CHAPTER 25: FRACTURED LOYALTIES

Jack’s POV

I drove away from Phoenix Project headquarters, my knuckles white against the steering wheel. The decision to drop Lucy off at her place before heading back to the Simpson mansion was automatic.

The atmosphere inside the car was suffocating. Even the air conditioning seemed to struggle against the weight of tension filling the space between us.

I stared straight ahead at the road, refusing to glance at the woman beside me.

"Jack, I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry."

Lucy’s voice cracked as she continued crying. The sound grated against my already frayed nerves. "This is all my fault. I embarrassed you. It’s all because of me. Please don’t be angry, don’t be mad at me, okay?"

My temples throbbed with each word she spoke. A headache built behind my eyes as I gripped the steering wheel tighter, the veins in my forearms standing out prominently. I remained silent, my jaw clenched so tight I could feel the pressure in my teeth.

Once, I had found her emotional vulnerability charming. There was something about Lucy’s delicate nature that had appealed to me so different from Anna’s unyielding strength and independence. I’d believed a woman like Lucy soft, sweet, and in need of protection made the perfect partner.

Anna’s refusal to show weakness had always made me uncomfortable, her fierce self-reliance leaving me feeling unnecessary.

But now, Lucy’s tears just irritated me further.

"Has crying ever solved anything?" I finally snapped, my voice cold and flat as I navigated through a yellow light. I kept my eyes fixed on the road ahead, my brow furrowed deeply. "Lucy, you’ve really disappointed me."

The words landed like a physical blow.

Lucy’s sobbing halted for a brief moment, the sudden silence almost jarring, before her tears returned with renewed intensity. She grabbed my arm with desperate fingers.

"Jack, please don’t be angry. I was so stupid. I shouldn’t have let Nolan get involved with Phoenix. I shouldn’t have listened to him."

I didn’t respond to her touch, my arm stiff under her grip. The anger building inside me threatened to boil over. My silence seemed to push her toward even more frantic apologies.

"It’s all my fault. If I hadn’t been so soft-hearted, things wouldn’t have turned out this way," she continued,

her voice breaking with each hitched breath. The tears fell freely down her face, dripping onto her designer blouse. "I had no idea he would be so bold. Jack, do you hate me now?"

Lucy’s POV

My tears streamed down my face. The remnants of my carefully applied mascara were surely painting dark rivulets down my cheeks, but I didn’t care. The humiliation was still fresh standing there in the Phoenix Project conference room as Anna Shaw systematically dismantled everything I’d worked for.

"Jack, I really tried my best..." I sobbed into my hands, my shoulders shaking with what appeared to be uncontrollable grief. Through the gaps between my fingers, I studied his reaction, calculating my next move.

Jack gripped the steering wheel tightly, his knuckles turning white. We hadn’t even started driving yet he’d simply guided me to the car after the disastrous meeting, his face a mask of barely controlled anger. His tie hung loose around his neck, and the top button of his shirt was undone signs of his agitation.

"Stop crying," he said, his voice flat and distant as he stared straight ahead through the windshield. "Go home and get some rest. We don’t need to discuss this anymore."

We don’t need to discuss this anymore? My stomach plummeted. I had spent months cultivating Mary Simpson’s favor, positioning myself as the perfect daughter-in-law replacement. The Phoenix Project was supposed to be my crowning achievement concrete proof that I belonged in the Simpson family.

And now Jack wanted to just... drop it?

My hands and feet turned ice-cold as a new fear gripped me. If Mary found out I’d lost to Anna Shaw, would she withdraw her support? My tears, which had started as a calculated performance, now flowed with genuine panic.

.

"It’s all my fault..." I whispered, my voice trembling. Inside, a darker emotion was brewing. I silently cursed Nolan and Jared.

My useless cousin who had bought substandard materials and then disappeared with the money.

My incompetent assistant who had bungled the cover-up so badly that Anna’s people had uncovered everything. I should never have trusted either of them.

What made it worse was seeing how Anna Shaw’s team functioned that quiet, competent Rachel who anticipated her every need; Daniel Davis who managed her office with military precision; and now that newcomer Sean, who had dismantled my scheme piece by piece. Even Trevor Torres, despite being framed, had remained loyal to her. Meanwhile, I was surrounded by selfish idiots who couldn’t follow simple instructions without jeopardizing everything.

"Jack," I said softly, making my voice small and vulnerable, "it’s just that I’m not good enough. If my brother were still alive, things would be different." I watched carefully as his eyebrows twitched. "He was so much smarter than me, so much more capable. He would have helped you. He would never have let Anna get the upper hand like this. It’s all my fault."

The change was subtle but immediate.

Jack’s shoulders relaxed slightly, his expression softening from irritation to something closer to sympathy. The mention of my deceased brother never failed to touch something in him.

Jack sighed heavily, his anger deflating.

He turned in his seat and pulled me into his arms, his voice gentler now.

"Don’t cry anymore. It’s not that big a deal. Just spend more time with my mother shopping, having tea, you know what she likes."

I nestled against him, making myself small and fragile in his embrace despite the awkward positioning across the center console, but continued to sniffle loudly.

"Your mother will be so angry with me. I’ve disappointed her terribly."

"This isn’t entirely your fault," he reassured me, patting my shoulder awkwardly. "Just explain everything to her clearly. You know how to make her happy."

"Really?" I asked, injecting hopeful uncertainty into my voice while my mind was already racing ahead, mapping out strategies to regain Mary’s favor.

"Really," he confirmed, his tone decisive.

I pressed my face against his chest, pretending to still be overcome with emotion, but I couldn’t quite suppress the slight upward curve of my lips.

This setback was painful, yes, but not fatal. I hadn’t lost everything. The Simpson family particularly Jack and Mary were still within my grasp. I just needed to regroup, recalibrate, and plan my next move carefully.

More importantly, I could see how this situation had deepened the rift between Jack and Anna. The cold fury in his eyes when she had systematically exposed my scheme, the way his hands had clenched into fists as she dictated her terms...

Their relationship had deteriorated beyond repair.

In a way, that was my victory smaller than what I’d hoped for, but significant nonetheless.

Anna’s POV

Lucy’s downfall had been swift exactly as she deserved. I hadn’t just reclaimed my project; I’d secured better terms than ever before.

"Everything’s in order, Ms. Shaw," Rachel confirmed, handing over the finalized paperwork.

"Excellent. Cancel my afternoon meetings. I’m taking the rest of the day off."

Rachel blinked, surprised. Time off wasn’t my usual style. But today was different. Today, I wanted to indulge.

"Call Catherine Murphy. Tell her to clear her schedule. We’re going shopping."

The private shopping suite was exquisite, decorated in soft creams and golds, with chilled champagne already waiting.

Catherine burst through the doors, her designer sunglasses pushed up into her honey blonde waves.

"Well, well," she drawled. "If it isn’t Anna Shaw, Conqueror of the Phoenix Project."

I laughed, accepting a crystal flute of champagne. "You heard already?"

"Darling, the family party was a bore without you. Mary brought Lucy. You should’ve seen Grandfather’s face positively murderous. My aunt kept pestering Jack and Lucy about wedding bells, and Mary jumped in saying ’soon, soon.’ Jack just sat there, stiff as a statue."

At the mention of Jack, that familiar knot twisted in my chest. The divorce had been finalized for months, yet something still felt raw, unfinished.

"Let’s not talk about them," I said, turning toward a row of stilettos in pale suede and gold accents. "It ruins the mood."

I pointed lazily to several pairs. "Don’t pack these three. Send the rest to my house."

I turned back to Catherine with a rare smile. "I’m in a good mood today. Whatever you want, it’s on me. Just don’t dawdle."

We drank. We spent. We laughed. But by nightfall, the emptiness returned.

Alone in my penthouse, I stared at my phone, the city glittering beneath me. The high from earlier had faded into a restlessness I’d come to know too well.

Before I could second guess myself, I typed out a message to the number saved only as 3303:

Available tonight?

The Sapphire Sky Hotel rendezvous had begun as a reckless whim. Now it was something else something I needed.

His reply came instantly:

Always for you.

I sent one final message:

See you then.

I arrived first. After closing the door behind me, I wondered, Maybe tonight, I’ll finally see his face.

I ordered a red wine and slipped into the marble bathroom. The suite’s floor-to-ceiling windows offered a panoramic view of the city. The Jacuzzi steamed invitingly.

I sank into the hot bath, letting the water ease the tension from my body. Outside, the city glowed. The lights in the room were off I hadn’t touched them. Still, it felt too dark.

I frowned. This is my room. I booked it. The key card’s in my purse. So how...

Before the thought could fully form, arms wrapped around my waist from behind. A warm, familiar body pressed against mine.

He picked me up, pinning me gently but firmly against the cool wall. His mouth found mine, then my neck, then lower. Kisses rained down in a frenzy.

"Slow down," I gasped between moans, clinging to his shoulders.

"I ordered some food," I managed.

"Don’t need it," he murmured against my skin, voice rough with hunger. "I only need you."

And that was it. My resistance melted. His words undid me.

I lost myself in his touch.

The sex was consuming tender and fierce all at once. I surrendered until I had nothing left, until I passed out from sheer exhaustion.

By morning, he was gone. The room was spotless, the sheets changed. My body had been gently wiped clean. I barely ached he’d been thorough, even considerate.

Room service arrived. Lunch, ordered by him, was lavish and oddly personal every dish a favorite of mine.

I should’ve been alarmed. Instead, I was intrigued.

Before leaving, I stood by the window, staring out at the skyline.

Maybe I’ll just keep renting 3303, I mused. No strings. A regular arrangement. A partner with skill and discipline. Nothing emotional. Just for health.

Of course, eventually, I’d want to know who he really was.

When I returned to the Shaw Estate, the yard was bustling. Mother was in the garden, directing the servants.

She glanced up and called out, "Hurry inside. Marcus is here!"

My pulse fluttered. "Marcus?"

"He brought a whole truckload of things food, drinks, decorations. Too much. I’ll probably have to cancel some of our own orders."

A truckload? That must’ve been the pickup I saw on the way in. I’d assumed it was a caterer.

As I neared the entrance, I heard laughter deep, warm. Grandmother’s laughter.

It stopped me in my tracks. I hadn’t heard her laugh like that since my father died.

I stepped inside just as Marcus stood, readying to leave.

"Uncle Marcus," I said. "Leaving already? Stay for dinner, at least."

He turned, giving me that familiar soft smile. "Annie. I’ve already eaten, and it’s still early for dinner."

"Then stay for tea," I said quickly. "I’ll brew it myself. And thank you for everything."

"My father told me this was your first time organizing a birthday celebration for Margaret," he said. "He asked me to check in, offer support."

William again. Always pulling strings behind the scenes.

"Well," I said, smoothing my dress, "I’d hate to disappoint him. Grandmother deserves something unforgettable."

And for once, I wanted to be the one to deliver it.