Dominance of the ex-con Son-in-law

“You really think I am going to sign that without her being present?” Kadmiel said in the grey, echoing walls of the visitation chamber.

His tone wasn’t loud, but there was an edge in it that made the young prison guard shift uncomfortably by the door.

Darcy Kerr, the secretary sent on behalf of Bella Watson, placed the stack of papers on the table between her and Kadmiel.

She struggled to meet his eyes. There was something about him, even when he was bound and in prison clothes.

He sat with his back straight, and the chains at his wrists seemed to be more of a formality than real restraint.

“Mr Harper,” Darcy began softly, “Ms Watson has instructed me to deliver these divorce papers. I want to let you know the sooner you sign, the sooner you can both move on with your lives.”

Kadmiel leaned forward, he looked at her dead in the eyes, she found it difficult to replicate, so she threw her face toward the door.

“Move on? Is that what she calls it now?” He tapped the corner of the papers,

“No. I will sign these when Bella herself walks in here and looks me in the eye.”

Darcy hesitated. “She doesn’t wish to see you.”

“Then there’s nothing to talk about,” Kadmiel said flatly. He pushed the papers back toward her with one restrained hand. “Tell her that if she wants her freedom so badly, she’ll have to come and ask for it herself.”

There was a quick moment of silence in the room.

Darcy studied him for a second, perhaps searching for a crack in his composure, but there was none.

Kadmiel’s expression remained steady.

Finally, Darcy gathered the papers, stood, and gave a brisk nod. “I’ll inform her.”

***

Two hours later, the heavy door opened again. This time, it was not Darcy.

Bella Watson stepped inside, her heels clicking against the cold floor. Her beauty hadn’t faded since the last time Kadmiel saw her, if anything, she seemed to be a lot more beautiful now.

Her hair was tied back, her posture regal, and her eyes… They scanned him as though he were a stranger.

“Kadmiel,” she said, her voice controlled. She placed her bag on the table and slid the documents toward him. “Hi, Good afternoon, sign them. Let’s make this quick.”

For a long moment, Kadmiel only stared. The sight of her stirred something deep inside him, memories he had buried under duty and silence.

She was once the woman whose laughter could soften the hardest of his days. Now she stood before him as if all of that had never existed.

“Didn’t think you would make it to be honest,” he murmured, a bitter smile curving his lips.

“Don’t make this harder than it already is,” Bella replied, her eyes fixed on the folder. “It’s literally just a signature, Kadmiel. After this, you’ll be free. I’ll be free. We can go our separate ways.”

He gave out a low, humourless chuckle. “Separate ways. You make it sound so easy. Bella. But tell me, did you think you could end us with ink on paper and a stranger’s hand delivering it?”

She reached into her bag, pulled out a white envelope, and placed it beside the documents.

“I think this is what you want, right? Fucking compensation. That is a cheque of ten million dollars. It is more than enough for you to start over after…” She hesitated, glancing briefly at the guards. “…after this place.”

“Our marriage has been reduced to mere paper now, I had no idea.”

“Listen Kadmiel, I did not come here to trade many words with you, you were oblivious to it, but our marriage had gone stale long ago, when I needed help in my career, you could not offer anything. And if you could not do it while you were outside, how much more when you're locked in here? There is nothing you can do for me, Kadmiel, so just sign, take your big fat cheque and let me be on my way.”

Kadmiel’s eyes narrowed. He didn’t touch the envelope. Instead, he leaned back, his chains clinking softly. “So that’s what I’m worth to you now? A cheque written out of guilt?”

“This has nothing to for with guilt, Kadmiel,” Bella said, her tone clipped. “It’s closure. For both of us.”

He stared at her speechlessly. The weight of it made Bella’s breath falter, but she held herself tall.

Finally, Kadmiel reached for the papers. He flipped through them slowly, page by page, as though inspecting every line. When he reached the last page, he picked up the pen Darcy had left earlier.

“I don’t need your money,” he said quietly. “Keep it. Spend it on your comfort, or on forgetting me. But there’s only one thing I want back.”

Bella blinked. “What?”

“My family’s pendant,” Kadmiel said, his voice carrying depth.

“The heirloom I gave you. Return it, and I’ll sign this without hesitation.”

For the first time, Bella’s composure wavered. She opened her mouth, then closed it again, the faintest flicker of emotion betraying her calm mask.

She remembered the pendant, it was a simple piece, but heavy with history. He had given it to her not as jewellery, but as a promise.

“You still care about that?” she whispered.

Kadmiel pressed the pen against the paper, his eyes never leaving hers. “It was never just a trinket. You know that. Bring it back to me, and everything else…You can burn.”

Bella’s fingers tightened around the edge of the table. For a moment, she almost looked away, but instead she forced herself not to. “Fine. I will bring it to you tomorrow, and we will talk about any other terms you would like to add to the document.”

“Hmm…” Kadmiel groaned.

Kadmiel signed his name with deliberate strokes, his expression unreadable. When he finished, he pushed the papers toward her and dropped the pen.

“It’s done,” he said. “You can walk away now.”

Bella gathered the documents, slipping them into her bag with quick and efficient movements. She left the envelope behind, ignored.

Her face portrayed nothing, but inside, something twisted. Seeing him again had unsettled her in ways she hadn’t prepared for.

As she turned to leave, Kadmiel’s voice stopped her.

“Bella.”

She paused, her hand on the door.

“Take care of yourself,” he said, his tone softer than before. There was no sarcasm this time, no sneer, just a weary honesty.

Bella didn’t reply. She walked out, the door shutting heavily behind her.

Outside, she met Darcy, and she exhaled deeply.

“Do you think I'm doing the right thing?” She asked Darcy.

“I believe so ma'am, someone like that can only hold you back,” Darcy replied without hesitation.

They got into the car and drove off.

The silence in the visitation room after Bella left was suffocating. Kadmiel sat there for a moment longer, staring at the envelope and at the space Bella had left behind. A bitter smile tugged at his lips, though his eyes were hollow.

The guard by the door was a bit confused. He had expected anger, or maybe despair. But Kadmiel looked almost calm.

Finally, the inner door opened. A man in uniform stepped in, the warden himself.

He walked to the table, dismissing the guard with a curt nod. When the door shut again, the warden straightened and, to the guard’s imagined shock, gave Kadmiel a crisp salute.

“Mr Harper,” the warden said in a low voice, “a message has arrived. The President requests your presence. It’s time.”

Kadmiel’s smile deepened, though it carried no joy. He rose slowly, the chains clinking until the warden unlocked them with a key.

“Here we go again,” Kadmiel murmured.