LOGINMargot POVThe engine roared to life, and suddenly, I felt as if my heart had been suspended in midair. Perhaps it wasn’t until that moment that I truly understood what I was about to do. I was going to terminate my pregnancy. I was going to give up my child. My heart pounded so hard that I could feel every beat in my throat.Sweat gathered along my forehead, and I couldn’t find a comfortable position in my seat. The connection between our scents made it difficult to hide my emotions from Rhett. He sensed the shift almost immediately. My grief and fear seemed to reach him before I could stop them. “What’s wrong?” he asked quietly. Helena, sitting in the front passenger seat, turned to look at us. She exchanged a glance with Rhett, then gave a subtle shake of her head. She was warning him not to enga
Rhett POVI kept stealing glances at Margot. All she gave me was the back of her head and the slender, pale line of her neck. Two faint pink marks were visible there: the bite marks I’d left when I marked her.They were a permanent reminder of what had happened between us, a mark that could never be erased simply because we no longer wanted it there. My gaze kept returning to them. There was an irritating, persistent itch beneath my skin. I wanted to look more closely, to study the marks that represented how completely I’d claimed her. I’d been so busy dealing with one problem after another that it had been a long time since I’d sat this close to Margot. Now, in the enclosed space of the car, her scent filled my lungs. The faint fragrance of the night-blooming cereus was impossible to ignore.Since I’d marked her, her o
Margot POVWhy had I mistaken the tenderness Rhett sometimes showed me for signs that he wanted me? AndI treated the things he’d said during his rut as promises? I’d wanted to believe in him so badly that I’d turned every small kindness into something meaningful. But what had I actually done wrong? I’d been foolish enough to fall in love with the wrong man. I’d hoped for something I had no right to expect. That wasn’t the same as doing something cruel. Why should I have to pay for it like this? What gave Rhett the right to treat me this way? It had to end. My original plan had been simple. I’d enter a contractual marriage with a man I’d never met, receive the payment I needed, and pay off my debts.If that man hadn’t been Rhett, none of this would have happened.There wouldn&r
Rhett POVMargot’s desperate gaze unsettled me. The more clearly I felt how deeply she affected me, the harder I fought against it.That an Omega could influence me through a mark or through emotion was repulsive. No one was going to control me or force my hand. I made myself look directly into Margot’s eyes. I let my Alpha scent rise, using its familiar strength to armor my emotions until I could push aside the uncertainty and make my decision. “Sign the papers,” I said in a low voice. “Do what I’ve asked, and I’ll make sure you’re financially compensated.” Margot’s body swayed slightly as she approached the desk. She didn’t hesitate. She picked up the pen. Margot POVI spent the entire night sitting by the window.It wa
Rhett POVA strange, heavy ache settled deep in my gut, as if my insides were dropping through the floor. I forced myself to breathe steadily and refused to meet Margot’s eyes. Helena Price was good at reading a room. It was part of her job to anticipate problems and find solutions for her clients. After a brief cough, she spoke in a formal, practiced tone. “Ms. Sinclair, I drafted your prenuptial agreement with Alpha Rhett Vanderbilt. I’m sure we both remember the terms clearly. The contract explicitly states that you are not permitted to conceive a child with Alpha Rhett Vanderbilt. You have breached that agreement.” I watched Margot slowly clench her fists.Tears gathered in her eyes as she stared at me. “Was this only my responsibility?” “That’s not what we’re here to discuss,” Helena replied.&ldquo
Margot POVNot long after my call with Professor Cole ended, Rhett’s personal physician arrived to draw my blood. I sat quietly and held out my arm while he worked.I didn’t ask any questions until he was packing up his medical kit. “When will the results be ready?” The doctor glanced at me, but he didn’t answer.He gave me a polite nod, picked up his bag, and left. I watched the door close before picking up the financial news I’d been reading earlier. The article covered the recent power struggle over Vanderbilt Dominion’s shares, along with an analysis of the company’s position in the industry. The rare-earth market had been struggling for years, and the enormous amount of capital required for research and development had only made things more difficult.Arian’s ambition to redirect the group’s long-term strategy had gained the support of several shareholders. Ever since Hugo’s death, the battle for control between the brothers had grown increasingly vicious. During t







