He Wants An Open Marriage? Done!

Meanwhile, back inside Richard’s office, the quiet room felt charged with a brewing storm.

As Roxanne walked out the door, his jaw hardened into a rigid line. The raw pain on her face, the quiet tears glistening in her eyes, and the unspoken weight she carried made his blood boil.

He hated seeing the woman he loved trapped in such endless stress. He had promised to shield her from the world, and now, more than ever, he intended to honor that vow with absolute authority.

He walked back to his desk, his movements sharp and deliberate as he pressed the intercom button.

"Yes, Sir?" Libby’s professional voice came through the speaker.

"Is my mother still in the building?" Richard asked, his deep tone low and uncompromising.

A brief pause hung on the line before Libby replied. "She and Mr. Henry just exited through the main lobby, Sir."

"Understood," Richard said, ending the call. He stood over his desk, staring out the floor-to-ceiling windows as his jaw muscles clenched tight. I need to confront Mother and draw a firm line once and for all.

Decision made, he pulled his phone from his pocket and dialed Margaret’s line. It rang three slow times before she picked up.

"Yes, Richard?" Margaret’s voice sounded composed, carrying her usual polished restraint.

"Let us have lunch together. Just the two of us," Richard said, his tone firm but calm. "We need to discuss some important matters."

Margaret hesitated for a beat before letting out a small breath over the line. "That sounds fine, darling. I will have the kitchen prepare your favorite meal."

Richard’s dark eyes narrowed, his fingers tightening around the device. "That is fine," he replied coldly. "I will see you soon."

"See you soon," Margaret replied before hanging up.

Richard pulled the phone away from his ear, a harsh glare settling across his features. It is time to put an end to this interference.

Before the thought could settle, his phone vibrated in his palm with an incoming call. Ethan’s name flashed bright on the screen. Richard answered instantly.

"Ethan, give me an update," Richard demanded, his voice dropping into a steady, authoritative tone.

"Hello, Richard. I just forwarded Christian Westbrook’s current location to your secure line as requested," Ethan reported smoothly.

Richard gave a firm nod, his mind already shifting gears. Christian was another piece of baggage he needed to deal with personally.

"Good work," he said. "Ethan, I also need you to dig into every corner of Riggs Group. Run a complete background sweep on Thomas and gather anything we can leverage to crush the smear campaign they just launched. I am sure you have seen the news."

"Yes, I saw the news," Ethan replied, his tone growing serious.

"The last thing I needed was for my personal life to be paraded across the media, especially when Roxanne has already endured so much," Richard said, his chest rising as frustration surged through him.

"I hear you, boss. You can count on me to help you tear down this mess they created," Ethan assured him warmly. "Also, right before you called, something critical came through from our internal contact at their company. I think it is something worth looking at."

"Send it over right now," Richard ordered, his pulse quickening.

"Already in your inbox," Ethan replied.

Richard pulled the phone away, switched the call to speaker, and tapped open the document. As his eyes scanned the intercepted text thread, his dark brows pulled together into a tight crease.

"What the hell is this?" he muttered, raw disbelief and rising fury lacing his words. "This cannot be right. Ethan, this directly references the private discussion we had in the boardroom less than an hour ago."

"They are definitely planning something big, boss," Ethan warned through the speaker. "I have instructed our contact to track the thread continuously and flag every single message, no matter how small."

Richard nodded slowly, his mind analyzing the words on the screen. "Things are progressing exactly according to plan," he read aloud, his voice icy. "He has less than forty-eight hours before we initiate the final move. The deal is moving faster than expected. Most of the major players are already aligned with us."

"That message was sent in direct response to the earlier message I attached above it," Ethan pointed out.

Richard scrolled up, opening the unread top message. His brow furrowed even deeper as he read the names attached to the dialogue.

Thomas Riggs: We have presented the formal buyout offer to the decision-makers. Our key contact is ensuring the board pressure remains absolute. You can check the attached message thread.

Nicholas Vance: We must proceed with extreme caution, Thomas. The last thing we want is for my brother to feel cornered or think he has nothing to lose.

Thomas Riggs: There is nothing to fear. Your brother will remain blind to the insider angle. He will simply believe his own directors are exercising standard oversight.

Richard froze, the room falling into a dead silence as the reality of the text hit him. "Someone sitting in my own boardroom is sabotaging me," he whispered into the quiet office, re-reading the exchange as if searching for a flaw in the text.

He took a sharp, steadying breath, his eyes narrowed. "Ethan, who had access to the boardroom communications?"

"I’ll find out," Ethan said.

Richard’s pulse refused to settle. "Not just that. I want every call, message, and email sent by every director since the meeting was called."

"Understood, Sir. I will get right on it," Ethan confirmed.

Richard disconnected the call, leaning his palms flat against the smooth wood of his desk as he exhaled a long, heavy breath.

"Whatever ridiculous trap you are building, I will destroy it, and every one of you will pay the price," Richard growled through clenched teeth, his eyes burning with absolute determination. "But first, I have a long-overdue meeting to be at."

Richard glanced at the location pin on his screen. Christian Westbrook. His jaw tightened. "Let’s settle this once and for all."

He slipped the phone into his pocket and walked out.

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