Chapter 19

While Emma and Lainey spoke, footsteps echoed from the foyer.

Jonny walked in, shoulders heavy with fatigue, his tie loosened and expression drained.

The instant Emma caught sight of him, she gave a loud, indignant huff, spun on her heel, and stormed upstairs without so much as a glance back.

Lainey forced her envy down, smoothing her features into softness as she stepped toward him. "Jonny...you're back."

His eyes lifted, hazy and distracted, and for a fleeting moment, Eleanor's smile seemed to flash across Lainey's face.

Damn it. He clenched his jaw, shaking his head sharply. Was he losing his mind, imagining that woman in front of him? "Lainey." His voice was clipped, dismissive. "It's late.I'll have the driver take you home."

The words cut clean, leaving no room for argument.

Her practiced smile faltered, the corners trembling before she forced them back into place.

Her nails dug into her palms. Since when had Jonny ever turned her away like this?

Emma's accusation earlier rang in her ears-was Jonny really falling for Eleanor?

Impossible. That woman had nothing-no pedigree,no power,no status.

And yet...what if he was?

No. She couldn't sit idly by and risk losing everything.

Men's affections were fickle.

What lasted was control-wealth, power, security.

That was what she had to seize, now more than ever. Tears suddenly wwelled in Lainey's eyes as she slipped her hand from his. Her voice trembled,though her words were measured. "Jonny... it's alright. I don't need the driver. I only came tonight to say goodbye."

Turning on her heel, she let her shoulders quiver faintly, the image of a woman too choked with grief to explain herself any further.

The haze in Jonny's mind shattered instantly. Panic cut through his exhaustion, and he stepped forward,his chest tightening. "Lainey, what's going on? Tell me."

Slowly, she pivoted back, catching his gaze at the precise moment his worry peaked.

Her eyes clung to him with deliberate sorrow, heavy with reluctant affection. "Jonny... we should end this.My family can't afford to wait any longer. Our business has been struggling, and my father's alreadly speaking with a foreign partner. He wants me to marry into their family." Her voice broke at the edges, yet her delivery was flawless. "I'm sorry. I can't disobey my father... or turn my back on my family."

Jonny froze, then unraveled.

He seized her with both arms, clutching her as though sheer force could bind her to him forever."No, Lainey. Don't say that. We've fought too hard to be together. I won't lose you now."

To him, she was perfection itself-the woman he had longed for, the one he believed he couldn't live without. Letting her go felt impossible.

In that desperation, a reckless promise burst from him. "The Usepsall project is vast, Lainey. Tomorrow,I'll transfer forty percent of the distribution rights directly into your hands. Once you control that share,your father won't dare pressure you again. For the Todd Group's sake, he'll have no choice but to support us."

A flicker of triumph sparked in her eyes before she quickly dimmed it, replacing victory with feigned doubt. "Jonny...are you sure you can do that?"

He gripped her hand with fierce conviction. "I'd give you everything if it meant keeping you by my side.Nothing-no one-will come between us this time."

Her expression melted into relief, a delicate smile breaking through her tears. She buried herself against his chest, voice trembling with delight."Jonny...I knew you wouldn't fail me. I knew you were the only one who truly cared."

Eleanor had wasted three long years wearing the title of Jonny's wife, and what did she walk away with?Nothing but scraps and humiliation.

Lainey smirked to herself. She wouldn't be that foolish. A little sweetness here, a touch of vulnerability there, and Jonny was already placing the world at her feet.

The desired seat of Jonny's wife? That was hers for the taking. And when the time was right, the entire Todd Group would follow.