Chapter 80
Lena's POV
The coffee shop was half-empty when I arrived, the mid-morning lull between breakfast rush and lunch crowd. Alexander was already at our usual corner table, slouched in his chair with the air of a man who'd narrowly escaped something uncomfortable. Emily sat across from him, stirring her latte with a knowing smile.
"You look relieved," I said, sliding into the seat between them.
Alexander let out a breath. "Relieved? That's putting it mildly. Your ex-husband cornered me in a private room with a folder full of photos documenting every dinner, every gallery visit, every time I've been within twenty feet of Megan for the past month." He shook his head. "The man's thorough, I'll give him that."
"He showed you surveillance photos?" Emily's grin widened. "Color-coded by location?"
"Timestamped. Cross-referenced. There was even a traffic camera shot from that night we went to Bellini's." Alexander rubbed his temples. "Look, I get it. He was right—I wasn't being careful enough. But Jesus, Lena, I don't need another man tracking my every move."
I couldn't help the small smile that tugged at my lips despite everything. "I'm sorry he put you through that."
"Don't apologize. He had a point." Alexander leaned forward, elbows on the table. "I was being sloppy about Megan. If he could find those photos, anyone could. And the last thing you need is more ammunition for people trying to tear you down."
Emily set down her spoon with a decisive clink. "For the record, Alexander, I still think you're being a baby about this. So Rowan has good investigators. Big deal."
"Easy for you to say. You weren't the one sitting across from him while he calmly explained, in excruciating detail, how my 'lack of discretion' could damage Lena's reputation." Alexander shuddered. "The man doesn't raise his voice. Doesn't need to. He just... looks at you with those cold eyes and you feel like you're being dissected."
"Dramatic," Emily shot back. "Though I'll admit, the surveillance folder was a nice touch. Very 'I know what you did last summer.'"
"Hilarious." But Alexander's tone held a hint of grudging respect. He turned to me. "Look, I meant what I said about helping you. Anything you need—legal referrals, character witnesses, hell, I'll even testify against Marcus if it comes to that. But please, please don't make me sit through another meeting with Reynolds."
"Deal." I reached across the table and squeezed his hand. "And thank you. For understanding."
"Of course." He glanced between me and Emily. "Though I have to ask—are you sure you want to let go of this plan? Your mother's going to be furious."
"My mother's fury is not my problem." The words came out firmer than I'd intended. "I've spent enough of my life making decisions to satisfy other people's expectations. This is probably for the best anyway. I don't need to complicate things further with another arrangement."
Emily raised her cup. "To freedom from fake engagements and terrifying ex-husbands."
"And to never being interrogated by Rowan Reynolds again," Alexander added with feeling.
We clinked our cups together, and something in my chest loosened slightly. Not relief, exactly. More like the absence of a pressure I'd been carrying without fully realizing it.
"Seriously though," Alexander said, his expression sobering. "If you need anything—business advice, legal backup, someone to vent to—I'm here. Just don't ask me to fake-marry you again."
"Or meet your ex in dark rooms," Emily added with a smirk.
"God, no." He stood, checking his watch. "I've got a meeting in twenty. But Lena? Take care of yourself, okay? You deserve better than all this drama."
After he left, Emily and I sat in companionable silence. She studied me over the rim of her cup, that therapist's gaze I'd learned to recognize.
"You doing alright?" she asked finally.
"I'm fine."
"That's what you always say." But she didn't push, just reached across the table to squeeze my hand. "Well, for what it's worth? I think you made the right call. You don't need another arrangement. You need time to figure out what you actually want."
I looked down at our joined hands, feeling the warmth of her support like something tangible. "Thank you. For everything."
"Please. What are friends for?" She released my hand with a final pat. "Now go back to your office and build that empire. I'll be here when you need to decompress."
The conference room felt different these days—lighter somehow, despite the afternoon sun slanting harsh through the windows. Rachel was reviewing her notes, Sophia had her laptop open with a client list pulled up, and Diana sat across from me with her usual quiet intensity.
"Alright," I said, pulling up the case board on my tablet. "Let's keep this quick. Rachel, Sophia—you're taking the Miller employment discrimination case and the Chen contract dispute. They're straightforward but good practice for depositions."
Rachel nodded, scribbling notes. "When do you want the initial research memo?"
"End of week should be fine. If you hit any roadblocks, come find me." I turned to Diana. "You've got the standard case load—landlord-tenant disputes, small business consultations, that property line issue with the Andersons."
"Got it." Diana's pen moved across her legal pad in quick, efficient strokes.
I hesitated, then added, "I may need to handle some family matters over the next few weeks. Personal stuff. So I'm counting on you to keep things running smoothly."
Diana's eyes flicked up, sharp and assessing. "I can handle it. Actually, I may take on a new case this week. Nothing major, but it feels important."
"What kind of case?"
"Promissory fraud, maybe. A woman who relocated for a relationship based on promises that turned out to be false." Her jaw tightened almost imperceptibly. "Classic economic coercion disguised as romance."
Something in her tone made me pause. But Diana's expression was already smoothing back into professional neutrality, and Rachel was asking about filing deadlines, so I let it go.
"Sounds like you've got it under control," I said. "Just keep me in the loop if anything gets complicated."
"Always do." Diana closed her notebook with a soft thud. "Anything else?"
"That's it. Good work, everyone."
As they filed out, I caught Diana's eye. She gave me a brief nod, her expression unreadable, before disappearing down the hallway.