Married to the Billionaire Who Betrayed Me novel Chapter 52

Chapter 52 Accepting the Ultimate Capital Summit

The cursor blinked on the computer screen. The invitation to the Global Executive Summit demanded a response.

Accepting meant returning to the capital. It meant breathing the same air as Tristan Johnston. It meant standing under the bright

lights of the city that tried to bury me.

I clicked the mouse. The confirmation email sent.

The battle lines were drawn. I spent a year hiding in Port Sterling. I spent a year building Aegis from the rust and concrete of the industrial district. The viral interview proved my strength, but a regional broadcast offered limited protection. I needed national visibility. I needed the corporate elite to see the armor I forged.

I leaned back in my leather chair. The warehouse floor outside my glass office hummed with the chaotic energy of a massive restock. The first manufacturing run sold out in twenty-four hours. Dominic Kensington delivered the second batch of matte black glass bottles at dawn. Valdez Elegance dockworkers packed shipping crates at triple speed.

“You confirmed the summit, Eduardo Valdez noted. He stood in the doorway, leaning on his wooden cane. He watched the reflection of my monitor in the glass partition.

“I did,” I replied. I stood up and gathered my notes into a leather portfolio. “The organizers offered the main stage. Thirty minutes to present the Aegis supply chain strategy and brand development to the top tier of national investors.”

Eduardo’s dark eyes narrowed. “Tristan Johnston sits on the executive board for that summit. His conglomerate sponsors the event.

He will be in the audience.”

“I expect him to be in the audience.”

“He sent armed men to drag you into a van,” Eduardo reminded me. His voice carried a rare note of genuine concern. “He finalized the purchase of the Port Sterling Shipping Hub to corner your location. He operates with impunity. You are walking into his

territory.”

I walked around the desk. I faced the old man who pulled me from the freezing alley a year ago.

“You taught me to fight the wolves,” I said. “I cannot win the war if I stay in the woods. I must enter the city.”

Eduardo studied my face. He saw the cold resolve settling in my posture. He offered a single, slow nod.

“Then you enter the city as a conqueror, Eduardo stated. “Not a refugee. We will secure private transport. We will secure a hotel suite under a corporate alias. You will not travel alone.”

“I travel alone,” I insisted. “You must remain here to manage the Aegis restock and the Valdez Elegance routes. The subsidiary requires constant supervision during this volume spike.”

I did not suggest I accompany you, Eduardo countered. A grim smile touched his lips. “I possess resources outside of Port Sterling.

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Chapter 52 Accepting the Ultimate Capital Summit

I will arrange a shadow detail. Professionals who understand the Johnston threat.”

I accepted the compromise. I needed the protection, but I refused to let fear dictate my movements.

I left the warehouse at six in the evening. I drove my sedan to the secure house on the edge of the city. The summer heat hung

heavy in the air.

I unlocked the front door. The scent of warm milk and lavender filled the hallway.

Lucia Valdez sat on the living room rug. Elias balanced on his sturdy legs, holding onto the edge of the coffee table. He babbled a string of nonsense syllables, his gray eyes focused on a bright wooden block.

“He stood for ten seconds without holding the table,” Lucia reported. She smiled, her face crinkling with warmth. “He is stubborn

“He inherits the trait, I murmured.

I dropped my portfolio on the counter. I crossed the room and sank onto the rug beside him. Elias turned his head. A massive, toothless grin broke across his face. He launched himself toward me, abandoning his grip on the wood. He landed against my chest

with a solid thud.

I wrapped my arms around his warm body. I buried my face in his dark hair.

“I must travel to the capital next week, I told Lucia. I kept my voice low. “Just for two days. I present at a business summit.”

Lucia’s smile faltered. She knew the history. Eduardo shared the necessary details to ensure her vigilance. “Is it safe?”

“It is necessary,” I answered. I tightened my hold on Elias. “I am building a wall around this house. I need the capital from the summit investors to make the wall permanent. You will keep the security system armed. You will not answer the door. You will not

leave the property.”

Lucia nodded. Her expression hardened. “I understand. He will be safe.”

Three hundred miles away, the capital city glittered under the night sky.

Tristan Johnston sat in the expansive executive suite of the Johnston Group headquarters. The floor-to-ceiling windows offered a panoramic view of the financial district. The city looked like a circuit board of gold and silver light. He owned the skyline. He

controlled the market.

Yet, the silence of the massive office felt suffocating.

Tristan loosened his silk tie. He unbuttoned the collar of his custom dress shirt. He walked to the sleek mahogany wet bar. He poured two fingers of amber whiskey into a heavy crystal glass.

The door to the suite opened.

Mateo Castillo stepped inside. The head of private security wore his standard charcoal suit. He carried a sleek silver tablet. His

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