LOGINNathan yanked the steering wheel toward an exit ramp, forcing the car into a sharp turn. The move dragged the truck behind them into the narrow curve, nearly tipping it over. Somehow, the vehicle managed to regain its balance, then surged forward again with a terrifying determination.“What do they want?” Tessa asked, her voice tight as her fingers dug into the seat.“Us,” Nathan said shortly, swerving around another car in a sudden maneuver that made their vehicle fishtail dangerously.That was when, through the rearview mirror, Nathan saw Julian’s car flash into view like a streak of silver. It slipped neatly between them and the truck, positioning itself as a living shield.Nathan’s brow lifted, half shocked, half disbelieving.He had to admit it. That third-rate lawyer had guts.“What is he doing?” Tessa asked, eyes wide as she followed Julian’s movements.Nathan didn’t answer. His focus was absolute. His mind raced, searching for an opening, a way out.Julian forced the truck to
It was already ten at night, but the detective clearly had no intention of waiting any longer to say what he had just uncovered.The engine roared beneath the hood, a sound that usually calmed Nathan. Tonight, it did the opposite. His fingers tapped restlessly against the steering wheel, his gaze shifting between the road ahead and the rearview mirror. Behind them, Julian Steele’s car stayed close, clinging like a shadow.In the passenger seat, Tessa sat quietly, staring out the window. Her small hand moved slowly, gently rubbing her stomach.Nathan felt the tension in her silence. The meeting at the office earlier had left behind a sour feeling that still hadn’t faded.Without thinking, he slid his right hand off the wheel and rested it on Tessa’s thigh. The touch made her body flinch, as if pulled back from her thoughts. She turned to him, green eyes shining a little too brightly.Nathan forced himself to look back at the road. “I don’t like that guy,” he said, trying to sound calm
“Fired?” Tessa finally managed to speak, her brows knitting together. “Why?”Jack shook his head slowly. Confusion still lingered in his eyes, mixed with something deeper, like he was weighing several things at once.“Not fired,” he said. “I mean, I’m no longer Mr. Hale’s personal bodyguard.” He straightened, some of his professional composure returning. “I’ve been reassigned.”Tessa blinked a few times, still not fully processing it.“So…?”“Starting now,” Jack continued, meeting her gaze directly as he chose his words carefully, a hint of anticipation in his tone, “I’ll be working exclusively for you. I’m your personal bodyguard.”Tessa’s jaw nearly dropped. “For me? But I already have guards.”“Mr. Hale’s decision isn’t up for debate,” Jack cut in, his voice gentle but firm. “Given the recent situation, he believes I’m the best choice to ensure your safety. My experience and skills are superior. And honestly, after what happened with Remington, I agree with him.”He paused. His gaz
Tessa heard the sound of Nathan’s engine fading away, followed by the heavy doors of Hawthorne Estate closing. She stared at the wooden surface for several seconds, as if doing so might somehow solve all the problems already weighing on her, along with the ones still waiting ahead.The blue-eyed man with that cold, cutting gaze was clearly involved in her missing phone. Tessa was a hundred percent sure of it. That was how Nathan had found Julian. But how had he known the name? She had never saved it in her contacts.Then again, when it came to Nathan, nothing was impossible. So far, there had never been a single thing beyond his reach. Everyone and everything could be controlled.She had just taken a step forward when a tall, familiar figure appeared in front of her.“Jack,” she murmured.After such a brutal day, seeing a calming face felt like relief she hadn’t realized she was desperate for. Jack made her feel safe. He was like a shadow who always knew the right distance, staying ba
Nathan blinked a few times, trying to focus on the road, but her words made the world shrink around him.“What?”“I don’t have any other proof,” Tessa repeated, staring at her hands. “Just what was in that bag.”“But that doesn’t prove your dad isn’t guilty. It just proves that Charles is rotten.” Nathan went quiet, stunned by the disbelief that hit him like a punch. “So you’re telling me, you got the appeal, risked your life and our kid’s, went head-to-head with me… and you didn’t have a single piece of evidence?”Tessa nodded slowly, a flush creeping up her cheeks.Rage surged through Nathan Hale, hot and relentless. He knew if his hands weren’t gripping the wheel, he might have done something he’d regret. He might even have been tempted to jump out of the moving car.“Tessa,” Nathan growled, trying to keep his voice under control. “Do you even realize what you’ve done? Do you understand what kind of Pandora’s box you opened? I told my firm to reopen the case. I asked them to find p
The door to the hospital room clicked shut behind Nathan Hale.For the first time all day, he could breathe. At least Tessa and the baby were safe. Still, the blood test results weren’t in yet, and until they were, his mind refused to settle.Nathan leaned against the cold wall of the hallway. Tessa’s words kept ringing in his ears. Her fear of how he might react. Her insistence that Robert Caldwell wasn’t guilty.The man he’d hated for years. When he was younger, he’d pictured Robert behind bars, swallowed by misery and ruin. And he’d made that happen. Every step of the plan had been flawless, ending with Robert losing his freedom.The evidence back then had been airtight. Signatures, statements, witnesses. Everything pointed to Robert. And the guy owned the damned company. If the documents were forged, why hadn’t Robert ever asked for a forensic check? All he had to do was tell his lawyer, and they would’ve handled the lab work or asked the state to investigate. But he hadn’t. He ne







