How To Lose Your Billionaire Alpha Husband In 365 Days (Or Less)!-Chapter 56: A New Ally?

"No," she said. "And people like Vale? They don’t step down. They wait to be removed."

The two of us sat in silence for a beat.

"You think I can do this?" I asked finally.

"I think," Marissa said, "if you weren’t already halfway there, he wouldn’t be fighting this hard to stop you."

She rose, gathering her coat. "But be careful. Graham played a long game. Vale’s playing something even older. And people who stand in the way of power either learn to take control or get destroyed."

I stood with her. "Thank you. For coming."

Her smile softened. "Your mother once told me the moon only rises when it’s time. Don’t fight the night, Jasmine. Just light it up."

And then she was gone.

Aiden stepped back into the room, leaning on the doorframe. "How’d it go?"

"Interesting," I murmured, mind still spinning. "She knew my parents. She thought Vale was a temporary placeholder, too. She never agreed with his leadership."

"Then we just got another ally," he said, stepping forward. "Or at least, someone who won’t stab us first."

I laughed softly, exhaustion pulling at my limbs. "I don’t have the energy to go to the foundation site tonight. We’d be crawling in by moonlight, and I doubt we’d find anything in the dark."

He nodded. "Then let’s go home. Regroup."

The ride back was quiet, comfortably so. Aiden’s hand rested on mine as we drove, and I let the silence wrap around us like a shield. The night outside passed in a blur of streetlights and drifting shadows.

Once home, we headed straight to our rooms.

A hot bath helped wash off the residue of boardroom politics and prophecy talk. I soaked in the water longer than I meant to, letting it ease the tension from my shoulders.

By the time I came downstairs, wrapped in a cashmere robe with my damp hair tied back, Aiden was already in the dining room, setting two plates on the table.

Roast chicken. Herb potatoes. Something warm and grounding.

"Smells like Alara’s bribed the kitchen staff again," I said, slipping into my seat.

"Bribed?" he scoffed. "She’s just finally admitting I’m her favourite Alpha."

"Pfffftttt," I said, taking a bite. "You keep forgetting this whole thing started when I came into the picture, so I must be the reason."

He smirked. "She doesn’t know you as much as she knows me."

"Still, she cherishes me."

"Luna kind of cherished. Doesn’t count."

I laughed, then sighed. "Marissa Chambers came thinking I was just Graham’s daughter playing CEO. I think I convinced her otherwise."

"You didn’t have to convince her," Aiden said. "You just had to be you."

"Gods," I groaned. "You’re not going to start being sweet now, are you?"

"I was hoping to wear you down," he said, sipping his wine.

"You already did," I murmured without thinking.

The silence hung in the air, filled with unspoken thoughts. We both sensed it but didn’t say anything, at least, not yet.

After dinner, neither of us was in a hurry to leave the warm glow of the dining room.

The storm outside had grown louder, with wind brushing against the windows like whispered warnings, but in here, everything felt... still. Steady.

"Come on," Aiden said, already grabbing the wine and the second half of a chocolate cake I hadn’t noticed before. "Living room. You owe me a match."

I raised an eyebrow. "A match? Which match?"

"Chess. Last time we talked, you boasted how you could outsmart me at a chess game."

"You mean me talking about my skills is seen as boasting?"

"Narrating psychological warfare and distraction techniques does not count as strategy," he said as we walked into the living room. "So..."

I plopped onto the sofa with a smirk. "Sounds like a personal problem."

He rolled his eyes and set up the board on the coffee table between us.

The fire in the hearth flickered to life with a subtle wave of his hand, probably more habit than effort. Aiden never did anything halfway. Even relaxing had a sort of quiet command to it.

I leaned back into the cushions as we began.

"You going to try that intense ’Alpha stare’ again?" I teased as I moved my pawn.

"Only if you try that thing where you talk about business until I get distracted and forget where my rook is."

"It works, doesn’t it?"

He snorted and made his move.

The game was surprisingly even. We bickered over plays, laughed when someone made a dumb move, and somewhere in the middle of it, I stopped feeling like the world was crashing down.

It felt... good. Normal, in a way I hadn’t felt in weeks.

After I won (fair and square, thank you very much), he leaned back and stretched with a groan. "Okay, I’ll admit it. You’re terrifying with a strategy board."

"You should see me during budget season," I said, pretending to crack my knuckles.

He chuckled. Then silence settled again. This one softer, sleepier.

I turned toward him. "Thanks for today."

He didn’t ask what for. Just nodded and reached for my hand again, like he knew I needed the contact even if I didn’t say so.

Eventually, we wandered back upstairs, the quiet stretching comfortably between us.

We parted at the stairs. I paused at my door, glancing back over my shoulder. "We’ll go to the foundation site tomorrow?"

He nodded. "Early."

"Okay. Goodnight, Aiden."

"Night, Jasmine." 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

I stepped inside, shutting the door gently behind me.

The silence of my room was a contrast to the warmth we’d just left. I changed into a soft T-shirt and shorts, pulled the covers back, and climbed into bed, exhaling deeply as my head hit the pillow.

But sleep didn’t come.

My mind wouldn’t rest. Plans. Risks. The vault. Vale. Secrets. Seals. Bloodlines. All of it tangled like vines in my thoughts, stubborn and tight.

KNOCK KNOCK.

I sat up straight.

Another knock followed, softer, more hesitant.

I slid off the bed and padded barefoot across the floor, heart thumping.

I opened the door.

"Aiden?" I blinked.