Page 42 of My Husband’s New Fiancée

He was just there.

I never realized how precious that was.

A tear slips down my cheek just as sleep finally pulls me under.

By the time I wake up, night has fallen.

Mara has just arrived carrying two still-steaming pizzas.

“You’re here at the perfect time,” Stephen tells me after giving me a full visual inspection to check my condition.

At this rate, he’s going to start mothering me.

We settle around the kitchen island and begin eating before Mara updates us.

“Ivanov spent the morning locked in a board meeting,” she explains after swallowing a bite of food. “Peltier fought hard against your return to the lab. Bianca sided with him.”

She pauses.

“But Ivanov ruled in your favor anyway.”

A fleeting smile crosses her face.

“Peltier’s been furious ever since. Bianca went to lunch with him to try to put out the fire.”

“As for Dante, he was tied up in a video conference.”

I absorb the information without comment.

“Anything else?”

“The atmosphere in the hallways is tense. Everyone’s talking about you, especially the research teams. Some are happy. Others are more cautious. Louane Nguyen, head of R&D, hasn’t said anything publicly, but I wouldn’t say she’s thrilled to have you back.”

“Okay. I’ll be careful.”

Without a word, her expression grave, she slides a USB drive across the table toward me.

I reach out and take it.

“There’s a risk we still haven’t discussed,” she says as my fingers close around it. “If you get caught, they could charge you with industrial espionage.”

“I know. If I get caught, I lose everything. My career. My reputation. My freedom.”

I clasp my trembling hands together to steady them.

Then straighten.

“Someone wants my research for all the wrong reasons. I refuse to take that risk.”

Mara holds my gaze for a long moment.

“Okay,” she says at last. “We’re with you.”

Stephen nods in agreement.

I start to protest, but Mara cuts me off.

“You don’t need to worry about us. We’re professionals. We know how to cover our tracks. If you get caught, we’ll deny everything.”