The morning sun offered no comfort.
Clair stood at the kitchen island, gently cradling a steaming mug of tea, her other hand resting on her stomach. She hadn't told Austin yet, but she'd felt a sharp cramp the night before. It lasted less than a minute, but it left her breathless and shaken.
She'd made an appointment with the private doctor Austin had assigned her, and the scan had come back normal. Still, a new wave of anxiety stirred deep inside her.
Her phone vibrated.
It was a text from Marie, her old friend from nursing school.
"Clair... turn on the news. Channel 8."
Clair fumbled for the remote and flipped on the massive flat screen.
The anchor's voice was serious. "Breaking news this morning, as sources confirm that the FBI has reopened its investigation into the Montgomery empire. Allegations include illegal weapons transfers, offshore laundering, and political manipulation. But what's captured the public's attention is the Montgomery family's new addition, Mrs. Clair Montgomery."
The screen shifted to an image of her at a gala beside Austin, hand resting protectively on her small bump.
Clair's heart dropped.
"They're painting me like I'm part of all this," she whispered.
Footsteps echoed down the hall.
Austin entered, dressed in a dark tailored suit, tie undone, hair slightly messy, the look he wore when he was both furious and calculating.
"You saw it?" he asked.
She nodded.
"I already have Elias digging into the leak," he said. "Someone fed them that photo."
"Was it from inside the gala?" she asked.
"Private security was tight. This came from someone who wants you exposed. It's a warning shot."
Clair set her mug down and walked over to him.
"Do you think it's Isadora?"
Austin's eyes darkened. "If she's not behind it, she's close to whoever is. And I'm going to find out."
"How bad is it?"
"They've subpoenaed our legal team. Frozen one of our secondary accounts. And a field agent tried to question one of my lieutenants this morning."
Clair stiffened. "They're coming for you."
He touched her face gently. "Let them. I've buried bigger enemies than the FBI. But I won't let them touch you."
She leaned into him, eyes closed. "I'm not afraid of them. I'm afraid of what this will do to you."
"Don't be," he whispered. "You married a king. They'll learn what that means."
Later that afternoon, Austin met with Elias in the war room. The energy between them had shifted since the confrontation, but Elias knew better than to push his luck. For now, they worked as brothers with a shared enemy.
"The leak came from someone inside the old Isadora circle," Elias reported. "Possibly one of her lawyers. They had access to internal surveillance and financial records before we shut her out."
Austin reviewed the files. His jaw ticked as his eyes scanned over a familiar name.
"Greer Novak."
Elias nodded. "She was the assistant on your legal team six months ago. Disappeared the day after Isadora was arrested."
"Track her. I want her alive."
"And the FBI?"
"I'm setting the trap. I'll give them just enough rope to hang themselves."
Elias grinned. "Sounds like the brother I remember."
Austin shot him a warning glance. "Don't forget, you're only here because I let you stay."
"Understood," Elias said, but his smile didn't fade.
That evening, Clair walked into the courtyard for some air. The pressure had been suffocating all day. She hated seeing her name dragged through headlines, hated the way strangers online tore into her character. And though she was used to staying calm under pressure, this was different. This was personal.
"Mrs. Montgomery," a voice called.
She turned sharply.
It was Dr. Quinn, the private physician Austin had hired to monitor her pregnancy. He wasn't supposed to return until next week.
"Is something wrong?" she asked.
He looked serious. "I got your latest lab results. They were flagged for priority review. Something's come up."
Her breath caught. "What kind of something?"
Dr. Quinn hesitated. "You have a rare antibody in your blood, likely triggered by the pregnancy. It's not dangerous yet, but it means the baby's blood type may be incompatible with yours."
"What does that mean for the baby?"she asked even as a nurse, she wanted to hear it from someone else.
"In extreme cases, the mother's body can treat the baby as a threat and attack it. But we've caught it early. With the right monitoring, we'll manage it. I just need to run additional scans weekly."
Clair swallowed hard, heart pounding.
"But the baby is okay right now?"
He nodded. "Heartbeat is strong. But stress can worsen the condition."
She managed a small nod, but the world felt like it was closing in.
Austin found her on the rooftop garden that night, barefoot in one of his oversized shirts, staring at the sky.
"Clair," he said softly.
She turned, eyes glistening.
He crossed the space in two strides, wrapping her in his arms before she could speak.
"What is it?" he asked.
She leaned against his chest, the sound of his heartbeat grounding her.
"I didn't want to worry you," she said. "But the baby... there's a risk. My body might reject him."
Austin's entire frame stiffened.
"But there's treatment. It's early. We can manage it."
He pulled back and held her face in his hands.
"Nothing will happen to our child," he said fiercely. "You hear me? I'll fly in every specialist on the planet if I have to."
Tears slid down her cheeks.
"And you," he added, brushing them away, "you're the strongest person I know. You carried me through hell without even knowing it. Now let me carry you."
She wrapped her arms around his waist and held him tight.
"You already do," she whispered.
The next morning, the Montgomery estate was crawling with reporters outside the gates. Drones buzzed above. The media circus had arrived in full.
Austin stood in the entryway, watching the live stream from his office wall.
Clair walked in, dressed in a deep emerald dress, soft curls framing her face. She looked powerful, regal.
"I want to speak," she said.
Austin turned. "No."
"I need to. If I hide, they'll assume I have something to be ashamed of. I want to tell them who I am."
Austin studied her, seeing not just the woman he loved, but the queen she was becoming.
"You sure?"
She nodded. "Let me help protect what we've built."
He stepped forward, took her hand, and kissed her fingers.
"Then we do it together."
The press conference took place an hour later.
Clair stood beside Austin at the front gate, facing a sea of flashing lights and microphones. Her voice was steady as she spoke.
"My name is Clair Johnson Montgomery. I'm a licensed trauma nurse, a wife, and soon, a mother. I am not a criminal, nor am I afraid of those who abuse power under the guise of justice. I have nothing to hide."
Austin stood tall beside her, hand protectively on her back.
"I've seen firsthand the destruction caused by unchecked ambition," Clair continued. "But I've also seen redemption, growth, and love. That is what the Montgomery name means to me now."
Reporters shouted questions, but Clair turned and walked away with her head high.
Inside the gates, Austin looked at her with something raw and reverent in his eyes.
"You just made half the world fall in love with you," he murmured.
She smirked. "You're the only one I want."
And when he kissed her there in front of their kingdom, it wasn't just for the cameras.
It was a promise.
To protect. To fight. To never break.
Whatever storm came next, they would face it, together.