Chapter 98 Chapter Ninety-seven
ARA
As we went over our roles for the last time, I committed every detail to memory like my life and the lives of our unborn twins depended on it. Because it did.
Thayne and I would arrive at Au Cheval, that intimate little Chicago diner famous for its impossible reservations and even better burgers.
We would play the perfect couple: laughing over cocktails, sharing fries, his hand resting possessively on my thigh under the table.
The perfect picture of young, reckless love. We would definitely attract the paparazzi, which was exactly the plan.
Thayne's snipers would be perched in surrounding buildings, feeding us constant updates through discreet earpieces.
We would let the two predators circle and let them believe they’d found the perfect opening.
And then, at the exact minute we’d scripted, Thayne would get a “call.” He would kiss me slowly and deeply, then murmur something about a quick errand, promising to be right back with dessert.
We planned it like this because we knew that once we were spotted, our location would go viral, which meant that my father and Slade Senior would send their own men in to secure the place.
Once we confirmed that, Thayne would leave me alone at the table. Leaving me vulnerable would make me the ultimate prize.
He would walk three blocks to the upscale jewelry store on Oak Street, where Nadia who was dressed to mirror me as closely as possible, same coat, same loose waves, same subtle bump, would be waiting.
They would stage an intimate moment where Thayne would slide a ring box across the glass counter.
Everyone would think he was cheating behind my back, and this would help in confusing both men.
This plan would drive the social media watchdogs insane, because as long as New York was concerned, Thayne and I were washed out of existence by his father in the river hours ago.
New York elites never supported our union from the very beginning. They were disappointed when their movie star actress was thrown down from her high horse.
Before, I was fighting for myself and for my sisters. Now I was fighting for me, Thayne, my babies and my sisters. And I wouldn't stop until our enemies were flattened down.
The moment we stepped into Au Cheval, the plan snapped into motion like a perfectly oiled trap.
As we walked in, jaws immediately dropped, eyes going wide as they took us in.
I nearly smiled at the genuine looks of shock and surprise on their faces. They'd all been expecting our downfall, frothing at the mouth in anticipation for the worst news.
The hostess greeted us with a practiced smile, leading us past the packed counter and velvet booths to a prime corner table.
It was visible from the street through the large front windows, intimate enough for whispered conversations, and exposed enough to be watched.
Thayne’s hand rested low on my back as we walked, guiding me with that effortless possession that made my pulse stutter even now.
He pulled out my chair, leaned down to brush a kiss against my temple, lingering just long enough for anyone watching to see the claim.
Cameras would catch it. Even the drones and the spotters on rooftops. Whoever they had watching us.
We ordered like any normal couple; truffle fries, bone-marrow burgers, a single milkshake with two straws, absurdly sweet and deliberately playful.
Thayne’s fingers laced with mine across the table, his thumb tracing slow circles over my knuckles.
He laughed at something I said, and I smilef at the low and genuine sound that came rumbling from him.
I wished we could have this kind of life, one where we could go on normal dates and love each other without having to worry about our enemies.
To the world watching, we looked reckless. In love. Oblivious.
His earpiece, hidden beneath the fall of his dark hair fed him constant updates in a voice only he could hear.
“Your father's convoy has been confirmed inbound from O’Hare. ETA thirty minutes.” He told me while leaning in and pretending to feed me. I nodded once and smiled, as if he'd given me a compliment.
“My father's team has been spotted two blocks north. Four vehicles, eight men.” He added, tucking a lock of my hair behind my ear.
Thayne’s expression never changed. He lifted my hand, pressed a kiss to my wrist, his eyes locked on mine like I was the only person in the room.
Inside, I knew he was counting seconds, exits, angles.
Twenty minutes in, his phone buzzed on the table. I knew it was staged and perfectly timed, yet I pretended to be curious.
He glanced at the screen, feigned mild annoyance, then looked at me with that devastating half-smile.
“Munroe needs me for five minutes,” he said loudly enough for nearby tables to hear. They didn't know Munroe was no longer on our side, that he'd never been on our side to begin with.
“Some paperwork bullshit. I’ll be right back,don’t eat all the fries.” He stood, leaned down, and kissed me, claiming me unhurriedly while everyone watched, the kind of kiss that left no doubt who I belonged to.
His hand cupped my cheek, his thumb brushing my lower lip as he pulled away.
“Be good,” he murmured against my mouth.
Then he walked out, tall, broad-shouldered, disappearing into the Chicago night like a man with nothing to fear.
Leaving me alone. I was completely vulnerable now, exactly as planned.
Even though we'd gone through this several times before, my heart hammered against my ribs. I kept my posture relaxed, sipping the milkshake, scrolling idly on the phone I'd been given for this purpose.
I was smiling softly at nothing, the picture of a woman contentedly waiting for her man.
Inside the jewelry store three blocks away, Nadia was dressed in my coat, with her hair styled to match.
Thayne would walk in any second now. The ring box was real, but the proposal would be fake.
And the two monsters closing in from opposite directions had no idea they were racing toward the same grave.
I took another slow sip of the milkshake, tasting nothing.
Come and get me, I thought. Let’s end this.