Beneath Her Bastard Boss

Luca didn’t remember much of the drive to Lenox Hill. He was still wound up tight after his face–to–face with Nicole. He just hoped he had scared her enough to make her back off.

He would never let his guard down until she was in jail or gone from the US for good.

There would never be forgiveness. The damage she’d tried to do… to Sutton, to Cyber 10, to Miles—if she’d gotten into the NICU, the consequences would’ve been unimaginable. He hadn’t even let himself consider what might’ve happened if she’d made it past security, if she’d found a way into the NICU. Just the thought made his chest tighten enough to hurt.

But she hadn’t.

His legal team had tipped off her lawyers about his intent was not a good color on Nicole.

press formal charges. He just hoped she’d want to save her skin enough to bolt. Orange

His phone buzzed just as he was pulling into the parking under the hospital.

It was an unknown number, but it was the call he had been waiting for.

Luca swiped the call open, holding the phone to his ear. “Luca speaking.”

“Sir. This is Moore from your security division. Just confirmed visual… Nicole boarded a flight to Rome about twenty minutes ago. Manifest clear. No return ticket logged.”

Luca closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. “She went.”

“Yes, sir. She cleared customs. I’m watching the plane now as it makes its way down the runway. She is going,

sir.”

He didn’t say anything for a long moment. Then, “Keep someone watching her passport, anyway. I want alerts if she so much as connects through New York again.”

“Already in place. Do you want follow–up surveillance from the Rome team?”

Luca hesitated.

head, though no one could

outcome there,” he said. “Let her

“Yes, sir.”

time for Nicole would be only two to three years. By running, she worsened her

before slipping his phone into his jacket

entered the US again, she would be

stepped onto the NICU floor, everything that mattered was on this floor. And now he felt like they

a short nod to one of the staff who had already come to recognize him. They didn’t stop him anymore; he was almost as much a fixture as the medical

approached, he saw them through

than he had seen her before.

forward and buzzed himself

hook, he pained. He could hear them talking, and they hadn’t

hadn’t meant to eavesdrop, but he

have something I want to share with

reaction was

only found out yesterday. Roman and I are not telling anyone else until we are at 12 weeks. I did tell him I couldn’t keep it

waited to let Blair finish sharing her

so happy for

them. But there was nothing he could do about

a little on the next words. “It’s still early. I wasn’t going to

understand why she

Blair’s next words confirmed what he

I’m happy, over the moon, but I feel stupid being happy while Miles is still… stuck in the hospital. But I didn’t

and a laugh, immediately wrapping her

God, this isn’t something I can catch. Because whatever it is, I don’t want it.

Blair admitted, her eyes blinking hard. “But also… weirdly calm. Is that

said. “Absolutely not. Call a

in a cold sweat. When you become pregnant