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Alle Kapitel von His Open Marriage, My Forbidden Secret : Kapitel 41 – Kapitel 50

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41 🔞

[WARNING: Explicit Sexual Content - 18+]The hotel suite door closed behind them with a soft click that sounded like freedom.Lia barely had time to register the room's king bed, floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city, expensive and impersonal before Caspian's hands were on her face, tilting her head up to look at him."Seven days," he said, his voice rough. "Seven days of knowing you were sleeping in his house. In his bed.""Not his bed. The guest room. I locked the door every night—""I don't care." His thumb brushed her bottom lip. "You were there. Under his roof. Pretending to be his wife. While carrying my baby."The possessiveness in his voice sent heat flooding through her body. This was what she'd been missing. Not just his touch, but the way he looked at her like she was his entire world. Like nothing else mattered except her."I'm here now," she whispered."You are." His eyes had gone dark, pupils blown wide. "And I have six hours to remind you exactly who you belong

42

Dinner was a nightmare dressed up as civility.Margaret sat at the head of the table in the formal dining room Lia's house, but Margaret had always acted like she owned it wearing a dove gray Chanel suit and a smile sharp enough to cut glass."This is lovely," Margaret said, surveying the table that Maria had hastily set with the good china. "Just like old times. The three of us together."Except it was nothing like old times. Lia sat with her hand constantly drifting to her neck, making sure her hair covered the marks that the concealer couldn't quite hide. Julian sat across from her, his expression carefully neutral, but she could see the fury simmering beneath the surface. And Margaret watched them both like a hawk circling prey."I was so pleased when Julian invited me," Margaret continued, accepting the wine Julian poured for her. "I wanted to see how the reconciliation was progressing. It's been, what, almost two weeks now?""Ten days," Lia said quietly."Ten days." Margaret too

43

Lia is unable to sleep.She lay in the guest room bed, staring at the ceiling, one hand on her belly where the baby had fluttered for the first time. Nine hours until the emergency hearing. Nine hours until a judge decided if she was fit to keep her own child.At six AM, she gave up on sleep and went downstairs.Margaret was sitting at the kitchen table.Lia stopped in the doorway. "What are you doing here?""Waiting for you." Margaret was already dressed, hair perfect, makeup flawless. Like she'd been up for hours. "Julian left early. He had to meet with his lawyer before the hearing. He gave me his key."Of course he did. Julian probably told his mother everything last night—the hickey, the hotel photos, all of it."You should leave," Lia said."Should I?" Margaret stood, moving to the coffee pot like she owned the place. "I think we need to talk. Just the two of us. No Julian to interrupt. No lawyers. Just honesty.""I have nothing to say to you.""But I have plenty to say to you."

44

Day twelve in Julian's house, and the walls were closing in.Lia stood at the kitchen sink, rinsing her breakfast dishes, when her phone buzzed on the counter. She grabbed it quickly, but not quickly enough.Julian looked up from his coffee. "Who's texting you this early?""Isla." The lie came automatically. "Checking on me.""She checks on you a lot.""She's my best friend."Julian's eyes narrowed, but he didn't push. He'd been doing that lately watching her, studying her, like he was trying to solve a puzzle he couldn't quite figure out.The phone buzzed again."You should answer that," Julian said. "Must be important if she's texting twice."Lia picked up the phone, angling it away from Julian's line of sight. It was the burner, not her regular phone, but the message preview showed on the lock screen:*Missing you. Counting hours until I see you again. - C*She deleted the notification quickly, but Julian was already standing, moving around the counter toward her."Everything okay?

45

Let go of me." Lia's voice was steady despite the fear coursing through her veins."Not until you show me that phone." Julian's grip tightened. "I have a right to know if you're violating the reconciliation terms.""You have no rights over me." Lia tried to pull away, but his fingers dug into her wrist. "Julian, you're hurting me.""Show me the phone and I'll let go.""No."His other hand reached for her pocket. Lia twisted away, and suddenly they were struggling Julian grabbing for the phone, Lia trying to break free, both of them breathing hard."Stop fighting me," Julian growled. "Just give it to me—""Get off!" Lia shoved him, hard.He stumbled back, more from surprise than force. For a moment, they both froze, staring at each other.Lia had never pushed Julian before. Never fought back physically. In five years of marriage, she'd learned to make herself small, quiet, and compliant. But the self-defense lessons Nina had taught her over the past months had changed something. She wa

46

The doorbell rang again. Longer this time….Lia stood between Margaret and the door, her suitcase still in her hand. Through the frosted glass panel, she could see Caspian's silhouette."Don't answer it," Margaret said.Lia reached for the handle anyway.Margaret's hand shot out, gripping Lia's arm. "I'm warning you. If he comes inside, I'll make the call.""Then I'll go outside." Lia yanked her arm free and opened the door.Caspian stood on the front step, and the sight of him nearly broke her. He looked like he'd been running on no sleep, disheveled hair, dark circles, jaw tight with barely controlled fury. His eyes went straight to her wrist, to the red marks Julian had left."Did he hurt you?" His voice was deadly calm."I'm fine. But we need to go. Now."Caspian's gaze shifted past her to Margaret. "Mrs. Ashford. How unexpected.""Mr. Thorne." Margaret's tone could freeze water. "You're violating a court order by being here.""The no-contact order expired when the reconciliation

47

The police station smelled like stale coffee and fear.Lia sat in a plastic chair in the waiting area, watching officers move past with careful efficiency. Isla sat beside her, one hand gripping Lia's, the other texting Patricia non-stop updates.Through the reinforced glass window, Lia could see into the processing area. Caspian stood against the far wall, still in handcuffs, his expression carved from stone. Two officers flanked him, but they kept a careful distance like they were escorting a bomb that might detonate."This is bullshit," Isla muttered. "Julian starts a fight and Caspian gets arrested?""Margaret called it an assault. She knows how to work the system.""Then we un-work it." Isla squeezed her hand. "Patricia's on her way. She'll fix this."But watching Caspian through that glass, Lia felt like nothing could be fixed. He'd come to save her and ended up in handcuffs. Because of her. Because she'd texted him to come get her.An officer approached Detective Sarah Chen, ac

48

Hour 12Isla's apartment was smaller than Caspian's penthouse, smaller than Julian's house, but it felt safer than anywhere Lia had been in months. She sat on the couch wrapped in a blanket that smelled like lavender detergent, watching morning light filter through the curtains.Twelve hours since the test. Sixty more to go."You need to eat something." Isla appeared with toast and ginger tea. "The baby needs food even if you don't."Lia took the plate without appetite. "I can't stop thinking about that document. Margaret filing for grandparents' rights. How is that even legal?""It's bullshit, that's what it is." Isla sat beside her. "Patricia said the motion has no merit. Margaret's grasping at straws.""Grasping at straws that could still fuck up my life for months." Lia bit into the toast, forcing it down. "Even if she loses, the legal fees, the court dates, the stress—""Will be worth it when you're finally free." Isla squeezed her hand. "Sixty more hours. Then the results prove

49

The hospital waiting room smelled like disinfectant and bad coffee.Lia sat in a plastic chair, hands gripping her knees, staring at the emergency room doors. Caspian stood beside her, one hand on her shoulder. Dorian was somewhere down the hall, making calls.They'd been waiting for forty minutes.Forty minutes since the ambulance brought Julian in.Forty minutes of not knowing if he was alive or dead."Mrs. Ashford?" A doctor appeared, scrubs splattered with blood. Lia's stomach turned. "I'm Dr. Patel. You're here for Julian Ashford?""Yes. Is he—""He's alive. Stable." Patel's expression was carefully neutral. "The wound was superficial. The bullet grazed his temple but didn't penetrate the skull. He's extremely lucky."Lia's legs went weak. Caspian's hand tightened on her shoulder, holding her up."Can I see him?" she asked."He's sedated right now. We're keeping him for psychiatric evaluation—mandatory for suicide attempts. But he'll be able to have visitors tomorrow.""Did he sa

50

Three days after Julian showed up at the penthouse with evidence against Margaret, Lia thought maybe the worst was over.She was wrong.It was eleven PM when the pounding started on Isla's apartment door.Lia had moved back to Isla's temporarily while Caspian dealt with cleaning up the federal investigation mess. Just for a few days, they'd agreed. Just until things settled."Amelia!" Julian's voice, slurred and desperate. "I know you're in there!"Isla was already on her feet, phone in hand. "I'm calling the cops.""Wait." Lia moved to the door, and looked through the peephole.Julian stood in the hallway, swaying. His shirt was untucked, his hair a mess, and he was holding a bottle of something that was mostly empty."Amelia, please!" He pounded again. "We need to talk!""He's drunk," Lia said."Obviously." Isla was already texting someone. "Dorian needs to know about this.""Open the door!" Julian's fist hit the wood hard enough to rattle the frame. "I just want to talk! Five minut

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