Chapter 59 #59
Chapter 59
~Shailyn~
I ran.
My feet carried me down the hallway, away from the library, away from what I'd just heard. My heart pounded so hard I thought it might burst through my chest.
Stealing documents. Proof. Everything.
What did that mean? What had Cynthia done?
I didn't make it far before a hand caught my arm, spinning me around.
Jack.
"Shailyn," he said, his voice urgent, his eyes searching mine with an intensity that made me want to pull away. "Wait. Please."
"Let go of me," I said, trying to yank my arm free.
"I can't," he said, and there was something raw in his voice. Something that sounded almost like desperation. "I can't let you go back there thinking... God, I need to explain."
"Explain what?" I demanded, still struggling against his grip. "That you're blackmailing Cynthia? That you're using Monica?"
His jaw clenched. "It's not that simple."
"Then make it simple!" My voice rose, echoing off the walls. "What are you doing to this family?"
Jack's hand fell away from my arm, and he ran both hands through his hair in a gesture of pure frustration. "I can't tell you. Not yet. Not now."
"Why not?"
"Because I don't want to drag you into this," he said, his voice breaking slightly. "You don't deserve to be caught in the middle of my mess. You're pregnant, for God's sake. You're vulnerable. I won't..."
He stopped, taking a shaky breath.
"You won't what. How do you know I'm pregnant?" I pressed.
"Don't worry about that. I won't be responsible for hurting you," he said quietly, meeting my eyes. "Not you. Not when you're already dealing with so much."
I stared at him, confused by the genuine emotion in his voice. This wasn't the smooth businessman I'd met in the break room. This was someone raw, conflicted, almost broken.
"Jack, what's really going on?"
"Soon," he said, stepping back. "Soon everything will make sense. I promise you that. But right now, I need you to trust me."
"Trust you?" I let out a bitter laugh. "Why would I trust you?"
"Because despite what you just heard, despite what you think you know, I'm not the villain in this story." His eyes held mine with desperate sincerity. "I swear to you, Shailyn. I'm not the one you should be afraid of."
"Then who should I be afraid of?"
Before he could answer, footsteps approached rapidly.
"Shailyn!"
Dwayne appeared around the corner, his face tight with concern. His eyes immediately went to Jack, suspicion flooding his features.
"What's going on here?" Dwayne demanded, moving to stand between us. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," I said quickly.
"I've seen you, and what you can do. Take care of Shailyn, Dwayne. Jack said.
Dwayne's body tensed. "What are you saying?"
"You know it," Jack said, his eyes moving to me. "Like I said. Soon. Everything will make sense soon."
He turned and walked away, leaving Dwayne and me standing in the hallway.
"What happened?" Dwayne asked immediately, his hands settling on my shoulders. "What did he say to you?"
"I don't really want to talk about it. It's nothing.” I said, my voice shaking.
I tried to lie smoothly. I can't tell Dwayne that his mother is cheating on his father.
His expression darkened. "Did he hurt you?"
"No," I said.
"That doesn't make him less dangerous," Dwayne said firmly. "Stay away from him, Shailyn. Whatever game he's playing, you don't want any part of it."
"He said he's not the villain."
"They all say that," Dwayne replied. "Come on. Let's get you back to the dining room."
…
The rest of Thanksgiving passed in a blur.
We all returned to the table, Jack and Cynthia following minutes later, both wearing masks of composure that didn't quite hide the tension beneath. Monica remained oblivious, chattering happily about Jack's business success and their plans to travel together.
Dante kept his hand on my knee the entire time, possessive and grounding.
Tyler watched everything with sharp eyes, clearly sensing the undercurrents but unable to identify their source.
And I sat there, my mind racing, trying to piece together fragments of information that refused to form a complete picture.
By evening, everyone began to leave. Monica and Jack were the first to go, Monica still glowing with happiness while Jack offered polite goodbyes that felt calculated.
"Thank you for including me," he said to Tyler. "Family is everything. I hope to be part of yours soon."
The words made my stomach turn.
After they left, Cynthia disappeared to her room claiming a headache. Tyler wheeled himself to his study. Dwayne caught my eye once more, in a warm manner before heading to his wing.
Finally, it was just Dante and me.
"Come on," he said softly, taking my hand. "You look exhausted, baby. Let's get you to bed."
We made our way upstairs, the silence between us comfortable despite the chaos of the evening.
"That was quite a day," he murmured, pressing kisses along my shoulder.
"Yeah," I managed. My breath catching as his lips found the sensitive spot below my ear.
I wasn't really in the mood but thinking about it. Dante and I haven't been intimate since. I guess he was just trying to give me time to adjust.
"But you were perfect," he continued, turning me to face him. "Beautiful and gracious and everything I could have asked for."
"Dante…"
He kissed me, deep and demanding, his hands sliding to my waist. I melted into him, letting the tension of the day dissolve into heat and need. It all felt so wrong.
"I love you," he whispered against my lips.
"I love you too," I breathed back.
His hands moved lower, pulling me closer. We stumbled toward the bed, still kissing, his touch igniting something that wanted me to crawl.
We fell onto the mattress, his body covering mine, his mouth trailing down my neck.
"Shailyn," he groaned. "God, I need you."
I couldn't respond. I didn't know what to say.
His hands were everywhere, sliding under my clothes, finding bare skin. I arched into him, my fingers tangling in his hair, pulling him closer, trying to feel something other than hesitation.
The world narrowed to just us.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
We both froze.
"Ignore it," Dante muttered against my collarbone.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
More insistent this time.
"Who the fuck is it?” Dante said. Clearly pissed.
Whoever was at the door, I was grateful for the interruption.