He Wants An Open Marriage? Done!

A surge of pure satisfaction bloomed in Roxanne’s chest as every last trace of Christian’s smug confidence vanished from his face. She glanced sideways at Richard. His profile was carved from granite, calm, lethal, and entirely in control.

There is no way out for him now.

"What the hell is this about?" Christian snapped, his voice tight as he swallowed hard, trying to stare Richard down.

Richard didn’t even look at him. His eyes remained on the threshold. "Please, come in," he said softly.

Amelia walked into the boardroom, her chin lifted, and took the empty leather chair Richard pointed out across the table. Following right behind her, a tall man in a tailored dark suit walked straight to Richard and laid a thick, black leather-bound binder on the table surface.

"Is everything in there?" Richard asked.

"Every single document, sir," the man replied with a crisp nod. "Just as we discussed."

Richard gave a slight nod of approval. The man turned and exited, making way for the second man, a broad-shouldered security guard in a dark uniform. The guard pulled the heavy oak doors shut with a soft click, then stood directly in front of them, folding his massive arms across his chest.

Christian swallowed, his jaw working as he dragged his feet toward the table. He pulled out the chair directly opposite Amelia and sat down. His hands were trembling faintly against the dark wood, but he quickly laced his fingers together to hide the tremor.

Too late, Roxanne thought, a silent smirk playing at her lips. I already saw it.

She turned her eyes to the thick binder resting under Richard’s hand. Stamped in silver across the front cover was a single word: CONFIDENTIAL. She wondered what kind of evidence Richard had gathered to make a man as arrogant as Christian shake like a leaf.

As if sensing her thoughts, Richard turned his head. A faint smile touched the corner of his lips. "I told you to trust me," he murmured, his deep voice carrying a warmth that sent a subtle flutter through her pulse.

Roxanne offered a small nod, her eyes sparkling as she looked back over at Christian. Seeing Christian sweat for the first time in years filled her with a quiet satisfaction.

Henry cleared his throat, leaning forward at the head of the table. "Are you ready, Richard?"

Richard opened his mouth to answer, but Christian cut in, his voice loud and artificially steady.

"You claimed this was a negotiation, but from where I’m sitting, this looks like intimidation!" His dark eyes flicked nervously around the table, searching for any sign of weakness in the board members’ faces. "If you think you can corner me, you’re dead wrong. You haven’t seen what I’m capable of."

A heavy silence fell over the room. No one gasped. No one argued. The board simply stared at him with disdain.

Frustrated by their silence, Christian reached into his breast pocket and yanked out his phone. "I’m recording this entire conversation," he declared, tapping the screen. "Whatever happens in this room, the media will have it by noon. So if your plan is to bully me into submission, you’re about to be exposed to the whole country. You still have a chance to unlock that door and let me leave."

"You aren’t going anywhere," Margaret snapped, her tone dripping with disgust as she leaned forward. "What an absurd—"

Henry placed a firm hand over his wife’s wrist, cutting her off. Margaret let out a sharp scoff, pulling back and crossing her arms against her chest.

Henry looked over at Christian, letting out a slow, tired breath. "We came here to negotiate, Christian. And if it gives you peace of mind, you are more than welcome to record every word spoken in this room."

Christian’s fingers moved quickly across his phone screen, opening his voice-memo app. "Oh, I intend to," he sneered.

"Very well—"

"And what are you doing here, Amelia?" Christian demanded suddenly, leaning over the table toward his former assistant. His eyes burned with sudden venom. "Why did they tell you to come up here?"

Amelia shifted slightly under his glare, her shoulders tightening. But as she opened her mouth to reply, Richard raised a single hand to her.

"You speak only when I tell you to, Amelia," Richard said softly, his voice leaving zero room for argument.

Christian’s brows pulled into a tight crease. "She has a right to speak! It’s called basic freedom," he argued, trying to recapture his dominant tone. "Besides, I’m the one asking her the question."

Richard let out a quiet scoff, shaking his head. "Need I remind you that you are no longer an employee of Vance Enterprises? She no longer answers to you, Christian."

Christian’s jaw clenched hard, a muscle ticking beneath his skin. He turned back to Amelia, forcing a reassuring tone that sounded entirely fake. "Don’t listen to him, Amelia. Don’t let these people scare you. When I walk out of here today, I want you to come with me. I’ll hire you as my senior executive assistant at my new firm."

At that exact moment, Richard’s phone lit up on the dark wood with a quiet buzz. Every eye at the table flicked toward the device.

Richard reached out, lifting the phone. He unlocked the screen with a swipe. From where Roxanne sat right beside him, her eyes caught the brief text preview flashing across the display:

The police units have arrived.

A subtle chill ran down Roxanne’s spine, followed immediately by a wave of quiet triumph. Her lips twitched upward into a small, knowing smile.

Christian was completely cornered, yet he was still sitting there, running his mouth, utterly clueless about the trap springing shut around him.

"I’ll make sure you’re very well compensated, Amelia," Christian continued, pulling his shoulders back as he tapped the red record button on his phone screen. He looked back at Richard, his expression arrogant once more. "This settlement offer better be generous. Otherwise, I walk out that door, call the press, and press charges against every single one of you for false imprisonment."

"Enough talking, Christian," Richard said quietly.

He flipped his phone face down on the table with a soft clack, then leaned forward, resting his broad forearms on either side of the black binder.

The air in the room instantly shifted, growing heavy with authority.

"It’s time to get down to business."

Christian’s eyes dropped to the thick binder, his chest rising and falling in shallow, uneven hitches.

"Inside this file," Richard said, his dark eyes fixing onto Christian, "is a collection of documents you are going to find exceptionally interesting."

Christian’s lips curled into a faint smirk as he looked down at the leather cover.

Roxanne looked across the table at her ex-husband and slowly shook her head. He really had no idea what was coming.

Richard rested one hand on the binder, and then he slid it to Christian. "Open it."

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