About an hour later, the cab rolled to a stop in the quiet driveway of the estate. Richard stepped out into the night air and walked into the grand house.
He walked up the stairs and into the quiet bedroom. Through the open glass doors, he saw Roxanne’s dark silhouette standing on the balcony, her head lifted as she stared up at the cloudy night sky.
A gentle cool breeze rustled the sheer curtains. He exhaled a soft breath, the tension in his shoulders beginning to melt away as he moved across the room to where she stood. He reached out and wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her back against his chest before planting a warm kiss on the nape of her neck.
"I am so sorry for everything that happened back at the villa," Richard murmured against her soft hair, inhaling her faint floral scent. "I am so sorry you have to go through all of this."
Roxanne turned around in his gentle hold, resting her hands against his chest as she looked up into his dark eyes. "It’s not your fault, Richard," she said softly, reaching up to touch his warm cheek. "We already knew that this journey was never going to be easy for us."
Her hand slowly glided down to rest over his chest, her slender brows furrowing in deep thought. Richard looked down at her, his own brows creasing with instant concern.
"What is wrong?" Richard asked softly, tilting her chin up so her eyes met his.
Roxanne’s bright eyes searched his face. "I just never expected Cara to go to such extreme lengths, let alone stick so stubbornly to her lie," she said, giving a small shrug of her shoulders. "Especially when she knows deep down that the entire story is a complete fabrication."
Richard frowned slightly, his gaze intensifying. "Did you already find something out?" he asked.
Roxanne let out a low sigh and shook her head. "It’s not really anything concrete just yet," she admitted, stepping closer into his warmth. "Before you arrived, I made a quick inquiry call asking to speak with someone directly in the DNA analysis department of Cardinal Hospital. The receptionist explicitly told me they do not even run those tests on-site. They only use external partner labs to handle genetic testing."
Richard’s dark brows bunched together tightly. "Is that so?" he asked, giving a slow nod.
Roxanne nodded back. "Yet, one of those official documents Cara showed everyone clearly listed Cardinal Hospital as the primary testing facility," she explained. "Maybe it was just a strange administrative error, but my gut tells me she is lying and every piece of that evidence is fake."
Richard nodded, taking Roxanne’s soft hand into his own and holding it against his heartbeat. "I hear you, but I need you to stay calm right now. Together, we will systematically dismantle every single one of her lies," he said, his voice brimming with total certainty. "And once that is done, I will personally deal with Nick for even daring to betray his own family."
Roxanne’s brows pinched together instantly at his words. "What do you mean?" she asked, her heart missing a beat. "Did something else happen at the villa after I left?"
Richard sighed heavily, looking out toward the dark horizon. "We managed to intercept private messages exchanged between Nicholas and Thomas Riggs," he revealed.
Roxanne’s eyes widened, her heart suddenly hammering against her ribs. "And what did the messages say?"
"Nick is selling out Vance Enterprises to the Riggs family," Richard revealed, his tone laced with anger. "Thomas Riggs’ ultimate goal is to force our company into severe financial distress so he can orchestrate a hostile buyout."
Roxanne gasped softly, her pulse roaring in her ears. She was no longer just an executive protecting the firm. Vance Enterprises wasn’t merely Richard’s legacy anymore. It was the company she had helped build, the future she was creating for herself and her child.
She frowned, her grip tightening on Richard’s jacket. "We cannot allow them to succeed," she said firmly.
Richard nodded with solid determination. "I know. You do not need to stress yourself over that," he reassured her. "I am going to destroy their entire strategy from the inside out before they even get the chance to execute it."
Roxanne looked deep into his eyes, her expression burning with urgency. "We have to expose their secret plans," she insisted. "We need to get our hands on those plans somehow."
"I already know what they are planning to do," Richard revealed smoothly. "They’re going to weaponize Cara’s scandal against us. Once the stock drops far enough, they’ll move against the board."
Roxanne’s stomach dropped, and she pulled back slightly from his embrace to look out at the lawn below, her palm instinctively resting over her stomach. "That means we have two wars to fight" she said, turning back to him.
Richard shook his head slowly. "No," he said, pulling her closer. "We have one war. And we’re going to win both fronts."
"How can I not worry, Richard?" Roxanne asked softly, her eyes filled with raw concern. "Right now, the scandal Cara is weaponizing involves our child."
"I will handle her," Richard promised, his tone unyielding.
Roxanne shook her head, the anxiety inside her refusing to settle. "We just handed Nicholas a massive weapon tonight," she pointed out. "Can you even imagine the media storm if he decides to leak the news of my pregnancy to the press tomorrow?"
Richard’s eyes darkened to pitch black, his strong jaw setting into a rigid line. "Nicholas will not dare go that far," he growled through clenched teeth, his broad chest heaving with every breath. "If he attempts to bring you or our child into his dirty games, I will completely forget that he shares my blood."
Roxanne looked into his eyes. "Then tomorrow, we start fighting back."
Richard’s lips curved into a cold smile. "No, Roxanne." His gaze hardened toward the darkness beyond the balcony. "Tomorrow, we let them make their first move."
Roxanne’s eyes narrowed, her mind racing. "And then?"
Richard’s jaw hardened. "Then we take everything from them."
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