Page 40 of My Husband’s New Fiancée

“Yes. They were stopped before they got in, but barely.”

I stare at nothing for a moment.

“That’s not a coincidence.”

“No,” she confirms. “They’re changing tactics.”

“My return is making them nervous.”

“Yes. They’re going to escalate now that their legal access may be permanently compromised. Wald knows you’ll never sign with them.”

“I don’t have a choice anymore. I need to do it.”

Silence settles on the other end of the line. Then Mara finally replies,

“In that case, I’ll get you what you need.”

Hugo arrives at the manor in the middle of the afternoon.

We settle onto the couch with two mugs of coffee.

“The provisional order came through this morning,” he says, placing a copy of the ruling on the coffee table. “The court ruled in your favor. Temporary restoration of your property rights pending final judgment. And immediate reinstatement to your position.”

I pick up the documents and skim through them quickly before asking:

“And Dante?”

“His lawyers acknowledged receipt,” Hugo replies. “No objection has been filed so far. You can return to the lab tomorrow.”

He lifts his mug and takes a sip.

Dante is keeping his promise.

And whatever his reasons are, the result is the same.

I take a distracted sip of coffee.

Hugo studies me carefully.

“You’re not telling me everything.”

“That way, you’ll honestly be able to say you don’t know.”

He frowns.

“God, what exactly are you getting yourself into?”

“Nothing that isn’t absolutely necessary.”

He watches me for a long moment, measuring my determination.

“Fine. You know where to find me if you need me.”

“Thank you, Hugo. For everything.”

After he leaves, Stephen comes back inside.

“So?” he asks.