    By the time I came out of the bathroom, Sophie was awake, sitting up in bed with my phone in her hand. Her expression was unreadable.


    "You have a meeting with yourwyer at nine," she said, cing my phone back on the nightstand.


    "Yes," I replied, keeping my tone casual as I selected a well perfectly sewn navy blue suit from my closet. "Just a routine check-in."


    Sophie’s eyes tracked me as I dressed. "Is it about the meeting you missed yesterday? The one with Diane?"


    I paused, my tie half-knotted. "How did you know about that?"


    "Yourwyer left several voicemails," she said, her voice t. "I heard them when you were in the shower earlier.


    Liam, what’s going on? What are you not telling me?"


    I finished knotting my tie, buying time as I thought of a response. "It’splicated, Sophie. Legal stuff. Nothing for you to worry about."


    She slid out of bed, wrapping the bedsheet around herself as she approached me.


    "Are you sure that’s all there is? Because it sounds like you deliberately missed a meeting that could affect your divorce settlement."


    I cupped her face in my hands, forcing a smile. "Baby, trust me. I know what I’m doing. This is all part of the strategy. Holbrook is just being cautious—it’s what I pay him for."


    Sophie searched my eyes, clearly not entirely convinced. But finally, she nodded, leaning up to kiss me softly. "Just be careful, Liam. I’m worried about you."


    I kissed her forehead, relieved to have dodged yet another ufortable conversation. "I’ll be fine. Have dinner with me tonight? I’ll cook."


    Her face brightened at that. "You? Cook? This I have to see."


    Iughed, the tension between us eased up for a moment. "Eight o’clock. Don’t bete."


    As I headed for the door, Sophie called after me. "Liam? I love you."


    I turned back, wondering if I imagined the hint of uncertainty in her voice. "I love you too," I replied, the wordsing out naturally.


    The drive to Holbrook’s office gave me time to steel myself. I knew he would be furious, but I also knew I held the cards.


    He needed me as a client as much as I needed him as awyer—perhaps more. His firm’s reputation had been built on handling high-profile divorce cases like mine.


    Holbrook’s secretary, a stern-faced woman who had never seemed to like me, nodded curtly as I entered. "Mr. Holbrook is expecting you," she said, not bothering to hide her disapproval. "Go right in."


    Holbrook’s office was impably neat, as always. Floor-to-ceiling windows offered a panoramic view of the city, though today the blinds were partially closed, casting the room in muted light.


    Holbrook himself sat behind his massive wooden desk, his expression thunderous as I entered.


    "You’rete," he said, not bothering with pleasantries.


    I nced at my watch. 9:10 AM. "By ten minutes. I go stcuked in traffic."


    "Sit down," he said, gesturing to the chair across from his desk. As I settled in, he leaned forward, his fingers intertwined.


    "Do you have any idea what you’ve done?


    I maintained a neutral tone. "I missed a meeting. It happens in business all the time."


    "This is no business meeting, Liam," Holbrook snapped, his voice rising. "This was a crucial negotiation that I arranged with your approval.


    Diane and herwyer sat in this very office for over an hour, waiting for you to show up. Do you have any idea how unprofessional that makes us look?


    I shrugged. "Reschedule it. We can do it next week."


    Holbrook mmed his hand on the desk, startling me. "Next week? Are you for real? You think Joan is going to agree to another meeting after the stunt you pulled yesterday? You think Diane is going to give you the time of day after you wasted her time and humiliated her?"


    I felt a feeling of unease. "You’re overreacting. It was one missed meeting."


    "No, Liam, I’m not overreacting," Holbrook said, his voice dangerously low now.


    "You lied to me, Liam. There was no emergency at the office. I called your assistant to verify, and guess what? She had no idea what I was talking about."


    I shifted in my chair, difort visible. "I had my reasons."


    "Which were what, exactly? To sabotage your own case? To make me look like a fool?" Holbrook’s eyes bored into mine. "Or perhaps you had a more pressing engagement?


    "Every public appearance, every whispered rumor about you, it all adds fuel to Diane’s fire. And now, this juvenile stunt—"


    "It wasn’t a stunt," I interrupted, my patience wearing thin. It was a calcted decision.


    Holbrookughed, a harsh, humorlessugh. "Calcted? To achieve what, exactly? Because from where I’m sitting, all you’ve managed to calcte is how to dig yourself into an even deeper hole."


    I stood up, pacing around his office. "You don’t understand the bigger picture, Holbrook.


    Diane thinks she has me cornered, but she doesn’t. I’m not going to roll over and give her half of what I’ve built. I’m not going to let her walk away with mypany shares."


    "Sit down, Liam," Holbrook ordered, his tone leaving no room for argument.


    Reluctantly, I sat down.


    "There’s something I need to show you," he said, pulling a document he had printed earlier from the email Joan had sent from a folder on his desk. He slid it across to me.


    "This was sent this morning to my mail by Joan. It’s a court order."


    I scanned the document, my blood running cold as I absorbed its contents. "They can’t do this," I muttered, the paper squeezing slightly in my grip.


    "They can, and they have," Holbrook replied. "Diane is demanding immediate ess to the mansion to retrieve her personal and professional belongings and to visit at any time she chooses.


    She’s also demanding ess to thepany whenever she needs toe around as a shareholder in thepany. And the court has backed her request."


    "No," I said, shaking my head furiously.


    "Absolutely not. I won’t allow it."


    Holbrook stared at me in disapproval. "This isn’t a request, Liam. It’s a court order. If you refuse toply, you’ll be held in contempt.


    Do you understand what that means? Fines, potentially jail time.


    "She doesn’t need ess to thepany," I protested, getting more worked up. "What could she possibly need there?"


    "That’s not for us to decide," Holbrook said firmly. "The court has determined she has a right to ess thepany whenever she wants and her former home. Our job now is toply while minimizing the damage."


    "And what about the mansion?" I demanded. "You expect me to just let her walk in and out whenever to take whatever she wants? There are... things there that I don’t want her to see."


    Holbrook’s eyebrow arched. "Things like what, Liam?"


    I hesitated, "Personal matters," I said finally.


    "Well, you’d better make sure those ’personal matters’ are hidden away, because Diane will be allowed ess to the property as early as tomorrow morning," Holbrook said.


    "The court order states that you must provide her with the new security codes immediately."


    "Tomorrow?" I echoed, my mind racing. "That’s not enough time. I need at least a few days to... prepare."


    "You don’t have a few days," Holbrook said bluntly. "The court has spoken, and we mustply. Unless, of course, you’d like to find yourself exining to a judge why you’re in contempt of court?"


    I slumped back in my chair, defeat washing over me.


    "Fine," I muttered, grinding my jaw. "I’ll give her the codes. But I want to be there when shees. I want to supervise what she takes."


    "Not a good idea," Holbrook countered.


    "Given your recent history, having you present would only escte tensions. The court order specifically states that Diane is to have unrestricted ess, without you interfering."


    "So I’m just supposed to let her roam freely through my home?" I asked incredulously. "Take whatever she wants?"


    It’s her home too, Holbrook snapped. "She’s entitled to her personal belongings and that house, Liam," He reminded me. "And any professional materials she needs. The court order is quite specific about that."


    I stood again, unable to contain my frustration. "This is bullshit, Holbrook, and you know it. She’s ying you, ying all of us. This isn’t about her clothes or her work documents. This is about getting back at me."


    Holbrook eyed me coldly, "Perhaps. But the fact remains, we mustply with the court order. The question now is, how do we do so in a way that protects your interests?"


    I paced the office again, my mind racing. "What if... what if I help gather her belongings? Like box everything up, have it ready for her when she arrives?"


    Holbrook shook his head. "The order states unrestricted ess to the property. She’s entitled to enter and select her own belongings."


    "So I have no say in this at all?" I demanded, frustration mounting.


    "Very little," Holbrook admitted. "But you can take precautions. Remove anything you don’t want her to see. Make sure the house is... presentable."


    I caught his meaning immediately. He was telling me to remove any evidence that will implicate me, to erase the traces of my affair from the mansion. "I’ll take care of it," I said grimly.


    "Good," Holbrook nodded. "Now, about thepany ess—"


    "No," I cut in. "That’s where I draw the line. I cannot have Diane showing up at mypany, interacting with my employees, potentially damaging my reputation further."


    Holbrook’s expression hardened. "Liam, I need you to listen to me very carefully.


    You are not in a position to draw lines anywhere. The court has already decided that Diane has a right to ess thepany where she’s a shareholder. If you interfere with that right, you will face severe legal consequences."


    "There has to be a way around this," I insisted. "Some kind ofpromise."


    Holbrook was silent for a long moment, contemting. "Perhaps," he said finally. "We could propose that Diane submit a request in writing twenty-four hours before she intends to visit thepany, specifying the purpose of her visit and which areas or departments she needs to ess."


    I considered this. "That would at least give me time to prepare, to control the narrative with my employees."


    "Exactly," Holbrook nodded. "I’ll draft a response to Joan proposing thispromise. It’s reasonable, and it gives Diane what she’s legally entitled to while providing some structure to the arrangement."


    "Do it," I said, feeling a small measure of control returning. "And include a use that limits her visits to non-business hours, if possible. I don’t want her disrupting operations."


    "I’ll see what I can do," Holbrook agreed. "But don’t get your hopes up. Joan is a tough negotiator, and she knows we’re on the back foot after yesterday’s... incident."


    I winced at the reminder of my missed meeting. "About that... I’m sorry for putting you in that position, Holbrook. It won’t happen again."


    Holbrook’s expression remained stern. "No, it won’t. Because if you pull another stunt like that, I’m dropping you as a client. Are we clear, Liam?"


    I swallowed my pride, nodding. "Crystal."


    "Good," Holbrook said, his tone softening slightly.


    "Now, your first priority isplying with this court order in a way that protects your interests as much as possible.


    I’ll contact Joan immediately with the security codes for the mansion and our proposedpromise regardingpany ess."


    As I prepared to leave, Holbrook called me back. "Liam, one more thing. Whatever game you think you’re ying with Diane, it’s time to stop. The courts are getting involved now, and that changes everything.


    From this point forward, we y by the rules. No more missed meetings, no more beating around the bush. Understood?"


    I nodded, "Understood."