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.

though no one could see

there,” he said. “Let her run. Maybe she’d

“Yes, sir.”

It might seem like he was letting her escape. However, jail time for Nicole would be only two to

several more beats before slipping his phone into

If she ever entered the US

onto the NICU floor, everything that mattered was on this floor. And

had already come to recognize him.

them through the

language somehow softer than he had seen her before.

forward and buzzed

he unwrapped the hospital mandated gown from the wall hook, he pained. He could hear them

meant to

to share with you both,”

reaction was instant.

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

a waited to let

happy for you,” Sutton

there was nothing he could do about it now.

the next words. “It’s still early. I

Sutton seemed not to understand why she wouldn’t, but Luca could

confirmed what he had

but I feel stupid being happy while Miles is still… stuck in the

between a sob and a laugh, immediately wrapping her sister in a

Please tell me, God, this isn’t something I can catch. Because whatever it is, I don’t want it. I’m too young for

well, Keira,” Blair admitted, her eyes blinking hard. “But

said. “Absolutely not.

I would wake up at night while I was pregnant in a cold sweat. When you become pregnant