Page 133 of Unleashed

“He’s… hurt.” The words felt hollow even as I said them.

Erika shot to her feet, her voice rising. “Stop defending him! He’s been a shit husband. His position went straight to his head, and now he thinks he can do whatever the hell he wants!”

I could feel my defenses crumbling, the tears threatening to spill. “I don’t know what he was thinking,” I murmured, rubbing my temples.

“He was thinking he could get away with it,” she shot back, pacing the room. “He put a ring on your finger, and now he thinks you’ll just bend to his will. That you’ll put up with anything.”

I sighed deeply, the exhaustion of it all overwhelming me. “I just want to talk to him, Erika. I need to clear the air.”

Erika paused by the sink, gripping the edge of the counter tightly. “Do what you want,” she muttered, her back to me as she rinsed out her mug.

I sat in silence, staring into my cooling tea, wondering what the future held and whether I had the strength to face it.

CHAPTER 28

Eight days had passed since I last heard from Slade, and when he finally called, he asked to meet for drinks at McSorrel’s Pub near his office. I agreed, though the pit in my stomach wouldn’t settle. Now, sitting at a small table in the corner, I absently spun the glass of fruity white wine in my hand. Slade was late—just by a few minutes—but still, I checked my watch again. The door creaked open, and I spotted him making his way over.

Dressed in a sharp black suit, a pink shirt, and a silver tie, he looked every bit the part of the man I’d once been so proud of.

“Morgan,” he said, his voice soft, tentative. “May I kiss you?”

I hesitated for a beat before jutting out my cheek. He leaned in, barely brushing his lips against my skin. It felt distant, hollow. He sat down, and just as he ordered a whiskey from the approaching waiter, the tension between us thickened.

He gazed at me, his expression strained. “I miss you,” he said, voice low and tortured, like each word weighed a ton.

I swirled my wine, not meeting his eyes. “Everything turned to crap in such a short time.”

Slade’s jaw tightened, guilt flashing across his face. “It’s my fault,” he admitted, his voice hoarse. “You don’t have to say it.”

I took a breath, the question gnawing at me. “Slade… are you cheating on me?”

His face went pale, and for a moment, the world seemed to freeze. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “I would never,” he said, but his words came out too quickly, too rehearsed.

I leaned in, my voice a sharp whisper. “Then why were you coming out of a hotel room with a woman?”

Slade’s throat bobbed as he swallowed hard, his gaze falling to the table. His silence was deafening.

“I… I thought about it,” he finally confessed, shame weighing heavy on every syllable. “I’m ashamed to admit it, but I didn’t go through with it. I couldn’t. You deserve better than that. I knew it was wrong, and I regret even thinking about it.”

My chest tightened. “Who was she?”

“One of the interns we didn’t hire,” he said quietly, his eyes pleading for understanding.

“That doesn’t exactly make me feel better, Slade,” I shot back, my pulse racing. “It makes me think I should worry.”

Slade’s hand gripped his whiskey glass as the waiter placed it down on a thick cocktail napkin. He downed a gulp before speaking again. “I need you back,” he said, his voice cracking. “I don’t sleep well. I can’t think of living my life without you. I waited so long for you to be mine, and I fucked it all up. Please… tell me this isn’t over.”

I took a long sip of my wine, needing the liquid courage to respond. “If we do this… we need to see a professional. There’s so much hurt in such a short time, and I can’t pretend everything’s okay.”

Slade nodded, gulping down more of his whiskey. “I know. I was going to suggest it. I’ve already told Allan he needs to handle all the overseas stuff. I won’t travel anymore.”

I raised an eyebrow. “And what if I got pregnant? You’d be traveling, and you might miss the birth of our child.”

He leaned forward, his eyes widening. “That would never happen. If I knew you were pregnant, I would’ve stopped immediately. Wait... are you?”

“No, I’m not,” I said, watching the fleeting hope in his eyes dissolve. “But the fact that I even have to ask this…”

“I still want to have a baby with you, Morgan,” he whispered, his eyes dropping to my hands as I picked up my glass again. He blinked, and his tortured expression returned. “Your rings…”

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