Page 78 of The Unwanted Wife

"—but on the outside possibility that it does, I want your word that she gets the proceeds of whatever settlement is reached."

He lowers his cigar and narrows his gaze. "Why, dear grandson, if I didn’t trust you as much as I do, I’d say you’re not above divesting the company." He smiles, a shrewd look about his eyes. "Not that you’d do that."

Fuck, I never planned on letting my intentions be this transparent. I must be losing my touch at the negotiating table. All that experience from bartering with the enemy and persuading them to release hostages has come to naught. Caught up in the emotion of the situation, with my heart not my own anymore, I wasn’t thinking clearly. That’s the only explanation for why I’ve given away my intentions to my grandfather. But no matter. I can salvage the situation and get what I want. Just as long as she’s taken care of.

"What can I say, except that I like to think ahead? Strategy has always been my strong point. It’s why you hired me to run the company."

"My choice was to have you and Edward run it together?—"

"But he didn’t want to have anything to do with the leadership role. So, I guess you’re stuck with me."

He strokes his chin. "You want to ensure the love of your life is taken care of, no matter what happens to the business."

"Exactly."

"In fact, you probably had this in mind when you decided to marry her?"

"She is my wife and the sole beneficiary of my will. That should demonstrate how much I care for her. How much I believe in this marriage?—"

"Despite your protests to the contrary?—"

"—how much I have faith in us surviving the ups and downs of a marital relationship."

"Or perhaps… You’re sure you won’t stick around long enough to see these mythical ups and downs."

I lower my chin. "Why, Arthur, you’ve all but called me a traitor. Someone who’s going to sell out the company, as well as leave his new wife."

"Aren’t you?"

I laugh. "Why would I? I love my wife. The Davenports are my family. Why would I do anything to hurt either of them?"

"But what if you didn’t have a choice?" He smiles sadly.

I frown, taking in the droop of his shoulders. Nope, he has no idea what I’ve done to get this far. And he definitely has no inkling of what I have in mind for the future. I open my mouth to reassure him, when his phone vibrates.

He looks at it and frowns. "Sorry, I need to take this."

He answers the call. There’s a voice on the other side. I can’t make out the words, but whatever that person says leads to the blood draining from his face.

Tiny must sense the change in his mood, for he barks, then jumps up, every muscle in his body rigid.

Arthur lowers his phone, then looks at me with dazed eyes. "He’s coming home."

43

Skylar

"When do you finish work?"

My husband’s features soften on my phone screen. "Soon, baby. How are the interviews going?"

It’s been two weeks since we moved Hugo to a top-of-the-line facility—one with expansive grounds and separate, serviced apartments allocated to the residents, instead of rooms. And round-the-clock help with a patient to staff ratio of five to one. That means there’s always someone looking in on them, including one person to check in with them as they sleep. That’s what money can buy.

I should be grateful for it, and I am; Hugo is well looked after. Especially when my husband made sure to fix up the kitchen in his apartment, so he can practice his dishes, making sure there’s someone watching over him when he does it, so he’s safe. All of this was accomplished over the course of a week.

I’ve insisted on checking in on Hugo every day, spending time with him until I’m sure he’s happy. And each night, I return home to the arms of my waiting husband. He started working from his home office, so he’s always there when I return. And he takes care of me, too.

The first time I returned, he signed off of his video call mid-conversation, then bent me over his desk and fucked me. The second time, he pushed me to my knees and insisted I blow him while he was talking. It was both demeaning and hot, especially when he came down my throat, then kissed me and carried me to our room, and proceeded to fuck me while looking into my eyes in the way only he can.

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