Page 132 of The Temporary Bride

And odds are, they’re going to be pissed.

Minutes later, the door to my office opens, and Dominic and Reid step inside. Reid walks up to take a seat in one of the leather chairs in front of my desk while Dominic hovers along the wall.

“We’ll wait to get started,” I say heavily. “Gabe and Beckett are in a meeting, apparently.”

A few more minutes go by, and a soft knock on the door announces Gabriel and Beckett’s arrival. I gesture for them to come in, and they enter, looking both curious and concerned.

“Thanks for coming,” I say, trying to sound more composed than I feel. “Let’s get started. I need to fill you all in on something important.”

Reid leans forward, shifting in his chair, his attention focused on me. Dominic, who has been leaning against the wall, straightens up and crosses his arms, his usual easy demeanor replaced by something tense and guarded. Gabriel and Beckett take their seats, and I can feel them watching me.

“I know you’ve all been wondering what’s going on with me and Chloe,” I begin. “The situation is more complicated than a simple argument or dispute. It involves serious breaches of trust and business ethics.”

Gabriel’s brows shoot up. “What do you mean, serious breaches?”

“Genevieve, Chloe’s sister,” I say, “has been involved in stealing confidential information from our company. She accessed sensitive files that were crucial to our operations. In short, it amounts to corporate espionage by MediaSphere.”

The reaction is immediate. Dominic swears, turning away to face the windows. Gabriel’s index finger rises to massage his forehead. Beckett and Reid exchange a worried glance.

“Chloe didn’t know about any of this,” I continue. “She’s been deeply hurt by what her family has done. I told you all that we had an argument. This was the subject. I accused her of wrongdoing, and she was innocent.”

The room goes quiet, my words hanging in the air. Dominic turns back, his face etched with anger and frustration. “You had no way of knowing,” he says, his voice tight. “But still, this whole mess⁠—”

“I know. It’s a shitshow.”

Dominic’s anger is obvious. He paces back and forth, frustration coming off him in waves. “You should have told us earlier. We could have done something to help, or at least been prepared for this mess.”

Reid, ever the voice of reason, steps in to defend me. “Give him a break. He’s telling us now, and we need to focus on what we can do to fix this.”

“Until you’ve been head over heels, you don’t know what you’d do for the woman you love,” Gabriel adds, making fleeting eye contact with me as he speaks. “We’ve all got our reasons, but Tristan’s heart is in this. He’s been through a lot.”

The woman you love.

Gabriel’s words make everything I’ve been feeling click into place. I’ve been blind to what I’ve actually been feeling, but now it’s clear.

I’m in love with Chloe.

Sure, I knew there was an attraction between us. I knew I wanted her, knew that I didn’t want anyone else to have her. But love… I haven’t thought about love in a long time. I once thought I understood it and used the word too freely with Iris. Since then, I’ve been hesitant to even consider it again.

But now, there’s no other word that fits. No other way to describe what I feel for her. This isn’t just about wanting her or being with her. It’s something deeper, something I’m not walking back from. The kind of love that makes every moment apart from her feel like I’ve lost something I can’t replace.

It hits me hard enough to make my chest tight, and I have to focus to keep breathing. I push through it and stay with the matter at hand.

“I’m planning to sue MediaSphere for breach of contract and theft of proprietary information,” I manage to say, my voice strained but resolute.

Dominic, still seething with anger, looks up from where he’s been pacing. “Count me in,” he says, his voice clipped. “I want those fuckers to pay for what they’ve done.”

I nod, appreciating the support despite the tension. “I was hoping you’d say that.”

“Sue them into the ground,” Beckett says. “They’re gonna regret it in the long run. They couldn’t play nice, so they don’t get to play.”

The fierceness in his tone matches the anger I feel. It’s good to see my brothers rallying behind me, each one ready to take on the fight. Their support is a reminder that I’m not alone in this.

“You’ve got legal briefed on this?” Reid asks.

“Not yet. I was planning on calling a meeting once we were done here. I wanted you four to be the first to know.”

“We’ll be ready to back you up,” Gabriel says. “But make sure to keep us in the loop as you move forward.”