I Left Him after He Chose The Sister-in-law

Leonidas Lopez was hot on my Clementine's trail, only to get cut off mid-step by someone.

Mckenna Lopez nudged him gently, "Uncle, maybe if Clementine lands a job, she’ll start feeling like herself again."

Leonidas’s chiseled handsome face went dark as storm clouds.

Up in the northern business world, the only man who could go toe-to-toe with Leonidas was Raphael Garza. His company, Garza Heavy Industries, and Leonidas’s own Lopez Aviation were the two unrivaled giants of the industry—both dwarfing the three firms Clementine had interviewed at. Leonidas was known to everyone as the Ice-Cold Tycoon, while Raphael went by the Charming Tycoon. Two alphas can’t share one territory, and these two were born rivals.

Clementine cut right through Raphael’s flirty banter with his date.

"Mr. Garza, do you have a minute?"

The man lifted his gaze to her, a flicker of annoyance melting into a glint of sharp interest. He patted his companion’s ass, and once she’d sauntered off, he drawled teasingly, "Maybe you should wipe those battle stains off your lip first."

Flushing awkwardly, Clementine pulled out a tissue and blotted the blood off her split lip fast, then handed him her resume.

Raphael scanned it once, then lifted his eyes again. "You’re Leonidas’s soon-to-be ex-wife. Convince me why I should hire you."

Twirling the pendant at his neck with one hand, the other curled around a glass of red wine, a faint smirk tugged at his lips—his expression impossible to read.

Clementine smiled right back. "In research, in business… you’ve always been just a hair behind Leonidas, haven’t you, Mr. Garza? Wouldn’t having his ex on your team give you the edge you’ve been chasing? Or are you… scared?"

Raphael laughed low, "That sounds way more intriguing than anything else I’ve heard all night."

He tapped his wine glass against hers, a wicked grin spreading across his face, "Alright then… be in my office tomorrow morning for your formal interview."

"Then I’ll let you get back to your night." Clementine took a token sip of wine and turned to leave. This gala wasn’t the place for a deep dive conversation—she just needed to get her foot in the door. Meeting Raphael outside a big public event like this? Next to impossible.

Finally, Leonidas shook off his blocker and caught up, his face colder than ice as he stepped between Raphael and the exit.

Raphael laughed it off easy, "I’ve heard Mrs. Lopez is a total spitfire. I find her fascinating."

With that, he sidestepped Leonidas and walked off, humming a little tune under his breath.

Leonidas’s chest heaved visibly as he stormed out of the grand ballroom. The other guests, who’d been leaning in waiting for a full-on fight, exchanged loaded glances. That was it? They’d been counting on a real show.

Liberty Marshall had just gotten back from the restroom and hurried after him, "Mr. Lopez, leaving so early? Weren’t you looking for Dr. Walker?"

Meanwhile, Clementine stood on the side of the road waving at passing cabs, when a sleek black luxury sedan pulled right up in front of her.

The window rolled down, revealing Leonidas’s razor-sharp, handsome jaw. "Get in."

"No way in hell," Clementine shot back immediately, stepping back to get out of his path.

The car door flew open. Leonidas swung his long legs out, scooped her up, and hauled her right into the backseat before she could even struggle. He leaned over, his mouth crashing into hers— a kiss thick with pent-up longing and raw hunger.

The privacy screens slid up silent and smooth around them, cutting them off from the whole world.

Clementine kicked and hit him, but Leonidas didn’t even flinch.

As streetlights flickered past the Bentley’s rear window, Mckenna stood on the curb, her glasses glinting in the glow, and caught a glimpse of the two of them tangled together up front.

The car pulled up to the villa at Emerald Bay. Leonidas carried Clementine inside, his mouth never leaving hers the whole way in.

By the time he laid her down on the bed, her clothes were a mess. Her blouse was rucked up halfway, baring her smooth soft skin. Her body was exquisite—Leonidas knew every curve of it, as her husband. He knew exactly where all her sensitive spots were, too, and he lit her desire on fire without even trying.

"Leonidas!" Clementine gasped out in anger, but her voice came out soft and breathy, almost a coquettish purr. It made him think of how casually she’d talked to Raphael earlier—something she never did with Mckenna.

There was no logical reason to be jealous of a man she’d just met, but that possessive beast inside him gnawed at his ribs, turning his hunger up tenfold. She was his. Only his.

Just as his fingers brushed the lace of her lingerie, his phone started ringing.

Leonidas ignored it.

But it kept ringing, over and over—stopped, then started right back up, demanding he answer it.

He stretched a long arm out, grabbed the phone, and snarled, "What?"

As he spoke, he started to push himself up off Clementine— but the woman who’d been fighting him this whole time suddenly tangled her arms around his neck, pulling him back down.

Leonidas ground his teeth, a low, guttural growl rumbling in his chest.

Clementine caught snatches of the voice on the other end: "I dreamed of your brother… he’s covered in blood, his whole face is all bloody…"

Leonidas shot her a warning glare. Clementine arched an eyebrow provocatively, and purred loud enough for the caller to hear every word: "Honey, slow down, you’re hurting me~"

Her voice was sweet and sultry, enough to turn a man’s bones to mush. And it carried perfectly over the line.

Once, Clementine had felt sorry for Samara. She’d told herself over and over that it was fine when Leonidas left her over and over again to go to her. She’d even felt a twist of guilt when she learned Leonidas might have been involved in his brother’s death. She’d been stupid enough to think she should just let Leonidas go to Samara, so he wouldn’t have to be torn between them.

But the second that endless ringing cut through the room, all that softness turned to a sharp, hungry need for revenge. Clementine couldn’t tell if it was just human nature, or if she’d always been this rotten, this selfish at her core.

Leonidas’s Adam’s apple bobbed hard. The knuckles of the hand holding his phone stood out white and sharp.

The voice on the line hesitated, then went on: "Leonidas, your brother said he’s cold. So, so cold…"

"It was just a dream…" Leonidas answered, his jaw clamped tight. He stood up and walked out of the bedroom, shutting the door half behind him.

It was a rare softness in his voice. A tenderness Clementine had never once heard him use with her.

She stared up at the ceiling, the hot fire inside her slowly fizzling out.

A few minutes later, Clementine sat up and straightened her clothes, then looked around the room. It was exactly the same as it had been before she moved out. Even the Thanksgiving decorations were still up. It was like she’d never left at all.

The door wasn’t completely latched, and Leonidas’s voice drifted through the crack: "You need to stop stressing yourself out over the baby…"

Hearing those words, Clementine’s gaze drifted to their wedding photo on the nightstand. It had been smashed and stained when Leonidas threw it after their fight, the glass shattered into a hundred pieces. But now it was perfectly fixed, good as new—like nothing bad had ever happened.

Did Leonidas really think that if he just let things sit for a few days, then said a few soft words, everything could just go back to the way it was?

Irritation exploded in her chest like wildfire, out of control and rising fast. Clementine grabbed a heavy metal ornament off the bedside table and swung it as hard as she could right at the giant framed wedding portrait hanging above the bed.

Crash!

Wood frame and shards of glass went flying all across the covers.

Hearing the noise, Leonidas burst through the door. His eyes were instantly bloodshot red.

"CLEMENTINE!"