Hell Hath no fury like a billionaire's Ex-Chapter 30: Renegotiation

Liam’s POV

"My phone wouldn’t stop ringing. The kind of call that only brings bad news." Squinting at the bright screen, I saw it was Holbrook, my lawyer calling. With a groan, I answered.

"Liam," Holbrook’s voice snapped through the speaker, tension evident even through the poor connection. "We need to talk. Now."

I sat up, running a hand through my hair. "Good morning to you too, Holbrook. How was your vacation?"

"Forget the pleasantries. I’ve just spent an hour wading through the disaster you created. Liam, what the hell were you thinking?"

I sighed, swinging my legs out of bed. "It’s not as bad as it looks. I’ve got it under control my head of PR team is already working round the clock to put things back to normal."

"Under control?" Holbrook’s voice rose an octave. "I saw the papers. You’re being crucified out there, Liam.

And worse, you’re handing Diane everything she needs on a silver platter."

A dull headache throbbed behind my eyes. I reached for the half-empty glass of whiskey from last night, took a sip, and winced at the stale taste. "It’s bad press. It’ll blow over."

"Bad press?" He let out a humorless laugh. "Liam, this is more than bad press. You’ve turned public opinion completely against you. Do you have any idea how this looks in terms of the divorce proceedings?"

I felt a flicker of unease, but pushed it aside. "Look, I know it’s not ideal, but-"

"Not ideal?" Holbrook interrupted. "Liam, you’ve accused your wife of infidelity with no proof. You’ve painted yourself as a vindictive, lying cheat. And let’s not forget the little detail of you actually being the one who had an affair - with her sister, no less!

Do you have any idea how the judge is going to view all this?"

"I clenched my jaw, my pulse beating in my ears. My grip tightened around the phone. ’I thought that was your job, Holbrook. Or am I paying you to panic?’"

There was a moment of tense silence on the other end of the line.

When Holbrook spoke again, his voice was low and controlled. "Liam, I’m your lawyer, not a miracle worker. I can’t undo the damage you’ve done and right now, you’re making my job impossible. We need to change tactics, and fast."

I stood up, pacing the room anger simmering beneath my skin. " So what do you suggest?"

"We need to renegotiate," Holbrook said. "The prenup battle is already leaning heavily in Diane’s favor, and now with all this... We need to cut our losses and try to salvage what we can."

I stopped pacing and scoffed. "You want me to roll over? Just give her what she wants?"

"I want you to be realistic," Holbrook countered. "Right now, Diane holds all the cards. If this goes to court right now, you’re going to lose, and lose big.

We need to try and settle this out of court, on terms that are at least somewhat favorable to you."

I felt my stomach tighten at the thought of giving in, of letting Diane win. "No," I said firmly. "I won’t do it. There has to be another way." freёnovelkiss.com

Holbrook sighed heavily. "Liam, listen to me. This isn’t just about the money anymore. Your reputation is on the line. The company’s reputation is on the line. If we don’t handle this carefully, you could lose everything."

"His words weren’t just a warning—they were a countdown. I thought back to the boardroom, to the cold stares, the carefully worded threats that weren’t threats at all. One wrong move, and I wouldn’t just lose money. I’d lose everything."

"What exactly are you proposing?" I asked, my voice tight.

"I want to set up a meeting with Joan, Diane’s lawyer," Holbrook said. "We need to talk face to face, lay our cards on the table, and see if we can come to some kind of agreement. I’m thinking we should aim for next week, to give us some time to prepare."

I closed my eyes, feeling the beginnings of a headache. "And if I refuse?"

"Then I’m not sure I can continue to represent you," Holbrook said bluntly. "I’ve spent years cleaning up your messes, Liam. But even I have limits. Either we try to fix this, or you find yourself another lawyer."

The threat hung in the air between us. As much as I hated to admit it, I knew Holbrook was one of the best in the business. Losing him would be a major blow.

"Fine," I said through gritted teeth. "Set up the meeting for next week. But what are we offering? I’m not just going to roll over and give her everything."

Holbrook paused, and I could almost hear him thinking.

"We need to come to the table with something substantial. Given the circumstances.

I pinched the bridge of my nose. "How much?"

I think we should consider offering her one of the estate houses, a significant portion of your liquid assets, and maybe 5% added to her already 10% of your company shares."

"Fifteen percent total."

"Fifteen percent?" I nearly shouted. "Are you out of your mind? That’s worth millions!" I’m only giving Diane her 10% share, no addition. No subtraction.

"Liam," Holbrook’s voice was serious. "You need to understand the position you’re in. If this goes to court, she could get much more than her initial shares in the company. We’re trying to cut our losses here."

Frustration burned in my gut. I stood, walking toward the floor-to-ceiling windows of my mansion. The city stretched before me, glittering with possibility. I had fought tooth and nail to be here. No way in hell was I going to watch it slip through my fingers.

I ran a hand through my hair. "This is insane. There has to be another way."

"If there is, I don’t see it," Holbrook replied. "Look, take some time to think about it. We’ve got a week before the meeting. But Liam, I’m serious - you need to come to terms with the fact that you’re going to have to give up something substantial here."

I paced the room, my mind racing. The thought of giving Diane so much made my blood boil, but the alternative - a public court battle, more scandal, potentially losing everything - was equally not good.

I swallowed my anger. I hated this. Hated how cornered I felt.

But for now, I had to play along.

"Alright," I said finally, my voice tight with suppressed anger. "Set up the meeting. I’ll... I’ll think about your proposal."

"Good," Holbrook sounded relieved. "And Liam? Please, for the love of God, no more public stunts, no more accusations . Just lay low until we can get this sorted out."

I grunted in acknowledgment and ended the call, tossing the phone onto the bed.

Holbrook’s words echoed in my mind long after we ended the call.

I stood there, gripping my glass of whiskey, staring at the skyline like it held the answers. The thought of giving Diane even a fraction more than what she was already entitled to made my blood boil.

She wasn’t the victim here, I am because shes trying to take everythign away from me. She played the part well trying to gather sympathy —batting her lashes for the cameras, letting the world paint me as the villain because i choose what’s best for me.

Just months ago, I had been on top of the world - successful, respected. Now, I was facing the prospect of losing a significant chunk of my wealth, my reputation in tatters.

I headed to the shower to prepare for work, my mind churned, running through every possible way out of this mess.

The warm spray hit my skin, but it did nothing to wash away the tension coiled in my muscles. I braced my hands against the cool tiles, letting the water run over me as I stared at the drain, lost in thought.

There had to be a way.

I wasn’t built to lose.

I turned off the water, grabbing a towel as I stepped out. My reflection in the mirror caught my eye—sharp, tired, but still standing.

I dragged a hand through my wet hair and exhaled. I’d faced worse storms before, and I’d come out on top. This wouldn’t be any different.

I made my way to the walk-in closet, scanning the rows of perfectly tailored suits and clean shirts. Image was everything, and today, I needed to project absolute control. No weakness. No hesitation and of course... No drama.

By the time I was dressed—crisp gray suit, the kind of suit that told people I wasn’t to be fucked with. I paired it with a deep blue tie, the color subtle but commanding. A silver watch gleaming on my wrist—I was no longer just a man in damage control. I was a man on a mission.

Grabbing my phone and keys, I strode out of the mansion, my mind already working two steps ahead.