Nadine
He pauses for a moment, and I can’t tell why. Is he trying to connect the dots? Is he piecing together how Samantha got the information?
He runs a frustrated hand through his hair, the tension rolling off him in waves.
I can see it; his mind racing with possibilities.
There’s no telling what Samantha might do. If she takes this to the media, it could unravel everything.
But the real problem is, we don’t even know how much she knows about the contract between Logan and me.
Someone must have betrayed us.
The question is, who? And should we even be worried now that the contract is nullified, and we’re together for real?
I slowly pull my hand away from his.
Having his warm hand in mine is doing strange things to me-making my heart flutter despite the brewing chaos.
I cross my arms over my chest and turn to look out the window, watching the city lights blur past us.
But even the glow of the city can’t distract me from the storm brewing inside me.
I know Logan and I are still figuring things out. We’re trying to build something real.
But this? This feels like a direct attack on everything we’re trying to hold together.
“Logan,” I say after a long pause, my voice barely above a whisper. “Do you think Samantha knows the whole story? Or did she just get bits and pieces of it?”
His grip on the steering wheel tightens, his knuckles turning white. His jaw tenses before he finally speaks.
“Samantha might’ve found out something, but I doubt she knows the whole story,” he says, with a low, strained voice.
“She’s just doing what she always does-stirring trouble.”
I turn to him, studying his face, trying to find answers in his expression. “And what if she does know? What if she tells your family-or worse, the media? Your reputation, your career, everything you’ve worked for-” My voice falters, my chest tightening.
“And Shawn… I don’t want anything dragging him into the spotlight. He’s just a boy.”
He exhales sharply, glancing at me briefly before focusing back on the road. “She won’t get that far. I won’t let her.”
I want to believe him, but the nagging doubt won’t let me go. Samantha’s father looks like the kind of man you don’t cross.
The last thing I want is to get caught in his web of schemes.
Samantha’s words replay in my mind, each one slicing deeper than the last.
“A lowlife pauper for a wife… couldn’t even pay your own mother’s hospital bills.”
My throat tightens as those painful memories resurface-the helplessness, the shame, the desperation. Those were the feelings that pushed me into agreeing to this arrangement in the first place.
I had wanted revenge against Jake and Nathalie, only to discover that their betrayal had been planned.
Could it be that Logan knew all along how shattered I’d be if I found out the truth about them? Did he only propose the contract marriage out of pity?
I think about it deeply, but my heart resists the doubt. Logan has shown me, time and time again, that what he feels for me is real.
I glance down at my hands, clasped tightly in my lap, as if holding them together will steady me. “Logan,” I whisper, my voice barely audible. “Do you regret this? Regret… me?”
The car slows, and he pulls over to the side of the road. For a moment, the silence between us is deafening.
Then, he lets go of the steering wheel and turns to face me fully with an intense expression.
He takes my hand in his, and I want to pull away, but with Logan, everything feels so right, that I can’t bring myself to question it.
“Nadine,” he says with a firm steady voice, “I don’t regret you. Not for a second. If I have any regrets, it’s that I didn’t do more to protect you from people like Samantha.”
His words hit me hard, and guilt washes over me.
“This whole mess started because I let Samantha back into our lives, knowing full well how much trouble she could cause. If I’d just kept her out of the house, maybe none of this would’ve happened.”
But then, his next words pull me back to the present.
“This isn’t just a contract to me anymore, the contract is over, Nadine. We’re together now because we choose to be. Because I want you in my life, not out of obligation, but because I care about you-deeply.”
For a moment, I forget how to breathe. He reaches out, his fingers gently brushing against my cheek, forcing me to look at him.
My heart stutters, the sincerity in his eyes pulling at something deep inside me. But I quickly push the emotions aside. This isn’t the time to get lost in feelings.
Logan’s jaw tightened, and his expression changed as if an idea had just struck him. His eyes light up,
“What is it?” I ask, unsure if I even want to hear the answer. My heart pounds loudly in my chest.
“What if she got the information from the office?” Logan says.
He clenches his fist and lightly hits it against his palm. “I remembered there was a breach in the security system at my home a while back. I had to fire the previous security team and bring in a new one.”
My eyes widen in surprise, the pieces slowly falling into place.
“During that time, the Island file document was taken from my office,” Logan adds,
“Who knows what other information might have been leaked along with it?”
I sit there, stunned. It makes sense.
My mind races, trying to process the implications, but I let out a small sigh of relief when I noticed Logan’s car turning into the driveway of my house.
He parks the car, but neither of us moves. We sit in silence, both lost in our thoughts.
I hesitate to speak, not wanting to shatter the quiet moment, but my mind is spinning with too many thoughts.
Summoning my courage, I finally break the silence. “Goodnight, Logan,” I say softly, my voice barely above a whisper as I reach for the door handle.
Before I can open the door, Logan reaches out and links his hand with mine. Grounding me in a way I can’t explain.
“Trust me, we’ll figure this out. Together.”
I meet his gaze, seeing the determination in his eyes, and slowly nod. I’m too emotionally drained to say much, the rollercoaster of emotions from tonight has made me completely spent.
He gets out of the car, walks around to my side, and opens the door for me. His hand lightly brushes mine as I step out, sending a spark up my arm that makes me shiver.
“Are you okay?” he asks, concern etched in his voice.
I nod, unable to find the words to explain the sudden rush of emotions.
As we walk toward the front porch, his hand gently rests on my lower back, steadying me, yet the contact is anything but calming.
It’s warm and electric, sending tingling sensations down my spine.
When we reach the porch, he pauses and turns to face me. His eyes meet mine, holding an intensity that takes my breath away.
There’s so much emotion in his gaze-so much that I can’t begin to put into words. I feel myself getting lost in the depths of it.
“Logan…” I whisper, but my voice trails off as he steps closer.
Slowly, he leans in, his lips mere inches from mine. My heart pounds wildly in my chest, and though I know I should step back, I don’t want to.
When his lips finally touch mine, the kiss is soft, filled with unspoken promises.
It’s as though he’s telling me, without words, that no matter what happens, he’s here for me.
My heart swells with joy, not because I’m not afraid of what’s ahead, but because I know I’m not facing it alone.
Then, out of nowhere, the sharp sound of his phone ringing shatters the moment, pulling us back to reality.
Logan pulls away abruptly, he pulls his phone from his pocket. He glances at the screen, and his body goes rigid, his eyes wide.
“I need to take this,” he says, with a tight voice.
I feel unease wash over me as I watch him answer the call. My heart races, fear creeping in as I wonder what could’ve caused such a reaction.
He places the phone to his ear, with a guarded voice. “Hello?”