Chapter 470
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Chapter 470:
Carmen walked into the bathroom, turned on the cold tap, and splashed water onto her swollen face. When she raised her eyes to the mirror, the broken, confused woman was gone. Staring back at her was a mother who had just found her child. Her eyes were hard, cold, and utterly ruthless.
She understood exactly what Justin Collins was — a monster who controlled the board. If she screamed, if she went to the press, he would use his political apparatus to crush her and take Aaden away permanently. She had to play his game.
Carmen changed into a sharp black trench coat, grabbed her keys, and drove directly to Justin’s district office in Manhattan. She ignored the panicked protests of the receptionist and pushed through the heavy mahogany doors of the Senator’s office.
Justin was seated behind his desk. When he saw Carmen in the doorway, he showed no surprise. He raised one hand, silently ordering his security detail to stand down and clear the room.
The doors clicked shut behind them.
“You knew,” Carmen said. Her voice didn’t waver. She crossed the room and slammed both hands down on the desk. “You knew the entire time p>
Justin rose slowly and buttoned his suit jacket with elegant, terrifying calm. His hazel eyes locked onto hers, burning with a dark, obsessive satisfaction.
“I know that you cannot leave me now,” he said, his voice a low, hypnotic murmur.
𝖮r𝘨𝖺𝗻𝗂𝘻e yo𝘶𝗋 𝗹i𝗯𝘳𝖺r𝗒 on
Carmen’s fingernails pressed into the wood of the desk. She wanted to strike the expression off his face — but she forced her maternal instincts to override her rage.
“I will agree to reinstate our PR relationship contract,” she said, her voice like crushed ice. “I will attend your political dinners. I will smile for the cameras.” She leaned closer, her eyes blazing. “But I am moving into the townhouse, and I get absolute, unrestricted access to Aaden. Furthermore, we begin the process of establishing my legal guardianship immediately. I want it in writing, Senator — ironclad and filed with the state. You will never have the legal power to keep me from him again p>
Justin studied the fierce, luminous woman standing across from him. She was placing the collar around her own neck just to be near their son. A wave of intense, twisted satisfaction moved through him.
“Deal, Mrs. Collins,” he murmured, deliberately letting the title settle in the air between them.
He came around the desk and stopped inches from her. His large hand reached out and gently tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. Carmen didn’t flinch. She held her ground.
“Now,” Justin said, his tone shifting to quiet authority, “as your devoted partner, I suggest we go pick up our son from school p>
Half an hour later, Justin’s black bulletproof SUV pulled up to the curb outside St. Jude’s Preparatory Academy.
The dismissal bell rang. Aaden walked out through the heavy iron gates in his neat uniform, backpack bouncing on his shoulders. When he saw Carmen standing beside the SUV, his face ignited with pure, unguarded joy. He dropped his backpack and ran.