Alle Kapitel von His Open Marriage, My Forbidden Secret : Kapitel 21 – Kapitel 30

The SUV smelled like leather and cigarettes. Lia sat wedged between two men built like linebackers, her wrists zip-tied in front of her. Every time she tried to speak, the man on her left would shake his head. A silent warning.So she stayed quiet. Watched the city pass by through tinted windows. Tried to memorize the route in case she got a chance to escape. But after fifteen minutes of turns and backtracking, she was completely lost.They weren't Caspian's men. That much was clear. His people were professional but they'd never hurt her. These men had guns and dead eyes and absolutely no problem using violence.The SUV finally stopped in front of what looked like an abandoned warehouse. Industrial district. No lights. No other cars. Just empty streets and the kind of silence that meant no one would hear you scream.Fear turned her blood to ice.The door opened. Rough hands pulled her out. She stumbled on the uneven pavement and one of the men caught her arm. Not gently."Move," he sa

Lia didn't know where to start.She sat on Caspian's couch, hands trembling in his, and tried to find the words. Tried to figure out how to explain the mess she'd made. The lies. The betrayal. All of it."Start anywhere," Caspian said. His voice was calm but his eyes were sharp. Alert. Already cataloging the bruises on her wrists. The mark on her face. "Just talk to me.""There's a man," she began. Her voice cracked. "A private investigator. His name is Victor Kane."She felt Caspian tense but he didn't interrupt. Just wait."He approached me at the family dinner. The one with Julian's parents. He was there as a guest. Some consultant they'd hired." The words started coming faster now. Tumbling out. "After dinner he cornered me. Show me photos. Of us. At the Azure Hotel. Leaving together. He said he'd been hired by Julian's father weeks ago. To follow me. To document my affair.""Fuck." Caspian's jaw clenched. "And he's been blackmailing you."It wasn't a question. He'd already figure

Nina arrived thirty minutes after Caspian left.She didn't knock. Just used a key and walked in like she owned the place. Probably had permission. She carried a bag from some expensive boutique and a to-go coffee tray."Morning, sunshine." Nina set everything on the counter. Looked Lia up and down. "You look like shit.""Thanks. That's exactly what I needed to hear.""I'm not here to blow smoke up your ass. I'm here to make sure you don't do anything stupid while the boss handles business." She pulled clothes out of the bag. Jeans. A sweater. Underwear. "I guessed your size. Get dressed. You can't spend all day in his shirt."Lia took the clothes. "How did you know my size?""I'm observant. It's literally my job." Nina handed her a coffee. "Vanilla latte. Two sugars. Right?""How did you—""Observant. Keep up."Despite everything, Lia smiled slightly. Nina was abrasive but there was something comforting about her bluntness. No fake sympathy. No tiptoeing around the situation. Just dir

The day passed too slowly and too fast at the same time.Lia spent most of it in Caspian's penthouse watching him and Dorian prepare. Guns laid out on the dining table. Ammunition. Kevlar vests. Radios. The tools of war spread across expensive furniture like some twisted contrast between his two worlds.She tried not to think about what all of it meant. About the violence coming tonight.By eight PM, Caspian was dressed in all black. Tactical gear that made him look like a soldier. He strapped a gun to his hip. Another to his ankle. Checked them both twice."Are you ready?" he asked.Lia wore jeans and a dark sweater. Nina had brought her a vest too. Lightweight. Hidden under her clothes. Just in case."As ready as I'll ever be."They took separate cars to the docks. Caspian drove. Dorian in the passenger seat. Lia sat in the back with Nina beside her.The streets were empty this time of night. Industrial district. No businesses open. No witnesses. Just warehouses and shipping contain

The penthouse felt different when Lia stepped inside. Same sleek marble floors, same floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city, same expensive artwork on the walls. But everything had shifted, tilted sideways, because she was different now. She carried a secret that changed the shape of the world.Caspian looked up from his laptop at the kitchen island, dark eyes finding hers immediately. "There you are. How was lunch with Sophie?"The lie came easier than it should have. "Good. She's thinking about grad school."He studied her for a moment too long, and Lia forced herself to hold his gaze. The pregnancy test was in her purse, wrapped in tissue, hidden like evidence of a crime. Her hand had been shaking when she'd taken it in Sophie's bathroom, watching the second line appear like an accusation."You okay?" Caspian stood, closing the laptop. "You seem off.""Just stressed." Lia dropped her purse on the counter, putting distance between them. "The divorce papers. Julian. Everything