River Knight's booming voice drew stares from coworkers nearby, but the second they caught sight of Magnus Marshall, they quickly averted their eyes, pretending they hadn't heard a thing.
Astrid didn't budge from Magnus's steady grip. She stood her ground, meeting River's gaze coolly. "Do we owe you an explanation?"
River glanced between them, then addressed Magnus as "Uncle" before trying to steer Astrid away.
Astrid brushed his hand off firmly. "Please respect personal boundaries."
River let out a frustrated sigh, pressing his lips into a thin line. "Astrid, I know you're upset with me, but can we just sit down and talk?"
Wanting to clear the air, Astrid turned to Magnus. "Mr. Marshall, mind if I step out for a bit? I'll be right back."
"Go ahead," he said, his tone softer than usual.
Both Astrid and River caught the shift in Magnus's voice, but neither said a word. They headed to the café downstairs.
River ordered two Americanos.
Astrid looked him dead in the eye. "River, you know I don't like American coffee—or any coffee, for that matter—right?"
River blinked, caught off guard, then let out a heavy sigh. "Sweetheart, I get that you're mad because I didn't marry you just to please your father. But I can't rush into something that big. We've been together three years, and there's still so much to figure out. Marriage is forever—and getting divorced later would be a total mess."
Astrid let out a dry chuckle. "Actually... isn't Fallon Silva the one who likes Americanos?"
River's face went pale, and he slammed his palm on the table. "What are you implying? That I'm messing around with my sister-in-law? That's insane—"
Before he could finish, Astrid pulled out her phone and played a video.
River watched the footage—captured on a rainy day by a dashcam—where he and Fallon were caught mid-kiss, badmouthing Astrid.
The worst part? Learning they'd been sneaking around before Fallon's husband—River's cousin—had even died. Fallon had gotten pregnant, and the family had believed the kid was her late husband's. They'd mourned with her when she lost it. But Astrid had overheard the real truth: that baby was River's.
That was when Astrid finally saw the man she'd loved for three years for what he really was.
River's face crumbled as he kept watching. "Have you been spying on me?"
Astrid tucked her phone away. "You're overthinking this. I was working five gigs to cover my dad's medical bills. I overheard everything from passengers while I was driving rideshare. The dashcam caught it all."
Desperate, River reached out, trying to grab her wrist.
"Astrid, listen to me. Fallon was just a fling. You're the one I actually care about. If I'd known how bad your dad's condition was... I came here today to tell you I've made up my mind. I'll marry you now. We can go see your dad together."
Astrid shook his hand off again, her voice steady. "There's no need, River. I thought I made myself clear last time: if marriage was off the table, we were done. I'm already married. And... it's been five days since we last saw each other. If you really cared, you'd know my dad's already gone. In that time, I nearly lost everything trying to pay for his treatment—and then I lost him. That kind of pain doesn't just disappear.
You weren't there when I needed you most. That tells me everything I need to know about us. Don't come looking for me again—my husband might not take it well. Oh, and wasn't it someone else who pulled me out of that car crash three years ago?"
River's eyes went wide, panic flickering through them. "Astrid, back then—"
He trailed off, but Astrid had already connected the dots.
"I know now. And even if you had been the one who saved me, I paid that debt when Fallon miscarried—I helped her recover and designed several projects she asked for, free of charge. So I owe you nothing. Goodbye, River."
Astrid stood up, surprised by how calm she felt. Their three years hadn't been all bad. When she'd asked him to marry her, it wasn't just for her dad's sake—she genuinely saw a future with him.
But he'd never planned on marriage. He'd just wanted to keep stringing her along.
Now, accepting that their paths had split for good, she felt relief washing over her instead of grief. Her eyes were set on a brighter future: saving up enough to help Abby Carter buy a big house, and maybe get Baylor Morrison a decent car when he tied the knot.
River kept calling after her as she walked away, but Astrid tuned him out completely.
Back at the office, she spotted Magnus standing near the entrance—unusual for him. Was he heading out?
She couldn't just ignore him, so she walked over. "Mr. Marshall."
Magnus gave her a short nod.
Trying to keep things strictly professional, Astrid didn't say more and headed to her office.
Magnus watched her go, a little disappointed that all they'd exchanged was a simple greeting.
...
Astrid had learned that Magnus was River's uncle during a date where River had addressed him that way. Magnus had been born to Howard Marshall late in life, after an affair with a young housekeeper. Howard's wife couldn't stand having Magnus around, so she had him sent to an orphanage—until Howard eventually brought him back and handed him the family legacy.
With that kind of complicated family history, Astrid felt grateful that Magnus had been there for her during her darkest days. She made up her mind not to avoid him.
Once she settled into her office, she got buried in her work and didn't look up until after nine in the evening. Exhausted, she dozed off without realizing it.
When she woke up, the office was empty. She checked the time—past eleven. As she got ready to head home, she noticed a men's jacket draped over her—one she recognized from Magnus's wardrobe. He must have covered her while she was asleep.
She quickly set the jacket aside, not wanting to give coworkers any reason to gossip. Grabbing her things, she called Magnus.
He picked up right away. "I'm sorry about that—I must have dozed off while working. Is there a curfew at your place? I'll be more careful next time."
Magnus's voice was calm and understanding, clearly aware of how much the past few days had taken out of her.
