He threw money on the bed after our one-night stand.
I threw it back in his face at his own inauguration.
By sundown, we were engaged. By the week's end — married.
Franklin Flemington needed a wife to secure his empire. I needed a miracle to save my family. For two years, we played our parts flawlessly — the golden couple the whole city envied.
Behind closed doors, I was invisible to him.
When the two years were up, I handed him divorce papers without blinking.
He stared at me like I'd lost my mind. "I've given you everything a husband should. What more do you want from me, Octavia?"
I smiled, signed my name, and walked out.
I thought that was the end. I thought I'd finally won.
I forgot one thing — Franklin Flemington has never lost anything in his life. And he has no intention of starting with me.
Game on.

I knew staying the night was a risk, but after the terror in Octavia's eyes during the attack, I couldn't bring myself to leave her alone. I needed to be the wall between her and the world.


Even long after everything had quieted down, the image of her—shaken, vulnerable, clinging to composure by a thread—refused to leave my mind. It replayed over and over, like some cruel loop I couldn't shut off. And every time I saw it, the same instinct surged through me again.


That morning, I woke to the soft sizzle of bacon and the rich, warm aroma of coffee. For a moment, I didn't move. I just lay there on the couch, staring at the ceiling, letting the unfamiliar calm settle over me. It felt… strange. Peaceful in a way I hadn't experienced in years.


I sat up slowly, rubbing the sleep from my eyes, my muscles protesting slightly from the awkward position I'd slept in, and found Octavia in the kitchen.


Chapter 47 - ~ 47