Page 194 of My Husband’s New Fiancée

“The conversation Valeria had with Bianca,” Mara immediately corrects.

Sanders raises an eyebrow slightly.

He isn’t fooled.

His gaze moves from one of us to the next—assessing, waiting, searching for the crack.

The discomfort settles heavily over the room.

“Whatever you attempted to do,” he finally says more sharply, “you stop immediately. I assume none of you want them walking free because of procedural misconduct.”

Mara answers first.

“No, Inspector.”

“All right. Even if I don’t agree with the approach, I agree with the principle. Monitoring their communications is no longer sufficient. I’ll be requesting more intrusive surveillance measures, including wiretaps on their homes.”

He stands.

“Until then, you stay out of it. Understood?”

I take responsibility immediately.

“Yes, Inspector.”

He grabs his coat and pulls Mara aside.

“You and I are going to have another conversation about this,” he adds under his breath.

Stephen, having recovered some confidence, grins.

“Yes, Inspector. Put the handcuffs on her.”

Mara bursts out laughing. Her partner shakes his head in amusement before leaning down to steal a brief kiss.

“See you tonight, Mara.”

“See you tonight.”

That night, sleep comes hard.

Every time I close my eyes, Sanders’s words come back to me. The network Wald built. The complicity between Gaspard and Bianca. The fact that they were capable of planning Valeria’s death to achieve their goals.

Then my mind inevitably drifts back to our own plan. To the possibility that everything could still collapse because of a single mistake.

Eventually, sleep still manages to claim me.

By morning, I already feel exhausted.

And the day that follows feels endless.

Between meetings, phone calls, and a pharmacovigilance committee meeting, I don’t have a single minute to myself.

By the time I finally return to the manor the following evening, all I want is five minutes of peace.

Instead, I find Valeria asleep on the couch.

Without a word, I scoop her up and carry her to bed.