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A dozen uniformed police officers are rushing down the hall, followed by two men in suits and—
Oh my goodness. The Duke. He’s here.
He’s here.
I freeze, letting the police officers rush past me, followed by men with royal crests on their uniforms. From the palace? Their dirty, snow-covered boots stomp all over the train of my dress, but I don’t care. My heart hammers, watching them march right up to the altar.
One of the men trailing behind, wearing a brown suit and an oversized trench, pulls out a pair of handcuffs. “Chester Gregory, you’re under arrest for fraud.” He rattles off a long speech of rights as I stand there, dumbfounded.
The Count’s eyes stare just past me, glued to the Duke’s face. When the handcuffs click over his wrists, his trance finally breaks, and a roar rips through his throat. A ripple passes through the tiny audience as Count Gregory’s face twists, his teeth snapping at anyone around.
I tremble, shrinking away from the animal in cuffs.
Then, like a warm blanket on a cold day, an arm circles my waist. The Duke pulls me back and to the side to let the procession of police officers carry a struggling Count Gregory past. Heath’s arm stays wrapped around my waist as the Count spits in our direction, yelling obscenities until his voice fades down the hallway.
My breath is shallow. My head is spinning. I claw at my veil, pulling it out of my hair and tossing it to the side, trying to get enough oxygen to fill my lungs.
He’s leaving. I’m not marrying him. How… Why…
I turn to look at the Duke of Blythe, my eyes wide. His stubble has grown to a beard, as if he hasn’t shaved in a week. Instinctively, I run my fingers through the coarse hair, earning a soft groan of contentment from the Duke.
“What…” I inhale sharply. “Why are you here? What’s going on?”
“Count Gregory tried to gloat,” he says, placing a hand to my stomach. “He called me last night and told me about the baby. Said you’d agreed to marry him to save your reputation.” Heath’s hand sweeps up my body to cup my face, warm and strong and safe. “Ada, I’m so sorry. Your visit made sense. I’m sorry I didn’t let you speak. I should have listened. I thought…” His eyebrows draw together. “I thought you were choosing him. That he could provide things I never could. That your future would be better if you married the Count.”
I shake my head. “No.” It’s all I can manage to say. My voice is hoarse.
“I’ve been working on bringing him down for years,” Heath says, his brows arching. He closes his eyes, letting out a long breath. “He funded the research for an experimental drug that killed my brother. It was supposed to be a miracle drug that cured addiction. They told us early clinical trials had been successful. That it was safe.” Heath scoffs, tears filling his eyes. “My brother’s heart stopped after the very first dose.”
“Heath,” I whisper. “I had no idea.”
“No one did. It was covered up, and I was never able to prove it. Just another dead junkie, you know? But I knew it was him. He’s a major investor in almost every pharmaceutical company on the continent.”
My eyes widen. “It’s not just philanthropy and medical research.”
Heath shakes his head. “It’s why he’s so well-connected to research institutions and universities.” His lips pinch. “He killed my brother. Just months later, my parents died. They couldn’t handle the shame and heartbreak, and I think it just broke them. He took everything from me, and I couldn’t even prove it.” The Duke’s eyes grow hard. “I’ll never forgive him. I couldn’t prove what he did, but I knew if I dug deep enough, I’d find something. And I did. Fraud and embezzlement on a massive scale. He’s been stealing money from almost every institution and company he’s involved with.”
My heart thuds. I was moments away from marrying that man. I thought I was doing right by my family, but what kind of future would I have had with him?
Running my fingers up to the Duke’s shoulders, I shake my head. It feels so good to touch him. To be here with him. To feel safe for the first time in weeks. And the way he’s looking at me, it makes me think that maybe there’s hope. For me. For us. “Why didn’t you tell me this earlier? Why not explain it when I came to see you?”
His thumb sweeps over my cheek, catching a stray tear. “Because I told myself your family and your future would be safer if you were tied to him. I’d drop the investigation. Let him walk.”
“Heath…you’d do that? How could you think I was better off with a man like that?”
He closes his eyes, letting out a long breath. “What could I offer you? How could I help Kiera’s university applications? I dropped the investigation and resigned myself to never avenging my brother.” The Duke leans his head to mine, closing his eyes. “I’m sorry, Ada. I should never have let you walk out. I should have wrapped my arms around you and begged you to marry me right then. I should have told you how I feel about you.”
“And how’s that?” I manage to croak.
He pulls back, cupping my face. His eyes, so green, so vivid, so completely full of emotion, shine for me. “Like you’re the reason I’m still alive. Like you’re the only good thing that has ever happened to me.”
“You don’t even know me,” I whisper, knowing it’s a lie. From the moment I saw him across the room, we understood each other. Our connection is more than physical. It’s deep, and true, and eternal.
“I know you deserve better than this marriage. I know you’re carrying my child. I know I could never live with myself if you took any other man’s name but my own.”
“What if I want to keep my own name?” I whisper, letting my lips slide into a smile.
“Fine,” Heath says, grinning. “Just as long as you’re mine.”
