I met Edwardo' s furious gaze, my own eyes unwavering. His threat to destroy what little remained of Moreno Corp. no longer sent a shiver down my spine. The fear had been replaced by a cold, hard resolve. He saw the shift in me, too. His eyes, usually so confident, held a flicker of surprise, perhaps even a hint of unease.

"What do you want, Blair?" he finally asked, his voice low, a dangerous undercurrent to it. The raw fury was still there, but now it was tinged with a grudging curiosity.

"Justice," I replied, my voice steady. "Cassie Shields will face the full extent of the law for her crimes. For attempting to murder my brother. For corporate espionage. For lying, manipulating, and destroying lives."

Cassie, who had been clinging to Edwardo's arm, let out a choked sob. "Edwardo, don't let her! She's just trying to get rid of me!"

He ignored her, his eyes still fixed on me. "I can punish her myself, Blair. I can cut her off. Exile her from my life. Make sure she never works in this city again. I can even arrange for a quiet, comfortable severance. No prison." He took a step closer, his voice dropping to a persuasive murmur. "And for you… I'll make it right. Anything you want. A generous settlement. A public apology from me. We can even… restart. Go on a date. Try to make this marriage… real."

I almost laughed. His words were a cruel parody of the dreams I once harbored. Restart? A date? The thought was so repulsive, it made my stomach churn. He was offering me crumbs, years too late, after he had burned my world to the ground.

"You're offering me a date?" I asked, a bitter smile playing on my lips. "After you publicly shamed me, crippled my brother, and celebrated with your mistress? You think a 'date' can fix that, Edwardo?" The sheer arrogance, the utter cluelessness, was breathtaking.

His face darkened. "Then what do you want? Name your price, Blair. But know this: Cassie will never see the inside of a prison cell. Not if I have anything to say about it."

"She will," I stated, my voice firm. "Because she deserves it. Justice is not negotiable. And your protection of her only proves her guilt."

"She's scared, Blair! She made mistakes! But she's just a girl!" His voice rose, tinged with desperation.

"A girl who tried to murder my brother," I countered, my eyes burning. "And a girl who betrayed your trust, stole your company's secrets, and fed you a diet of lies until you were blind."

He recoiled slightly, the truth of my words hitting him, even if he refused to acknowledge it. He clenched his jaw. "Fine. Then I'll make sure Moreno Corp. never sees another day. I'll use every legal loophole, every powerful connection. I'll buy up your suppliers, cut off your distribution. I'll bury you." He looked at me, a cruel glint in his eyes. "And then, Ben Pena will face federal charges for corporate espionage. With your company in ruins, you won't have the resources to fight me. You'll lose everything."

My heart pounded. Ben, still recovering, still fragile. Moreno Corp., finally on the path to recovery thanks to Grafton. He would ruin it all, just to protect her.

Ben, who had insisted on being present, despite his leg, slammed his cane on the floor. "You wouldn't dare, Edwardo! You'd be destroying your grandfather's efforts! He guaranteed Blair's company's survival!"

Edwardo merely scoffed. "My grandfather's sentimentality is his weakness. I am pragmatic. My loyalty is to those who deserve it. And Cassie deserves my protection." He looked at me, his gaze cold and resolute.

"So, Blair. What's it going to be?" Edwardo asked, his voice cold. "Justice for Cassie, and the complete annihilation of your family? Or a compromise?"

He was threatening me again. Using my family as a hostage to protect the woman who tried to kill his own unborn child (though he didn't know that yet) and my brother.

My eyes didn't burn with tears. They narrowed with calculation.

If I sent Cassie to prison, Edwardo would go to war. He would burn my father's legacy to the ground. But if I let Cassie go... I could strip him of something else.

"Fine," I said, my voice steady. "I'll make you a deal. Cassie walks free."

A triumphant smile touched Edwardo's lips. He thought he had won.

"But on one condition," I cut in, my voice razor-sharp. "You will sign over all of your personal shares in Moreno Corp. to me. You will inject five million dollars in capital to ensure our stability. And you will sign an irrevocable restraining order preventing you or your company from ever touching us again."

Edwardo stared at me, shocked. "You want my shares? And five million?"

"Consider it a severance package," I said coldly. "Or a stupidity tax. You are paying for the privilege of keeping your pet criminal out of jail. Take it or leave it."

He clenched his jaw, looking at Cassie's tearful face, then back at me. "Agreed."

I didn't feel defeated. I felt pragmatic. I had just secured my family's future and full control of our company. Cassie was free, yes, but she was Edwardo's problem now. And frankly, that was a worse punishment than prison.

...

The paperwork was signed. I walked out of the police station, the affidavit filed.

"Blair!" Edwardo called out.

I turned. He looked haggard. "I... I wanted to say... thank you. For dropping the charges."

"I didn't do it for you," I said, checking my phone. "I did it for the five million dollars. The transaction is complete, Edwardo. Goodbye."

As I stepped onto the curb, I saw them. Edwardo got into his car where Cassie was waiting. She leaned over and kissed him, a smug look on her face.

I didn't feel a pang of jealousy. I didn't feel a hollow ache. I felt a wave of nausea, like watching someone eat food that had fallen on a dirty floor.

"Good luck," I whispered to the empty air, "you're going to need it."

I turned my back on them and hailed a cab. "To the airport," I told the driver. "And step on it."

Edwardo, preoccupied with a looming acquisition deal, barely registered the package. He glanced at the elegant script of the return address, a familiar name that made his stomach clench, then tossed it carelessly onto his desk amidst a pile of documents. Blair. Always dramatic. He dismissed it as another attempt to stir up trouble, perhaps a last-ditch effort to extract more from him. He had already given her his shares, his capital. What more could she possibly want?

He picked up his pen, ready to sign off on a new contract, but his hand faltered. The name on the package, Blair, seemed to stand out, pulling at a thread of unease he couldn't quite place. He remembered her face when she walked away from the police station, a cold, hard mask he' d never seen before. Her words, "I regret the day I met you, Edwardo," echoed in his mind. A tiny tremor ran through him.

He reached for the package, his heart doing a strange flutter. His pen, still in his hand, slipped. The sharp metal tip sliced through the crisp white paper of a report, leaving an ugly, inky stain. A bad omen, perhaps. He shook his head. Nonsense.

He was about to tear open the package when the door to his office burst open. Cassie, a vision in a tightly-fitted designer dress, sauntered in, her hands on her hips, a theatrical pout on her face.

"Edwardo, darling! There you are!" She flung herself onto his lap, her arms coiling around his neck, her perfume, cloyingly sweet, filling his nostrils. "You promised me a day out! A shopping spree! And you're stuck in here, being boring."

He stiffened, the sudden physical contact jarring. His OCD, which Cassie usually magically bypassed, flared for a moment. He quickly suppressed it. It was just Cassie. His savior. "Cassie, I have a very important meeting in an hour. This deal is crucial." He tried to gently detach her.

"No!" she whined, pressing a kiss to his jaw. "You always say that! Work, work, work! Don't you care about me? About us?" She batted her eyelashes, her voice thick with manufactured hurt.

"Of course I care," he said, his voice strained. He didn't want to deal with this right now. "But this meeting is with the board of directors. It can't be postponed."

"Just push it back!" she insisted, pouting. "Tell them you're indisposed. Tell them your gorgeous girlfriend needs you! They'll understand."

He sighed. "Cassie, this is a multi-million-dollar acquisition. It affects thousands of jobs. I can't just 'push it back' for a shopping spree."

Her lower lip trembled. "So, I'm not important to you? My happiness doesn't matter?" Tears welled up in her eyes, threatening to spill.

He felt a familiar weariness. This routine. It was always the same. He pulled out his wallet, extracting a thick wad of cash. "Here. Go shop. Buy whatever you want. I'll make it up to you tonight."

Her tears instantly dried. Her eyes lit up, a predatory gleam in their depths. She snatched the cash, her fingers brushing against his. "Oh, Edwardo! You're the best! I knew you loved me!" She showered him with quick, perfunctory kisses, then slid off his lap, clutching the money. "I'll see you tonight, then!" She blew him a kiss and flounced out of the office, humming a cheerful tune.

Edwardo watched her go, a strange mix of relief and emptiness in his chest. He turned back to the package, his hand reaching for it again.

Just then, his assistant, Ms. Davies, appeared at the door. "Mr. Steele, your board meeting is in five minutes. They're waiting."

He sighed, pushing the package aside again. "Right. I'll be there."

The meeting was a disaster. The opposing company, a powerful tech giant called Cygnus Innovations, led by the ruthless CEO Domenic Perez, was demanding exorbitant terms. Edwardo felt a headache building behind his eyes. He missed Blair's sharp mind, her ability to cut through the corporate jargon and get to the heart of the matter. He missed her quiet efficiency. He suppressed the thought. She's gone. And good riddance.

Suddenly, the boardroom doors burst open. Cassie, now decked out in a new, outrageously expensive outfit, stumbled in, a half-empty glass of champagne in her hand. Her hair was disheveled, her eyes glazed.

"Edwardo, darling!" she slurred, making a beeline for him. "I missed you! Come dance with me!" Before he could react, she lunged at him, throwing her arms around his neck and planting a sloppy, open-mouthed kiss squarely on his lips.

He recoiled, pushing her away with a sharp shove. "Cassie! What are you doing? This is a private meeting!" His OCD screamed at the violation, the unexpected touch, the smell of alcohol and cheap perfume.

The board members, usually stoic and reserved, exchanged uncomfortable glances. Perez, meanwhile, watched the spectacle with a smug, knowing smile.

"I don't think we can continue this negotiation, Mr. Steele," Perez said, his voice dripping with condescension. "Frankly, your… distractions… are unprofessional. We require serious partners, not sideshows." He stood, his team following suit. "Perhaps we'll revisit this when you have your house in order."

"No! Wait!" Edwardo shouted, but it was too late. Perez and his team were already walking out, leaving behind a thick cloud of unspoken judgment.

The boardroom fell silent, a heavy, suffocating quiet. The air crackled with anger and disappointment. Edwardo felt a surge of cold fury. He turned to Cassie, who was now weeping dramatically on the floor.

"Edwardo, I'm so sorry!" she wailed. "I just… I just wanted to see you! I love you so much!"

He looked at her, truly looked at her, for the first time in years. And he saw nothing but a spoiled, manipulative child. The image of Blair, precise and dignified, even in her fury, flashed in his mind. Blair would never have done this. She would never have sabotaged his work, his reputation, for a petty whim.

He felt a deep, unfamiliar pang of something that felt like… regret.

"Get out, Cassie," he said, his voice low and dangerous. "Get out of my sight. Now."

She looked up, her eyes wide with shock. "Edwardo? You're mad at me?"

"I said, get out," he repeated, his voice rising, a tremor of suppressed violence in his tone. The board members, still present, shifted uncomfortably.

Cassie scrambled to her feet, her face crumpling. "You're being mean! I hate you!" She ran out of the room in a flurry of sobs and slammed the door.

Edwardo turned to his board, his face pale, his jaw clenched. "I apologize for this… unprofessional interruption. I will handle it." He waved a dismissive hand. "The meeting is adjourned. I'll be flying to Cygnus's headquarters tonight to salvage this deal."

He flew to Silicon Valley, chasing after Perez, desperate to repair the damage. But Perez was unyielding. "Mr. Steele," he said, a smug smile on his face, "we value stability. We value partners who are focused, professional. And frankly, your recent… personal issues… are concerning." He paused, then added, "We had high hopes for Ms. Moreno, though. She seemed to possess a remarkable clarity, a quiet strength. A shame she's no longer with your company."

The words hit Edwardo like a physical blow. Ms. Moreno. Blair. Perez knew about her. He was subtly rubbing it in, reminding Edwardo of the capable woman he had so carelessly discarded.

A cold, sickening dread began to settle in Edwardo' s stomach. Cassie. Her erratic behavior. Her constant demands. Her flippant disregard for his work. And then, Blair. Her quiet competence. Her unwavering loyalty, even when he gave her nothing but contempt.

He remembered her face in the hospital, the cold fire in her eyes as she presented the crypto key. She had acted with precision, with ruthlessness, to protect her brother and her company. She had never once resorted to cheap theatrics or emotional manipulation.

The contrast was stark, horrifying. He had been blind. Willfully blind.

The nausea churned. It wasn't just his OCD. It was a deeper sickness, a realization that was slowly, painfully, dawning on him. He had made a catastrophic mistake. He had thrown away gold for glitter. And the cost was beginning to feel unbearable.

Edwardo pushed the gnawing unease deep down, burying it under layers of work. He spent the next few days in a relentless cycle of meetings, phone calls, and damage control, trying to salvage the Cygnus deal. He didn't hear from Cassie, and in his agitated state, he honestly didn't notice her absence. His world had shrunk to boardrooms and balance sheets.

Then, at a high-stakes business dinner with potential new investors, the doors to the private dining room swung open. Cassie, adorned in another extravagant dress, her eyes sparkling with something wild, stumbled in, a triumphant smirk on her face. She spotted a young, elegant female CEO across the table, chatting easily with Edwardo.

Cassie's smile vanished. Her eyes narrowed into angry slits. She marched directly to Edwardo's side, ignoring everyone else. "Edwardo! There you are! I've been looking for you everywhere!" She glared at the female CEO. "Who is this?"

Edwardo winced. "Cassie, this is Ms. Albright. We're in a business meeting. Please, leave." He tried to keep his voice calm, but annoyance simmered beneath the surface.

"Leave?" Cassie shrieked, her voice echoing in the too-quiet room. "You want me to leave? While you're flirting with other women?" She pointed an accusatory finger at Ms. Albright. "You tramp! Stay away from my man!"

Ms. Albright, a picture of professional composure, simply raised an eyebrow. The other investors exchanged uncomfortable glances, their polite smiles now rigid.

"Cassie, that's enough!" Edwardo hissed, grabbing her arm and trying to steer her out. "You're making a scene!"

She yanked her arm away, tears instantly filling her eyes. "Oh, so now you're siding with her? You don't love me anymore! Fine! I'm leaving! We're over! Do you hear me? Over!" She turned and stormed out, a whirlwind of dramatic sobs and slamming doors.

A mortified silence descended upon the table. The air was thick with embarrassment. The investors, their faces carefully blank, began to gather their papers.

The lead investor, Mr. Davies, a man with a reputation for shrewd judgment, slowly pushed back his chair. He looked at Edwardo, his gaze filled with a quiet disappointment. "Mr. Steele, we appreciate your time. But we invest in stability. In clear leadership. This… spectacle… is concerning." He paused, then added, his voice low, "Frankly, Mr. Steele, I'm beginning to question your judgment. In all areas."

Edwardo felt a cold rush of humiliation. My judgment. The words hit him hard. He watched as the investors politely but firmly excused themselves, leaving him alone at the table, the scent of expensive food mixing with the bitter taste of defeat.

His hands clenched into fists. He pulled out his phone, his fingers shaking with a rage he hadn't felt in years. He dialed Cassie's number. It rang once, twice. Straight to voicemail. He called again. Again, voicemail. Three more times. Nothing. She was deliberately ignoring him.

"Find Cassie Shields," he barked into the phone to his assistant. "Now. I want to know where she is."

It took a frantic hour of searching. His security team finally tracked her down to a high-end club, a place notorious for its wild parties. Edwardo drove there himself, his mind a whirlwind of anger and confusion.

He pushed his way through the pulsating crowd, the flashing lights, and the deafening music. And then he saw her. Cassie. On the dance floor, grinding against a burly stranger, her head thrown back in laughter, her arms wrapped around his neck. Her eyes, when they met Edwardo' s across the room, held a fleeting moment of surprise, then pure defiance.

His blood ran cold. The image of her intimate with another man, after all his sacrifices, after all his efforts to protect her, ignited a firestorm within him. This was not the frightened, fragile woman he had believed in. This was a calculating, unfaithful opportunist.

He strode onto the dance floor, pushing people aside. He grabbed Cassie' s arm with bruising force, yanking her away from the stranger. "What the hell are you doing, Cassie?" he roared over the music.

She stumbled, then glared at him, pulling her arm away. "Edwardo! You're ruining my fun! And who are you to judge? We broke up, remember?"

"We did not break up!" he seethed, his voice barely audible above the din. "You threw a tantrum and left my meeting!"

"Well, now we're officially broken up!" she screamed back, tears springing to her eyes. "You don't care about me! You're always working! You're always flirting with other women!" She pointed at the stranger she'd been dancing with. "He cares about me! He makes me feel good!"

Edwardo looked at her, truly looked at her. Her eyes were hard, her face devoid of any true emotion, only petulant anger. He saw the calculation behind the tears, the manipulative edge to her voice. He saw the contempt.

A wave of exhaustion washed over him. He was tired. So incredibly tired of her drama, her demands, her endless need for attention. He was tired of sacrificing his reputation, his relationships, his company, for her.

"I'm done, Cassie," he said, his voice flat, devoid of emotion. "We're over. For good."

Her eyes widened. "What? Edwardo, no! You don't mean that! You're just mad! I'm sorry! I was just jealous! I was just trying to make you pay attention to me!" She lunged at him, trying to embrace him, tears streaming down her face.

He pushed her away, his stomach churning with revulsion. "Don't touch me. You disgust me."

He turned and walked out of the club, leaving her screaming his name on the dance floor. The loud music, the flashing lights, the stench of alcohol and sweat, it all felt suffocating. He needed air. He needed silence.

He got into his car, the leather interior suddenly feeling cold and empty. He lit a cigarette, something he rarely did, and took a deep drag, the smoke burning his lungs. He leaned his head back against the seat, closing his eyes.

My judgment. Mr. Davies' words echoed again. He had been so blind. So incredibly, spectacularly blind.

He thought of Blair. Her quiet strength. Her unwavering loyalty, even when he despised her. He remembered her sharp intellect, her calm resolve in the face of his threats. She had never thrown a tantrum. She had never publicly humiliated him. She had never tried to sabotage his work. She had simply endured, until she couldn't anymore.

He remembered her face in the hospital, bruised and broken, but with a new fire in her eyes as she confronted him. She hadn't screamed. She hadn't cried hysterically. She had simply stated her terms, clearly and unequivocally. She had fought for Ben, for her family, with a dignity he had never truly appreciated.

A bitter, agonizing pain twisted in his chest. A pain that had nothing to do with OCD, and everything to do with a profound, terrifying regret. He had been so wrong. So utterly, tragically wrong. He had pushed away the only woman who truly cared, who truly stood by him, for a superficial, manipulative charade.

He slammed his fist against the steering wheel, the sharp pain a welcome distraction from the agony in his heart. He felt a sudden, overwhelming urge to go home. Not to his sterile, empty penthouse, but to the house he shared, or used to share, with Blair. The house where she had been a ghost, a quiet presence that he had systematically ignored, dehumanized, and ultimately, driven away.

He started the engine, his foot pressing hard on the accelerator. He imagined her there, waiting for him. Perhaps she'd be in her study, poring over documents, her brow furrowed in concentration. Or maybe she'd be in the kitchen, preparing one of her healthy, simple meals. He imagined walking in, and seeing her, just seeing her, without the walls, without the contempt, without the unbearable, agonizing distance.

A foolish hope, he knew. But it was the only hope he had left. He sped through the night, chasing a phantom, a memory of a woman he had never truly seen, until it was too late.