<b>Chapter </b>150
<b>Chapter 150 </b>
<b>Luca </b>helped her out of the carter that afternoon. His hand steady at her lower back as they made their way up the front steps. He could see she was still tired and clearly still in pain. The doctor had told them Sutton could be in pain for at least another month–not only from giving birth to Miles <b>but </b><b>also </b>from her fall.
When they got inside, Sutton went straight to the room they were going to use for Miles when he got home. He watched her turn <b><i>on </i></b>the light and stand in the middle of the room looking around.
He could feel her pain from here. Every day she left the hospital without Miles was heartbreaking for her and him. More so because her <b>pain </b>was <b>there </b>for all to see.
“We’ll bring him home soon,” Luca said beside her, putting his arm around her waist. “We’re so close.”
Sutton nodded and leaned into him for a second before she turned away and headed toward the kitchen. She needed water. Maybe a sandwich. But she wouldn’t cry.
She was halfway through filling a ss when she caught his reflection in the kitchen window… she could sense something, the way she had since he <b>had </be to the hospital… His shoulders were stiff, jaw tight, and he wasn’t talking much.
“Okay,” she said finally, turning around, ss still in hand. “Spit it out.”
Luca looked up.
“You’ve been itching to say something since we left the hospital. What is it?”
He exhaled through his nose and crossed the room. “Nicole’s gone.”
Sutton blinked. “Gone? As in what, exactly?”
“As in on a ne to Rome. There isn’t a return ticket.”
“What?” She stared at him. “You let her go?”
“She’s gone, Sutton.”
“That’s not what I asked.”
He rubbed the back of his neck, already knowing this wasn’t going to go over well. “If I’d pushed for jail time here, she might’ve served two<b>, </b>maybe three years max. Out on parole before that… Miles will not even be walking by the time she could be free. But this way, her leaving the country under pending charges means she’s done here. For good. If she tries toe back into the country, they’ll arrest her. And this time she’ll face federal charges with no plea deal. It’s exile. She would get a lot longer than two years.”
Sutton’s eyes narrowed. “So, you just… decided that? On your own? Without talking to me again, Luca.”
“Sutton, it’s for the best. She’s cklisted in Europe. I made sure of that before shended. I called in every favor I had. After she paid off the <b>hacker</b><b>, </b><b>she </b>wasn’t left with much–she’d be lucky to get a job flipping burgers without being gged.”
“You arrogant, high–handed, frustrating CEO–of–a–shithead man.” Sutton called Luca what ir had often called Roman. But she was spitting <b>mac </b>
Luca blinked.
She pointed at him, setting her ss down with a loud clink. “You don’t get to y chess master with my life and our son’s life and just drop <b>the </b><b>recap </b>after like you’re giving a meeting summary.”
Luca took it, her fury, every word of it. He knew this would happen when she found out. So he let her.
She stepped in closer, still ring. “You don’t get to protect me from the truth just because it’s inconvenient for <b>you </b><b>to </b><b>tell </b><b>me</b><b>. </b><b>I </b><b>probably </b><b>would’ve </b>
<b>Chapter </b><b>150 </b>
<b>agreed </b><b>with </b><b>you </b><b>I </b><b>get </b><b>why </b><b>you </b>did it. But next time you involve me, do you understand <b>me</b><b>?</b><b>” </b>
<b>“</b><b>I </b><b>wasn’t </b><b>protecting </b>you from <b>the </b>truth,” he said calmly. “I was protecting our family. Nicole behind bars wouldn’t have <b>kept </b><b>you </b><b>or </b><b>Miles </b>als She would’ve thought of ways <b>to </be after us. She would’ve found someone to manipte. Someone to use. This way, she <b>has </b>nothing. <b>With </b><b>no </b>money and she <b>isn’t </b>in the same country.”
Sutton crossed her arms. “You didn’t think to
<b>a </b>say?”
“I didn’t think you needed the burden of it while Miles is
still in the hospital.”
<b>“</b>That’s not your decision to make.” Sutton was feeling frustrated because they had already had a fight over this.
“No,” he agreed. “But I made it, anyway.”
That stopped her. Because the honesty in it was so disarming, so Luca, that it knocked the heat out of her anger. He was an arrogant ass, <b>but </b>it was one of the things she found so appealing about him. His take–charge attitude.
She looked at him and could see the lines of worry under his eyes. While she had been focused on Miles, he had been working behind the scenes to keep
them safe.
“What if shees back?” she asked quietly.
“I’m keeping tabs on her. You don’t need to worry about that.”
“And if she does?”
“She won’t. She knows better. But if she does…” He paused. “Sending her to jail might’ve made her angrier, hungrier for revenge. This way, it’s over. She lost. She knows it. She’s running.”
Sutton watched him, unsure what to say. The man in front of her was ruthless<b>, </b>controlled, but every move he made was to protect her. Protect their son.
“You really believe this is safer?” she asked.
“Yes.”
She sat down heavily on one of the kitchen stools. “Unless <i>you </i>had her killed.)
Luca didn’t smile.
He didn’tugh. He didn’t say anything.
And that silence made her eyes widen a fraction.
“Oh my God,” she said, eyes scanning his face. “I was joking.”
He came around the counter and stopped in front of her, gaze steady.
“I didn’t. But if it hade down to that… I would’ve made sure she could never hurt you or Miles again.”
Sutton shook her head and let out a breath that was half shock, half reluctant admiration. “Jesus, Luca.”
He reached for her hand, threading their fingers together. “I didn’t do anything.”
She looked down at their hands and then back up at him. “You are such a shithead.”
“Yeah,” he said, brushing his thumb over hers. “But I’m your shithead, and I will do anything to protect you.”
Herugh broke the tension like ss shattering, and suddenly she was leaning into his chest, her arms sliding <b>around </b>him<b>, </b>head <b>resting </b>just under <b>his </b>
chin.
<b>17:17 </b>Tue, <b>29 </b>Jul 0
“I hate that you’re right.”
“I know.”
“I still think you should’ve told me.”
“I will. From now on. No more decisions without you.”
She exhaled, closing her eyes. “I’m holding you to that.”
AD
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