Chapter One Hundred-Fourteen

Chapter One Hundred-Fourteen
I watched Emma try to kiss Hunter on the lips, her arms wrapping around his neck like some kind of possessive octopus. The pure shock on his face might have been comical if it wasn't so infuriating. Before I could even process what was happening, Hunter pushed her off him and away and rushed to my side.
Emma's face twisted with fury. I'd seen that look before… on Helena when she didn't get her way. That calculated rage that promised retribution. If I could live through Helena I could deal with someone like Emma.
"Hunter," she called, her voice dripping with false sweetness as she followed him. "Don't be like that. We have history." She tossed her perfect blonde hair over one shoulder, her eyes never leaving his face. "You can't possibly be happy with this arrangement." Eyeing me up and down like I was dirt on her shoes.
I felt Hunter's arm slide around my waist, solid and protective. The touch warmed me, reminding me that I wasn't that insecure woman anymore, desperate for scraps of his attention. I was his wife. The mother of his children.
At first, Hunter touched my face. "Are you okay?"
I smiled up at him. "I'm fine, Quinn caught me."
I still watched his eyes darken as he turned them on his ex.
"Emma," Hunter's voice held a warning edge I'd rarely heard him use in public. "This isn't the place."
"When is the place, then?" she demanded, her perfect features hardening. "When you realize you've made a terrible mistake? When you're tired of playing house with your secretary?"
My spine straightened. Two months ago, these words would have cut through me like glass. But not anymore. Hunter had chosen me not just for the babies. One thing about Hunter, he never lied. The way he had pushed Emma away proved he was mine.
"That's enough," I said quietly. The steel in my voice surprised even me.
Emma's eyes widened slightly, as if she hadn't expected me to speak at all. "Oh, she talks too. How precious."
"I've always talked, Emma. But you are the type of person who doesn't listen because you think you are so important." I stepped forward slightly, my hand still in Hunter's. "If you wish to create trouble between Hunter and me, it's not going to happen. He loves me, Emma. But this scene isn't helping anyone, least of all yourself."
Her eyes narrowed to dangerous slits. "Don't pretend you know me. You were nobody. Just the pathetic little sister standing in Helena's shadow. And now you think because you're carrying his baby that he'll stay? Please." She laughed, the sound brittle and sharp. "Hunter gets bored. Trust me, I know. I'll have him in my bed before the baby is even born."
I felt Hunter tense beside me, ready to intervene, but I squeezed his hand. This was my fight.
"You don't know anything about our marriage," I said evenly. "And you certainly don't know me. I'm not Helena, and I'm not threatened by your tantrum."
"Tantrum?" Emma practically hissed the word. "You think this is a tantrum? I was with Hunter for three years. Three years!"
"So what? He's mine now, and you can't have him."
"How dare you speak to me like that?" Emma's face flushed with anger, her perfectly manicured nails digging into her palms. "You're nothing but a gold-digging little—"
"That's enough!" Hunter's voice cut through the air like steel. He stepped slightly in front of me, protective but not dismissive of my ability to handle myself.
I put my hand on Hunter's arm, my voice calm despite the rage building inside me. "Hunter, it's fine. I can handle this." I was very aware of everyone listening. I needed to hold my own.
Emma's eyes darted between us, calculating. "So protective, Hunter. Is it because she's carrying your baby? Or because you actually believe you love her?" Her lips curved into a cruel smile. "Did Helena know you were carrying on behind her back?"
I heard a few gasps. Oh no, she was not going to start that rumor. "You have a dirty mind, Emma. Do you know that? How dare you suggest Hunter would ever cheat on my sister? We married after she died. After he realized the woman he married wasn't real. She was fake just like you. Unlike some people, we actually respect marriage vows."
Emma stepped back, clearly not expecting me to stand my ground. "Everyone knows the truth. The timing is suspect at best."
"The only thing suspect here is your behavior," I said, feeling Hunter's arm tense under my hand. "Creating a scene at a charity event, throwing yourself at a married man. It's embarrassing to watch. Do you really want to be known as the woman that chases married men, Emma?"
Hunter's eyes widened slightly at my boldness, but I felt his hand slip around my waist, squeezing gently in support.
"Why, you bitch," Emma hissed, her voice dropping so only we could hear. "Hunter belongs with someone who matches him. Someone with class, with connections. Not his dead wife's pathetic little sister who couldn't get her own man."
I smiled, the expression not reaching my eyes. "And yet, I'm the one wearing his ring." I held up my hand, letting the diamond catch the light. "You had your chance with Hunter years ago. You lost it. Move on. It's really pathetic when women cling to the past and don't realize that boat has sailed."
I felt Quinn step up beside me, her presence solid and reassuring. Max appeared at Emma's elbow, his expression pleasant but his eyes hard.
"I believe your date is looking for you, Emma," he said smoothly. "Something about needing to leave. Immediately."
Emma ignored him, her gaze fixed on Hunter. "You'll regret this… whatever this is. When the novelty wears off, when you're tired of playing daddy with your secretary—"
"My wife," Hunter corrected, his voice dangerously soft. "And the woman I love."
"The woman you settled for," Emma shot back.
I'd had enough. I stepped forward, meeting her gaze directly. "No, Emma. I'm the woman he chose. The one he comes home to every night. The one carrying his child. The one who knows who he really is, not just what he can do for her career."
Emma's mouth opened and closed, her carefully constructed attack faltering. Hunter's arm tightened around my waist, and I felt his lips brush against my temple.
"We're done here," he said, not to me but to Emma. "Goodbye."
Without waiting for her response, Hunter guided me away, Quinn and Max flanking us like bodyguards. I caught sight of Maya across the room, her expression concerned until I gave her a small nod. I saw Elizabeth holding onto her daughter's arm, stopping her from most likely punching Emma.
"I'm so sorry," Hunter murmured when we were far enough away. "I had no idea she would be here."
"Not your fault," I assured him. "I knew your exes would crawl out of the woodwork eventually."
Quinn snorted. "You handled that perfectly, Grace."
Hunter looked down at me, his eyes warm with pride and something deeper. "Have I told you lately how much I love you?"
"You could stand to mention it more," I teased, leaning into him.
His lips brushed my ear. "I'll tell you properly when we're alone."
The heat in his voice sent a shiver down my spine, making me forget all about Emma and her petty attempts to cause trouble. Nothing she could do would touch what Hunter and I had built together.
"I think we've given everyone enough to talk about for one night," I said, glancing around at the curious onlookers. "Maybe we should call it a night?"
Hunter nodded, already guiding me toward the exit. "Let's go home."
As we walked out, I caught Emma watching us from across the room, her face a mask of fury and something that might have been envy. I almost felt sorry for her. Almost. She had no idea what real love looked like. She and Helena had been cut from the same cloth.