He Wants An Open Marriage? Done!

"Thanks to your brilliant strategy, Cara’s lies have finally been completely exposed. But that is not even the best part," Richard said, his deep voice rich with satisfaction. "By bringing her down, we have also effectively dismantled the credibility of the Riggs Group."

A wide grin spread across Roxanne’s lips. Overcome with relief, she threw her arms around Richard’s neck, pulling him tight against her. He wrapped his strong arms around her waist, holding her close as their hearts beat in sync, overflowing with the joy of hard-won victory.

The lingering tension of the past few weeks seemed to dissolve between them. They pulled back just enough to look into each other’s eyes before he leaned down, pressing his lips to hers in a deep, passionate kiss that left her breathless.

When they finally broke apart, radiant smiles lit up both their faces.

"This is the day our enemies finally fall apart, and we must make the most of every single second," Richard stated, his eyes shining with sharp purpose.

"What is your next move?" Roxanne asked, her chest expanding with fresh excitement.

Richard’s eyes narrowed slightly as he glanced back at the television screen, where news commentators were still breaking down the details of Cara’s fraudulent medical reports. A cold, calculating smile touched his lips.

"I just need to make one call, and we will tie both of these situations together perfectly," he said.

Roxanne furrowed her brows in quiet confusion. "Tie them together? What do you mean?"

Richard did not answer right away. He walked over to his table, picked up his phone, and quickly dialed Ethan. The line barely rang once before Ethan picked up on the other end.

"Ethan! I need you to do something for me immediately, and I need you to be extremely careful so nothing can ever be traced back to Vance Enterprises or me," Richard instructed, his tone firm and decisive.

"I want your team to push the question everyone should be asking: why did Riggs Group publicly accuse us without verifying the claims first? Get analysts and media voices talking about their reckless statement. I want the public looking at their credibility now."

Richard went silent for a brief moment, listening intently to Ethan’s response over the speaker. He gave a satisfied nod. "Good. Get it done immediately," he said before ending the call. He turned back to face Roxanne. "That is what I meant by tying all of this together."

Then he walked back to the lounge and gathered Roxanne into his arms once more, his hands resting securely against the small of her back. Roxanne smiled softly, resting her palms against his chest, feeling the steady thud of his heartbeat.

"Now that we hold all the power, we need to play this hand very carefully," Richard noted, his voice dropping to a low murmur. "We must ensure we do not give them a single scrap of leverage to use against us moving forward."

Roxanne nodded. "Our enemies are already digging their own graves, and hopefully, we can finally experience some real peace very soon," she murmured, tilting her head up to look at him.

Richard held her closer, his gaze softening into a quiet warmth that sent a pleasant tingle straight through her heart. "You are everything I have needed for so long," he whispered, searching her face.

Roxanne smiled up at him, a playful spark entering her eyes as she stood on her tiptoes. "Are we a power couple or what?" she teased gently. "I have needed you just as much, for even longer," she added in a soft breath, closing the small distance between them to press her lips against his.

Richard groaned softly into the kiss, wrapping his arms tighter around her to pull her flushed body flush against his own.

Suddenly, a sharp knock echoed against the door, cutting through the intimacy of the room. Neither of them broke away immediately. They lingered for a sweet, deliberate second longer, deepening the kiss before slowly pulling back.

"We will pick this right up the second whoever that is steps out," Richard murmured, his eyes fixed hungrily on her lips.

Roxanne nodded with a chuckle.

Richard turned toward the entrance, clearing his throat. "Come in," he called out.

The door swung open, and Libby stepped into the room. Her expression was careful and reserved.

"Pardon the interruption, Sir," she said, pausing near the doorway. "Lady Vance has just arrived."

Richard’s brows pulled into a tight frown. "My mother? She did not mention she was coming to the office."

Libby shook her head slightly, her eyes shifting over to Roxanne. "She is actually not here to see you, Sir. She requested to see you, Ma’am."

"Me?" Roxanne asked, her eyes widening in genuine surprise as her hand dropped from Richard’s chest. "Why would she want to see me?"

Before Libby could offer an explanation, the sharp clicking of heels echoed down the hallway. Margaret stepped gracefully into view, stopping right at the threshold. She held her head high, her sharp eyes locking directly onto Roxanne.

"It is time for the two of us to have an open conversation," Margaret announced, lifting her chin, her voice filled with authority.

Roxanne’s jaw set into a firm line as her mind raced through a dozen possibilities. She looked over at Richard, who gave her an encouraging nod.

Roxanne took a deep breath, her pulse quickening in her throat.

What could Margaret possibly want with her right now? Had she watched the breaking news and realized how foolish she had been to blindly trust Cara’s lies? She could only hope the woman had finally come to her senses to offer a real apology.

Roxanne met Margaret’s cold gaze, keeping her own voice perfectly steady. "Please come in, Lady Vance."

Margaret let out a short sigh and took two deliberate steps into the room. "We need to speak. Alone," she insisted, her tone leaving little room for debate. "I would hate to displace my son, so I suggest we make use of the main conference room. In fact, I think that would be the ideal place."

Roxanne kept her chin raised just as high, refusing to let Margaret’s intimidating presence break her composure. "Whatever suits you best, Lady Vance," she replied smoothly.

As Roxanne turned to walk toward the door, Richard caught her hand, gently pulling her back for a reassuring kiss on the lips. "No matter what she says in there, know that I am on your side," he whispered near her ear.

Roxanne gave him a warm, appreciative smile. "I appreciate you saying that."

She released his fingers and turned to follow Margaret, who cast one final, unreadable glance at her son before turning on her heel and leading the way down the wide corridor.

The two women stepped into the conference room. The air inside felt noticeably colder than the comfortable temperature of Richard’s private office, smelling faintly of polished wood and leather.

Roxanne pulled out a chair and settled into it. Margaret took a seat directly across from her, setting her hands on the table as if preparing for a high-stakes business negotiation.

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