The Double Life of My Pregnant Ex-Wife (Carmen and Marco) novel Chapter 34

The air in Marco’s office felt thick, and heavy with tension as the men gathered around the long table. Marco sat at the head, his sharp gaze sweeping over his advisors while Luca leaned quietly against the far wall, arms crossed. Carmen stood near the window, her back straight and chin lifted as she listened to Marco speak. She had refused to leave the room, despite the clear unease her presence caused.

“The De Lucas are regrouping,” Marco said, his voice cold and even. “We strike first. We take them out before they can make their next move.”

“Another war?” Luca said suddenly, his voice cutting through the quiet. “Is that what you’re saying?”

Pietro, one of Marco’s longest-serving advisors, shifted uncomfortably. “We’ve already lost men, Marco. Pushing now—”

“We don’t wait,” Marco interrupted sharply, his tone brooking no argument. “They’ll see hesitation as weakness.”

“And what if this is exactly what they want?” Carmen said, her voice clear and calm as she turned to face him.

The room fell silent. All eyes turned to her, the tension rising instantly like a drawn blade. Marco’s gaze darkened as it landed on her, but Carmen didn’t back down.

“You don’t know that this attack came from the De Lucas,” Carmen continued, stepping closer to the table. “You’re letting Arianna pull you into a fight you might not need.”

Marco’s eyes narrowed. “You don’t belong in this meeting.”

“I belong anywhere decisions are being made that will get people killed,” Carmen shot back.

A murmur rippled through the room, men exchanging wary glances. Luca pushed off the wall slightly, as if ready to intervene.

Marco leaned back in his chair, his expression hardening. “You don’t get to walk in here and start questioning my decisions, Carmen. You gave up that right when you ran.”

“I ran because I didn’t have a choice,” Carmen snapped, her voice rising. “And you know why. Arianna has been feeding you lies since the day I left, and you’re still letting her manipulate you.”

Marco’s jaw tightened, but his voice remained calm—too calm. “You expect me to take advice from you? From someone who hasn’t been here? Someone who’s been hiding with Vincent Rossi?”

Carmen froze, her breath catching as the accusation hit her. The room went deathly quiet again, the weight of his words sinking in like a knife.

“You think I don’t know what you were doing while you were gone?” Marco continued, his tone laced with venom. “The secrets, the lies—it’s all adding up, Carmen.”

“That’s not fair,” she said quietly, her face paling.

“Isn’t it?” Marco said, rising to his feet. His eyes bore into hers, cold and unyielding. “You talk about loyalty and betrayal, but you’re the one who disappeared. You’re the one who ran straight to my enemy.”

“I ran to survive!” Carmen shot back, her voice breaking with anger and hurt. “And if you’d stop listening to Arianna for five seconds, you’d realize that!”

“Enough,” Marco said sharply, slamming his hand on the table.

The men flinched, the sound like a gunshot in the heavy silence. Luca shifted on his feet, his gaze darting between Carmen and Marco as the air crackled with tension.

Carmen’s fists clenched at her sides, her voice quieter but no less fierce. “You’re going to destroy everything you’ve built because you refuse to see what’s right in front of you. Arianna isn’t your ally, Marco. She’s your enemy.”

Marco’s gaze turned icy. “And what does that make you, Carmen?”

Her heart dropped, the words cutting deeper than she thought possible. The room remained silent, the tension so thick it was suffocating. Without another word, Carmen turned on her heel and walked out, her heels clicking against the marble floor as she disappeared through the door.

The moment she was gone, the room seemed to exhale. Marco didn’t move, his jaw tight as he stared down at the papers on the table.

“She’s not wrong, you know,” Luca said quietly, breaking the silence.

Marco shot him a warning glare, but Luca didn’t back down.

“You need to figure out who you’re fighting, Marco,” Luca said, his voice steady. “Before it’s too late.”