He Wants An Open Marriage? Done!

The sharp words struck Christian like a physical blow. His jaw hardened into a rigid line as he glared down the driveway. "My decision is also final, Roxanne! I am never giving you a divorce!" he spat, the gravel flying under his feet as he took a step forward.

Roxanne didn’t even turn around to look at him. She just kept walking, her heels clicking rhythmically against the stone.

Just then, a sleek sedan violently pulled up in front of the penthouse gates. The door flew open, and Richard stepped out into the moonlight. His face was a mask of pure tension, his long strides hurried as he tore across the lawn toward her.

Without a single word, he pulled her tightly into his arms. Roxanne collapsed against his chest, throwing her arms around his neck as the familiar scent of him washed over her, grounding her instantly.

Christian’s jaw turned to absolute stone. He watched them share the exact embrace he had just spent the last half hour begging, crying, and threatening to receive.

"You shouldn’t have come here," Roxanne murmured, leaning her forehead against Richard’s jacket. She didn’t look back at the porch for even a microsecond.

"There was no way I was leaving you alone with that lunatic," Richard said, his deep voice vibrating against her cheek. His eyes cut past her shoulder, locking onto Christian with lethal intensity. "Did he put his hands on you?" he asked gently, his thumb tracing her cheekbone to check for bruises.

Christian’s brows deepened into a furious, dark scowl. "I will make you pay for this, Vance," he muttered under his breath, his knuckles turning white. "It’s bad enough you think you can just steal my wife from me, but now you call me a lunatic in my own yard? I’ll show you exactly how crazy I can get."

He spun on his heel, stormed back into the penthouse, and slammed the heavy oak door shut behind him.

Roxanne watched the entrance for a brief second, then turned back to face Richard. "I deleted the video file from his phone," she whispered, a small weight lifting from her chest.

Richard’s dark eyes widened slightly, a flicker of genuine surprise crossing his features. "You did?"

Roxanne nodded, letting out a soft, long-overdue sigh. "And I found a strange number in his call log right before he came downstairs. I copied it. I’m hoping it helps us identify the traitor."

"Let’s get you into your car first, and then I’ll take a look at the number," Richard said, his hand resting protectively against the small of her back as he guided her toward her vehicle.

Roxanne pressed her key fob, and her car lights flashed in the dark. She slid into the driver’s seat while Richard held the door open for her. But just as she illuminated her phone screen to show him the number, the front door of the penthouse flew open again.

Christian charged out into the night, marching down the lawn like a madman.

Both of them turned to look at him. Christian was holding his smartphone high in the air, the bright white recording light glaring directly at them as he approached.

"We need to leave right now, Richard," Roxanne said, her eyes tracking Christian’s frantic movements.

Richard’s jaw hardened, the muscles working tightly along his cheek. "Every instinct I have tells me to knock him unconscious," he muttered through clenched teeth.

"Look at him! Everyone, look at the almighty Richard Vance!" Christian shouted into the lens as he crossed the gravel, his voice dripping with theatrical outrage. "Standing right outside my house, holding my wife! He calls me a lunatic just because I told him to stay away from my family. I am trying to save my marriage, and he is using his immense wealth and power to oppress an employee. But I will not back down!"

"Stop this nonsense, Christian," Roxanne said, her tone deeply weary.

"Nonsense?" Christian spat, turning the lens closer to his own face. "He has completely brainwashed my wife, too. But I won’t let him win. She is my wife and mine alone."

He swung the camera back to Richard, leaning in close. "Why don’t you tell the world what the billionaire Richard Vance is doing at my residence at this hour, and where exactly he thinks he’s going with my woman?"

Richard looked down at Roxanne in the driver’s seat and let out a quiet sigh. "I think you should drive ahead," he murmured.

Roxanne shook her head instantly. "No, you leave first. I can handle him."

"You have handled him enough for one lifetime, Roxanne. Let me," Richard said, his voice calm, brooking no argument. "Just go on. I’ll catch up with you in a few minutes."

Roxanne studied his calm expression, both of them completely ignoring Christian as he shouted into his phone just a few feet away. "Promise me you won’t do anything reckless," she whispered.

Richard offered her a small, reassuring smile. "Get down in the dirt with a man like him? Absolutely not," he said smoothly. "Just drive safely."

Roxanne nodded, started her engine, and slowly pulled out of the driveway. Richard stood perfectly still, watching her red taillights fade into the dark street, completely blanking Christian’s presence.

When he was certain she was safely away, he slowly turned his frame to face the lens. Christian was still shoving the phone directly into his face.

"This is the face of the man who wants to destroy a home," Christian chanted into the microphone, his chest puffing out. "I am sending this live footage to every media outlet by morning. You will lose your empire, Richard. If you want to save your reputation, you leave my wife alone."

Richard stood in the shadows, his eyes calmly scanning Christian from his shoes up to his disheveled hair, before slowly shaking his head.

"If you lose Roxanne, Christian, it will be because you did absolutely everything in your power to push her away. Let’s be completely honest with ourselves, a woman like Roxanne deserves someone better than a boy who spends his nights throwing public tantrums in a bathrobe."

Christian’s face contorted with rage. He shoved the phone into his pocket and, without a single warning, threw a wild punch directly at Richard’s jaw. But Richard simply stepped back, his reflexes sharp, and Christian’s fist caught nothing but empty air. The momentum sent him stumbling forward onto the grass.

Richard shook his head in disgust. "You are so consumed with trying to destroy everyone else that you can’t even see you’re destroying yourself," he said, his voice freezing cold. "If my security team spots you anywhere near my premises or Roxanne tomorrow morning, you will be arrested on sight. You had better hire a very competent attorney before you walk into the office, because otherwise, you’ll have more legal problems than you know how to handle."

"You wouldn’t dare! I will make you regret every word!" Christian snapped, his voice cracking with desperation.

Richard looked at him, let out a sharp, mocking laugh, and without wasting another breath, stepped into his sedan. He fired the engine and drove off into the night, leaving Christian standing entirely alone on the gravel.

Christian stared at the retreating vehicle as it grew smaller and smaller, his eyes narrowing into venomous slits. "I am not losing this war," he muttered to the dark. "You better be ready, Vance, because I have the one thing that will completely crush you."

He pulled his phone from his pocket and opened his media gallery. He tapped into his download folder, but the thumbnail was gone. He blinked rapidly, his fingers flying across the glass as he refreshed the page. The video was completely missing.

His eyes widened in sudden horror, and a sickening feeling dropped right into his stomach. His pulse began to roar like a freight train in his ears.

"No, no, no. Please, no," he said, his hands shaking violently.

He scrambled to open his email, his chest heaving as he searched for the original file. Within seconds, his eyes locked onto the original copy still sitting in his primary inbox. He let out a long, shuddering breath, his shoulders sagging with intense relief as he clutched the device against his chest.

A cruel smile crept back onto his lips. "Now, I will force your hand."

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