The Moment My Husband Caught the Bully's Wrist, My Whole World Changed Forever

The Name That Shouldn't Be on the Guest List

The doors swung shut behind Veronica, but her words hung in the air like smoke. I knew things about your precious hotel. My stomach twisted, and not just from the baby kicking.

Viktor's hand found mine, his grip steady. "She's bluffing."

But I'd been in this business long enough to know a threat when I heard one. "She's not."

I called for a private meeting in my penthouse office. The COO followed, his face pale. Mia had fallen asleep in Viktor's arms, her tiny fingers curled around his lapel. I laid her on the velvet couch and turned to face the two men who held the keys to my empire.

"What did she mean?" I asked. "What does she know?"

The COO hesitated. "My Lady... there's something you should see."

He placed the platinum tablet on my desk. The screen flickered, and a document appeared. A contract. Dated six months ago, long before I'd inherited the hotel from my mentor, old Mr. Ashworth.

"This is a lease agreement," I said, scanning it. "For the east wing. Signed by..." My blood ran cold. "By me?"

"It's a forgery," Viktor said, his voice tight.

"It's more than that," the COO said. "Veronica Vane has been quietly buying up shares of the hotel's operating company. She owns 18 percent now. And she's threatening to force a merger with her own firm—unless we sell her the east wing for pennies."

I sank into my chair. The baby kicked again, a sharp reminder that I couldn't afford to be weak. Not now.

"Why didn't I know about this?"

"Because the board kept it from you," Viktor said, his jaw tight. "They thought a pregnant woman couldn't handle the pressure."

I looked at him, surprised. "You knew?"

"I just found out tonight." He knelt beside my chair, his blue eyes burning. "I was going to tell you after the gala. I didn't want to worry you."

A laugh escaped me—bitter and sharp. "You didn't want to worry me? Viktor, I'm the owner. I need to know."

"I know. I'm sorry." He took my hands. "But we'll fight this together. She can't touch us."

"She already did," I said, touching my belly. "She tried to make me kneel in front of my own hotel."

Viktor's eyes darkened. "She'll regret that."

But I wasn't so sure. Veronica had money, connections, and a vendetta. I had a baby on the way, a daughter to protect, and a legacy that could crumble if I made one wrong move.

The COO cleared his throat. "There's more, My Lady. The forgery isn't just on the lease. It's on the deed transfer."

My heart stopped. "What?"

"Someone in the legal department altered the original deed. If we don't prove it's fake by Friday, the hotel might legally belong to... Veronica."

I shot to my feet, ignoring the ache in my back. "That's impossible. Mr. Ashworth left this hotel to me in his will. I have the original documents."

"Do you?" the COO asked quietly.

I rushed to the safe hidden behind the bookshelf. My fingers trembled as I punched in the code. When the door swung open, I found the folder where I'd kept the deed for years. But it was empty.

"No." I flipped through the papers, scattering them on the floor. "No, no, no. It was here. I swear it was here."

Viktor was by my side in an instant. "Nora, calm down. We'll find it."

"It's gone, Viktor!" Tears burned my eyes. "She took it. She must have had someone in my office."

The COO stepped forward, his voice low. "My Lady, there's a security camera in this room. We can check the footage."

"Do it," I said, my hands shaking.

He tapped on the tablet. A grainy black-and-white video appeared. I saw myself leaving the office three weeks ago, my belly huge, Mia in tow. Then the door opened again, and a figure slipped inside. A woman in a maintenance uniform. She moved quickly, opening the safe with a code I didn't recognize.

"She knew the code," I whispered. "How did she know the code?"

Viktor's face was stone. "Someone told her."

We watched as she took the deed, replaced it with a forged copy, and left. I replayed it three times, but the face was too blurry to identify.

"We need to find her," I said.

"Already on it," Viktor said, pulling out his phone. "I'll have our security team run facial recognition."

But as he spoke, a chime echoed through the room. The COO's tablet lit up with an incoming message. He read it, and his face went white.

"What now?" I asked.

"Veronica is holding a press conference," he said. "She's announcing that she's the rightful owner of the hotel. And she's brought... witnesses."

I felt the baby kick again, harder this time. "What witnesses?"

"The former CFO," he said. "And your late mentor's estranged son."

The room spun. I grabbed the desk to steady myself. Mr. Ashworth's son had been cut out of the will years ago, after a bitter dispute over the hotel's direction. If he was with Veronica, he could challenge the inheritance itself.

"We have to stop her," I said.

"We will," Viktor said, his voice firm. "But not tonight. You're exhausted, and the baby—"

"The baby is fine," I snapped. "But this hotel is my family's legacy. I won't let her take it."

Mia stirred on the couch, rubbing her eyes. "Mommy?"

My heart cracked. I'd been so focused on the fight, I'd forgotten she was there. I crossed to her, pulling her into my arms, feeling her heartbeat against my chest.

"It's okay, sweetheart," I whispered. "Mommy's okay."

But I wasn't. I was terrified.

Viktor knelt beside us, his hand on my shoulder. "We'll face this together. I promise."

I wanted to believe him. But as I looked into his eyes, I saw a flicker of doubt—and that scared me more than Veronica ever could.

"There's one more thing," the COO said, his voice barely a whisper. "The press conference is scheduled for tomorrow at noon. And she's invited the entire board."

The board. The same people who'd kept the truth from me. They'd be watching, ready to see if I crumbled.

"Then we have until noon," I said, standing tall despite the weight in my chest. "Let's make every second count."

Viktor pulled me close, his lips against my forehead. "That's my girl."

But even as he held me, I couldn't shake the feeling that we were walking into a trap. And the trap had been set long before I ever walked into the Starlight Veranda.