Chapter 3: To My Surprise....

Nadine Black's POV:

Walking away from the vehicle, my mind was all over the place. Surprisingly, when I stepped inside the main doors, no one was in line to be scanned at the metal detectors. I approached the man standing there, and he gestured for me to place my stuff on the scanning belt. He didn't say anything to me, no doubt recognizing me, and then he waved me through the arch.

I wasn't going to get stopped, I knew that. I carried everything I owned in my small clutch purse. Besides, my outfit didn't have pockets and I didn't carry keys. I didn't even have a vehicle of my own, and no one was foolish enough to enter my apartment. So what was the point of that?

I walked through the arch, picked up my belongings on the other end, and headed up the stairs. I wanted to conduct my business and get the Hell out of here. Ripe, fast, and in a hurry. When I made it to the second floor, I walked up to the counter, where a guard and another man in a suit met me.

"You must be Miss Nadine Black," the man said as he stopped walking in front of me in the hallway. I couldn't help but glance at the shiny badge on the guard who was standing right next to him, both looking down at me. "Your father called ahead and told me you would be coming. I thought it would make things a little easier for you if I came to you first."

"Oh, sure that helps," I said as I clutched the briefcase in my hands and held it directly in front of me.

"If you will allow me to, I will take the payment and process it to get this started for you," said the man as he looked at what I was staring at. "Oh, he is just here for the protection of the funds you bring."

How clever of my father to call ahead to start this process. He just wanted me to be the shuttle bunny to get the funds from the vehicle to the door. No one was foolish enough to try this all on their own, double-crossing my father, and they would lose their lives.

"Alright," I said, holding out the briefcase and saying, "Here you go."

He smiled as he reached out, took the briefcase in his hand, and said, "I will get this processed for you. If you would like to wait, I will have them print out a statement and get it to you. It won't be all that long."

He took the briefcase and turned to walk away, and that's when it happened. Someone was walking out of the doorway leading to the clerk's office, and I thought I saw someone who wasn't supposed to be here. Well, I had time to kill, so why not investigate this myself to see if I was right or not? I waited until no one else was looking when I walked in the door and stood out of sight over by the wall.

I could not believe my eyes. The silhouette sure looked like the person I thought it was. What the Hell?! I could not believe it. I just so happened to see my brother Shane's wife. She was standing there, a short distance from me. This was odd for her. She was supposed to be at work. Why was she here and not doing her job?

"Excuse me, Miss Adams?" The clerk called her by name, confirming it was her.

"Huh?" Kelly Anne responded to the lady.

I could not believe my eyes. To say I was shocked didn't quite cover this. She was standing there, looking dazed. Was she out of it? No, she lost her ever-loving mind! Why the Hell was she here?! This was an odd time of day to be here, but for what reason? I only came here on a chance that my father wanted me to do something for Shane, my brother.

"Here, ma'am," the lady standing behind the counter said as she looked directly at Kelly Anne. I need you to sign here, on the bottom line of this page where it reads 'Signature', and then be sure to sign the next page as well."

What the Hell was she about to sign?! She pulled the papers closer and looked them over, even going to the next page and looking at it before she finally picked up a pen and scribbled her name somewhere on the page. After she was finished, she placed the pen and papers down and slid them back to the lady. I stood there, full of fear and shock, as the lady stamped the documents and returned them to Kelly Anne.

"Here you go," the lady said when Kelly Anne reached out and took the papers in her hand. "The next step will be for this to get signed by the judge. Then it will be official as long as there is no one to contest it. The whole process should be done in about 3 to 4 months, at best. But if there are any issues, then it may take longer for your divorce to be completed. Do you want him to be served?"

I thought someone hit me in my chest. I could hardly breathe when I realized what she was actually doing. She's filing for divorce?! Was she out of her mind? She had to be out of her mind to try and pull a stunt like this!

"Yes, I would like that," Kelly Anne said as if she were nervous. Well, knowing who we were related to, she had every right to be scared for her life. This was a mistake I knew she would regret. "Ummm, where do I go to...? To get a protective order?"

"That will be just down the hall in Suite C," the lady told her sternly. I thought she was going to point in my direction, but it was the other way, luckily, as I watched all this taking place. When she tried to turn away, the lady said something that got her attention when she added, "However, I do believe they are out for lunch. It's a small town after all. Do you think you will be able to wait?"

"No, I'm afraid I must be getting back," Kelly Anne told the lady as she finally turned back to face her.

Suddenly, my phone rang, and I nearly jumped out of my skin, my heart pounding in my chest.