After the Fall A Leap into a Stranger's Arms novel Chapter 264

Lawrence gave a helpless smile. “It’s not that I wanted to keep it from her. I just never found the right moment. Honestly, I’m worried she’ll feel overwhelmed when she finds out who I am.”

Nicol nodded, totally getting it. “I understand, but you two are married. Being honest with each other matters, you know?”

“I know.” Lawrence’s eyes darkened a little. “There’s also my father. She doesn’t know about him yet, either.”

Nicol’s expression grew serious. Just thinking about Lawrence’s father was enough to make anyone feel the pressure.

“I bet the Blair family feels the weight of your dad’s reputation already,” Nicol said, resting his chin on his hand.

Then an idea sparked in his eyes. “Actually, I just thought of the perfect way to reveal your identity. The business summit coming up—the keynote speech was supposed to be mine, but honestly, it makes way more sense for you to do it.”

He went on, “That summit will be packed with politicians, business leaders, and every major media outlet. If you step onto that stage as the CEO and make your official debut, it’ll shake up the whole industry.”

Lawrence knew that sooner or later his identity would come out. The summit really was the ideal stage.

“Alright, let’s go with your plan,” he agreed.

Nicol’s face lit up. “Awesome. I’ll have the planning team put together a few options and send them over later.”

“Make sure Catherine’s seat is right next to mine,” Lawrence said.

Nicol grinned. “Of course. She’ll have the best seat in the house, right by your side, so she can see the real you for herself.”

“And we need to keep Catherine safe. Waldo’s desperate now. There’s no telling what he might try.”

“No worries. We’ve already activated the highest level of security.”

They talked over a few more details before Lawrence finally headed back to his apartment.

“You go to sleep. I’ve got a bit of work left.” Lawrence kissed her forehead again, his voice low.

Catherine nodded and settled back with her book. After a while, she put it down and drifted off to sleep.

***

Saturday rolled around before anyone knew it. On Friday night, Nestor reminded Alice and Shirley not to make any plans for Saturday lunch—they were meeting the Gates family.

That morning, Shirley spent ages on her makeup and chose a brand new Chanel dress, with a limited-edition bag and jewelry worth a small fortune. She looked elegant, a little over the top, and definitely wanted to make an impression.

Alice wasn’t about to be outdone. She’d heard that Lawrence’s mom was a professor, so she couldn’t risk looking anything less than perfect. She’d picked out a custom-made silk cheongsam and decked herself out in glittering jewels.

When the two of them came downstairs, Nestor couldn’t help but frown. “Do you really need to dress up like this? Isn’t it a bit much?”