Clair stepped back into the mansion, her breath still catching in her throat. The wind had chilled her skin, but not nearly as much as the agent's warning. Her thoughts were a tangled web of truth, fear, and betrayal.
Austin stood by the fireplace, nursing a glass of bourbon. The flickering flames painted shadows across his sharp jaw and tense frame. He looked like a king haunted by ghosts.
He turned when he heard her.
"Clair."
She didn't speak right away. She just stared at him, trying to see through the man, through the mystery, through the storm.
"I'm pregnant," she finally said again. "With your child. And I need to know right now, am I your future, or just your temporary comfort?"
Austin didn't hesitate. He closed the space between them in seconds.
"You're the only future I see," he said firmly.
"Then prove it. Not with money. Not with guards. With the truth."
He looked away.
"Isadora?" Clair pressed. "Did she mean something more than business and chaos?"
He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "She was the first woman I thought I could trust after my father died. We came from blood, we built empires. But every move was manipulation. She seduced, lied, and killed for control."
"And you?"
"I did the same. Until I realized I was no better than the monsters I hated. She didn't break me. She reflected me. That's why I left. And when I did, she vowed to destroy me."
Clair's voice was low. "And now she's back."
"Yes. But you're not her. You bring light into my life, not shadows. I will protect you. And our child."
He placed a hand gently on her abdomen, the firelight catching the vulnerability in his eyes.
Clair exhaled, a mix of relief and heartbreak.
"You have to let me in, Austin. All the way. No more secrets."
He nodded.
"Then there's something you need to know."
He took her hand and guided her into the underground vault, somewhere she'd never been.
Inside were shelves of encrypted files, maps, weapons, and a giant digital screen glowing with dozens of moving dots.
"This," Austin said, pointing to the largest dot, "is Isadora. We've been tracking her since she reemerged. She's aligned herself with someone new."
"Who?"
Austin pressed a button. A photo flickered on screen.
Clair's blood froze.
"Elias?"
Austin nodded. "They're lovers. Power partners. She's using her body and charm to manipulate him, but make no mistake, Isadora's the brain. He's the trigger."
"And they're coming for you?"
"For me. For you. For anyone close to me."
Just then, the main security alarm blared.
Daniel's voice shouted over the speaker.
"We've got movement outside. Black SUVs. No ID. They're coming fast."
Clair felt adrenaline pump through her veins.
Austin tapped into the camera feed. Four black SUVs were skidding to a halt just beyond the mansion's outer gate.
Guns drawn. Men masked.
It wasn't just a visit.
It was a hit.
"Get her to the bunker," Austin ordered Daniel.
Clair grabbed Austin's arm.
"No. I stay with you."
"Clair..."
"I'm not running. You said I'm your future. Then we fight together."
His eyes locked on hers. For a split second, he saw not just fire, but something stronger.
Loyalty.
Courage.
Love.
"Then stay close to me. And whatever happens, don't stop moving."
He handed her a weapon. She gripped it with both hands, pulse racing.
The doors slammed open as masked gunmen stormed in.
Austin opened fire without hesitation, protecting her body with his. Bullets ricocheted off the marble as Marco flanked them from the left.
Clair ducked, firing toward the nearest attacker. Her aim was shaky, but her spirit was solid. She wasn't helpless anymore.
Suddenly, a voice boomed over the house speaker.
"Hello, my love."
Clair froze. It was Isadora.
"I hope you're enjoying your last supper. I do love dramatic finales."
The security screen flickered to a video feed, Isadora, standing in a news studio.
Live.
"We've interrupted this broadcast to expose a little secret," she said sweetly, turning toward the camera. "America's favorite nurse? The sweet Black girl captured in Austin Montgomery's arms? She's not just his mistress."
The screen zoomed in on Clair's face from earlier footage.
"She's carrying his child. Which means—she's his greatest weakness."
Clair's breath hitched.
It was a trap. Isadora had fed the media. She'd timed the attack to shake public support. To destroy their image.
Austin smashed the monitor.
"We end this now," he growled.
By the time the smoke cleared, three intruders were dead, the others retreating in chaos. Daniel lay injured, but stable. Austin was grazed on the shoulder. Clair's hands were shaking, but she was unharmed.
The house was damaged. The world had seen too much. And Isadora had declared open war.
Still, in the silence after the storm, Austin wrapped his arms around Clair and held her like a shield.
"We're going to disappear," he said into her hair. "For now. We go dark. Rebuild. Regroup."
"And the FBI?"
"They want blood. But we give them proof. Someone else is pulling strings."
Clair nodded, her head against his chest.
"We'll protect our child. And each other."
She lifted her face, eyes burning with resolve.
"No more hiding. I'm all in."
They kissed, deep, desperate, and full of everything unspoken.
And somewhere, far away, Isadora watched the footage from her rooftop suite, glass of champagne in hand.
"Oh, Clair," she whispered. "You're braver than I expected."
Then she turned to Elias, who stood behind her shirtless, arms crossed.
"She'll die for him. Just like I almost did."
Elias smiled.
"Then let's make sure history repeats itself."