He Wants An Open Marriage? Done!

For a terrifying second, Roxanne’s vision blurred, the room tilting on its axis.

She must have heard wrong. She had to have. She hadn’t just watched court bailiffs force Christian back to keep him away from her, only for Richard to hand him an invitation into his own office. No. Her ears were playing tricks on her.

"I heard wrong, right?" Roxanne whispered, her eyes darting across the solemn faces assembled around the table.

Richard shook his head, his grip on her hand tightening slightly in an silent plea for understanding. "No, Roxanne. We really invited him."

"You invited him?" Roxanne’s breath hitched, her chest rising and falling in sharp, frantic hitches. "Why?"

Margaret stepped fully into the room, a cold smirk gracing her lips. "Because we can," she replied smoothly. She turned her sharp gaze on her son. "I told you not to involve her, Richard, but as usual, you refuse to listen."

"Enough, Margaret. Sit down," Henry commanded, his voice low.

Roxanne didn’t even grant Margaret a glance. Her eyes remained locked onto Richard, searching his dark face for answers.

"Why would you invite Christian here?" she asked, her voice choked with confusion. "I haven’t even had five minutes to breathe my freedom properly, to finally enjoy being free from him. And now you expect me to sit in the same room with him?"

"You are more than welcome to leave," Margaret muttered under her breath.

No one looked at Margaret. Every eye at the table remained fixed on Roxanne.

"It is critical that he comes here, Roxanne," the chairman of the board spoke up, his voice heavy with gravity.

"Yes," Henry added, meeting her gaze with a weary, regretful look. "While we congratulate you on winning your freedom, and it is a remarkable victory, the reality outside these doors remains unchanged."

Realization settled in the pit of Roxanne’s stomach.

"The press is out front like bloodhounds, waiting for a statement," Henry continued, gesturing toward the floor-to-ceiling windows. "Our stock is very unstable. Investors are threatening to pull their capital before the closing bell."

"The situation is volatile," the deputy chairman interjected. "If we don’t nip this scandal in the bud today, the financial fallout will be catastrophic."

Roxanne’s shoulders sagged, the sharp sting of betrayal softening into a dull, heavy ache. "I understand," she murmured, her voice tight. "He swore he’d burn this company to the ground. He wants to destroy everything you’ve built."

"And we are going to stop him before he gets the chance," Richard said, his deep tone ringing with firm authority.

"Why is everyone not mentioning the worst of it?" Margaret’s voice sliced through the room like a blade.

Roxanne’s brows pulled together, her eyes snapping to Margaret. "What else? What did he do now?"

"Not Christian. The police," Pamela said softly, her voice laced with worry. "They showed up at the villa this morning."

"You should have ended this before it reached the police," Margaret said, shaking her head where she sat.

Roxanne’s breath caught in her throat. "The police? Because of Christian’s false allegations?" She looked at Henry in shock.

"Yes, Roxanne," Richard answered for his father, his jaw tight. "They came for my father. They took him into custody for conspiracy with the mafia and money laundering. If we didn’t have connections we do, he would be sitting in a remand cell right now until they finalize all investigations."

Roxanne stared at Henry, her eyes wide with horrified guilt. "Henry, I am so sorry. I had no idea this happened."

Henry shook his head gently. "There is zero need to apologize to me, Roxanne. You were out fighting your own battles too. And to be honest, we are fighting the same enemy."

"How can you be so soft, Henry?" Margaret snapped, throwing her hands up. "You were almost jailed! You, the head of this family!"

She turned her venom toward Roxanne. "An apology doesn’t fix the ruin you’ve brought upon us. If I had my way, you would be thrown out of this building forever, but you’ve somehow brainwashed every single man at this table!"

"No one is throwing her out," Richard growled, stepping between Roxanne and his mother, his posture rigid. "If you want to point fingers, Mother, point them at me. I chose her. I asked her to be with me. Blame me, but leave Roxanne out of it."

Margaret glared at her son, her chest heaving. "So you now look me in the eye and talk back to me because her? This woman will be your ultimate downfall, Richard. Mark my words, you will regret this stupidity."

Richard ignored his mother entirely, turning back to face Roxanne, his expression softening as he looked down at her. "We called Christian right before you arrived. He could be arriving in the building any minute."

Roxanne’s heart skipped a frantic beat. Then she exhaled a long, slow breath. "Then I need to leave right now. Otherwise, he won’t even be allowed on the floor."

Confused brows furrowed around the table.

"What do you mean?" Pamela asked.

"Maybe they’re still working together," Margaret sneered. "Being in the same room might just expose their little game."

Roxanne let out a dry, incredulous scoff, keeping her eyes strictly on Richard and Henry. "Along with granting the divorce, the judge issued a restraining order. Christian is legally required to remain at least one thousand feet away from me at all times. If he steps onto this floor while I’m here, he goes straight to jail."

"That’s wonderful news!" Pamela exclaimed, her face lighting up before dimming just as fast. "Wait. Does that mean you have to go?"

Roxanne shrugged helplessly. "I don’t have a choice." She looked between Richard and Henry, her chest tightening with a sudden curiosity. "What are you planning to do when he gets here?"

Richard and Henry exchanged a silent glance, a look that made a chill ran down Roxanne’s spine.

Henry cleared his throat, exhaling a deep breath. "We are going to negotiate with him."

The color drained completely from Roxanne’s face. No.