Chapter 55: Chapter 55
Fleur leveled a fierce glare at Chloe and Gabriel.
The twins blinked back at her, their wide, identical eyes radiating a picture-perfect innocence. It was far too perfect.
They were beautiful little troublemakers, and right now, it was glaringly obvious exactly which parent they had inherited that terrifying talent from.
She loved them more than life itself, but at this exact moment, she was profoundly tempted to ground them until their thirtieth birthdays.
Still, she refused to show weakness. She wasn’t about to surrender to Christian Wayne. Not without a fight.
"That’s impossible." Fleur shook her head firmly, crossing her arms defensively over her chest. "How can my children give away my company and my property? None of this makes any sense."
"It makes perfect sense, mia cara."
Christian looked entirely too relaxed, leaning back in his leather chair like a king surveying his court.
"According to your brilliant children, all of your assets are legally registered under their names. Therefore, they operated under the impression that they had the full authority to negotiate on your behalf."
Fleur stared at him, a breathless, incredulous laugh escaping her lips.
"No judge in the world would take that seriously." A defiant challenge flashed in her eyes. "This agreement isn’t worth the paper it’s printed on. It isn’t valid."
Christian’s lips curved slowly. The resulting smile was dangerous—purely predatory. It was the kind of look that made lesser alphas back down and weaker people retreat.
Fleur refused to be one of them. She held his gaze, her posture rigid.
Leaning forward, Christian planted both hands on the dark wood of the table. The distance between them vanished in an instant. Suddenly, his scent invaded her senses—rich, masculine, and laced with dark cedar and spice. It made her inner wolf stir with a strange, restless heat.
"Trust me, sweetheart," he murmured, his voice a deep, gravelly rumble that sent an unwanted, electric shiver straight down her spine. "If I tell you there is no easy way out of this agreement, then there isn’t."
His piercing blue eyes held hers captive, refusing to let her look away.
"I had attorneys present," he stated softly.
Fleur’s confidence faltered, a hairline crack appearing in her armor.
"Witnesses."
Her stomach tightened into a hard knot.
"The entire discussion was documented." His gaze shifted deliberately toward the upper corner of the office. "And recorded."
Fleur followed his line of sight. A sleek, black security camera stared blankly back at her. Her heart sank straight into her shoes.
Slowly, she turned her head to look at her children. The moment her eyes landed on them, the twins immediately looked away, suddenly finding the crown molding of the room utterly fascinating. Guilty. They looked profoundly, undeniably guilty.
Fleur’s wolf wanted to howl in sheer frustration. What on earth had possessed them to sit down and negotiate with a man like Christian Wayne? The man was practically a devil disguised in a bespoke alpha suit. Now, she was backed into a corner she couldn’t easily escape.
Wonderful. Just wonderful.
"You can’t threaten my mommy!"
Gabriel suddenly jumped to his feet, his small chair scraping loudly against the floor. His tiny body practically radiated defiance, his chest puffed out as he stepped between his mother and the billionaire.
An unexpected warmth tightened in Christian’s chest. The boy was completely fearless, standing up to a dominant alpha without a shred of hesitation. He couldn’t help but admire that.
"Easy, Champion." Christian’s voice remained smooth and calm, deliberately lowering his aura so as not to spook the boy.
"I’m not threatening your mother." He looked directly into the little boy’s eyes, treating him with a gravity that matched the child’s intensity. "I’m trying to convince her. After all, don’t we all want the same thing?"
Gabriel narrowed his eyes, his suspicion entirely intact.
Chloe, meanwhile, decided it was time to enthusiastically support Christian’s cause.
"Mommy, please say yes!" She clasped her small hands together, her expression turning wildly dramatic. "Mr. Wayne is handsome, rich, and nice!"
Fleur let out a heavy groan, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Sweetheart, that’s not how marriage works."
Chloe pouted, crossing her arms. "Well, it should be."
"Unfortunately, it isn’t."
Gabriel stepped forward again. Unlike his sister’s emotional plea, his argument was entirely strategic. "Mom, that’s exactly why we made the deal."
Fleur rubbed her temples, a headache blooming behind her eyes. She already knew she wasn’t going to like whatever came out of his mouth next.
"We didn’t trust him at first," Gabriel continued, his tone deadly serious. "So we made sure he had something valuable to lose."
Christian blinked, caught off guard.
The little boy pointed a sharp finger directly at the formidable alpha. "If he breaks your heart, we take everything."
Silence fell over the room. Complete, suffocating silence.
Even Christian looked momentarily stunned, his mind working to process the trap a five-year-old had just laid for him.
Gabriel folded his arms, looking entirely pleased with himself. "If he leaves, we keep all his money and throw him out on the street."
Christian stared at the boy. Then, a low chuckle broke through his chest, escalating into a genuine laugh.
Beside her brother, Chloe nodded enthusiastically, her pigtails bouncing. "Exactly!" She pointed at Christian. "That’s why he’s perfect!"
Fleur covered her face with both hands. Her children had somehow managed to negotiate a marriage contract and a financial hostage situation at the exact same time. It was both horrifyingly manipulative and strangely impressive.
Then, Chloe delivered the final, devastating blow.
"Please, Mommy." The little girl’s eyes sparkled with a fragile, genuine hope as her voice softened. "I really like him. I want him to be our dad."
The words struck Fleur like a physical blow to the chest.
The faint, amused smile wiped cleanly from her face as old, painful memories rushed to the surface, sharp as broken glass.
There had once been a time when Christian had wanted those very children gone before they had even drawn their first breaths. A time when hatred and vengeance had consumed him entirely.
And now? Now, her twins were looking at him, begging him to become their father.
If they ever learned the bitter truth of their history... Fleur’s chest tightened so painfully she could barely breathe. She couldn’t bear the thought of their innocent hearts breaking.
Yet, despite the ghosts of the past, a massive question lingered in the shadows of her mind.
Why was Christian doing this? Why her? Why now?
He knew she had children. He knew she came with a heavy past and endless complications. Yet, he was willing to sign over his fortune, his empire, and everything he had built just to bind her to him. It defied all logic.
Unless there was a dark secret he was keeping from her.
Her thoughts spiraled, questions colliding endlessly inside her head until she felt dizzy. Before she could lose herself entirely to the panic, she felt a soft tug on her sleeve.
"Please?" Chloe whispered.
Gabriel stepped up to her other side, his tough exterior melting away to reveal the hopeful child underneath. "Please, Mom."
Looking down at their sweet, expectant faces, the last of Fleur’s resolve crumbled to dust. She let out a long, slow exhale, a quiet surrender escaping her lips.
"Okay."
The single word seemed to alter the very air pressure in the room.
Christian froze. For a fraction of a second, the powerful alpha simply stared at her, as if unable to believe his own ears.
Then, he released a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. A tidal wave of relief flooded his senses, followed quickly by a heady mix of victory, disbelief, and fierce joy.
Deep within him, his wolf practically purred with satisfaction. She had agreed. The woman who had haunted his thoughts, night after agonizing night, had actually said yes.
"Yay!" Chloe’s excited squeal shattered the tension in the office. "Mom said yes!"
She began to bounce up and down happily, her entire face illuminating the room. In her mind, the battle was won. Now she could finally tell everyone at school that her new father was powerful, rich, and utterly adored her.
Without a shred of hesitation, she ran straight toward Christian. He caught her easily, his large hands secure as he lifted her high into his arms.
"Someone seems happy," he noted, his voice lighter than Fleur had ever heard it.
Chloe grinned, wrapping her small arms around his neck. "Very happy." She tilted her head, considering him thoughtfully. "But ’Mr. Wayne’ sounds way too formal now."
Christian gently brushed a stray golden curl away from her face. A deep, instinctual tenderness entered his eyes, surprising even himself.
"Then you can call me whatever you want."
Chloe went quiet, pondering her options carefully.
Christian smiled, his gaze flickering briefly toward Fleur—holding her eyes for a charged, weighted second—before returning to the little girl in his arms.
"Although, I’d prefer one thing in particular."
"What?" Chloe asked curiously.
"You can call me Dad."
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