Married to the Billionaire Who Betrayed Me novel Chapter 49

Chapter 49 Risking Everything to Build Aegis

I gripped the leather portfolio. The humid night air pressed against my skin, heavy and suffocating. My heart hammered a frantic

rhythm against my ribs.

I unlocked the car door. I slid behind the steering wheel and hit the central locking button. The heavy locks engaged/I shoved the

key into the ignition. The engine roared to life.

I turned the headlights on. The bright high beams cut through the dark, illuminating the rusted fence and the empty pavement

beyond.

The figure was gone.

I pulled out of the parking lot and merged onto the coastal highway. I checked my rearview mirror every ten seconds. No black SUNS followed me. No headlights matched my turns. I reached my secure house on the edge of the city. I bypassed the front door and

entered through the attached garage.

I walked straight to the nursery.

The room smelled of baby powder and clean cotton. A small nightlight cast a warm glow over the wooden crib. I stood over the railing. Elias slept on his back. His tiny fists rested near his face. His chest rose and fell in a steady rhythm. He was six months old. He possessed thick dark hair and those piercing gray eyes.

I reached down and rested my hand on his warm stomach.

The white envelope burned in my blazer pocket. The ghost cannot hide in the rust forever. Tristan’s hounds were circling. They found my old apartment. They left a warning on my car. They wanted to rattle my nerves. They wanted me to make a mistake.

I looked at my son.

I needed a fortress. Valdez Elegance provided a salary, but I remained an employee. If Tristan discovered my location and destroyed Eduardo’s supply lines, my income would vanish. I needed independent wealth. I needed a brand Tristan could not touch.

I left the nursery and walked to my kitchen table. I opened the leather portfolio. I spent the rest of the night refining the business

plan.

The next morning, I walked into Eduardo Valdez’s private office.

He sat behind his massive mahogany desk, reviewing a stack of shipping manifests. I bypassed the guest chairs. I dropped the leather portfolio onto the center of his desk. I placed a thick, sealed envelope next to it.

Eduardo lowered his pen. He looked at the items.

I received a warning last night,’ I stated. “Someone left a note on my windshield inside the secure lot. The perimeter is

compromised.

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Chapter 49 Risking Everything to Build Aegis

Eduardo’s dark eyes hardened. He sat forward. “I will triple the security detail. I will hire armed guards for the gate.”

Guards will not stop them,” I replied. “Tristan possesses unlimited capital. He will buy the guards. He will buy the building. I need my own capital to fight him. I need to build something they cannot tear down.”

I tapped the leather portfolio.

‘Open it.”

Eduardo flipped the cover back. He read the first page. His eyebrows drew together in a tight line.

“A premium cosmetics label, Eduardo noted. “The market is saturated, Minerva. The major conglomerates own the shelf space.”

“The major conglomerates sell illusions,” I countered. “They sell soft pink packaging and floral scents to women who want to look fragile. I want to sell armor. I want to sell products to the female executive working a fourteen-hour shift. The lawyer fighting in court. The woman building her own wealth.”

I pointed to the design sketches.

“Matte black glass,” I explained. “Clean, severe lines. High-grade formulas that do not smudge under stress. We price it in the luxury bracket. We bypass the department stores and sell direct to the consumer. We call the brand Aegis.”

Eduardo studied the financial projections. He recognized the aggressive margins. He recognized the massive potential of an

untapped demographic.

“You need manufacturing capital,” Eduardo said. He closed the portfolio. “You need a pristine supply chain and access to top-tier

chemical engineers.”

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