Chapter 19

Richard’s POV

I stormed down the hallway, my mother’s words ringing in my ears. Cut off. She had threatened to cut me off if I didn’t stop "abusing" Lena. I could hardly believe it—my own mother, siding with Lena.

I punched the wall, the pain shooting through my knuckles, but it wasn’t enough to drown out my frustration. How had I let things spiral this far out of control?

I didn’t want to think about it, but the anger simmered under my skin, rising every time I replayed the conversation in my head.

"You're going to lose everything," she had said, her voice so cold, so final.

She was serious. I knew she was. If I didn’t do something soon, I’d be left with nothing—no inheritance, no control over the family business. All because of Lena.

I found myself pacing in my study, hands balled into fists at my sides. She thought she could defy me, stand up to me as if I was nothing. As if I wasn’t her husband. I should’ve ended this when I had the chance. I should’ve crushed her when I first saw the defiance in her eyes.

I could still hear her voice from earlier. “I’m leaving you, Richard. I’m done.”

Done? She thought she could just leave? I’d make her regret ever thinking that.

Grabbing my phone, I dialed. The person on the other end picked up quickly.

“Richard,” the voice said, wary.

“I need you to cut her off,” I growled, not bothering with pleasantries.

A pause. “Who?”

“Lena. I don’t care what my mother said. Get her out of the family business. Now.” My words came out sharper than I intended, but I didn’t care. I needed this done.

“I understand, but your mother—”

“I said do it!” I slammed the phone down without waiting for a response. The moment it hit the desk, a sense of satisfaction spread through me. Lena thought she was winning. She thought she had some control. But that was just an illusion.

I downed the whiskey on my desk, letting it burn down my throat. I wouldn’t let her slip through my fingers. Not with the baby.

The baby.

I stared into my empty glass, the weight of it sinking in. That child—my child—was the one thing tying Lena to me. She hadn’t told me, but I had heard the whispers, the little hints dropped by the staff. Did she really think she could hide something that big from me?

I set the glass down and grabbed my phone again, dialing quickly. This time, I called Luna.

“Richard, darling,” Luna’s voice purred on the other end. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“I need information,” I said, my voice tight. “I know you’ve been watching her. What’s Lena been doing? I need details.”

Luna let out a soft laugh. “Oh, Richard, she’s been so busy lately. Busy with the business, busy with Tyler... you know how she is.”

My blood boiled at the mention of Tyler’s name. “Tyler? What do you mean, Tyler?”

“They’ve been spending quite a bit of time together,” Luna said, her tone casual, but I could hear the smirk behind her words. “I’m sure it’s nothing... but you never know, do you?”

“That’s enough,” I snapped. “I don’t want rumors, Luna. I want facts.”

“Rumors are facts waiting to happen,” she teased. “But fine. If you want something solid, I’ll keep an eye on her for you. Just make sure you’re ready to hear what I find.”

I clenched my jaw. “Just do it.”

I ended the call, throwing the phone onto the couch. Tyler. He was always there, always circling, always acting like he could be her savior. Like he was better than me.

I needed to put an end to that.

I poured another drink, my hands shaking slightly as I thought about Lena, Tyler, and the baby. There was a time when I didn’t care about any of it—when this marriage was just a means to an end. But now, everything felt complicated.

For a long time, all I wanted was control. Over Lena, over my life, over the family business. But now, the child changed things. My heir. My blood.

I tried to ignore the way my chest tightened at the thought. I didn’t want to care about the baby. I didn’t want to feel anything. But I did. And it made everything worse.

“She’s not leaving,” I muttered again, louder this time. My grip on the glass tightened. I set it down before I shattered it in my hands.

But no matter how much I repeated it, the reality was gnawing at me. Lena had stood there, with her quiet defiance, and she said she was done. She had looked me in the eyes and said those words like she truly believed it.

I wasn’t going to let that happen. Not now. Not ever.

But still... the baby.

I rubbed my forehead, trying to push that thought aside. The child was complicating things in a way I hadn’t expected. I was supposed to be angry—furious, in fact. And I was. But there was something about knowing Lena was carrying my child that made everything feel... off.

Damn it. I didn’t want to care. The child was just another piece in this game, another way to ensure she wouldn’t leave. That was all it should be. Yet, I couldn’t shake the thought of that child being mine. My legacy. My future.

I stood up and walked to the window, staring out at the darkening sky. What was I supposed to do with all of this? With the mess Lena had created? She was so fragile, so breakable. But she was also stronger than I had given her credit for. She had managed to twist everything around, pulling my mother into her side, rallying Tyler behind her.

The worst part? They were all buying it.

“Why is everyone so desperate to save her?” I whispered to myself, my voice tight. “What do they see in her that I don’t?”

The answer came to me in a flash of bitterness. It wasn’t Lena they cared about. It was the child. The heir. My mother wanted to protect her for the sake of the family name, for the continuation of the Paxton bloodline. And Tyler... well, I didn’t care what his reasons were. I’d deal with him soon enough.

I walked back to the desk and grabbed my phone again, dialing without thinking. It rang twice before the voice on the other end picked up.

“What now?” It was the same contact I’d called earlier about cutting Lena off from the family business.

“Change of plans,” I said, my voice steady. “I want surveillance on her. Full-time. I want to know where she goes, who she talks to, everything. And don’t let my mother know.”

There was a pause. “Surveillance? Richard, don’t you think—”

“I’m not asking for your opinion,” I snapped. “Just do it.”

I hung up and set the phone down again, my mind racing. This was it. My mother thought she could control me with her threats, but I wasn’t backing down. Lena wasn’t leaving, and I would make sure of it.

I needed to stay ahead of them. My mother’s ultimatum, Lena’s growing independence, Tyler’s interference—it was all pushing me into a corner, and I hated the feeling of being trapped. But I wasn’t the one who would lose. Not this time.

I poured another drink, letting the whiskey calm my nerves. As I sipped, I felt the familiar coldness settle back in. I could do this. I could still turn this around.

Lena thought she had power, but she didn’t know what real power looked like.

I’d use the baby if I had to. I’d use whatever leverage I had to keep her exactly where I wanted her—right under my thumb.

And Tyler... Tyler was going to pay for thinking he could play the hero in all of this.

I smirked to myself, already planning my next move. Lena might have been gaining confidence, but I knew her weaknesses. I knew how to break her, how to make her doubt herself.

This wasn’t over. Far from it.

I downed the rest of my drink, the bitterness fueling the fire inside me. Lena thought she could escape me, but she had no idea how deep this game went.

She’d learn soon enough.

Because once I decided something, it became law.

Lena Del Mario wasn’t leaving me. Not now, not ever.

As I stood by the window, looking out into the night, I knew one thing for sure: I’d win. No matter what it took.