All Chapters of Billion Dollar Regrets: 21 Nights of Payback: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

I'm back at Damien's penthouse by two PM.He's waiting. Pacing. He grabs me the second I walk in."What did he say? What did he want? Are you okay? Is the baby—""I'm fine. The baby's fine." I pull away. Need space. "Your father made an offer.""What kind of offer?"I tell him. Everything. Richard's demands. The timeline. The threat.Damien's face goes from concerned to furious."Absolutely not. You're not doing it. We'll fight him. We'll—""Fight him how?" I'm so tired. "He has Victoria's evidence. He has the SEC investigation. He has everything, Damien. We have nothing.""We have the truth—""The truth is we committed crimes. The truth is I blackmailed you. The truth is—" My voice breaks. "The truth is we're fucked."He pulls me into his arms. I let him. Too exhausted to maintain distance."We'll figure this out," he says. "There's always a way.""Is there? Because I'm five weeks pregnant and facing federal prison and your father just offered me an escape route. A really tempting es

We land in Vegas at 2 AM.The city's still awake—it's always awake—all neon and noise and people chasing dreams that'll cost them more than they can afford.Feels appropriate."You sure about this?" Damien asks as our car pulls up to the Venetian."No. But I'm doing it anyway." I grab his hand. "We're doing it anyway."The Presidential Suite looks exactly the same. Same view. Same ridiculously large bed. Same memories soaked into every surface."This is where it started," Damien says quietly."And maybe where it ends." I check my phone. 2:47 AM. "The Watcher said to meet at seven. We should try to sleep.""You think you can sleep?""No. But the baby needs rest even if I'm too wired to close my eyes."We lie down together. Fully clothed. Both staring at the ceiling."I'm scared," I admit."Me too.""If something happens to me—if Richard succeeds—promise me you'll protect our baby. Raise them. Tell them about—" My voice breaks. "Tell them their mother tried.""Nothing's going to happen

We spend the next day investigating.James sends over files. Names. Locations. Everything Richard's been hiding for twenty years.Damien and I divide and conquer. Him on financial crimes. Me on the violence. Both of us building a timeline of destruction.It's tedious work. Exhausting. But working together—really together—feels right. Natural. Like we're finally doing what we were supposed to do all along."Look at this," Damien says around 4 PM. He shows me a transaction. "Richard paid $200,000 to a shell company three days before the journalist died. The same company that employed the mechanic who tampered with her car.""That's the connection." I'm making notes. "That's what the FBI needs.""There are a dozen more like it. Every time someone threatened him, money moved. Then that person had an accident.""He's been doing this for twenty years. How has nobody caught him?""Because he's careful. Methodical. And he owns enough people that even when someone notices, they look the other

We wake at dawn to sirens.Not close. But not far enough. The sound pulls me from sleep where I was dreaming about a house in the desert, a child laughing, a life without fear.Reality is harsher."We need to move," Damien says. He's already up, already dressed, already checking the window.My body aches. Everything aches. The adrenaline from yesterday's attack has worn off, leaving only pain and exhaustion."I need a minute," I manage."We don't have a minute. If those sirens are for us—if Richard's people tracked us here—" He doesn't finish. Doesn't need to.I drag myself up. Splash water on my face. Try to look like someone who didn't almost die yesterday.Fail spectacularly.The Bank of Nevada opens at nine. We're there at 8:47, waiting in the car like criminals. Which, technically, we might be. Depending on who you ask."You sure James's lawyer will cooperate?" I ask."James trusted him. That's enough for me.""James is dead."The words hang heavy. We still don't know for sure. H

The doctor makes Damien go back to surgery.He doesn't want to. Wants to stay. Protect me. But his shoulder's still bleeding through the bandages and the nurse threatens to call security."I'll be right here when you wake up," I promise. "I'm not going anywhere.""You better not." He kisses me. Soft. Desperate. "I love you.""I love you too. Now go get fixed so we can fix this mess."After he's wheeled away, I lie there. Alone. Hand on my stomach where our daughter's fighting to stay alive."You're so loved," I whisper to her. "Your dad and I—we're a mess. We're broken and scared and we've made so many mistakes. But we love you. More than anything. And we're going to make sure you get to be born. Get to live. Get to be happy."She moves. Tiny flutter. First time I've felt her move.I burst into tears. "There you are. There's my girl."My phone rings again. I almost don't answer. But it's Maya."Where the hell are you?" She's frantic. "I've been calling for two days. The news is saying