The Wife He Forgot to Marry (Winona and Yule) novel Chapter 399

"Tanner, our transaction is over. What are you doing here?" Tallulah demanded, her voice sharp with defensive anxiety. "Don't think you can extort me just because you blew through your cash. I don't respond to threats from deadbeats!"

If Tallulah hadn't been heavily pregnant, Tanner would have slapped her across the face.

"You told me all I had to do was put on a show!" he roared, his eyes wild. "You swore it wouldn't impact my career or my reputation! And what happened? Because of your sick little game, I lost my job, my reputation, and my fiancée. Do you really think a few million is enough to buy the rest of my life?"

Tallulah crossed her arms. "How was I supposed to know it would blow up like that? The internet trolls are the ones who got you fired. Go scream at them! And if your girlfriend left you, that's because you're a loser. How is any of this my fault?"

Tanner's face turned a mottled, dangerous purple as she effortlessly washed her hands of him.

He took a step forward, his voice dropping into a terrifying hiss. "Fine. If you're not going to make this right, you better watch your back. I have absolutely nothing left to lose. I don't care if I end up in a cell. I don't know when I'll snap, but when I do, I'm taking you down with me."

Seeing the genuine, unhinged desperation in his eyes, true fear spiked in Tallulah's chest.

This baby was her golden ticket. Her entire future as Mrs. Locke depended on carrying it to term. If this lunatic decided to attack her in a blind rage, she could lose everything.

"Okay, back up, don't do anything stupid!" she said quickly, holding her hands up. "It's just a job, right? I can find you a new one. A good one."

Tanner sneered. "You? Right."

Desperate, Tallulah pulled out her phone and dialed Quentin Vance. Quentin had an extensive network of overseas pharmaceutical contacts. Since his foreign peers didn't follow local internet drama, they would have no idea about Tanner's toxic reputation.

Quentin answered, and after a brief plea, agreed to help her.

Tallulah ordered Quentin to text Tanner directly. A minute later, Tanner's phone buzzed with a connection request from Quentin Vance.

Since they were in the same field, Tanner obviously knew who Quentin was. Seeing Quentin offering to facilitate a job overseas, his rage faltered, replaced by a desperate glimmer of hope.

Exhausted, Tallulah waved a hand at him. "He's going to set you up. Just talk to him. If it falls through, you can come find me. But right now, I'm pregnant and exhausted, and I don't have the energy to deal with you. Get off my property."

Seeing a tangible way out of his nightmare, Tanner backed down and left the estate.

Tallulah hurried inside, ordering the housekeeper to make her a heavy lunch.

Wasn't she supposed to be three hundred miles away in Seabrook?

Conrad looked confused. "Yes, sir. Did she not tell you?"

Yulen dismissed him and immediately dialed Tallulah's number.

Because she had stepped up and saved the project timeline, his irritation from their last phone call evaporated, leaving his voice soft.

"You're back in Riverton? Why didn't you call me? I would have sent a car for you."

Realizing Conrad must have tipped him off, Tallulah pivoted flawlessly. "The air in Seabrook is so nice, I really wanted to stay and focus on the baby. But when I heard the team was struggling, I just couldn't sit back and watch your company suffer."

Knowing she had risked her comfort for his empire, any lingering resentment Yulen held vanished.

"Where are you now?" he asked warmly. "I'll cut out early and take you somewhere nice for dinner."