Protect His Secretary, Abandon His Wife - Chapter 11: Chapter 11
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Heat flooded my cheeks—equal parts fury and humiliation. I shot Luke an icy glare before barely restraining myself from hissing through clenched teeth, "What the hell are you playing at, Luke?"
Marcus just chuckled, amusement dancing in his eyes. "Your brother's got style, Rosaline. A born negotiator."
My warning look bounced right off Luke's shit-eating grin.
"We'll consider it," I finally ground out.
Marcus's razor-sharp smile cut deep as his voice dropped an octave. "Knew you'd come around." He extended his hand. "Shake on it?"
Our palms met, and a chill raced down my spine. We'd just struck a deal with the man most wouldn't dare meet in a well-lit room.
The second we cleared the doorway, I grabbed Luke's cheeks in a vicious pinch. "You'd auction me off to the devil himself for a business deal? Blood or not, I swear—"
"Relax!" Luke batted my hands away, grinning like he'd won the lottery. "If I'm pimping you out, at least it's to someone obsessed with you. Guy's got it bad—trust me."
"Shut up, Luke."
"Deny it all you want," he said, leaning in. "We offered him nothing he couldn't get elsewhere, yet he signed. Why? Because you walked in with me."
My brows shot up. Was he right?
"Obviously!" Luke jabbed a finger at me. "That 'personal partnership' clause? Please. The man wants you in his bed, not your business acumen."
I massaged my temples. Marcus's motives did seem suspicious, but admitting Luke was right meant acknowledging the messy history David's company had tangled me in with Marcus.
We'd just exited the building when my body locked up. There, looking like he'd been dragged through hell backwards—rumpled shirt, hollow cheeks, but the same glacial stare—stood David.
He zeroed in on Luke first. Something in his posture had Luke shoving me behind him instantly. "Back off," my brother warned.
David ignored him, his voice brittle. "So it's him? You left me for this?"
Luke whirled to me. "What fresh drama is this? Did you not tell him you're taking over Cooper Group?"
Turning back to David, Luke squared his shoulders. "Listen up, Williams. My sister quit your company. That means no more stalking, no more—"
"Luke, please," I grabbed his arm. "Wait in the car. I'll explain everything."
"Like hell." He planted himself between us. "Talk. Now."
David's anger flickered into confusion. "Wait... Luke Cooper? Your brother?" Then his face darkened. "You lied about your family?"
I gave Luke the abbreviated version, softening the worst of it. Still, his glare at David could've frozen lava. When his fists clenched, I gripped his wrist.
Turning to David, I kept my voice flat. "The letter explained everything."
"Eight years," David choked out, "and you end it with a note? You loved me!"
"Past tense," I said. "I'm done."
His jaw worked. "This is about Cynthia's texts, isn't it? I fired her—she was planted to destroy me!"
For half a second, I almost cared. But no—his panic over her had been real. No mole could fake that.
Luke suddenly snorted. "Hold up—is Marcus Smith another ex? No wonder you two had history. Honestly? Upgrade."
David went sheet-white. "Marcus Smith? You're with him now?"
I crossed my arms. "Why do you care?"
"Rosaline," David's voice cracked, "let's go home. You can't throw away eight years."
I barked a laugh. "Home? Wake up, David. I checked out long before I left."
When he grabbed my wrist, Luke moved faster than I'd ever seen. His fist connected with David's jaw with a sickening crack.
David spat blood but held tight. "I wanted you to come willingly," he growled as a dozen men materialized, half restraining Luke, the rest beating him bloody.
"Pathetic," Luke wheezed as they held him. "Need hired muscle to fight your battles?"
David turned to me, eyes dead. "Come quietly, or your brother gets worse."
"Blackmail?" My voice shook. "This is who you are now?"
He shrugged. "You made me this."
I watched Luke—outnumbered but far from outmatched. Even pinned, he was kicking shins and spitting curses. Then he whistled.
Twenty guys in black swarmed the scene. "Think you're special with your goon squad?" Luke taunted as his team turned the tide.
I gaped. "Since when do you travel with an entourage?"
"Chill," he grinned mid-punch. "Hired them today. Figured working with Marcus required backup." He kneed an attacker in the groin. "Didn't expect to use them on your stalker ex!"
The brawl turned brutal, but Luke fixated on whoever had bruised his pretty face. "Do you know how much this nose job cost?" he yelled, tackling the guy.
I almost laughed—beneath the CEO veneer, he was still the little brother who'd once cried over a broken skateboard.
David seized the chaos to corner me. "Rosaline, I—"
"Save it," I snapped. "Take your thugs and leave before I call the cops."
Tears welled in his eyes. "I'm—"
Marcus just chuckled, amusement dancing in his eyes. "Your brother's got style, Rosaline. A born negotiator."
My warning look bounced right off Luke's shit-eating grin.
"We'll consider it," I finally ground out.
Marcus's razor-sharp smile cut deep as his voice dropped an octave. "Knew you'd come around." He extended his hand. "Shake on it?"
Our palms met, and a chill raced down my spine. We'd just struck a deal with the man most wouldn't dare meet in a well-lit room.
The second we cleared the doorway, I grabbed Luke's cheeks in a vicious pinch. "You'd auction me off to the devil himself for a business deal? Blood or not, I swear—"
"Relax!" Luke batted my hands away, grinning like he'd won the lottery. "If I'm pimping you out, at least it's to someone obsessed with you. Guy's got it bad—trust me."
"Shut up, Luke."
"Deny it all you want," he said, leaning in. "We offered him nothing he couldn't get elsewhere, yet he signed. Why? Because you walked in with me."
My brows shot up. Was he right?
"Obviously!" Luke jabbed a finger at me. "That 'personal partnership' clause? Please. The man wants you in his bed, not your business acumen."
I massaged my temples. Marcus's motives did seem suspicious, but admitting Luke was right meant acknowledging the messy history David's company had tangled me in with Marcus.
We'd just exited the building when my body locked up. There, looking like he'd been dragged through hell backwards—rumpled shirt, hollow cheeks, but the same glacial stare—stood David.
He zeroed in on Luke first. Something in his posture had Luke shoving me behind him instantly. "Back off," my brother warned.
David ignored him, his voice brittle. "So it's him? You left me for this?"
Luke whirled to me. "What fresh drama is this? Did you not tell him you're taking over Cooper Group?"
Turning back to David, Luke squared his shoulders. "Listen up, Williams. My sister quit your company. That means no more stalking, no more—"
"Luke, please," I grabbed his arm. "Wait in the car. I'll explain everything."
"Like hell." He planted himself between us. "Talk. Now."
David's anger flickered into confusion. "Wait... Luke Cooper? Your brother?" Then his face darkened. "You lied about your family?"
I gave Luke the abbreviated version, softening the worst of it. Still, his glare at David could've frozen lava. When his fists clenched, I gripped his wrist.
Turning to David, I kept my voice flat. "The letter explained everything."
"Eight years," David choked out, "and you end it with a note? You loved me!"
"Past tense," I said. "I'm done."
His jaw worked. "This is about Cynthia's texts, isn't it? I fired her—she was planted to destroy me!"
For half a second, I almost cared. But no—his panic over her had been real. No mole could fake that.
Luke suddenly snorted. "Hold up—is Marcus Smith another ex? No wonder you two had history. Honestly? Upgrade."
David went sheet-white. "Marcus Smith? You're with him now?"
I crossed my arms. "Why do you care?"
"Rosaline," David's voice cracked, "let's go home. You can't throw away eight years."
I barked a laugh. "Home? Wake up, David. I checked out long before I left."
When he grabbed my wrist, Luke moved faster than I'd ever seen. His fist connected with David's jaw with a sickening crack.
David spat blood but held tight. "I wanted you to come willingly," he growled as a dozen men materialized, half restraining Luke, the rest beating him bloody.
"Pathetic," Luke wheezed as they held him. "Need hired muscle to fight your battles?"
David turned to me, eyes dead. "Come quietly, or your brother gets worse."
"Blackmail?" My voice shook. "This is who you are now?"
He shrugged. "You made me this."
I watched Luke—outnumbered but far from outmatched. Even pinned, he was kicking shins and spitting curses. Then he whistled.
Twenty guys in black swarmed the scene. "Think you're special with your goon squad?" Luke taunted as his team turned the tide.
I gaped. "Since when do you travel with an entourage?"
"Chill," he grinned mid-punch. "Hired them today. Figured working with Marcus required backup." He kneed an attacker in the groin. "Didn't expect to use them on your stalker ex!"
The brawl turned brutal, but Luke fixated on whoever had bruised his pretty face. "Do you know how much this nose job cost?" he yelled, tackling the guy.
I almost laughed—beneath the CEO veneer, he was still the little brother who'd once cried over a broken skateboard.
David seized the chaos to corner me. "Rosaline, I—"
"Save it," I snapped. "Take your thugs and leave before I call the cops."
Tears welled in his eyes. "I'm—"
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