Chapter 22 Billionaire's Scandal

• Maximilian Blackwood stood at the floor-to-ceiling window of his penthouse, staring out at the glittering Manhattan skyline. The city stretched endlessly before him, a kingdom he’d fought tooth and nail to command. But tonight, it felt like a battlefield. His hand tightened around the tumbler of bourbon, the ice clinking faintly against the glass. Something was coming—he could feel it in his bones.
• Behind him, Isabella slept upstairs, her breathing steady and soft. The ultrasound photo from their last appointment sat on the coffee table, a quiet reminder of everything he stood to lose. He’d promised her safety. He’d promised their child a future. And yet, the nagging dread in his gut told him the war wasn’t over.
• His phone buzzed on the counter, pulling him from his thoughts. A message from his ruthless father, Gerald BlackWood. Max frowned, swiping it open.