I left Wellington Crescent with Lucien's panic still echoing in my head. The whole drive back felt… thick. Heavy. Like every red light was dragging the weight of what he told a little deeper into my chest.
Before pulling out of the lot, I tapped my phone and called Ava.
She picked on the second ring. "Manager Tanaka?"
"Hey, Ava." My voice sounded tired even to . "Listen, I won't be coming back to the office today. If anything cos up that needs my review, just send it to my email. I'll handle it from ho."
"Of course." I could practically see her already sorting things in her head. "Should I also forward the revised projections for the ridian Initiative? And the requested breakdown from the Urban Logistics sub-team?"
"Yeah. Send both."
"Alright. I'll take care of the rest here." A brief pause, then, "Drive safe, sir."
I exhaled. "Thanks, Ava."
Call ended.
I didn't even realize how tense my shoulders were until I finally pulled into our driveway. And then—
I froze.
Val's car was already parked.
She'd beaten ho.
Great.
Not because I didn't want to see her—God, that was never the problem—but because I wasn't exactly walking in with sunshine news. And Val? She sensed things. Instantly. Precisely. Like she had a sixth sense reserved solely for , her husband.
Inside, the house slled warm—garlic, butter, sothing baked. Aline's voice drifted from the kitchen.
"Welco back, sir."
I offered a smile. "Thanks, Aline. Dinner slls amazing."
"I made grilled lemon herb chicken, mashed potatoes, and sautéed vegetables," she said. "Ma'am asked to keep it light tonight."
Val. Predictably thoughtful even when she wasn't here to see it.
"Where is she?" I asked.
] "In her office, sir. She said to tell you she'll be there if you need her."
I nodded, exhaling slowly. "Alright. Thanks, Aline."
Upstairs, I paused outside Val's office door, knocked once.
> "Co in."
Her voice has this controlled warmth, soft but steady, the kind that always felt like ho.
I pushed the door open.
She was at her desk, sleeves rolled up, hair pinned loosely—CEO-level elegance mixed with the softness she only let out when she was ho. She turned imdiately, eyes brightening.
> "Welco back, husband."
Then a beat. Her head tilted slightly, her lips pulling into a tiny pout. "And what is that face?"
Of course she noticed.
She stood, crossing the room in three light steps, bracing both hands on my chest.
"Okay," she said, eyes narrowing just a little. "What happened this ti?"
I let out a laugh—one of those tired ones that slip out when soone reads you too easily. "I'll tell you…" I started, then paused. "…after I take a shower."
She raised a brow.
"And dinner," she added.
I huffed. "And dinner."
"Good." She kissed —soft, familiar, grounding. "I'll be here when you're done. Then we'll go eat."
Her hand squeezed mine, a small reassurance, before she returned to her desk.
---
The shower helped… but not enough.
Warm water hit my face, but all I could think about was Lucien's voice cracking. The panic. The guilt.
And Val—
Val already suspected what was happening with the shares. But suspecting sothing abstract and hearing it confird by soone involved… those were two very different weights.
Telling her would hurt.
Not because she'd be angry with Lucien—no. Val didn't do petty anger.
But because she cared. About her family. About the company she'd sworn to protect.
About the father whose approval she'd never begged for — but had co to respect, slowly, honestly, and on her own terms.
And now one careless, gullible deal… could threaten that.
Still, she had to know.
I owed her that much.
I stepped out of the shower, got dressed, and headed downstairs.
Val waited at the bottom of the staircase, arms crossed lightly, expression softened by concern. She didn't need to ask what was wrong again—she simply reached for my hand.
> "Co on. Let's eat first."
Dinner was simple, calm. Aline hovered once to refill Val's water, then disappeared like the quiet, respectful shadow she always was. Duchess wandered into the dining room halfway through—tail high, eyes locked on Val like she was waiting for the world's most exclusive invitation.
Val bent down with a smile so warm it almost cut through my tension. "Yes, baby, I see you."
Duchess purred like she owned both of us. Which… she did.
Dinner ended. Aline cleared the plates. Duchess followed Val like a loyal little guard.
And then Val finally turned fully toward .
"Alright," she said softly. "Tell ."
No fear. No hesitation. Just readiness.
So I told her.
Everything.
From the mont Lucien called . To Wellington Crescent. To Benjamin Otavio's na. To Lucien's broken voice, the panic in his eyes. Every detail I had—every detail that mattered.
By the ti I finished, Val stood completely still.
Not angry. Not shocked.
Just… still.
Her lips parted slightly, and she inhaled slow, steady.
"He actually did it," she said quietly.
I nodded.
She pressed a hand to her forehead, exhaling through her nose. "This is bad."
"I know."
She looked at then—really looked at . "LUCIEN needs to tell dad."
"He's terrified," I admitted. "He doesn't know how to start."
She was quiet for a long mont.
Then:
> "I'll go with him."
I blinked. "…You sure?"
"Yes." Her voice didn't waver. "Dad hasn't fully accepted you yet. If you show up with Lucien, he'll think you're ddling or manipulating the situation. He'll shut down before we even begin."
That… was painfully accurate.
"And Lucien will freeze if he goes alone," she added. "So I'll go with him. He'll talk. Dad will listen. And then we'll handle the rest together."
I exhaled, tension loosening in my shoulders.
"Alright," I said. "We'll figure this out."
Val stepped closer, sliding her hands up my chest until they rested gently around my neck.
"We always do," she whispered.
And sohow, even with everything threatening to fall apart around us, I believed her.
This isn't going to be easy. In fact… it's only going to get ssier. Whatever cos next will change everything—for better or worse—but we'll face it like we did everything else.
Together.
---
To be continued...
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