He Wants An Open Marriage? Done!

Richard stared at her. Silently at first, then admiration flashed in his eyes, as if he hadn’t expected her to handle the situation this calmly.

Roxanne noticed the look and smiled. "Don’t look so surprised."

"I’m not surprised," he said. Roxanne tilted her head, looking at him. Richard’s lips twitched. "Well, maybe a little."

Roxanne smiled again, then she opened the door. "See you later."

Richard smiled. "Be careful."

She glanced back at him. "I will." Then she stepped out and closed the door behind her.

The moment the door shut, Richard’s smile disappeared, and his expression hardened into stone. He moved to his desk and picked up his phone.

The situation was too serious for him to simply sit back and do nothing. Roxanne had asked him not to interfere. He would respect that. But there was a difference between interfering and protecting her from something she didn’t know was coming.

Richard unlocked his phone and stopped on one name. Ethan Cole. Digital investigations.

He pressed call and the line connected almost immediately. "Have you seen the pictures?"

"Yes." Ethan’s voice came through the line.

Richard’s grip tightened around the phone. "I want the original source of the story. Find out who supplied the ultrasound and whether the image has been manipulated."

"Understood."

"And Ethan?"

"Yes?"

Richard paused. "Don’t tell anyone I’m investigating them."

"Understood," Ethan said.

Richard ended the call and lowered the phone slowly. His eyes remained fixed on the desk, his mind racing through every possibility. His fingers began tapping against the desk.

Then he stopped tapping, his chest rising and falling slowly. He hated the feeling of waiting. He hated knowing there could be something happening behind the scenes while Roxanne walked around believing she had everything under control.

But he trusted her.

He had promised not to interfere, and he would keep that promise. Still, he needed to know what Cara was hiding.

Richard’s gaze shifted toward the intercom, and his eyes narrowed. Then he leaned forward, his pulse pounding in his ears.

The scandal was getting closer, and he could feel it. He needed to protect Roxanne and their unborn child from whatever Cara was planning. He also knew Roxanne had made her position clear. She wanted to handle this herself.

Richard respected that. But gathering information was not the same as interfering. So he reached for the intercom and pressed the button.

A second later, Libby’s voice came through. "Yes, Mr. Vance?"

"Send Regina into my office immediately." He released the button and leaned back.

Richard rose from his chair and began pacing. The soft sound of his shoes against the floor followed him as he moved from one side of the office to the other, his mind racing.

A knock suddenly cut through the room. Richard looked toward the door. "Come in." He returned to his desk just as the door opened.

Regina, the PR Director, stepped inside with her tablet tucked against her side. "You called for me, Mr. President."

"Sit down, Regina," Richard said, his tone firm.

Regina walked over and took the chair opposite his desk. She had barely settled into it when Richard tapped his fingers against the table.

"I want you to identify the source Cara used to spread that ultrasound story."

Regina’s brows furrowed. "I thought Roxanne was—"

"I want to know which media house she contacted," Richard interrupted. "And I want the truth about that story." His gaze sharpened. "I need that information before the close of business."

Regina stared at him for a moment, then a small smile appeared on her lips. She picked up her tablet and began typing. "I assumed you wouldn’t actually leave this entirely in Roxanne’s hands."

Richard’s brow lifted.

Regina smiled softly. "I knew there was no way you were going to fold your arms and let this happen."

Richard didn’t smile back. If anything, his expression became even darker. "I said I would respect her plan. I didn’t say I would stop gathering information."

Regina’s fingers stopped moving.

Richard leaned back in his chair. "I want information. I haven’t asked you to do anything else."

Regina’s brows pulled together. "I thought you wanted—"

"No one goes against Roxanne’s plan," Richard cut in, his voice calm, but there was a warning beneath it.

Regina immediately understood.

Richard wasn’t asking her to launch a counterattack. He wasn’t asking her to contact the media. He wasn’t even asking her to stop Cara. He only wanted to know where the story had come from.

"Understood," Regina said.

Richard nodded. "Thank you for coming. I will be expecting the information."

Regina slowly rose from her chair. "I’ll get right on it." She turned and walked toward the door.

Just before she stepped out, she glanced back at him. "Mr. President?" Richard looked up. "If I find something serious?"

Richard’s eyes hardened. "Bring it to me first."

Regina nodded. "Yes, sir."

Then she left, closing the door behind her.

Richard stared at it for a few seconds. "Cara is about to see a different side of me," he murmured.

His jaw tightened. "And she isn’t going to like it."

—

On the floor below, Roxanne entered her office. She closed the door behind her and leaned against it.

For a moment, she simply stood there. Her hand moved to her chest as she tried to calm her racing heart. The confidence she had shown Richard only moments ago suddenly felt harder to hold on to.

She closed her eyes. How am I really going to handle this? She had told Richard they would wait. She had told him they would let Cara make the first move. But now that she was alone, the weight of the situation settled heavily on her shoulders.

Cara had gone to the media. She had made a claim that could damage Richard’s reputation and the credibility of her own pregnancy. And she had done it without seeming afraid of the consequences.

Roxanne pushed away from the door and walked toward her desk. What if Richard is right? What if everything spiraled out of control? What if the story spread faster than they could stop it? What if people began questioning her pregnancy when she eventually revealed it?

She stopped beside her chair. For a few seconds, she allowed herself to feel the fear.

Then she took a deep breath. "No," she whispered. "This is not the time to get scared." She sat down and rubbed her temples. "You will handle this, Roxanne."

She tapped one finger against her lips. She needed information, not fear. Facts. And there was one person she trusted to help her get them. Theodore.

Roxanne picked up her phone and unlocked it. She scrolled through her contacts until she found his name. Her finger hovered over it. She hesitated.

She didn’t want to drag him into another mess, but she had learned that sometimes, trying to handle everything alone only made things worse.

She pressed call, and the phone started ringing. Moments later, the line connected.

"Roxanne?" Theodore’s voice immediately carried concern.

"Hello, Theo," Roxanne said softly. "I need your help."

Theodore’s tone changed. "What is happening? Is Christian still troubling you?"

"No, Theo," she replied as she leaned back in her chair. "It’s Richard’s ex. Cara. She is about to bring another scandal to our doorstep, and we need to nip it in the bud before it gets worse." Her fingers moved quickly across the screen. "I’m sending you the news now."

A few seconds passed, then Theodore spoke again. "Roxanne, I need you to answer something honestly."

Roxanne’s fingers tightened around the phone. "What?"

"Did Richard ever tell you why he and Cara broke up?" Theodore asked.

Roxanne frowned. "No. Not really."

There was a pause on the other end. "Then you need to ask him."

Roxanne’s stomach tightened. "Why?"

Theodore’s voice dropped. "Because if Cara is lying about the pregnancy, she isn’t making this much noise for nothing."

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!