The billionaire revenge marriage

chapter 7: planning

The penthouse was too quiet.

Ares locked the door with three clicks. Thumbprint. Code. Deadbolt. Then he exhaled like he’d held his breath since the gala.

“He left early,” he said. “That’s bad.”

“Because he’s planning,” I finished. My heels were off. My feet hurt. The red dress felt like a target. “You said that.”

“Planning means he’s not reacting. Reacting is sloppy. Planning is dead.” He shrugged out of his tux jacket. The gun was still there. He didn’t take it out.

I set my clutch down. The bullet rolled out. _MIA TORRES 04/20/2026_. It stopped at his shoe.

He looked at it. Then at me. “You kept it.”

“Evidence.”

“It’s a promise.” He kicked it under the island. “And we’re breaking it.”

He went to the bar. Poured two drinks. Pushed one toward me. “Drink. You’re shaking.”

I was. I took the glass. Didn’t drink. “He said Rosa. By name. He knows the hospital. The floor.”

“He knows because I let him know.” Ares drank his in one go. “I moved her an hour ago. New name. New floor. New hospital. My team took her out the service exit while we were dancing.”

I stared. “You—”

“Clause four. _Husband provides for the protection of Wife’s immediate family._ I wrote it. I follow it.” He set his glass down. “She’s safe. For now.”

For now.

“What happened to Elena?” I asked. My voice was steady.

His jaw locked. “You don’t want to know.”

“If I’m wearing her title, I want to know how she lost it.”

He was quiet. Then: “She was kind. Richard told her I was stealing from the company. Told her he could protect her if she testified against me. Signed an affidavit.”

“Did she?”

“She was going to. She believed him. I found out. We fought. She left. Drove to the bridge. His men were waiting.”

“So he killed her because she was going to betray you.”

“He killed her because she was useful. Alive, she was leverage. Dead, she was a warning.” He finally looked at me. “You’re not useful dead. Not yet. Not until the board votes in six months. Until then, you’re a shield. He’ll try to crack you, not kill you.”

“Comforting.”

“It’s the truth.” He crossed to me. Took the drink from my hand. Set it aside. “And the truth is, after tonight, he knows you’re not a prop. You looked at me like—”

“Like what?”

“Like you meant it.”

I didn’t answer.

His phone buzzed. He checked it. Face went hard.

“What?”

“Footage from the old hospital. Two men tried to get to Rosa’s room ten minutes ago. My team stopped them.” He showed me the screen. Grainy feed. Two men in scrubs. One with a syringe.

My stomach dropped.

“They’re in custody,” he said. “Richard will deny it. But it was him.”

I backed up until I hit the island. “He tried today. On the day you married me.”

“Kiss. Yes.” He followed me. Didn’t touch. Just caged me in with his arms on the marble. “That’s why we did it. That’s why we’ll keep doing it. Every time he sees us, he sees a problem he can’t solve with a bullet.”

“And if he decides to solve it with two bullets?”

“Then I put mine in him first.”

His phone buzzed again. Call. He answered. “Speak.”

I couldn’t hear the other side. His knuckles went white on the phone.

“Hold him,” Ares said. “I’m coming down.” He hung up.

“Down where?”

“Garage level. They caught another one. Trying to plant something on your car.” He grabbed his jacket. Gun disappeared inside it. “Stay here. Door stays locked. Don’t open for anyone but me.”

“Ares—”

He stopped at the door.

“Be careful,” I said.

Something flickered in his eyes. Then it was gone.

“You too, Mrs. Callahan.”

The door shut. Three locks clicked.

I stood in the kitchen with a bullet under the island and a ghost in the red dress.

My phone lit up.

_Unknown Number: You kiss well for a cleaner. Shame about the next Mrs. Callahan. -R_

I didn’t delete it.

I took a screenshot. Forwarded it to _A_.

Then I went to the guest room. Opened the drawer. Took out the scalpel.

If Richard wanted to play, he should remember:

Cleaners know how to handle blood.