Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 83216 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 416(@200wpm)___ 333(@250wpm)___ 277(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83216 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 416(@200wpm)___ 333(@250wpm)___ 277(@300wpm)
My stare doesn’t waver. “If something involves Rina, it involves me too.”
The woman next to me flinches. It’s a small movement, but it lands with the force of a blow.
Hugh’s eyes narrow. “Then I don’t suppose there’s a need to ask if you two are in a relationship.”
Rina falters, her body rising and falling too fast as she stares at her lap. When she finally lifts her chin, it takes visible effort, as if she has to summon every ounce of strength.
“No,” she says quietly. “Oliver and I have been seeing each other.”
Hugh exhales, the sound deliberate and controlled. “I’m sure you’re aware that you signed a no-fraternization clause in your contract, Rina.”
Her shoulders cave inward, folding as though the reminder itself has weight. Her hands twist in her lap until her knuckles turn bone white. She knows exactly what that means.
Termination, public scandal, years of hard work gone in a puff of smoke.
The woman who has no problem commanding a room, who can make executives and reporters flinch under her hard stare, is gone.
All that’s left is someone who’s bracing for impact.
“I am,” she whispers.
The defeat in her tone is all it takes for me to snap into action.
My palm slams down on the arm of the chair with a crack before I lean forward. “She’s pregnant.”
Evelyn gasps, her hand flying to the spot just below her collarbone, as Hugh’s brows jerk upward in a rare moment of shock.
Rina turns her head toward me. Her eyes are wide as fear shimmers in them like fractured glass.
Evelyn’s lips part, as though to speak, but she presses them together again, composure snapping into place. Hugh leans back in his chair as his expression flattens into something unreadable.
I glance at Rina. The stricken look on her face hollows me out. Almost like I yanked the rug out from under her. She doesn’t see it yet, but laying everything bare is the only way to move forward.
At least, that’s what I tell myself as I reach for her hand, desperate to anchor her to me.
She flinches, as if my touch burns.
For a moment, I wonder if I should’ve kept my mouth shut. Rina doesn’t understand that I’d tear down the world for her.
But what if the first thing I destroy is the life she built for herself?
The one that lets her stand on her own two feet and makes her feel safe?
Hugh clears his throat, the sound measured. “There are rules in place—”
“I don’t give a damn about your rules,” I rasp. “The three of us are a family now, and that’s all that matters.”
Another charged silence stretches, until it feels seconds away from detonating.
Evelyn clears her throat, attempting to ease the pressure. “Perhaps we should take a moment to gain some clarity.”
Her attention shifts to Rina as understanding floods her eyes along with a hint of regret.
When I drag my focus back to the woman at my side, her eyes are bright with unshed tears. She doesn’t speak or reach for me. Instead, she folds further into herself, shoulders curling inward like she’s trying to disappear.
Hugh’s voice cuts through the quiet. “If I bend the rules for you, what’s the point in having them at all?”
I grind my jaw so hard it aches.
“I understand,” she whispers.
Evelyn leans forward, tone soft but firm. “Hugh, surely we have some flexibility—”
He cuts her off. “No, we don’t.”
Rina blinks, her lashes fluttering. She’s holding herself together with nothing but sheer force of will. One wrong word and she’ll break.
“Oliver and Rina,” Evelyn says, forcing a serene smile that doesn’t reach her eyes. “Would you mind giving us a moment?”
“Sure,” I mutter, rising to my feet. My arm slips around Rina automatically, steadying her as I guide her over the threshold.
“If you wouldn’t mind closing the door on your way out,” Evelyn adds gently as we step into the hall.
The air out here is cooler. It’s a relief after the oppressiveness of Hugh’s office. Rina nearly collapses against the wall, her knees buckling. I catch her before she hits the floor, and drag her to me, holding her tight. She trembles as her breath comes in shallow, uneven pulls.
“You’re not alone in this,” I remind her. “You might not have figured it out yet, but you’ve been mine since day one. Which means your battles are mine to fight.” I tilt her chin upward until her gaze catches mine. “If you want me to ask for a trade, I’ll do it.”
Her eyes flare as disbelief fills them. “You’d really do that?”
There’s zero hesitation on my part. “Babe, I’d do just about anything you asked me to. Short of murder. And honestly? That’s not a hard line for me.”
Her lips quiver as an exhale leaves them. “Can you imagine the hate I’d get if the Big O got traded because of me? The fans would run me out of Chicago.”