After My Fiancé Stopped My Ex’s Attack

The phone vibrated against my desk, its screen illuminating with Everett's name. I smiled, reaching for it absently while sorting through another stack of case files.

"Hey, Ev," I answered, expecting to hear about his latest trading victory or some joke he'd heard at the office.

"Chloe." His voice cracked. "They're arresting me."

My fingers froze on the file folder. "What? Who?"

"The SEC. Insider trading charges." His words tumbled out in a frantic rush. "They're saying I used non-public information to trade stocks. It's bullshit, Chloe, you know it is. I would never—"

"Where are you?" I stood up, my chair rolling backward with a harsh scrape against the floor.

"They're taking me to the federal building downtown. The bail hearing is tomorrow morning." He paused, and I could hear the tremor in his breath. "Chloe, they're talking about life without parole if I'm convicted."

The room tilted sideways. Everett was my only family since our parents died. We'd survived together, supported each other through college, law school for me, his first trading job...

"This is ridiculous," I said, gripping the phone so tightly my knuckles whitened. "You're being targeted."

"The bail is set at two million, Chloe. Plus we need a defense team that can handle federal cases." His voice dropped to a whisper. "I don't have that kind of money."

Neither did I. The realization hit me like a physical blow.

"I'll figure something out," I promised, though my mind was already racing through impossible options. "Just... stay strong until I get there."

I hung up and grabbed my purse, barely remembering to lock my desk before rushing toward the elevator. The security guard nodded at me as I passed, accustomed to my late nights at Benedict's law firm.

"Leaving early tonight, Ms. Dixon?"

"My brother's been arrested," I said, the words still feeling unreal as they left my mouth. "I need to find Benedict."

The security guard's expression shifted to sympathy. "Good luck with that. He's at the Meridian Foundation Gala downtown."

---

The Meridian Foundation Gala glittered with New York's elite—lawyers, bankers, politicians all mingling under crystal chandeliers. I pushed through the crowd in my wrinkled work clothes, scanning for Benedict's tall figure.

I found him near the bar, his dark hair perfectly styled, his tuxedo impeccable. Beside him stood Ivanna Reyes, her red dress clinging to her curves as she laughed at something he said.

"Benedict!" I called, my voice cracking as I approached.

He turned, his expression shifting from annoyance to forced neutrality when he saw me. "Chloe? What are you doing here?"

"It's Everett," I said, touching his arm urgently. "He's been arrested by the SEC. They're charging him with insider trading."

Ivanna's dark eyes flickered between us, her lips curving into a slight smirk as she sipped her champagne.

"Inside trading?" Benedict's voice cooled. "That's serious."

"He needs bail money," I pressed, my voice dropping to a desperate whisper. "Two million dollars. Benedict, we've been together seven years. I know you have access to that kind of capital."

He glanced at his watch—his expensive Patek Philippe that I'd admired countless times—and took a slow sip of his scotch. "Chloe, you're being hysterical. Your brother is a criminal now."

"He's not—"

"He is if the SEC says he is." Benedict's voice hardened. "I can't risk my firm's reputation on this. We have clients watching."

Ivanna's smirk widened as she placed a manicured hand on Benedict's shoulder. "Perhaps Ms. Dixon should seek... alternative arrangements."

---

With less than twenty-four hours until Everett's bail hearing, I sat in my apartment surrounded by financial documents and desperate schemes. None of them would work. Not in time.

My fingers trembled as I opened an old keepsake box, searching for... something. Anything. At the bottom, beneath photos and mementos, lay a crumpled business card.

Caspian Ford.

Seven years had passed since I'd last seen him. Seven years since whatever had happened between us had ended abruptly.

I dialed the number, not expecting anything.

The phone rang once before a deep voice answered. "Caspian Ford."

"Caspian," I said, my voice barely audible. "It's Chloe Dixon."

Silence stretched between us for a heartbeat. Then: "I know who you are, Chloe. What do you need?"

---

Midnight found me in a sleek high-rise office across from Central Park. Caspian's empire had grown significantly in seven years. His office occupied the entire top floor, with floor-to-ceiling windows offering a panoramic view of the city lights.

He sat behind a massive desk, his dark eyes studying me with an intensity that made my skin prickle.

"Two million dollars," he repeated after I explained Everett's situation. "Plus a top-tier legal defense team."

"Yes," I whispered, shame burning through me at having to ask for so much.

Caspian leaned back in his chair, his fingers steepled together. "And what are you offering in return, Chloe?"

I swallowed hard. "Anything."

His lips curved into a slight smile as he slid a document across the polished desk. "This is a marriage contract."

The words blurred before my eyes as I stared at the paper.

"Sign it," he said softly, "and your brother will have the best defense money can buy."

My hand trembled as I reached for the pen.