He Wants An Open Marriage? Done!

Richard’s steps were stiff, his leather shoes clicking against the polished marble floor as he walked back into the living room. His broad hands were clenched into tight fists at his sides, his shoulders rigid with anger.

Margaret stood up immediately from the sofa, her sharp brows furrowing. "What happened out there?" she asked, reaching out to touch his arm. Her voice was tinged with genuine concern.

He opened his mouth to reply, but before he could utter a single word, Cara cut in sharply from the doorway.

"Roxanne is gone," Cara announced, her voice ringing across the silent room like a victory bell. "She dumped him."

Pamela’s face went completely white. "What? That makes absolutely no sense," she said, stepping forward. "Why on earth would she do something like that?"

"Because unlike you, she knows when she has lost," Cara shot back, her chin held high. "She is leaving Richard for good."

"Seriously?" Henry and Pamela chorused in unison, their faces twisted with a mix of utter disbelief and confusion.

"Is that really the truth, Richard?" Henry asked, his deep voice heavy as his brows pulled together tightly.

"What actually happened out there?" Margaret asked, and for a fleeting second, Richard thought he caught a faint flicker of warmth in her eyes. But as he looked closely at her face, her features hardened back into a stern mask, devoid of any real emotion.

Richard gave a slow shake of his head, gently pulling his arm away from his mother’s cold grip. He crossed the room and sank into a chair nearby.

Pamela moved quickly to his side, resting a soft hand on his shoulder. "Did Roxanne really leave you?" she whispered, her brow furrowed with deep worry.

Richard looked up at her, then let his quiet gaze sweep across every face in the room. Roxanne was entirely right.

Even as they all probed him for answers, Nicholas sat in the corner like a hungry vulture, clearly waiting for any weak piece of information he could use to destroy him. Margaret looked eager for confirmation just to know the scandal was over. Cara stood beaming, her bright eyes practically dancing with excitement now that her target was single.

Only Henry and Pamela looked genuinely distressed, their eyes heavy with real concern. Yet, even knowing they cared, Richard knew he could not afford to drop his guard or reveal a single detail of Roxanne’s plan.

"Can we please move past this?" Richard said, his deep voice cutting through the air. "Roxanne left, and that is all the information any of you need right now."

Nicholas let out a soft, mocking chuckle from his chair, swirling the liquid in his crystal glass. "So she actually dumped the almighty Richard Vance," he said, his tone dripping with heavy sarcasm. "Fascinating."

Henry simply shook his head in silent disappointment, choosing not to join the mockery.

Margaret scoffed softly where she sat, adjusting her pearl necklace. "Well, now that she is out of the picture, I certainly hope she will do the right thing," she stated coldly. "This family simply cannot accommodate an illegitimate—"

"That is quite enough, Mother!" Richard cut in sharply, his dark eyes flashing with warning. "If you intend to spend the rest of the night discussing Roxanne, then I had better take my leave immediately."

"Fine," Margaret said, waving her hand dismissively.

"Good. So, now that Roxanne is officially gone, what happens next?" Richard asked, his tone laced with restrained annoyance.

Henry opened his mouth to speak, but Margaret was far faster.

"There are only two viable options left on the table," she said smoothly. "You either accept Nicholas’s help to secure the board seats or—"

"I will never accept a single thing from this backstabber," Richard snapped, cutting her off before she could even finish her sentence.

Cara frowned, her sharp brows pulling tightly together. "Wait, why does he still need Nick’s help?" she asked, stepping into the center of the room. "Roxanne has already left the picture. Why can’t I just be with Richard now? I mean, I am carrying his child. Why should he pass on his responsibility?"

"She actually raises a valid point there," Margaret said, nodding slowly in agreement.

Nicholas narrowed his eyes into thin slits, staring intently at his brother. A cynical scoff escaped his lips. "He is playing every single one of you," he said smoothly. "Richard is not being honest about what just happened out there."

Richard’s gaze darted to him, his chest heaving as he stared his rival down. "Not everyone in this world is as shady and untrustworthy as you are, Nick."

"Oh, please," Nicholas scoffed, waving a hand dismissively. "That pathetic accusation is getting old, brother. You created this mess, and you will not use me as a convenient shield to escape your responsibilities."

Richard stared at him for a long moment. Then he slowly exhaled a quiet breath and nodded. "You are actually right, Nick. This is entirely my responsibility," he said, his tone turning surprisingly calm.

Nicholas narrowed his eyes, clearly caught off guard by the sudden retreat.

Richard turned his gaze onto Cara, his face unreadable. "Do not make the mistake of thinking you will win me over so easily. You will have to work hard to earn my trust."

"Of course! Whatever I need to do, I will happily do it," Cara said quickly, a bright smile breaking across her face.

Richard nodded. "Good then," he said. "There is only one condition I require from you. Do this one thing for me, and I will do everything necessary to stand by you and support your child."

Cara nodded eagerly, her eyes shining as she stepped closer to his chair. "Alright," she breathed. "Tell me exactly what you need."

"Please ask her to take an official pregnancy test right here in front of all of us," Pamela interjected sharply before Richard could utter his condition.

Cara’s eyes widened in shock at the sudden challenge. "Why are you—?"

"We will bring our family physician here. He will verify the pregnancy and collect fresh samples for a paternity test," Richard said, speaking smoothly over Pamela.

Cara’s jaw nearly hit the floor. "What? Why on earth would you even need another test?" she stammered, frantically adjusting the strap of her purse.

"Is a repeat test really necessary, Richard?" Margaret asked, her tone laced with mild irritation.

Richard nodded firmly, his stern face showing zero compromise. "You are completely free to trust Cara’s word blindly, Mother," he said, meeting his mother’s sharp gaze. "But until I see a fresh test conducted before my eyes, I will not accept a single shred of this story."

"Those previous tests were carried out in highly prestigious medical centers!" Cara scoffed loudly, her voice trembling as she tried to regain her composure. "This is absolutely unbelievable!"

Richard tilted his head slightly, his dark eyes narrowing as he locked his gaze onto her pale face. "What exactly is unbelievable about confirming the truth?" he asked softly. "Or is there something you need to confess to us right now?"

"Of course not!" Cara shot back instantly, her cheeks flushing hot red under the room’s bright chandelier. "You have already seen two certified DNA reports. Why would I agree to another test? Simply because you suddenly refuse to accept the results?"

"Because those reports came from clinics I did not select, and I did not witness the samples being collected," Richard corrected.

"We do not trust your proof," Pamela shot back, folding her arms across her chest.

Cara gasped, turning to Margaret with desperate eyes. "Can you hear how they are treating me, Margaret?"

Margaret let out a long, weary sigh. "If taking a simple test is what it takes to make him accept his fatherly duty, Cara, then you should just do it and settle this."

Cara’s entire face went stark white, the blood draining completely from her lips.

Richard’s lips curled up in a tiny, almost imperceptible smirk as he watched her panic. "I will personally handle all the arrangements with our doctor," he said smoothly. "I just hope you will not suddenly disappear or offer any convenient excuses when he arrives."

Cara swallowed hard.

For the first time that night, she looked genuinely afraid. And Richard saw it. A tiny smile touched the corner of his mouth.

The trap had finally closed.

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