Chapter 52
Richard's POV
The moment they walked through the front door and saw Aria sitting in the living room, they looked surprised.
"Mom," Mother said carefully, setting down her designer handbag. "What a... surprise."
"Margaret." Aria's voice could have cut glass. "Jason."
Jason, to his credit, immediately went to kiss Aria's cheek. "Grandmother, you look wonderful."
"Do I?" Aria's smile was razor-sharp. "I've been having the most interesting conversation with Richard about Grace."
Mother shot me a warning look. "Oh?"
"Yes. It seems there have been some... family tensions that have driven my granddaughter-in-law from her own home."
The temperature in the room seemed to drop ten degrees.
"Now," Aria said, settling back in her chair like a judge preparing to hear testimony, "I want to understand exactly what happened to make Grace feel she needed to leave."
Mother perched on the edge of the sofa, her posture defensive. "Mom, I think there may have been some misunderstandings—"
"What kind of misunderstandings?"
Jason, clearly not reading the room, jumped in. "It's not our fault Grace got all sensitive about doing what she should do around the house. I mean, what's the big deal about making dinner?"
I wanted to strangle him.
Aria's eyebrows rose slowly. "What she should do?"
"Simple things," Jason said, clearly oblivious to the danger. "Like making dinner, or helping with laundry, or—"
"You made Grace do these things?"
The way Aria said it made it sound like we'd asked Grace to scrub floors with a toothbrush.
"Yes," Margaret took over, apparently determined to dig our graves deeper, "and when she got angry about it, she started making these crazy demands about Richard's company. Like, she actually asked for fifty percent of Harrison Group's stock!"
The words hung in the air like a bomb waiting to explode.
I closed my eyes, knowing I was fucked.
"I mean, can you believe such audacity?" Margaret continued. "She's not even pregnant, so she's not contributing to the family legacy, and she has the nerve to demand half of everything Richard worked for?"
Aria was silent for a moment, then slowly stood up.
"Enough. I'm tired and don't want to hear any more."
Grandmother waved her hand to stop them from saying more, turned and walked toward the upstairs room.
I didn't know what Grandmother was thinking, but this matter definitely wouldn't end so easily.
---
Late night, Laura's apartment
I stood outside the door and pressed the doorbell. I needed to pick up Emma and take her back before Grandmother became suspicious.
But when the door opened, all rational thoughts vanished from my mind.
Laura stood there wearing that silk nightgown. The fabric clung to her curves, making my mouth go dry. Her blonde hair fell softly over her shoulders. She had been waiting for me.
"You look tired," she said softly, moving closer. Her fingers traced over my furrowed brow, and I felt some of the day's tension ease.
I should leave. I should just get Emma and go.
But Laura's hands were already loosening my tie, her touch gentle and familiar. "Emma's sleeping soundly," she whispered in my ear. "We have all night..."
Her breath was warm against my neck, and despite the alarm bells ringing in my head, I found myself leaning into her touch. This was dangerous—even reckless. But God, I'd missed this. Missed her.
Laura pulled me toward her bed. Her lips found mine, soft and eager, and for a moment I let myself forget everything else—the company, the stress, the constant burden.
But then things changed. As Laura's hands tangled in my hair, as her body pressed against mine, an image flooded my mind that made my blood run both cold and hot.
Grace.
Grace's elegant smile. Her wearing that purple dress, every movement radiating charm. The memory hit me like a physical blow, and suddenly my movements carried an urgency that had nothing to do with Laura and everything to do with the woman who had left me.
"Richard..." Laura gasped, but her voice sounded distant.
These thoughts made me rougher, more domineering than I'd ever been with Laura before.
"Richard! You're hurting me!"
Laura's cry brought me back to reality. She was pushing at my chest, tears streaming down her face, and I saw angry red marks on her wrist where I'd gripped too tightly.
"God, Laura, I'm sorry—" I immediately pulled back, horror flooding through me. There was blood at the corner of her lip from my excessive force, and the fear in her eyes made my stomach turn.
"What's wrong with you?" she sobbed, scrambling away from me.
"I'm sorry, I got too carried away," I said, coming to my senses and immediately taking Laura to the hospital.
We drove through empty streets in tense silence, both wearing baseball caps and masks. I kept checking the rearview mirror, worried someone might spot us.
The emergency room was nearly empty at this hour, just a few night shift workers and a homeless person sleeping in the corner. The attending physician was a tired-looking woman in her forties who barely looked up from her chart.
"What's the problem?"
"My wife had an accident," I said quickly, the lie rolling smoothly off my tongue. Laura's hand found mine, gripping tightly.
"We... got too enthusiastic," Laura said, blushing.
We finished treating the injury under the doctor's curious gaze. In the hallway, Laura grabbed my hand.
"When can I stop hiding?" Laura's question cut through the silent corridor like a knife. "When can I publicly be your wife, Richard? I'm tired of sneaking around."
"Soon. Just... not now. Grandmother's already suspicious."
"There's always something," she said bitterly. "First it was your father, then the IPO, now your grandmother. When will it end?"
"I need you to trust me," I said.
Laura studied my face for a long time before finally choosing to compromise.
---
The next evening, I hosted my business partners at the Elysium Heights Hotel.
Before entering the private room, I saw a familiar purple figure disappear around the corner.