Chapter 120: Divorce

Aaron turned his head slowly, his blue eyes locking onto Niko with a terrifying intensity.

"She’s been crying since she woke up," Aaron said softly, ignoring Niko’s point entirely. "She begged me to leave her alone because she couldn’t stop weeping."

Niko went quiet.

Aaron stood up from his chair. He walked over to the window, resting one large hand against the cold glass.

"I spent weeks acting civilized," Aaron said, his voice dangerously low, vibrating with a deep, primal anger that made the air in the room feel heavy.

"I brought in lawyers. I sat in courtroom galleries listening to corrupt judges drag their feet while that little bastard kept his hands around her throat. I played by their rules because I thought it was what she wanted. I tried to be clean."

He turned around, looking down at Niko.

"No more," Aaron said. His expression was completely blank, stone cold, devoid of any restraint. "No more hearings. No more legal games. I am done playing the refined businessman."

Niko looked into Aaron’s eyes and felt a sudden chill run down his spine. He had known Aaron Kazarov for years. He had seen him dismantle rival syndicates in Moscow without blinking.

"What are you going to do?" Niko asked quietly.

"I’m going to finish it," Aaron said.

....

Two days later, the rain had returned, tapping softly against the grand glass windows of Judge Daniel’s suburban mansion.

Judge Daniel entered his private study, carrying a glass of warm milk, exhausted after a twelve-hour day dealing with backlog cases. He reached for the light switch, flicked it on, and froze dead in his tracks.

Sitting in the heavy leather armchair behind the judge’s grand mahogany desk was Aaron Kazarov.

He had a glass of Daniel’s twenty-year-old single malt scotch in his right hand, swirling the dark amber liquid slowly against the glass. On the desk in front of him sat a thick, unlabeled black leather folder.

Judge Daniel’s hand trembled, dropping his glass of milk onto the thick carpet. It didn’t shatter, but white liquid soaked into the rug.

"M-Mr. Kazarov..." Daniel stammered, his face turning pale. "How... how did you get in here? My security system—"

"Is outdated," Aaron said smoothly, without looking up from his drink. He took a small sip, then set the glass down with a soft, heavy thud on the polished wood. "Sit down, Daniel."

The judge didn’t move. "This is highly illegal! You are breaking into a federal judge’s home! If I call the police—"

"Sit down," Aaron repeated. His voice wasn’t loud, but the sheer weight behind it made Daniel’s knees buckle.

The grey-haired judge slowly shuffled across the room and sank into the small visitor’s chair across from his own desk. He swallowed hard, his eyes darting toward the heavy black folder resting between them.

"What is this?" Daniel whispered.

Aaron reached out with one finger and pushed the folder two inches closer to the judge. "That is the final decree of divorce between Isabella Kingston and Kian Carter."

Daniel blinked, confused. "Mr. Kazarov, we have a final hearing scheduled for next month! The evidentiary proceedings—"

"There will be no hearing," Aaron cut him off sharply. "There will be no delays. There will be no more motions filed by Kian’s legal team, and there will be no more favors called in by his contacts."

"I can’t just sign a final order without a hearing!" Daniel pleaded, his voice rising in panic. "The judicial review board—"

"The judicial review board," Aaron said softly, leaning forward until his shadow covered the desk, "will be far more interested in page twelve of that folder. The page detailing the off-shore account in Grand Cayman registered under your daughter’s maiden name. The one a wanted criminal used to deposit three million dollars eight years ago to clear his zoning permits."

Judge Daniel stopped breathing. His face went completely gray. His lips trembled, but no sound came out.

"You have been stalling this trial because Arthur is your friend," Aaron said, his blue eyes cold and empty. "You thought you were choosing between two bad options. You were wrong. Arthur is a nuisance. I am a catastrophe."

Aaron stood up, towering over the desk. He pulled a heavy silver pen from his breast pocket and laid it precisely on top of the black folder.

"Sign the order, Daniel," Aaron said, his voice flat. "Dissolve the marriage on grounds of marital cruelty and physical endangerment. Issue the final decree tonight. Have it entered into the state registry by eight o’clock tomorrow morning."

Daniel looked down at the silver pen. His hands were shaking so badly he could barely keep his fingers still. "And... and the Cayman account?"

"If the decree is registered by eight AM," Aaron said, turning toward the French doors that led out to the balcony, "I forget the account exists. If it is not... your daughter will be arrested before lunch."

Aaron stepped out into the rain, disappearing into the dark gardens without making a single sound.

Judge Daniel sat alone in the quiet study for five long minutes. Then, with shaking fingers, he picked up the silver pen, opened the folder, and signed his name at the bottom of the final page.

By ten o’clock the following morning, the news broke across every major television network and social media platform in the country.

"BREAKING NEWS: In a sudden and unprecedented judicial ruling, the High Family Court has officially granted an immediate, absolute divorce to heiress Isabella Kingston, effective immediately. Sources confirm all marital ties to businessman Kian Carter have been severed, with full restoration of Miss Kingston’s independent estate..."

Inside his corner office at the Kingston Tower, Kian stood staring at the flat-screen television mounted on his wall.

A paper document lay on his desk... an official digital copy of the court decree, stamped and signed by Judge Daniel’s office. It had arrived by priority courier ten minutes ago.

"No," Kian muttered, his hands clutching the edges of his desk. "No, no, no! This isn’t legal! He can’t do this without a final hearing!"

He grabbed his desk phone and slammed the speed dial for his lead lawyer. "Get Daniel on the phone! File an emergency stay! Cancel the order!"

"Sir..." Arthur’s voice sounded defeated over the speaker. "We can’t. The decree has already been processed through the state supreme registry. It’s final, Kian. You are legally divorced. There is no appeal path left for this jurisdiction."

Kian threw the phone against the wall, shattering the plastic casing into a dozen pieces.

"Luke!" he screamed, sprinting out of his office. "Where is she?! Where did they take her?!"

Luke ran down the hallway, holding an iPad. "Sir, security feeds from St. Jude’s show her being discharged thirty minutes ago! A private medical convoy left the hospital heading straight for the North Executive Airfield!"

"Get the car!" Kian roared, his eyes wild with terror. "GET THE CAR NOW!"