Page 31 of Escalating Alpha

Right after the First Lady gave the lamest non-apology ever.

Like had been happening all day, someone came flying into my office and turned on the TV.

“I’m just going to prop the door open and leave my TV on mute,” I grumbled as I looked up from what I was reviewing. I did a double take when I saw Dain on the screen. “Shit.”

“Yeah,” Corbin sighed.

“What do you think of the First Lady’s apology, Mr. Morton?” someone called at him.

He snorted. “That wasn’t an apology. That was victim blaming. Turning it around to say it wasn’t her but probably one of my wife’s many,manylovers in Bolivia since one of the hitmen was caught in Santigo is disgusting. That informationwas confidential andvitalin trying to find out who is behind this all and she disclosed it.

“I feel intentionally since she and her husband want my family dead—my innocent, son who is not even a year old. The whole thing was disturbing. She has never met my wife and constantly tears into her while doing nothing herself for our country. My wife is not lovers with President Condori. I believe they have met once in passing.

“To my knowledge, Sera hasn’t even been to Bolivia. If she has, it’s been with the FBI and she’s never told me becauseshe doesknow how to keep things quiet that she should. She’s never disclosed secrets she shouldn’t and I’m cleared with the FBI, am still working with them. The First Lady isjealousof my wife. That’s what this comes down to.”

“How can you say that?” someone shouted.

Dain gave the guy a look that he was dense. “Anyone with eyes can see it. The First Lady only became someone because of who she married. My wife is a rockstar and superhero all on her own. The best days of the First Lady are long over, and she clutches to her choices as being right because she regrets how things have turned out being married to a man so full of hate.

“Let me be clear that there isnothing wrongwith being a stay-at-home wife or mother. Mine was, and it is a demanding, unforgiving, and underappreciated job. I hate how people treat those in that position. I have always respected it and pushed for it to be accepted as what it is—a very difficultjob. But that is someone’s choice.

“It doesn’t make anyone else’s choice wrong, and the moment a stay-at-home mom throws insults at women who don’t choose her same path, it’s clear they regret the life they’ve chosen. The First Lady cannot hold a candle to my wife. I’m biased because I’m deeply in love with her, but if you have a clear mind and look at the side-by-side, you would agree.”

“I think that’s a bit much when one is the most powerful woman in the country,” someone said, not sounding mean but like that was just a hard pill to swallow.

“Sir, my wife is a genius. An actual tested genius. She was years ahead of schooling and academically gifted. She speaks ten languages fluently and three more conversationally—almost four with Greek now. She could have gone into tech or any industry to make millions—a list of degrees, but she served her country. SheisCaptain America to many of us.

“She’s been shot multiple times for this country and protecting the citizens. I know how the First Lady and others say she received her money, but none of that is true. There were agreements in place that protected Sera’s wolves and were broken. The cost of that breach was the man’s fortune. That was how severe the agreements were.

“And the laws he then broke led to a councilman giving an order of execution. It just happened it was Sera’s job to handle that. She could have passed it off, but she didn’t want someone else to carry it. Those are thefactsand several in Internal Affairs have cleared her. The First Lady is not in the know on any of this but runs her mouth.

“So she can’t even understand her position and the influence she has—how to be careful with that power. I also don’t care how the whispers were squashed, but we all know there were accusations that she plagiarized her master’s thesis. I plan to get to the bottom of that since apparently she won’t leave my family alone.

“My wife immediately set to helping people when she received a large amount of money. She doesn’t kill people for money. She helps people with her money. She employsthousandsof people now. Above average wages for their industries. They thrive and—I could brag about my amazing wife all day and I have to get to court.

“I will end by saying if the First Lady doesn’t come up with a real apology and stop spreading hate and lies, she will be next to see me in court. I don’t care her position; she has to follow the law and is just as liable as the former Mrs. Galvin for the damage done to my wife’s career and life. More than that, the First Lady is responsible for the threats against my family.”

“She didn’t put up the money,” someone argued.

Dain raised an eyebrow at him. “I haven’t seen the proof of that. And I didn’t say she hired the hitman. I said she was responsible. She isliableand clearly a lot of people believe that with the protests.”

“Damn, he’s cool,” Corbin whispered.

Yeah, he really was. For all our issues and the amount of times I wanted to beat him, he did an amazing job protecting us—me.

Which was why I sent a text thanking him.

There had already been a preliminary hearing for motions and if there were grounds for the case to go forward. The other side had lost the motion to keep cameras out of court. We said that was ridiculous when the former Mrs. Galvin did everything in her power to say her lies about me in public. She didn’t get to hide when they were refuted.

Dain was dynamic and amazing in court. I’d seen it before but… Amazing. He handled everything like a pro and was beyond cool. We had a different attorney as lead for the case since he wasn’t licensed in DC, but this was really his case, and he made it clear he was fighting for me.

And what was right.

That was glaringly obvious when he added several motions that weren’t punitive. My mouth dropped open when he filed for Director Galvin to get emergency full physical custody of his kids and more.

His evidence?

A truly unhinged voicemail from his ex-wife about not only ruining him but making sure he never saw his kids again. That he’d bury me—his whore—and… Unhinged didn’t even cover it.

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