Page 68 of Fallen Heir
Jaxson flinched, like the words struck him to his core. But he didn’t argue. It was the truth. I’d sealed my fate the moment I’d signed that marriage certificate.
“Yes,” he said. “But only because there’s a clause in your prenup.”
The room tilted around me. I stared at him, unmoving, heart pounding in my ears. If he knew about the prenup, he knew about the money. If he dug into Bruce, he dug into me. My past. My accounts. My inheritance.
Was that what this was?
Had I been stupid enough to fall for someone just like Bruce—someone playing the long game?Someone who touched me like no one ever had, made me feel safe, wanted, alive—only to gut me the second I let my guard down.
Again.
Was this just a game to him? Another puzzle to solve? Another broken girl to exploit and leave behind?
He must’ve seen it written on my face, because he moved quickly, kneeling in front of me, his hands hovering near mine.
“Savannah,” he said. “I don’t care about that. Any of it. I care about you. About your safety. That’s all I’ve ever cared about.”
I looked at him then—really looked at him. I wanted to believe him.
But belief felt dangerous.
“Then why didn’t you ask me?” I asked, voice barely above a whisper.
His eyes darkened, not with anger, but with something heavier. Something honest. “Would you have told me the truth?” he asked.
And I couldn’t answer.
Because we both already knew.
My mind spun, loud and relentless.
He found the prenup. He knew about Bruce. He looked into my life—without telling me. Maybe it was to protect me. Maybe it wasn’t.
But if he knew all that... what else did he know?And for how long.That phone call was over a month ago.
My stomach turned. Was any of this real?
Did he ever wantme—or was I just a puzzle he needed to solve? A marred woman with a vault full of secrets and a fortune to match.
I blinked, trying to silence the roar in my head. But it was no use. The doubts were louder than my heartbeat, louder than the voice that used to tell me I was safe with him.
And that’s when his voice cut through it—shaky, cracked open like he couldn’t hold it in any longer.
“I knew your mother,” he said softly.
My head snapped toward him.
He looked gutted. Tired. Raw in a way I’d never seen before. “I didn’t want to tell you like this. I didn’t want to tell you at all—not until I knew I could keep you safe. But I can’t lie to you anymore.”
I didn’t breathe.
He dragged a hand through his hair like he was stalling for time he didn’t have. “Barbara and I… we worked together. Over the years. I can’t tell you the details. Only that that your mother trusted me. Years before I ever met you, she trusted me.”
His eyes locked on mine—dark, pleading. “Enough to ask me to protect you when she knew something bad was coming.”
My lungs stopped working.
“She sent me a letter right before the crash. Said Bruce wasn’t who he claimed to be. Said she was scared. She didn’t have proof, not the kind that would hold up in court, but she knew something was wrong. Her words still haunt me… she saidyou’d never believe her in time…”
