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Morning light streamed through the windows as I woke in Leo’s arms. We’d fallen asleep on
the oversized couch, my head tucked against his chest, his jacket draped over me like a blanket.
For a moment, I let myself exist in this bubble of peace – the sound of his steady heartbeat, the
warmth of his embrace, the distant cry of seabirds over the ocean.
“You’re thinking too loud,” Leo murmured, his voice rough with sleep. His fingers traced lazy
patterns on my back.
“Just wondering how long this can last.” I propped myself up to look at him, taking in the way the sunlight caught the silver at his temples, the softness in his usually guarded eyes.
He tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, his touch lingering on my cheek. “Nathaniel will
retaliate. After last night, he has to.”
“I know.” My fingers found the fresh cut above his eyebrow, barely scabbed over. “The files we took from his study – they’re enough to destroy him, aren’t they?”
“More than enough. Money laundering, contract killings, property theft.” Leo’s jaw tightened. “Your father was right about everything.”
I traced the line of his collarbone, visible where his shirt had come unbuttoned. “Do you
regret it? Getting involved in all this?”
“No.” His hand cupped the back of my neck, drawing me closer until our foreheads touched. “The only thing I regret is not being able to save your father.”
The grief hit fresh, a wave I couldn’t fight. Leo held me tighter as tears spilled down my cheeks, soaking into his shirt. His heartbeat stayed steady under my palm, an anchor in the
storm.
“I know.” My fingers traced the slight swell beneath my silk blouse, a secret I’d carried alone for weeks. “But that’s not what I meant.”
Leo’s eyes tracked my movement, understanding washing over his features. The morning light cast shadows across his face as he shifted, drawing me up with him until we sat face to face on the couch.
“Victoria.” His voice carried a weight I’d never heard before. “What I told you last night
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Marty My Ex humbanda Rwal
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about commitment, about loyalty I meant every word. When I choose someone, it’s forever.” He caught my hand in his, thumb brushing over my knuckles. “But my world… the things I’ve
done, the enemies I’ve made. Your child deserves better than-”
“Our child.” The words tumbled out before I could stop them, hanging in the air between us. Heat rushed to my cheeks. “If… if that’s something you’d want. I know it’s complicated, and fast, and probably crazy, but-”
His mouth crashed into mine, cutting off my rambling. The kiss was different from our others – deeper, hungrier, filled with promise and possession. His hand cradled the back of my head while the other pressed against my stomach, protective and tender. When he pulled back, his eyes blazed with an intensity that stole my breath.
“Our child,” he agreed, hand covering mine over my stomach. “I’ll protect you both with my life.”
The moment shattered as Sofia burst through the door, tablet in hand. “We’ve got trouble.” Leo was on his feet instantly, all traces of softness gone. “What happened?”
“Nathaniel’s making his move.” Sofia handed him the tablet. “He’s called a press conference
for noon.”
I peered at the screen, my blood running cold as I read the announcement. Nathaniel planned to reveal evidence of widespread corruption in the city’s business community- specifically targeting Leo’s tech company.
“He’s trying to destroy your legitimate business,” I said. “Force you underground.”
Leo’s face hardened into a mask I recognized from the gala – the calculated stillness of a predator preparing to strike. He scrolled through the press release, his jaw clenched tight.
–
Sofia paced the length of the window, her heels clicking against the hardwood. “The documents he’s threatening to release they’re forgeries, but good ones. Our tech team found traces of them being created over the past month.”
“He planned this,” I whispered, the realization hitting like ice water. “He knew I’d run to you. This whole time, he’s been=”
“Playing us,” Leo finished. His knuckles went white around the tablet’s edges. “Using my protection of you as proof of conspiracy.”
The morning sun felt colder now, its warmth unable to touch the chill spreading through my veins. I wrapped my arms around myself, mind racing through the implications. Everything we’d gathered against Nathaniel, all our careful plans he’d turned it around on us in one calculated
move.
“Smart play.” Leo’s jaw tightened. “If my company falls, it weakens our whole operation. Makes it harder to move money, maintain our cover.”
“We have two hours.” Sofia glanced at her watch. “I can have a team ready in twenty minutes.”
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22:43 Fri, 21 Feb
Marry My Ex husbands. Rival
minutes.
“No.” I straightened, an idea forming. “I know a better way.”
They both turned to look at me. I smoothed down my wrinkled gown, mind racing. “Nathaniel’s not the only one who can call a press conference.”
Leo’s eyes narrowed. “Victoria-”
“Think about it. Who better to counter his accusations than his grieving wife?” My hands. shook, but my voice stayed steady. “The public loves a scandal, but they love redemption more. A woman speaking out against her abusive husband, exposing his crimes while carrying his
child?”
Sofia’s lips curved into a slow smile. “The press would eat it up.”
“It’s too dangerous.” Leo crossed the room, gripping my shoulders. “He’ll know exactly where you are.’
can
“Good.” I covered his hands with mine. “Let him come. While he’s focused on me, your team move the evidence we gathered to the DA’s office.”
“You’d be putting yourself in the crosshairs.” Leo’s fingers tightened. “If anything happened to you-”
“I’m already in the crosshairs.” I pressed my palm to his cheek, feeling the tension in his jaw. “At least this way, we control the narrative. We force his hand.”
Sofia tapped rapidly on her phone. “I can have the major networks at the courthouse steps. in an hour. Maximum exposure.”
“You’ll need protection.” Leo’s voice carried an edge I recognized – the sound of a man calculating risks, weighing options. “A public venue means we can’t control all the variables.”
“Then we don’t try to.” I squared my shoulders. “We use them instand ”
Fri, 21 Feb
Marry My Ex husband’s inval
