Chapter 24: James's DilemmaThe document on my phone blurred as tears filled my eyes. Marcus took one look at my face and gently pried the device from my fingers. I watched his expression change as he read—confusion, then disbelief, finally settling into something unreadable."You filed a harassment
"I'm a big girl, James." I gestured to my hospital room. "Not exactly going anywhere."He pulled out his phone, fingers flying across the screen. "I'm calling in a security team I trust. Not Henderson security—independent contractors.""You don't have to—""Yes, I do." His expression hardened. "Look
Chapter 25: The Gala PreparationI stood before the full-length mirror, barely recognizing the woman who stared back at me. The midnight blue gown—custom-made to accommodate my five-month baby bump—draped elegantly over my curves, the empire waist creating a silhouette that somehow managed to look b
Understanding dawned in his eyes. "This is about your daughter's legacy.""Everything is about her now." My hand pressed against the curve where she rested. "I want her to grow up proud of both her parents, not ashamed of how we began."He nodded, closing his bag. "One hour," he repeated firmly. "I'
"What strategy?" Emma and James asked simultaneously.Marcus met my eyes, a question in his gaze. Whatever he was planning, he wanted my approval first. I nodded slightly, and he turned to face James."I'm going to announce my engagement to Sophia at the gala," he stated. "Then I'm resigning as CEO—
Chapter 1: The Wedding That Wasn'tMy wedding dress cost more than my car. Funny how that's what I fixated on as I stared at its pristine white fabric, now crumpled in the corner of my hotel suite like discarded tissue paper. Twelve thousand dollars of hand-beaded lace and silk, tossed aside just li
Chapter 2: Stranger in the NightThe Skylark's dim lighting couldn't hide the fact that I was still wearing my wedding day makeup, though most of it had turned into elegant smudges beneath my eyes. Three glasses of top-shelf whiskey had dulled the ache in my chest, but not the humiliation burning th
Chapter 3: Family Dinner DisasterTwo months of dodging James's calls had given me a false sense of security. So when his name lit up my phone for the hundredth time, I almost declined it out of habit. Almost."What?" I answered, balancing my phone while sorting through client files at my desk."Sop
"What strategy?" Emma and James asked simultaneously.Marcus met my eyes, a question in his gaze. Whatever he was planning, he wanted my approval first. I nodded slightly, and he turned to face James."I'm going to announce my engagement to Sophia at the gala," he stated. "Then I'm resigning as CEO—
Understanding dawned in his eyes. "This is about your daughter's legacy.""Everything is about her now." My hand pressed against the curve where she rested. "I want her to grow up proud of both her parents, not ashamed of how we began."He nodded, closing his bag. "One hour," he repeated firmly. "I'
Chapter 25: The Gala PreparationI stood before the full-length mirror, barely recognizing the woman who stared back at me. The midnight blue gown—custom-made to accommodate my five-month baby bump—draped elegantly over my curves, the empire waist creating a silhouette that somehow managed to look b
"I'm a big girl, James." I gestured to my hospital room. "Not exactly going anywhere."He pulled out his phone, fingers flying across the screen. "I'm calling in a security team I trust. Not Henderson security—independent contractors.""You don't have to—""Yes, I do." His expression hardened. "Look
Chapter 24: James's DilemmaThe document on my phone blurred as tears filled my eyes. Marcus took one look at my face and gently pried the device from my fingers. I watched his expression change as he read—confusion, then disbelief, finally settling into something unreadable."You filed a harassment
Victoria barely spared her a glance. "Family business. It doesn't concern you.""My sister and my niece concern me," Emma shot back, moving to stand beside me. "The tabloid hit job you just orchestrated? That concerns me too.""A few unflattering articles," Victoria waved dismissively. "Hardly worth
Chapter 23: Victoria's CounterattackI stared at Marcus's phone in horror as James's voice echoed through the hospital room."The trust gives controlling interest to Sophia's baby? How is that even possible?" Marcus demanded, his body tensing beside me."Father amended his will after his stroke," Ja
Heat bloomed in my chest, spreading outward until my skin tingled. "Marcus...""I've spent my life becoming my father," he continued, voice low and urgent. "Building bigger, acquiring more, believing that was what mattered. Then I met you, and for the first time, I wanted something that couldn't be
Chapter 22: Marcus's ChoiceI stared at the ceiling of my hospital room, counting the tiles for the hundredth time while machines beeped a steady rhythm beside me. After the chaos at the board meeting, Dr. Patel had insisted I return to complete bed rest—no exceptions. Three days had passed since I'