《Chasing My Stripper Ex Wife》全部章節：第 11 章 - 第 20 章

Vanessa's POVMarcus looks like hell. His face is still swollen and bruised, one eye completely shut, bandages covering most of his head. But he's awake and talking, and the moment Derek and I walk into his hospital room, his good eye focuses on me with an intensity that makes me want to run."Vanessa," he croaks out, his voice rough from the breathing tube they just removed. "You came.""Of course I came." I move to his bedside, careful not to jostle any of the equipment. "Marcus, who did this to you?""Crane's men. Two of them." He tries to shift and winces. "They wanted to know what I'd told you, what I'd told the police. When I wouldn't answer, they made sure I couldn't tell anyone anything."Derek steps closer, his hand finding the small of my back. "What do you know about Crane? Jake said you have information."Marcus's eye shifts to Derek and something like regret crosses his battered face. "I need to tell you both the truth. All of it. Starting with why I really took the job a

Vanessa's POVThe address Crane gave me leads to a hospice facility on the outskirts of the city. I've been sitting in Derek's car outside for twenty minutes, staring at the building and trying to find the courage to walk inside. Derek hasn't pushed me, just sits quietly holding my hand and waiting for me to make a decision."I don't know if I can do this," I finally say. "See him like this. Dying.""You don't have to. We can leave right now and never look back." Derek squeezes my hand. "But if you want closure, if you want answers, this might be your only chance."I think about the baby growing inside me, about the family Derek and I are trying to build. Can I be a good mother when I'm still carrying around so much unresolved pain from my own father?"Come with me," I say, making the decision. "I can't do this alone.""I'm right here."We walk into the hospice and ask for Thomas Beauchamp. The nurse gives me a sympathetic look that makes my stomach churn and leads us down a hallway t

Vanessa's POVI wake up to the smell of coffee and bacon, which is Derek's way of apologizing for the morning sickness that's been hitting me hard the last few days. I stumble out of bed and find him in the kitchen, looking domestic and completely out of place in expensive pajamas while flipping pancakes."You're cooking again," I observe, sliding onto a bar stool. "Should I be worried?""I'm expanding my repertoire beyond pasta. Jake sent me a cookbook." He plates a pancake and slides it across to me with a grin. "Try not to be too impressed."I take a bite and it's actually good, which surprises both of us. "Okay, I'm impressed. Who are you and what have you done with Derek Cross?""Very funny." He leans across the counter to kiss me. "How are you feeling? Any nausea?""Not yet but give it an hour." I steal a piece of bacon from his plate. "What's the plan for today?""I thought we could hike up to the overlook, have a picnic, maybe talk about some serious stuff without the pressure

Vanessa's POVDerek leaves for the emergency board meeting at six AM, exhausted and tense. I watch him go and feel completely helpless, like everything we've built is crumbling again and there's nothing I can do to stop it.Marcus finds me in the kitchen an hour later, making tea with shaking hands. "You okay?""No. Crane leaked documents that make Derek look guilty of covering up the embezzlement. The board meeting this morning could end with him losing the company." I set down the kettle before I drop it. "And it's my fault.""How is this your fault?""I'm the one who suggested compassion. I'm the one who convinced Derek to trust Crane, to believe he could change." I sink into a chair. "I was so naive."Marcus sits across from me. "You were hopeful. There's a difference. And for what it's worth, I think Crane did mean it in that moment. Something just changed.""Claire's warning. She said Crane was planning something.""Yeah, and I've been thinking about that." Marcus pulls out his

Vanessa's POVThree months later, I'm standing in the living room of our new house, surrounded by moving boxes and feeling the baby kick for the first time. It's a strange flutter, like butterflies but stronger, and I call out for Derek before I can stop myself."She's moving," I say when he appears from the kitchen where he's been unpacking dishes. "Derek, she's really moving."He drops what he's doing and rushes over, placing his hand on my bump. We stand there frozen for a minute, waiting, and then it happens again—a definite kick right against his palm."Holy shit," he breathes, his eyes wide with wonder. "She kicked me.""Language," I scold automatically, though I'm grinning. "We need to start being careful about what we say around her.""She's still in the womb, I think we're safe for a few more months." But he's looking at my stomach like it contains the secret to the universe. "Do it again, Emily. Kick for daddy."Nothing happens and I laugh. "I don't think she takes requests