There was no sound in the room for a long moment. Just our combined breathing and the gentle breeze coming in through the open French door wrestling the curtains. As we all sat, eyesglued to the TV as thetruthwas finally dragged into the light of day.
I leaned in, brushing my shoulder against Theo’s. I didn’t need to whisper, but I did anyway—something about the secrecy felt sacred.Ours. “I told you there was something going on there,” I murmured.
Theo huffed out something between a breath and a laugh. “You didn’t just tell me. You dragged me kicking and screaming through every suspicion you had for the past six months.”
“I was right though,” I taunted.
He turned his head toward me. The corners of his mouth tugged upward, soft and bitter. “You’re always right.”
“I like it when you say that,” I smirked, nudging him lightly.
The anchor went on, reading out statements from the DA’s office, confirming what we already knew: Theo’s father wasn’t going down alone. Not this time. He was dragging everyone who played a part in his empire of shadows down with him—including Timothy, who turned out to be his backup heir from a string of affairs he had over the years.
Theo’s mom finally broke the silence, her voice brittle. “He always thought he was invincible…”
Richard leaned down and whispered something into her ear, and she nodded, blinking away the sheen in her eyes.
Theo ran a hand through my curls, letting out a sigh that sounded like it had been lodged in his lungs for a decade. “It’s almost over.”
“Not yet, but soon,” I replied, watching the screen fade into talking heads. “But it’s ending. And that’s enough for now.”
He leaned back, head dropping against the couch, arm stretching along the top behind me. I shifted closer, letting my fingers find his. There was no more pretending. No more hiding. Not from the world and definitely not from each other.
“Are you boys all set for your trip?” Richard asked, settling beside Theo’s mom and lacing his fingers through hers like it was second nature now. That simple gesture was strange to watch—but in the kind of way that made something loosen in my chest.
“We are,” Theo said, with an easy confidence that made my stomach flip. “The yacht’s docked and the crew will be ready once tonight’s over. I can’t wait to show Sin the world.”
Emotion prickled the backs of my eyes. Theo could be an insufferable romantic asshole when he wanted to be—but sometimes he said shit like that, and I had to remind myself how to breathe.
I cleared my throat, trying not to sound like I was short-circuiting. “Does it come with a magic carpet too, Aladdin?”
He grinned, eyes gleaming with mischief. “Not sure, Princess, but we could probably pick up a monkey.”
“Just stay in touch, okay?” Theo’s mom interrupted gently before our snark spiral could get going. She gave us both that look—the one that said she knew what we were doing and found it kind of endearing, even if she wouldn’t admit it.
“Or better yet,” she added, “maybe we could join you wherever you are for the holidays?”
Theo’s smile twitched, not quite reaching his eyes. “That sounds like a lovely idea, Mom.”
Richard chuckled lowly, more amused than offended. “Then we’ll make it happen. We’ll crash your holiday paradise. I’m not used to being retired yet, so it’ll be nice to have something to look forward to.”
“I don’t know,” I muttered under my breath, unable to stop the bitterness from leaking through. “I can’t promise to be on my best behavior, I’ve never had a real family Christmas before.”
The room stilled for half a beat. Theo’s hand gripped the back of my neck, warm and grounding, thumb stroking along my skin.
They’d come a long way, Theo and his mom. Rebuilding something from the wreckage Washington had left behind. A new foundation. Honest and raw and fragile—but solid. Every time I saw the two of them in the same room without knives drawn, and guards down, I felt a weird sort of secondhand pride.
I didn’t have that.
Elizabeth hadn’t said more than ten words to me since they kicked me out, and Maddox… I was pretty sure he still wished I’d disappeared the moment I stepped into their world.
But I didn’t need them anymore. I had Theo. And that was enough.
Theo shifted beside me, magnetic as always. He didn’t say anything, just slid his arm around my waist and pulled me closer until I was half on his lap. Like he knew what I needed before I did.
After a beat, he leaned in and whispered, “You okay?”
I hesitated for a second, then nodded. “Yeah. I just… this whole ‘people caring’ thing still short-circuits my system sometimes.”
