Chapter 9
Three weeks later, Marcus resigned from Sterling Development.
The board accepted it without fanfare. Kade's people had laid the groundwork so smoothly that it looked like a voluntary departure.
Behind closed doors, Marcus had been given a choice: resign, or face fraud charges.
He resigned.
The news hit the business pages as a brief footnote. *Sterling Development CEO steps down amid restructuring.*
My divorce finalized the same week. Clean. Simple. I got the $200,000 back, a small settlement for the wasted years, and my freedom.
I signed the papers in my attorney's office, walked outside into the sunlight, and breathed.
That night, Kade took me to dinner at a restaurant that required reservations three months in advance.
"Celebrating?" I asked over wine.
"Recognizing," he said. "You did this. Not me. You fought for yourself."
"You helped."
"I provided logistics. You provided the backbone."
I smiled. A real one.
Later, walking along the waterfront, I asked him the thing that had been nagging me.
"Sterling. Now that Marcus is gone — what happens to the company?"
"I install a proper CEO. Clean up the books. Grow it."
"You're keeping it?"
"It's a good company, Elena. It just had a bad man at the top."
I nodded. Then: "And the fraud? You're letting that go?"
Kade was quiet for a moment.
"For now. Unless he gives me a reason not to."
Something about his tone told me that "a reason" wouldn't be hard for Marcus to provide.
We walked in comfortable silence until my phone buzzed.
My mother.
I almost didn't answer. But something made me.
"Elena." Her voice was tight. "Naomi's in the hospital."
My stomach dropped despite myself. "What happened?"
"Stress. Bleeding. They're monitoring the baby."
Silence.
"Elena, are you there?"
"I'm here."
"She needs family right now."
I closed my eyes.
"Mom. She has Marcus. She has you. She doesn't need me."
"She's your sister—"
"She stopped being my sister when she climbed into my husband's bed. I'm sorry about the baby. I genuinely hope the child is healthy. But I am not coming."
I hung up. My hand was trembling slightly.
Kade took it. Held it. Didn't say anything.
We walked home.
The next morning, I woke up in Kade's bed for the first time — not the guest room, not the couch, his actual bed — and felt something I hadn't felt in years.
Peace.
Then my phone rang.
Marcus.
I didn't want to answer. But he called three times in a row.
"What."
His voice was strange. Strangled.
"Elena. Naomi lost the baby."
I sat up. The room went very still.
"I'm sorry, Marcus."
"She's — she's blaming me. She says the stress I caused—" His voice broke. "She says she's going to tell everyone about the fraud. About everything. She says if I don't give her half my remaining assets, she'll go to the press."
I was quiet for a long time.
"Marcus. That's between you and her."
"Please, Elena. You're the only person who—"
"I'm not your safety net anymore. Handle your life."
I hung up and lay back down.
Kade was watching me, awake, propped on one elbow.
"Naomi lost the pregnancy," I said.
His expression was neutral, but his hand found mine under the covers.
"How do you feel?"
"Sad for the baby. Nothing else."
"Good."
He pulled me closer, and I let myself be held.
The board accepted it without fanfare. Kade's people had laid the groundwork so smoothly that it looked like a voluntary departure.
Behind closed doors, Marcus had been given a choice: resign, or face fraud charges.
He resigned.
The news hit the business pages as a brief footnote. *Sterling Development CEO steps down amid restructuring.*
My divorce finalized the same week. Clean. Simple. I got the $200,000 back, a small settlement for the wasted years, and my freedom.
I signed the papers in my attorney's office, walked outside into the sunlight, and breathed.
That night, Kade took me to dinner at a restaurant that required reservations three months in advance.
"Celebrating?" I asked over wine.
"Recognizing," he said. "You did this. Not me. You fought for yourself."
"You helped."
"I provided logistics. You provided the backbone."
I smiled. A real one.
Later, walking along the waterfront, I asked him the thing that had been nagging me.
"Sterling. Now that Marcus is gone — what happens to the company?"
"I install a proper CEO. Clean up the books. Grow it."
"You're keeping it?"
"It's a good company, Elena. It just had a bad man at the top."
I nodded. Then: "And the fraud? You're letting that go?"
Kade was quiet for a moment.
"For now. Unless he gives me a reason not to."
Something about his tone told me that "a reason" wouldn't be hard for Marcus to provide.
We walked in comfortable silence until my phone buzzed.
My mother.
I almost didn't answer. But something made me.
"Elena." Her voice was tight. "Naomi's in the hospital."
My stomach dropped despite myself. "What happened?"
"Stress. Bleeding. They're monitoring the baby."
Silence.
"Elena, are you there?"
"I'm here."
"She needs family right now."
I closed my eyes.
"Mom. She has Marcus. She has you. She doesn't need me."
"She's your sister—"
"She stopped being my sister when she climbed into my husband's bed. I'm sorry about the baby. I genuinely hope the child is healthy. But I am not coming."
I hung up. My hand was trembling slightly.
Kade took it. Held it. Didn't say anything.
We walked home.
The next morning, I woke up in Kade's bed for the first time — not the guest room, not the couch, his actual bed — and felt something I hadn't felt in years.
Peace.
Then my phone rang.
Marcus.
I didn't want to answer. But he called three times in a row.
"What."
His voice was strange. Strangled.
"Elena. Naomi lost the baby."
I sat up. The room went very still.
"I'm sorry, Marcus."
"She's — she's blaming me. She says the stress I caused—" His voice broke. "She says she's going to tell everyone about the fraud. About everything. She says if I don't give her half my remaining assets, she'll go to the press."
I was quiet for a long time.
"Marcus. That's between you and her."
"Please, Elena. You're the only person who—"
"I'm not your safety net anymore. Handle your life."
I hung up and lay back down.
Kade was watching me, awake, propped on one elbow.
"Naomi lost the pregnancy," I said.
His expression was neutral, but his hand found mine under the covers.
"How do you feel?"
"Sad for the baby. Nothing else."
"Good."
He pulled me closer, and I let myself be held.