“Even though I come with this—” I gestured helplessly “This disaster of a family history?”
“Especially because of it.” He tilted my chin up. “You are the strongest person I know. You have taken all three of us on.”
“I don’t feel strong.”
“You just confronted the man who abandoned you and told him exactly what you thought of him. You took back your power. That’s strength, Tashi. That’s courage. That’s everything.”
I leaned into him, letting his solid presence ground me.
“Henri’s going to be at the gala,” I said. “He’s still a shareholder. He’ll be watching.”
“Good.” Leo’s voice was hard. “Let him watch. Let him see what he lost. Let him see his daughter standing with three men who actually deserve her.”
“You think we can still do this? After everything? The lawsuit, Henri?—”
“We don’t just do this,” Leo said. “We win. We stand up there and show everyone that love doesn’t have to look like what they expect. That family isn’t defined by blood or convention. That four people choosing each other is just as valid as any other relationship.”
“And if they don’t accept it?”
He kissed my forehead. “We do it anyway.”
I pulled back and looked at him—this man who’d stood behind me every minute I was in Las Vegas.
“Thank you,” I said. “For choosing me.”
“Always.” He took my hand. “Now come on. We need to run through the announcement one more time, and then you need to rest. Tomorrow will be a long day.”
“Rest.” I almost laughed. “Right. Because I’m definitely going to be able to sleep after this day.”
“Then don’t sleep. But at least lie down. Close your eyes. Let us take care of you for a few hours.”
“Bossy.”
“You love it.”
I did.
We headed back to the executive floor, to the suite that had become our sanctuary.
Orion was waiting, his face tight with concern. “Marta told me,” he said immediately. “About Henri being your father.”
“Ex-father,” I corrected. “He stopped being my father the day he abandoned my mother.”
“Fair.” Orion pulled me into a hug. “You okay?”
“No. But I will be.” I stepped back and looked at both of them. “Tomorrow night we tell our story. We stand together and we tell the truth.”
“All of it?” Orion asked carefully. “Including Henri?”
I thought about it. About the media circus that would erupt. About the questions. About Henri’s face when his greatest shame became public knowledge.
“Not yet,” I said finally. “The gala is about us. About love. About celebration. Henri’s story—that comes later. After we’ve proven that nothing can break us apart.”
“Then that’s what we do.” Orion pulled me close.
“And after that?” I asked.
“We face the Gaming Commission,” Leo said. “We present our evidence. We watch Marcus and Henri and Wilder face consequences. And we start building our life together. Officially. Publicly. Permanently. No more hiding.”
