Chapter 6

Maren threw the silk blanket aside and scrambled back against the tufted headboard, her heart hammering in her chest. She refused to cower before the silhouette standing over the wooden crib like a predator in the dark. "Are you out of your mind, standing over us like some sort of sociopath?" she demanded, her voice trembling from the lingering terror of her nightmare.

Gideon did not flinch at the accusation, nor did he step into the light spilling from the massive windows. He stood rigid, shoulders squared, a glowing phone in his right hand. "You were screaming in your sleep and fighting invisible ghosts while I was dealing with a genuine crisis," he countered in a low, measured tone that carried no warmth.

Maren slid off the mattress and planted her bare feet on the cold hardwood floor to ground her spinning thoughts. She marched toward him, protective instinct overriding common sense, and stood between his towering frame and the sleeping infant. "I do not care what corporate crisis kept you awake. You have no right to watch me in my most vulnerable moments," she whispered, fierce and quiet so she would not wake the baby.

The billionaire looked down at the woman defending her territory and felt a strange surge of respect for her defiance. The women in his world often folded under his intimidation, but Maren had a core of hardened steel forged by tragedy. "Your vulnerability is the least of my concerns when our mutual enemy is at this moment plotting a legal execution," Gideon said, gesturing toward the screen.

Maren frowned and crossed her arms, trying to ignore the pull of his presence in the quiet room. She glanced at the device, but the text was too small and blurred by the harsh glow for her tired eyes. "Tell me what that monster is doing instead of playing these ridiculous cryptic games with me, Gideon," she demanded, panic rising in her voice.

He unlocked the screen and handed it over so she could read the notification from his legal team. "Desmond did not retreat to lick his wounds after Colm humiliated him in the courthouse lobby this afternoon," Gideon explained, watching her eyes scan the text. "He went straight to a corrupt judge on his payroll and filed a sealed petition to bypass the grace period we secured."

Maren gripped the metal casing as the words on the screen solidified into a horrifying reality. The document outlined a brutal character assassination, claiming she was unstable and destitute while living a fraudulent lifestyle. "He is petitioning the family court for an emergency injunction declaring me an unfit guardian," she gasped as the air vanished from her lungs.

Gideon stepped closer, invading her space to anchor her before panic could take full control. "Desmond claims you kidnapped the child and forged a sudden marriage with a stranger just to manipulate the custody laws," he said with lethal calm. "He is demanding the state troopers arrive at my building by sunrise to remove the boy from your care for good."

Tears of frustration blurred her vision because she realized Desmond would never stop hunting them until she was dead or destroyed. She handed the phone back with trembling fingers and looked up into his slate gray eyes, searching for a shred of salvation. "If the police arrive at dawn, they will see right through this facade and they will take him away from us," she whispered as a tear slipped down her cheek.

Gideon caught the tear with the pad of his thumb in a display of gentleness that defied his ruthless reputation. The contact sent a jolt of electricity through her, and her breath caught in her throat. "I will burn this city to the ground before I let any corrupt officer cross my threshold to take what belongs to my family," he vowed with a dark, possessive growl.

Maren leaned into his touch for a fraction of a second before reality snapped her back to attention. She stepped away and wrapped her arms around herself to shield against the undeniable chemistry sparking between them. "Promises will not stop a court order, Gideon. You need to tell me the exact way we survive the morning," she pleaded.

He shoved the phone into his pocket and raked a hand through his dark hair while his mind processed a thousand maneuvers. The original plan involved a slow rollout of their relationship to appease the estate executors without drawing media scrutiny. "The slow, calculated approach we discussed in the vehicle is dead because Desmond just forced my hand," Gideon declared, his posture rigid and commanding.

Maren felt dread settle in her stomach because she knew any sudden shift would demand an immense personal sacrifice. She looked at the pillow barrier dividing their bed and realized their fragile boundaries were about to be obliterated by necessity. "What does forcing your hand mean for me and the baby?" she asked, bracing for the blow.

Gideon closed the final gap between them and looked down with an intensity that left no room for negotiation. He placed his hands on her shoulders with a firm grip to ensure she understood the gravity of the performance ahead. "It means we escalate the public romance timeline this instant to prove this union is legitimate beyond any shadow of a doubt," he ordered with total conviction.

The weight of his hands felt like a brand burning through her cotton pajamas and sinking into her bones. She realized he was talking about parading their fake intimacy in front of the most vicious cameras and critics the world had to offer. "You want us to put on a show for the press before the sun even rises," Maren deduced, her pulse racing with fear.

"I want you dressed and ready to play the part of a devoted wife within the next thirty minutes," Gideon instructed without a shred of mercy. He let go of her shoulders and walked toward the heavy wooden door to summon his crisis management team. "Colm is bringing the cameras to the penthouse, and we are going to give the world a love story so convincing that no judge will ever dare question your stability again."