He Wants An Open Marriage? Done!

Roxanne’s fists clenched so tightly her nails bit into her palms. If she could, she would gladly throw everything she had into wiping that arrogant smirk off his face.

Beside her, Richard stiffened. His expression remained a mask of indifference, but neither of them said a word. They simply watched Christian, letting the silence crush him.

Christian’s eyes narrowed into venomous slits, his jaw locking hard. "I only have one regret," he spat, his voice trembling with bitterness. "If I could go back in time, I never would’ve taken you to that gala. You never would have met him."

Roxanne and Richard exchanged a quiet look, a shared smile ghosting across their lips. Christian’s brows pulled together in sudden confusion.

Roxanne turned her gaze fully onto him, a slow shake of her head carrying a heavy weight of exhaustion. She unconsciously stepped a fraction closer to Richard, feeling the solid heat of his shoulder against her own.

"You’re even more blind than I thought," she murmured, her voice laced with deep pity.

Christian frowned, his gaze darting frantically between them. "What are you trying to say?"

Roxanne smiled, a cold curve of her mouth. "You still don’t know, do you? Let me spell it out for you." She paused, letting the breath hitch in his throat. "You lost me long before you ever realized it."

Christian’s brows pinched hard enough to hurt. Panic flickered across his pale face, his chest heaving under his wrinkled suit. "Did you know him before then? How? Where did you even meet him? Did the two of you play me?"

"Enough, Christian," Richard cut in, his voice a sharp blade of authority. "You should leave before we close the doors."

Christian’s eyes flicked to Richard, then darted toward the exit. He swallowed hard, the bravado cracking as he looked at the glass doors. He turned back to them, his chest rising and falling in shallow breaths. "This isn’t over. I promise you that."

With a final, venomous glare, he turned and marched toward the exit.

Roxanne started to turn away, but Richard’s hand caught hers, his fingers wrapping firmly around her wrist to hold her in place.

He shook his head slightly. "Not yet, Roxanne. You’re going to want to see this."

Her brows furrowed in confusion, but she let her gaze shift back to the glass doors just as Christian stepped outside.

The sharp, wailing shriek of a police siren pierced the heavy afternoon air.

Christian froze on the top step, his body locking up. He took a panicked step backward as uniformed officers swarmed up the concrete steps toward him.

Anticipating his frantic retreat, Richard glanced over his shoulder at the security team and gave a sharp nod. They moved with swift precision, hitting the override switch to seal the doors shut.

Christian spun around, lunging back toward the entrance. He threw himself against the glass, waiting for the panels to slide open, but they remained firmly locked. He whipped his head back, watching the officers close the distance, then beat his fists desperately against the transparent barrier.

"Why isn’t the door opening?" he cried, his voice cracking with rising hysteria as heavy boots hit the steps behind him. He hammered his palms against the glass. "Open it! Call Richard! This wasn’t the part of the deal! You! Open up!"

Richard didn’t flinch. A faint smile touched his lips as he stepped forward, meeting Christian face-to-face through the thick glass.

Christian saw him through the pane, his eyes blowing wide with sheer betrayal. "What the hell is this, Richard? You promised me!" he shrieked, his voice muffled by the glass. "I fulfilled my end of the deal!"

Richard’s voice came through cool and unbothered. "Well. I fulfilled my end of the deal, too."

"By calling the cops on me?"

Richard let out a slow sigh, shaking his head. "I promised I’d let you walk out of these doors a free man. I didn’t promise you anything about what waited on the other side."

Christian’s jaw went slack. The fight instantly drained from his body, leaving him pale and hollowed out. A broken laugh slipped past his lips. "Well played, Richard Vance. Well played."

Richard offered no reply. He simply stood there, watching him with satisfaction.

The lead officer reached Christian, grabbing his arms and pulling them behind his back with a sharp click of steel. "Mr. Christian Westbrook, you’re under arrest for fraud, impersonation, defamation of character, public disturbance, and violating a court-mandated restraining order," the officer barked. "Anything you say can and will be used against you—"

Christian wrenched his head around, fixing his wild, bloodshot eyes on Roxanne through the glass. He let out a bitter laugh, shaking his head. "You think you’ve won? Think again!" His face contorted, all pretense of calm vanishing. "Don’t you dare sleep with both eyes closed, Roxanne, because I will be back!"

Roxanne didn’t flinch. She just looked at him, her expression emptied of fear, replaced entirely by pity. Even at the end, he thinks he can threaten his way out. Typical Christian.

"You better be ready for me! You hear me? Better be ready!" Christian roared as the officers hoisted him up and dragged him down the steps, his desperate shouts echoing off the stone walls.

As they hauled him away, the flashing bulbs of the waiting press caught his eye. Panic spiked anew, and he thrashed wildly against the grips of the cops.

"Get those damn cameras out of my face! I’m warning you! Take those away, or you’ll regret it!" he cursed furiously as they dragged him off the Vance Enterprises property once and for all.

Silence settled back over the corridor.

Richard stepped back to Roxanne’s side, their shoulders brushing as they watched the squad cars pull away. A complex wave of lingering sorrow and profound gratitude washed through her chest.

She hadn’t realized how heavy the past had been until she felt it leave her.

Roxanne let out a long, shuddering breath, the last ghost of the past finally leaving her lungs. Turning her head, she looked up at Richard and smiled at the steady future he represented.

Richard looked down at her. He laced his fingers smoothly with hers, bringing her hand up between them. "Tell me, Roxanne," he murmured softly, his thumb tracing the back of her hand. "Now that this Chapter is finally closed, are you ready for the life ahead?"

Roxanne glanced back out at the open street, then looked up into his eyes. A bright smile bloomed across her face before she could even stop it, and she nodded.

"I’ve waited long enough."

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