Chapter 433
Chapter 439
Alexander
The elevator opened directly into my penthouse.
Ethan rushed past Madison and me, his sneakers squeaking against the polished floors. He made a beeline for the floor-to-ceiling windows, pressing both hands and his nose against the glass.
“Whoa! I can see EVERYTHING from here!” His breath fogged the glass. “There’s Central Park! And all the tiny cars! They look like toys p>
Madison followed more slowly, her eyes scanning the space like she was cataloging every detail. Looking for what, I wasn’t sure. 1
I watched her take in the sparse furniture, the empty walls where photos should hang. Nothing personal. Nothing that screamed home instead of expensive real estate investment.
“Can I come here whenever I want?” Ethan spun around, his face bright with excitement. “Like, anytime at
all p>
I glanced at Madison. She was watching me carefully, waiting to see how I’d answer.
“Yes,” I said, meeting Ethan’s eyes. “Anytime you want. This is your second home now p>
“Really?” His whole face lit up. “I have TWO homes? That’s so cool p>
“Ethan,” Madison started, her tone cautious.
“What Mom?” He bounced on his toes. “Dad said I can come anytime p>
“I mean it,” I said quietly, addressing both of them. “You’re both welcome here. Whenever p>
Ethan raced back to the windows. “Can I see your office p>
“After you explore a bit more p>
He took off down the hallway, his footsteps echoing. Madison moved to follow, but I caught her wrist gently.
“Let him explore. He won’t break anything p>
“That’s not what I’m worried about.” She pulled her wrist free, but not roughly “This is a lot for him. A new father, a penthouse, all of it ”
“He seems happy
“For now But what happens when reality sets in? When he realizes this isn’t some fairy tale?
I stepped closer “Then we deal with it Together
Her eyes searched mine, looking for lies or empty promises I let her look, I had nothing to hide
Chapter 439
“I really hope you mean that,” she said finally.
“I do p>
+25 Bonus
We stood there in silence, neither moving nor speaking. The penthouse felt too quiet, too empty except for the two of us and everything we weren’t saying.
I cleared my throat. “Coffee or tea p>
“Coffee p>
I moved to the kitchen, grateful for something to do with my hands. The espresso machine hummed to life, familiar and grounding. Two cups. One for her, one for me.
Madison settled onto the barstool, watching me work. I could feel her eyes tracking my movements, cataloging every detail like she used to when we worked together.
I set her mug in front of her first, then took my own, leaning against the counter opposite her.
She wrapped her hands around the cup, breathing in the steam. “So how did Katherine agree to cancel the engagement so easily p>
I took a sip of my coffee, buying myself a moment. “I showed her proof of what her company’s been doing. The bribes, the industrial espionage, all of it p>
Madison’s eyebrows rose. “What kind of proof p>
“Everything. Financial records showing payments to fashion editors for favorable coverage. Digital trails of her team hacking competitor systems to steal designs. Offshore accounts hiding millions in tax evasion.” I paused. “Leo’s very thorough when I ask him to dig p>
“You had her investigated p>
“I had her business investigated. There’s a difference p>
Madison took a careful sip of coffee, her expression unreadable. “So you agreed to marry someone who built her entire company on illegal activities p>
The accusation landed exactly where she’d aimed it.
“I didn’t know about any of it before,” I said quietly. “I knew Katherine was ambitious, ruthless even. Butl thought she’d built Sinclair Luxe through hard work and smart business decisions. I believed her when she talked about sacrificing everything to make her brand succeed p>
“And when did you stop believing her p>
“When I started looking for a way out ‘I set my mug down Tve been thinking about ending things for months The engagement never felt right, but I couldn’t figure out how to end it without creating a media circus that would hurt both our companies Then I met Ethan, and suddenly the calculation changed”
Madison’s fingers tightened around her mug ‘What changed p>
Chapter 439
+25 Bonus
“Everything. My priorities, what I wanted, what I was willing to tolerate.” I met her eyes. “I asked Leo to find anything that would give Katherine a reason to end things quietly. Some leverage that would make her walk away without a fight. He found this information yesterday p>
“It’s good that Katherine agreed to cancel the engagement p>
“Agreed is generous. More like accepted the inevitable p>
“Still.” Her eyes found mine. “She might not let you go so easily. Katherine doesn’t strike me as someone who takes rejection well. Women like that don’t just walk away from what they want. They regroup, strategize, come back harder p>
I leaned against the counter, considering her words. She wasn’t wrong. Katherine had built her empire through calculated moves and refusing to accept defeat. Breaking our engagement wouldn’t change that
fundamental nature.
“Let’s see what she’s up to then,” I said finally. “If she tries something, I’ll handle it p>
“And if handling it involves more leverage? More threats p>
“Then I’ll do what needs to be done.” I held her gaze. “I’m not backing down on this, Madison. Not now p>
“Okay p>
“Okay p>
“I believe you’ll end it.” She said, taking a slow sip.
I watched her throat move as she swallowed, a simple gesture that shouldn’t have made my pulse kick up. But everything about Madison seemed designed to undo me lately. The way she tucked her hair behind her ear. How her fingers curled around that mug. The slight parting of her lips when she thought!
wasn’t looking.
We finished our coffee in silence. Not uncomfortable, just weighted with everything we weren’t saying. The kitchen suddenly felt too small, despite its ridiculous size. Too intimate.
I collected our mugs, rinsing them in the sink while Madison watched. Her eyes tracked my movements as if she were cataloging details for later analysis.
Comments
Support
admind