Unmatched Wife: Not His To Claim Anymore novel Chapter 65

Chapter 65

Chapter 65

BIANCA

“I’m sorry too,” I said. “For lying. For going somewhere dangerous without telling you. For comparing you to Matthew when you’ve never given me reason to think you’re like him.”

“But I understand why you did.” Rivera’s voice was gentle now, sad. “Because you’ve been conditioned to see protection as control. Because your ex–husband used his concern for your safety as an excuse to limit your freedom. And I should have realized that asking about your whereabouts would trigger those memories.”

He moved closer, close enough that I could see the genuine worry in his eyes.

“My protectiveness comes from fear, Bianca. Not a desire to control you. I’ve already lost Louis’s mother to violence I couldn’t prevent. The thought of losing someone else I care about…” He stopped, his jaw working. “It terrifies me. But that’s my fear to manage, not yours to accommodate. You’re a grown woman capable of making your own decisions about risk. I need to respect

that.”

Tears pricked my eyes. Because this was what healthy communication looked like. What it meant when someone actually valued

you as an equal rather than an accessory to their life.

“I should have told you where I was going,” I admitted. “Not because I needed your permission, but because people who care about each other share information that affects their safety. If something had happened to me in the industrial district, if I’d needed help, you wouldn’t have known where to look.”

“Who did you meet?” The question was gentle this time, without the edge of command.

“A woman named Vera. She knew my mother. She told me things about the network my mother was part of, about why they were hunted.” I pulled out the paper Vera had given me. “And she told me who cursed Louis.”

Rivera went very still. “Who?”

“Thorne Lockwood.” I watched his face carefully for recognition. “Alpha King Chief of Staff.”

Something flickered across his expression too quickly for me to identify. Surprise? Concern? Confirmation of something he’d already suspected?

“Thorne,” he repeated quietly. “You’re sure?”

“Vera recognized the curse signature. She says it’s the same technique he used fifteen years ago when he was leading purges against curse–breakers.” I hesitated. “Did you know? About what he did back then?”

“I knew he had a history with the Council of Elders. I didn’t know the details.” Rivera’s voice was carefully controlled. “Are you certain about this information? Curse signatures can be difficult to identify accurately.”

“My mother taught me curse identification. I’ve reviewed the marks on Louis myself. Vera’s right–it’s sophisticated council- level work.” I met his eyes. “Lucian, if Thorne Lockwood cursed your son, if he’s still using dark magic while working in a government position, we need to do something. We need to-”

“We need to be smart,” he interrupted. “Thorne has protections, connections, resources that make him nearly untouchable. If we accuse him without ironclad proof, if we move against him prematurely, he’ll destroy us and bury the evidence.”

“So what do we do? Just let him get away with cursing a child?”

“No.” Rivera’s voice went hard with determination. “We build a case. Carefully, quietly, with documentation he can’t dispute. And then we bring him down in a way that ensures he can never hurt anyone again.”

He moved closer, taking both my hands in his.

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“But Bianca, we do this together. No more secret investigations, no more meetings with contacts I don’t know about. If Thorne realizes you’re looking into him, if he connects you to your mother’s bloodline…” He stopped, his grip tightening. “I can’t lose you. Louis can’t lose you. So please, promise me we’ll be smart about this.”

I looked at our joined hands, at the genuine fear in his eyes, and felt something crack in my chest.

He wasn’t trying to control me. He was trying to protect me while still respecting my autonomy. Asking me to be careful because he cared, not because he wanted to limit me.

“Okay,” I whispered. “Together. No more secrets.”

“No more secrets,” he agreed.

Then he pulled me into his arms, and I let myself lean into his strength, his warmth, his steady presence that had become essential to my healing.

We stayed like that for a long moment, holding each other in the quiet of his office, and I felt the last of my walls beginning to

crumble.

This was real. What we were building was real.

And terrifying.

And worth every risk.

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