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.

his head, though no one could

no winning outcome there,” he said. “Let

“Yes, sir.”

line clicked and went dead. It might seem like he was letting her escape. However, jail time for Nicole would be only two to three years. By running, she worsened her situation. There was no way she

his phone into his jacket

she ever entered the US

was on this floor. And now he felt like they were a little

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

saw them through

somehow softer than he had seen her before. Blair stood next to Sutton, arms folded across her chest, mouth moving as she

and buzzed himself

gown from the wall hook, he pained. He could hear them talking, and they hadn’t realized he

meant to eavesdrop, but he

have something I want to share with you

was

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

a waited to let Blair

I’m so happy for you,” Sutton

for them. But there was nothing he could do about it

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

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

Blair’s next words confirmed what he had

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

out a sound halfway between a sob and a laugh, immediately wrapping her sister

isn’t something I can catch. Because whatever it is, I

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

Keira said. “Absolutely not. Call

pregnant in a cold sweat. When you become pregnant or even have the baby, no one hands you a manual. Because every child