He threw money on the bed after our one-night stand.
I threw it back in his face at his own inauguration.
By sundown, we were engaged. By the week's end — married.
Franklin Flemington needed a wife to secure his empire. I needed a miracle to save my family. For two years, we played our parts flawlessly — the golden couple the whole city envied.
Behind closed doors, I was invisible to him.
When the two years were up, I handed him divorce papers without blinking.
He stared at me like I'd lost my mind. "I've given you everything a husband should. What more do you want from me, Octavia?"
I smiled, signed my name, and walked out.
I thought that was the end. I thought I'd finally won.
I forgot one thing — Franklin Flemington has never lost anything in his life. And he has no intention of starting with me.
Game on.

"Steady, beautiful girl," Franklin murmured, his deep voice dropping into that incredibly gentle rumble he reserved only for our daughter.


I smiled, holding Lael's tiny, kicking legs up while Franklin expertly slid a fresh diaper underneath her. We were working together to snap her into a clean, pale pink onesie. The newborn phase was an absolute whirlwind of messy realities, but doing it like this, as a united front, made the exhaustion feel entirely sweet.


Once the final snap was secure, Franklin scooped Lael up against his broad chest. He turned his dark, intense eyes to me, a soft, fierce devotion burning in his gaze. Leaning down, he pressed a warm, lingering kiss against my cheek, his lips brushing softly against my skin.


"I love you, Octavia," he whispered, his hand coming up to cup the back of my neck for a brief, grounding second. "Never forget that."


"I love you too," I breathed, resting my hand over his.


Chapter 280 - ~ 279